Who is Tomie? Know Everything About Junji Ito’s Horror

Who is Tomie? Tomie by Junji Ito is one of mangaka’s best works. The strange events have a recurring chilling effect on the readers. Tomie, the story’s adversary and protagonist, is cloaked in mystery. Despite the fact that she is at the center of every story, little is known about her origins. Every reader has been enthralled by her, only to be left with a bitter aftertaste at the conclusion of each event. But it’s impossible not to think about her: who is Tomie? Where did she originate? What was her motivation, exactly? Tomie is Junji Ito’s main protagonist, but she is so much more than a brattish little girl who doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings.

Tomie is a three-part manga series written by Junji Ito that ran from 1987 to 2000 in the Nemuki Monthly Halloween magazine. ComicsOne and Viz Media later released it in English. The iconic horror manga inspired a number of TV dramas in which the main character (Tomie) was played by a number of attractive women. The main element of the character was her lovely face, which drew admirers of all ages and genders. She did, however, bring a slew of omen with her wherever she went.

Who is Tomie? What was it that she desired? She’s been called a lot of things. A cursory examination of her personality may make it easier for us to deduce her importance.

Who is Tomie?

Tomie Kawakumi is Tomie’s full name. Throughout the three volumes of Junji Ito’s Tomie, she makes several appearances. She’s characterized as a young woman with lovely hair and a mole beneath her right eye. Her beauty has a unique allure that has practically everyone enamored with her. Those who do not fall for her will be haunted by nightmares and a life without serenity for the rest of their lives.

Tomie’s personality would come across as fun at first. However, it is only increasingly apparent that she is a selfish individual who thrives on people’s obsession with her. Rather than being loved, she desired to be exalted. She becomes quite manipulative once she has a target and enjoys having them hurt others for her own gain.

Tomie is a woman-hunter as well as a man-hunter. She enticed ladies by showcasing her beauty, and she employed men to do her bidding at times. She preyed on the vulnerability of these ladies as they attempted to imitate her. She is unforgiving. Simultaneously, the idea of somebody being more beautiful or adored than her does not sit well with her. She doesn’t even spare her own clones later in the story.

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Tomie’s Origin

Throughout the three volumes of the manga, Tomie’s origin is never revealed. Tomie originally appears as a young adolescent having an affair with her teacher in the first story. However, following an accident on a field trip, the entire class murders her and dismembers her body. Each member of the gang seizes a piece of her and disposes of it in various areas. Tomie miraculously emerges without a scratch on her body a few days after her death. While this may appear to be the start of Tomie’s nightmares, it is strongly hinted that Tomie existed before this tragedy. The classroom instructor admits to having met Tomie when he was a child.

Who is Tomie?

Following then, Tomie reappears in various locations and as a part of many people’s life. She dies at the end of each story, only to reappear alive in a different location. Tomie can regenerate from any area of her flesh and build a new body, which is later revealed. This is how, despite dying, she keeps reappearing to wreak havoc on other people’s lives.

Junji Ito’s inspiration behind Tomie

Tomie is one of Junji Ito’s most well-known compositions, and it is frequently mentioned in his interviews. In one interview, he was asked what inspired him to create the persona. Junji Ito says that a really attractive woman never inspired him to develop Tomie. His motivation stemmed from the death of a classmate in a car accident when he was in junior high school. After the encounter, he wondered how strange it would be if the boy reappeared as if nothing had occurred. As a result, Tomie was born, a girl who, although dying numerous times, would always return innocent. He gave the character his own spin by giving her an unlikable demeanor.

Junji Ito has stated that he is afraid of ladies. His concern is obviously portrayed through Tomie, albeit exaggerated. Her remarks are extremely hurtful and can be used to attack anyone on a personal level.

What Was Tomie?

Tomie keeps reappearing in different time zones and at various ages in order to achieve her goal. Tomie is meant to be something, right? She is neither a ghost nor a zombie, according to Junji Ito. She is, however, unquestionably dead. So, who is Tomie, exactly?

Any of the stories never mention Tomie’s true identity. She does, however, share many characteristics with a succubus. She starts by seducing her victims. Anyone who is influenced by her appears to be sapped of both emotional and physical vigor. They gradually revert to their worst selves. They eventually get fascinated with her to the point where they are willing to do anything for her, and even worse, with her. Tomie, like a devil, longs for worship. The more they worship, the more excited she becomes. She is likewise devoid of any feelings for anyone other than herself. Despite this, she has never killed anyone herself, instead of relying on others to carry out her heinous acts.

Tomie is also akin to a disease or a curse. Every time she moves to a new location, she is met with death and ruin. Tomie does not have any supernatural abilities, despite his menacing aura. When infants are injected with her DNA, they transform into Tomie in one of the stories.

In one story, Tomie is compared to a planarium, a flatworm that may grow from any portion of its body. Tomie can regenerate from a mutilated area of her body, much like planaria. Although it all starts with Tomie making unexpected appearances, it eventually escalates into a full-fledged Tomie invasion. This could also indicate that Tomie was an extraterrestrial with ominous attractions.

The Significance of Tomie

Tomie was a lot of things, but he was largely nasty. People are obsessed with her, as has been said countless times. The victims, on the other hand, constantly claimed to be in love with her. They eventually wanted to chop her up and keep Tomie to themselves due to their overpowering feelings of love for her. Most of Tomie’s stories concluded with her utter dissolution.

Tomie’s presence represents various bad energies in a person. By enticing them in, she pulls out the worst in them. She repeatedly demonstrates how fragile a person’s mental stability may be. Tomie is initially confronted with males who are cheating, dishonest, and unfaithful. By allowing them to devour her, she transformed them into murderers. In her view, however, justice is different since she would punish them with the darkness of nightmares, driving them insane.

‘Ego’ is also shown by Tomie. She’s a conceited beast who takes advantage of her good looks. She considers her prey’s sentiments as trash after they fall for her. On the other side, if someone does not worship her as much as the others, she becomes enraged and goes to great lengths to convert them. Tomie is so determined to be the most desirable that she is willing to sacrifice her other-selves in order to achieve her goal. This is also a metaphor for how individuals frequently lose themselves in the midst of vanity. The genuine Tomie has vanished among the clones, just as innocence does as a person grows older.

Tomie also examines other sensitive issues such as lying, abuse, and the human mind’s insatiable desire for physical beauty through the other characters.

Where to Read Tomie?

Tomie is presently available for purchase on various authentic manga selling platforms as well as on multiple manga reading sites. Viz Media also has a deluxe version available. Alternatively, the hardcopy can be purchased via Amazon. Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, and Nook have digital versions available. In 2018, Tomie was also the subject of a two-episode special animation titled ‘Ito Junji: Collection Specials; Ito Junji Episodes 13 and 14’.

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