: During the ritual, Shigorô appears to be possessed by their deceased father, Gozo, and even vomits "ectoplasm." However, the physicist quickly discovers the substance is merely udon flour—the entire séance was a staged trick to impress the guests.
The episode features a prominent voice cast for the bizarre siblings: : Takahiro Sakurai (JP) / Jonah Scott (EN) Kinako : Romi Park (JP) / Karen Strassman (EN) Shigorô : Hajime Iijima (JP) / Brock Powell (EN) Narumi : Risa Shimizu (JP) / Kayli Mills (EN) Hitoshi : Ayaka Asai (JP) / Laura Stahl (EN) Misako : Tomoko Kaneda (JP) / Corina Boettger (EN) Critical Reception
: While the art style remains faithful to Ito's original designs, some fans on Reddit felt the colorful and smooth animation lacked the unsettling, gritty atmosphere of the black-and-white manga. Itou Junji: Maniac - Episode 1
The story centers on the six eccentric and unsettling Hikizuri siblings: Kazuya, Kinako, Shigorô, Narumi, Hitoshi, and Misako.
Critics and viewers have offered mixed reviews on the episode's effectiveness: : During the ritual, Shigorô appears to be
: Infuriated by the deception, Kazuya confronts Shigorô. Unexpectedly, the youngest sibling, Hitoshi, becomes the vessel for the actual spirit of Gozo. Real ectoplasm erupts from Hitoshi, chasing the terrified siblings until it retreats back into the father's grave. Cast and Creative Team
: Critics at Ready Steady Cut questioned the decision to open the series with this specific tale, describing it as a "family drama masquerading as light horror" rather than one of Ito's more terrifying concepts. Critics and viewers have offered mixed reviews on
: Some reviewers from The Review Geek noted that the quirky humor sometimes undercut the horror elements.