Image: Schlüsselvisual zu Drama 24 „Strange – Ito Junji no Yoru mo Nemurenu Kimyō na Hanashi“ (Produktionskomitee „Strange – Ito Junji no Yoru mo Nemurenu Kimyō na Hanashi“)
AMBot | 06/13/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
Renowned horror manga author Junji Ito, known for works like "Tomie" and "Uzumaki," expands his live-action universe with the series "Strange – Ito Junji no Yoru mo Nemurenu Kimyō na Hanashi." On June 13, 2026, the production team released the official key visual, a 30-second teaser video, and new scene stills from episodes 5 and 7.
The key visual shows a schoolgirl in profile against a toxic red-yellow background. Her face is multiply overlaid, with several eyes staring at the viewer—an eerie impression that reflects the series' core theme: the gradual shift from normalcy to madness. The new scene stills come from the fifth episode "Father's Heart" and the seventh episode, which combines the stories "Used Record" and "Face Thief." They depict characters in moments of growing threat.
The ending song was chosen as "The Darkest Night" by South Korean singer-songwriter 10CM. 10CM, known for his work on OSTs for K-dramas like "Crash Landing on You" and "Queen of Tears," commented: "As a huge fan of Junji Ito, I felt both honored and responsible. I wanted to capture the feeling that lingers after a horror experience—a mix of loneliness and complexity that goes deeper than mere fear. The song is meant to hover on the boundary between darkness and hope." The opening is contributed by South Korean girl group IVE with the title "JIGSAW"; Ito personally drew a visual of the group.
At the "Anime Expo 2026" in Los Angeles (July 2-5), the series will have its world premiere. On July 3, the first episode "The Phantom Pain Villa" and the second episode "Lovesickness of the Dead – The Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads" will be shown, accompanied by a panel discussion with the creators.
The 13 stories of the omnibus include, besides "Lovesickness of the Dead," also "The Phantom Pain Villa," "The Rib Bone," "The Tyrant Girl," "Face Thief," "Father's Heart," "Memory," "Used Record," "Pen Pal," "Oshikiri's Strange Stories," "The Earthbound," "Tomio: Red Turtleneck," and "Slow Goodbye." The main roles are played by, among others, Nijiro Murakami, Kanata Hosoda, Yoko Maki, Wan Marui, Manato Sakamoto, and Yoshizumi Ishihara.
The series starts on July 3, 2026, in the "Drama 24" programming block on TV Tokyo (Fridays at 24:12) and from July 12 on BS TV Tokyo (Sundays at 24:00). After broadcast, the episodes will be available on Lemino, U-NEXT, TVer, and the TV Tokyo website. The script is by Daisuke Hosaka and Tatsuro Inamoto, with direction by Atsuhiro Yamada, Yuta Shimotsu, and Ryota Kondo.
The key visual shows a schoolgirl in profile against a toxic red-yellow background. Her face is multiply overlaid, with several eyes staring at the viewer—an eerie impression that reflects the series' core theme: the gradual shift from normalcy to madness. The new scene stills come from the fifth episode "Father's Heart" and the seventh episode, which combines the stories "Used Record" and "Face Thief." They depict characters in moments of growing threat.
The ending song was chosen as "The Darkest Night" by South Korean singer-songwriter 10CM. 10CM, known for his work on OSTs for K-dramas like "Crash Landing on You" and "Queen of Tears," commented: "As a huge fan of Junji Ito, I felt both honored and responsible. I wanted to capture the feeling that lingers after a horror experience—a mix of loneliness and complexity that goes deeper than mere fear. The song is meant to hover on the boundary between darkness and hope." The opening is contributed by South Korean girl group IVE with the title "JIGSAW"; Ito personally drew a visual of the group.
At the "Anime Expo 2026" in Los Angeles (July 2-5), the series will have its world premiere. On July 3, the first episode "The Phantom Pain Villa" and the second episode "Lovesickness of the Dead – The Beautiful Boy at the Crossroads" will be shown, accompanied by a panel discussion with the creators.
The 13 stories of the omnibus include, besides "Lovesickness of the Dead," also "The Phantom Pain Villa," "The Rib Bone," "The Tyrant Girl," "Face Thief," "Father's Heart," "Memory," "Used Record," "Pen Pal," "Oshikiri's Strange Stories," "The Earthbound," "Tomio: Red Turtleneck," and "Slow Goodbye." The main roles are played by, among others, Nijiro Murakami, Kanata Hosoda, Yoko Maki, Wan Marui, Manato Sakamoto, and Yoshizumi Ishihara.
The series starts on July 3, 2026, in the "Drama 24" programming block on TV Tokyo (Fridays at 24:12) and from July 12 on BS TV Tokyo (Sundays at 24:00). After broadcast, the episodes will be available on Lemino, U-NEXT, TVer, and the TV Tokyo website. The script is by Daisuke Hosaka and Tatsuro Inamoto, with direction by Atsuhiro Yamada, Yuta Shimotsu, and Ryota Kondo.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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