Netflix’s New Lovecraftian Manga Adaptation Repeats 1 Stephen King Show’s Risky Concept

One of Netflix‘s most exciting horror projects is an adaptation of a Lovecraftian manga, which will seemingly repeat the same risky concept as a Stephen King show. Since Junji Ito is one of the most renowned horror mangakas out there, it should not be surprising that his works keep getting picked for movie and TV adaptations.

More often than not, Ito’s works get anime adaptations for the small screen, with 2024’s Uzumaki being the latest TV take on one of his most acclaimed manga. Every once in a while, though, his cosmic horror manga are also translated into the live-action storytelling medium. Netflix’s upcoming Mandarin production, Bloody Smart, is one of these rare live-action takes on Ito’s work.

Scheduled to premiere on Netflix in 2026, Bloody Smart unfolds in a small school town that is obsessed with perfection. Fueling this obsession, a mysterious Bloody Fruit Tree appears out of nowhere, bearing crimson fruits. Consumption of the fruit promises to make one smarter, but the benefits it promises come with a terrible cost.

As promising as the upcoming manga adaptation on Netflix may seem, it is repeating the same risky concept as a two-season Stephen King TV show.

Like Castle Rock’s Shared Stephen King Universe, Netflix’s New Show Will Combine Many Junji Ito Stories

Just like Castle Rock presents itself as a concoction of many Stephen King books, Bloody Smart, too, will mix several Junji Ito works into one narrative. As the show’s trailer seems to suggest, it will include references and terrors from at least eight Junji Ito stories:

• Slug Girl
• The Chill
• Tomie
• The Shard of Evil
• The Hanging Balloons
• Yon & Mu
• Lovesickness
• Soichi

It is too soon to tell how it will incorporate so many distinct stories into its narrative. However, as its trailer reveals, it will seemingly take the same approach as Castle Rock and drop one-off references to some Junji Ito stories while making others primary drivers of its story. On paper, this approach seems intriguing. Getting it right, though, may not be an easy feat.

Castle Rock did a decent job of merging many Stephen King stories into one compelling narrative. Still, the show was not appreciated by many Stephen King fans who hoped to watch something more coherent and loyal to the original books.

Netflix’s Bloody Smart could encounter similar challenges, but if it manages to cleverly include some of the best aspects of Ito’s most popular stories, viewers will not be left disappointed. Apart from getting its risky storytelling approach right, the Junji Ito adaptation faces another challenge that has previously plagued many manga-to-screen takes of the mangaka’s works.

Junji Ito’s Lovecraft Inspiration Makes His Work Hard To Adapt, But Bloody Smart Looks Promising

As Junji Ito has himself stated in the past (via PSTDarkness), he draws a lot of inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror stories. The terrors and monsters in his stories are bizarre and unique in their own ways, but traces of Lovecraftian horror can be found in nearly all of his manga.

Owing to the Lovecraftian elements in his stories, Ito’s horror manga are not easy to adapt. The recent take on Uzumaki initially seemed quite promising and even delivered a brilliant opening episode. However, after its early arcs, the show experienced a massive decline in quality, making it another failed take on Ito’s stories.

Even in live-action, only the Uzumaki movie from 2000 is considered a cult classic. All other live-action takes on Ito’s work have seemingly been forgotten. To leave its mark, Netflix’s Bloody Smart will have to embrace the surreal psychological horror and deeply unsettling cosmic weirdness that make Ito’s stories impossible to shake off.

Like Stephen King‘s stories, the show seems to have found a way to be relatable by grounding its narrative in the struggles of young students who bear the pressure to academically perform well. However, the Netflix horror show must also dabble with the surreal and the unknowable fear that often lurks in the Lovecraftian aspects of Ito’s storytelling.