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An interview published by Daily Dead features Junji Ito, director Yûta Shimotsu and TV Tokyo producer Mayu Nobe discussing the live-action series Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights. The series adapts 13 stories, including “Lovesickness,” “The Bully” and “The Face Thief”; the interview focuses on story selection and changes made in adapting the manga.
Junji Ito, director Yûta Shimotsu and TV Tokyo producer Mayu Nobe discussed the choices behind Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights in an interview published by Daily Dead. The live-action series adapts 13 stories by the horror manga author, including “Lovesickness,” “The Bully” and “The Face Thief,” and the interview offers a look at how the production selected and reshaped the material.
Nobe said TV Tokyo chose the stories for what the interview describes as the broadcaster’s first live-action adaptation effort based on Ito’s work. The production weighed whether each story could be made effectively in live action, she said, while also including material with strong appeal to fans. “Lovesickness” was included because it was a favorite, Nobe said; she also pushed for stories she personally thought would work well on screen.
Shimotsu, one of three directors on the series, said the directors submitted wish lists and did not select overlapping episodes. His preferred choices from the selected stories included “The Face Thief” and “The Bully.” Ito praised the casting and performance of Yôko Maki in “The Bully,” a story that follows its central character across a long period of her life. He said the adaptation’s measured pace and its recreation of a key final image captured the emotional weight he intended.
Shimotsu said the crew kept the manga beside the camera monitors while working on the composition of “The Bully’s” final scene. For “The Face Thief,” he described a different approach: the adaptation expands the relationship between the girls and changes the ending. Ito said the episode’s emphasis on friendship differed from the colder dynamic in his original comic, while recognizing the additional depth created by the adaptation. The source says the series had aired in Japan and started streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes released weekly.
How Ito’s Stories Change On Screen
The interview matters to viewers because it explains that this is not a panel-by-panel transfer of the manga. The production made choices based on what could be staged in live action, and at least one episode changed the ending and developed relationships beyond the original story. Those decisions shape how familiar material reaches both existing Ito readers and viewers encountering it through television.
For fans, Ito’s comments offer a direct account of what he thought worked in the adaptation, especially the performance and final image in “The Bully.” Shimotsu’s description of matching the manga’s composition also shows how the team approached a specific visual moment. The discussion does not establish how audiences or critics have received the series, but it gives readers a source-attributed account of the creative process behind selected episodes.
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A 13-Story Live-Action Adaptation
Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights is described in the source as a TV Tokyo series adapting 13 of Ito’s stories into live action, with “Lovesickness” serving as an anchor. Other named selections include “The Bully,” “The Face Thief” and “Used Records.” The interview presents the project as TV Tokyo’s first live-action adaptation effort drawing on Ito’s stories.
The interview was conducted in Japan with Ito, Shimotsu and Nobe. Daily Dead’s report places the series’ streaming start around Halloween and says episodes were arriving weekly. The source does not provide a complete episode-by-episode schedule or a full list of all 13 adapted stories.
““First of all, we have to consider feasibility, whether it’s possible to make a live-action adaptation.””
— Mayu Nobe, TV Tokyo producer
Release Details Still Unspecified
The source does not give the interview’s publication date, a full episode schedule, or the complete list of stories adapted. It says the series had begun streaming on HBO Max with weekly episodes, but does not identify the dates for individual releases or clarify availability in markets beyond those mentioned. The interview also provides no audience figures, reviews or other evidence about reception. Those points cannot be established from the supplied report.
Weekly Episodes Continue
According to the source, new episodes were being released weekly after the series began streaming on HBO Max. The next development for viewers is the arrival of subsequent episodes; the report does not specify their dates. The interview does not announce another season or further adaptation plans, so no continuation beyond the 13-story series is confirmed.
Key Questions
What is Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights?
It is a live-action series adapting 13 stories by Junji Ito. The source describes “Lovesickness” as an anchor for the series.
Which stories are discussed in the interview?
The interview discusses “Lovesickness,” “The Bully” and “The Face Thief.” “Used Records” is also named among the series’ selected stories.
Why did the production change The Face Thief?
Director Yûta Shimotsu said the adaptation changed the ending and introduced a stronger element of friendship between the two characters. Junji Ito said that differed from the colder relationship in his original comic.
Where was the series streaming?
Daily Dead’s report says the series had started streaming on HBO Max after airing in Japan, with new episodes released weekly. The source does not provide a complete schedule or broader availability details.
Source: dailydead.com
