Junji Ito is all about our own bodies betraying us. Slug Girl is no exception.
In Slug Girl, a manga by Junji Ito, a girl’s tongue turns into a slug. The normally talkative and funny Yuuko turns quiet, and soon enough she and her parents have to deal with her tongue turning into a slug. Rie, the point-of-view character, provides the information that Yuuko hates and fears slugs. When Rie sees the slug in Yuuko’s mouth, she just runs away.
The parents, to their credit, try everything. They cut off the slug, use salt, and eventually put Yuuko into a bathtub full of salt. Unfortunately, it only affects Yuuko’s body; the slug remains there, but Yuuko’s body becomes tiny, and the slug takes over, with the girl’s seemingly still alive head attached to it.
It is rather easy to see the parallels between the Slug Girl and various chronic illnesses. The slow progression of the disease first takes away Yuuko’s speech, then it starts to stop her from eating, causing her to waste away. It is very common for diseases to cause weight loss, and that is precisely what Yuuko’s tongue looks like. It is most similar to a tumor, and it is taking over her life.
Yuuko’s illness was not and cannot be cured; it is chronic, and it will last forever until the girl dies. In real life, many people have to take pills every day, to suffer from pain every day, to experience any number of inconveniences because they have this disease that, at times, seems to control their lives. The slug gaining control over Yuuko’s body shows that the girl cannot ignore or medicate away her illness; but she is still seen to be alive and suffering.
Another important point is that Yuuko hates and fears slugs, which can easily be compared to being afraid of falling ill. It is a very common fear, and Yuuko suffers all the more because of it. Fear of disease may sometimes lead to taking precautions to avoid getting it, but some diseases are not really affected by life choices. Some diseases, like cancer, can strike both old and young people.
The most haunting part about this story is that Yuuko remains alive as a slug shell. Her illness progressed to the point where little remains of her, but what does remain is suffering. She cannot talk about it, but her sad eyes give it away.
Junji Ito loves a story where your own body betrays you. This is one of the most haunting of these stories, especially since it reminds us of real-life experiences of people with chronic illnesses.
Junji Ito is all about our own bodies betraying us. Slug Girl is no exception.
In Slug Girl, a manga by Junji Ito, a girl’s tongue turns into a slug. The normally talkative and funny Yuuko turns quiet, and soon enough she and her parents have to deal with her tongue turning into a slug. Rie, the point-of-view character, provides the information that Yuuko hates and fears slugs. When Rie sees the slug in Yuuko’s mouth, she just runs away.
The parents, to their credit, try everything. They cut off the slug, use salt, and eventually put Yuuko into a bathtub full of salt. Unfortunately, it only affects Yuuko’s body; the slug remains there, but Yuuko’s body becomes tiny, and the slug takes over, with the girl’s seemingly still alive head attached to it.
It is rather easy to see the parallels between the Slug Girl and various chronic illnesses. The slow progression of the disease first takes away Yuuko’s speech, then it starts to stop her from eating, causing her to waste away. It is very common for diseases to cause weight loss, and that is precisely what Yuuko’s tongue looks like. It is most similar to a tumor, and it is taking over her life.
Yuuko’s illness was not and cannot be cured; it is chronic, and it will last forever until the girl dies. In real life, many people have to take pills every day, to suffer from pain every day, to experience any number of inconveniences because they have this disease that, at times, seems to control their lives. The slug gaining control over Yuuko’s body shows that the girl cannot ignore or medicate away her illness; but she is still seen to be alive and suffering.
Another important point is that Yuuko hates and fears slugs, which can easily be compared to being afraid of falling ill. It is a very common fear, and Yuuko suffers all the more because of it. Fear of disease may sometimes lead to taking precautions to avoid getting it, but some diseases are not really affected by life choices. Some diseases, like cancer, can strike both old and young people.
The most haunting part about this story is that Yuuko remains alive as a slug shell. Her illness progressed to the point where little remains of her, but what does remain is suffering. She cannot talk about it, but her sad eyes give it away.
Junji Ito loves a story where your own body betrays you. This is one of the most haunting of these stories, especially since it reminds us of real-life experiences of people with chronic illnesses.
