InsaneJournal

For our first story that centers around eerie gazes, we'll start with something comparatively mundane: creepy old people.







In case you missed it, the little old woman is chasing that guy down the street without every getting up off her ass. And that's why my pet name for the woman is The World's Laziest Geriatric Stalker. Now, if she only had one of those little motorized scooters, she'd be an even greater force for terror!

Admittedly, The World's Laziest Geriatric Stalker isn't actually doing anything to the man. Or even looking directly at him. But you've got to admit that her blank, indirect gaze and chair skootching are at least a little bit frightening. Possibly?

Well, anyway, the old lady here is doing her creepy staring on a public street... which, I suppose, is her prerogative. But wouldn't it be even scarier if someone was staring creepily at you in what's supposed to be a safe place? Like, say, your school perhaps?





Yep, that's some good creepy staring from the ol' haunted mirror, alright. Still, it's not all that scary. Even this exceptionally wussy middle school kid has realized he can just not look at the mirror. There, haunting solved.

But perhaps you've realized by now that the staring is only getting more personal and invasive in every story I post. So what if something was staring at you in the sanctity of your own bedroom? That'd be really scary, right?









Ugh. I say again, I don't blame this kid at all for cowering in his bed as the weird newt creature lurks just outside his window. That would be pretty scary. For a while. Until you got installed a blind and/or got thicker curtains.

I mean, sure, that thing is pretty freaky looking, and no one wants to be spied on in their own bedroom. But at least Mr. Newt has the common courtesy to do his spying from the outside of your house.

Unlike some ghosts I could mention...







Well now that's just rude.

At any rate! Be you naked or clothed, in your house or on the street, there comes a point where having weird monsters doing nothing but staring at you just plain isn't scary anymore. Ah, but again, that's the beauty of Fuan no Tane. Is staring really all these creatures intend to do? What if they want something more?

Enter the rather horrific story of "The Playful Man." This one truly does creep me out.





I've got to say, I find the sudden change of tone in the art for that one panel pretty effective in showing the kid's sudden fright.





And that, dear reader, is where I went from "But it's just some guy with a sack over his head!" to "Oh my fucking GOD that's terrifying!"

I found this story kind of haunting for a while. Is the Playful Man actually forcing his way into the building? Or is he unable to enter, as the stories say, and just rattling the door frame in his impotent rage? Either way, I don't blame this little girl for being so scared. I guess the fact that it's a young child being threatened that makes this story scary for me, much like the "hide and seek" story I posted before.

Unless of course the Playful Man is actually Mr. Kimura in disguise, as part of his master plan to reduce the number of students in detention. Actually that would be pretty funny.

"LET'S PLAY! BOOGA BOOGA BOOGETY BOO!" *thinking* Heh heh, this'll learn that little punk not to shoot spitballs in class.

When next we meet... more creepy eyeball monsters! And, even though it has nothing at ALL to do with eyes, The Ear-Slashing Monk!