Junji Ito is known for body horror, existential dread, and one of manga’s most iconic creepy characters in Tomie. Drawing a K-Pop girl group? That’s new.
But the legendary horror mangaka just took over the K-Pop world by releasing cover art for IVE’s fourth Japanese album, Lucid Dream—and fans are absolutely stunned by the results.
Ito illustrated the IVE members in his signature detailed style, but without the usual horror twist. Instead, the drawings are hauntingly beautiful—elegant, ethereal, and surprisingly faithful to the members’ actual appearances. The reaction from Korean netizens has been overwhelmingly positive:
- “I’m shocked at how accurate he drew the members.”
- “As expected from Tomie’s father. He draws beauties so well.”
The crossover makes more sense than it seems at first glance. Ito has always had a gift for drawing striking, memorable faces—Tomie herself is a disturbing kind of beautiful. Translating that skill to real-life idols apparently works just as well.
Lucid Dream drops May 27, 2026 and features tracks including the title song “Lucid Dream,” as well as “Fashion” and “Jigsaw.” It’s IVE’s fourth Japanese release, continuing their strong presence in the Japanese market alongside their Korean activities.
Lucid Dream arrives May 27. Just don’t look too closely at the album booklet before bed.
Source: Pannchoa
