: Critics at Ready Steady Cut questioned the decision to open the series with this specific tale, describing it as a "family drama masquerading as light horror" rather than one of Ito's more terrifying concepts.

Critics and viewers have offered mixed reviews on the episode's effectiveness:

[Megathread] [Junji Ito Maniac] 1. The Strange Hikizuri Siblings

The story centers on the six eccentric and unsettling Hikizuri siblings: Kazuya, Kinako, Shigorô, Narumi, Hitoshi, and Misako.