I am a massive fan of horror, and even though I've explored a decent part of the genre in this medium, it is still hard to overlook the quality of Junji Ito manga. I feel like for many saying Tomie is his best work could be seen as a hot take. Uzumaki feels like the more common choice, and there is no denying that manga is wonderful. However, Tomie occupies a unique place in my heart.
Junji Ito loves short stories, and his proclivity towards episodic horror lets this story shine. Every chapter has a different interpretation of what exactly Tomie is. While the first chapter appears as the origin story, as the story goes on it feels like her character should be treated more so as a being from folklore. She is an immortal idea that gives out punishment in place of the disenfranchised in this patriarchal world. This is why the story sticks out to me in Junji Ito's bibliography, as it reads to me as a feminist text.
Tommie stands in for young women of the world. Every story in some degree is about the desire to possess her body and soul, and her lashing out against the patriarchal violence women have been subject to since the dawn of time. Every man who sees her becomes instantly charmed by her, and always ends up wanting to murder her. This part is significant, because a less skilled writer could easily mess it up and end up making her portrayal be purely villainous. But Tommie isn't a monster. She is the antagonistic figure to the protagonists, but those rarely show heroic traits. Even adolescent men are not spared. The cyclical nature of patriarchal cruelty is apparent even in people her age.
This isn't to say Tommie is a martyr or even heroic. She is selfish and takes advantage of whoever is around her. But this doesn't make her any more villainous than majority of the characters in the story. The only truly positive characters tend to be other women, which is characteristic of a lot of Junji Ito manga. If you like the films Jenifer's Body or Possession this is a manga for you.