“The Human Centipede (First Sequence)” / “The Human Centipede” (ムカデ人間), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 2011, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q283

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the first Japanese release of The Human Centipede (First Sequence), released in Japan as ムカデ人間. Directed by Tom Six, the film stars Dieter Laser, Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie, and Akihiro Kitamura.

One of the most notorious cult horror titles of the late 2000s, The Human Centipede became an international provocation almost immediately after release. This Japanese first-release poster is particularly striking for its unusually restrained, almost clinical design — a sharp contrast to the film’s infamous reputation.

Film background
The Human Centipede follows a deranged former surgeon whose grotesque obsession drives the film’s central horror premise. The film became internationally infamous for its concept, marketing, and stark “medical experiment” framing, quickly establishing itself as one of the defining cult shock-horror films of its era.

In Japan, the film was marketed with a darkly deadpan graphic sensibility, leaning into the absurdity, extremity, and notoriety of the title while avoiding conventional monster or gore imagery.

Poster design
This Japanese B2 is a superb example of minimalist cult-horror advertising. The composition is dominated by a pale cream field, with a simple diagram-like illustration across the upper centre showing the film’s three central victims connected in a schematic formation.

The actors’ names — Dieter Laser, Akihiro Kitamura, Ashlynn Yennie, and Ashley C. Williams — are placed around the diagram, giving the poster the feel of a disturbing medical chart or conceptual design document.

At the top, the Japanese tagline reads:

「つ・な・げ・て・み・た・い。」
“I want to try connecting them.”

The left-side text reads:

「それは、常識を超えた狂気。」
“It is madness beyond common sense.”

Further copy describes the film as the rumoured “most shocking / most extreme film in cinema history”, while the English phrase “100% MEDICALLY ACCURATE” appears near the lower title area — one of the film’s most infamous promotional claims.

The huge red Japanese title ムカデ人間 anchors the bottom of the sheet with blunt graphic force. The result is unsettling precisely because of its restraint: clean, empty, clinical, and deeply uncomfortable.

Condition
Very Good / Excellent condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale, including the front and reverse.

The poster presents very well overall, with clean typography, strong colour, and excellent display impact. Minor signs of age and handling may be visible, consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from this period.

This is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.