Uzumaki うずまき

2024 fall | Episodes: 4 | Score: 5.8 (59666)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Production I.G

Streaming: Adult Swim

Synopsis

In the town of Kurouzu-cho, Kirie Goshima lives a fairly normal life with her family. As she walks to the train station one day to meet her boyfriend, Shuuichi Saito, she sees his father staring at a snail shell in an alley. Thinking nothing of it, she mentions the incident to Shuuichi, who says that his father has been acting weird lately. Shuuichi reveals his rising desire to leave the town with Kirie, saying that the town is infected with spirals. But his father's obsession with the shape soon proves deadly, beginning a chain of horrific and unexplainable events that causes the residents of Kurouzu-cho to spiral into madness. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Satake, Uki

Miki, Shinichiro

News

Reviews

batty97
11/13/2024, 02:40 PM
Honestly probably the best anime I have ever seen, it feels as if the manga has come to life, quite literally through the animation style, the fact people have given anything other than masterpiece is a travesty, if you know the manga of Junji Ito you will love this, if not I suppose that is why people aren't appreciating it. Regardless, as a fan of both horror and the amazing Junji Ito I absolutely adored this and how well it was done, his work is always disturbing in a captivating way which makes you fell enticed to the world he has created, this anime isno different. I watched it yesterday and I will be watching again in the weekend to share the experience with my friend, thank you to everyone who took part in making this masterpiece.
zflyy_itsnan
11/08/2024, 11:00 PM
The storyline, occasionally overly focused on building atmosphere, results in the main character’s development feeling somewhat stunted. Although the atmosphere is strong, some horror moments that should have had a greater impact end up feeling repetitive due to a lack of variation in tension-building techniques. In terms of story development, it seems overly focused on visual aesthetics rather than narrative depth. This tendency causes some of the underlying themes in the manga to feel faded or even entirely absent. The series often emphasizes visually stunning scenes, which detracts from the central conflict and the meaning behind the spiral’s terror. This is a point that may leaveloyal manga readers feeling that the adaptation doesn’t fully capture the essence of the original story.
Aristofanes
10/28/2024, 03:41 AM
Uzumaki is a massive failure. Nevertheless, it is one of the best anime series of 2024. The anime is not as good as the manga. However, I actually believe that the first part of the anime is better than the source material. There is a crucial difference – while the manga narrates each of the unsettling episodes separately, the anime decides to tell you multiple ones at the same time. This way the whole story feels more interconnected and the characters, especially Shuuichi, have more space for personal development, or rather descent. Having said that, after a very strong start, the anime fails spectacularly. The second partalmost feels like a self-parody. The pacing is off, the feeling of horror is almost completely gone. Instead of being mesmerised and unsettled by the story, one almost laughs at it. You are almost encouraged to see the lack of logic, consistency and seriousness that is inherent to the entire horror genre (and is supposed to be covered by the lingering aura of mystery and fear). I believe that this horrible pacing is partially caused by the wrong decision to cover every single part of the manga. Some of it just should have been left out. However, it is also clear that a lot of bad decisions and other problems must have led to such a poor result. Fortunately, the anime gets back on its feet in the 4th episode. The ending of the story is actually coherent and relatively closely resembles the manga (even though the pacing still is not always quite right). All in all, some parts of the series are just bad. Still, it remains a fact that the first episode of Uzumaki is one of the best things that happened in the anime world of 2024.
Bradley-I-Guess
10/27/2024, 03:43 PM
UZUMAKI (2024) is one of the most disappointing adaptations of not just a manga but any piece of media I've ever seen. This show dangles a great adaptation of one of the most famous horror manga ever made in your face and then proceeds to rip it away from you an episode later. I'm going to break this down episode by episode as this show is so inconsistant that each episode could be considered a different show. Episode 1: Episode 1 was handled by studio Fugaku and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama The first episode is easily considered the best out of the 4 episodes. Ithas some of the most expressive and detailed animation i've ever seen, every little movement from a character is fluid and stunningly animated. There were even times we're the animation was so fluid I wondered if rotoscoping was used, its beyond impressive what the team at Fugaku we're able to pull off. The fluid and terrifyingly beautiful animation of this episode is complemented by Collison Stetsons mesmerising soundtrack that allows the horror really sink in and both of these allow the story of UZUMAKI to unravel beautifully. Episode 1 is the Junji ito adaption of fans dreams but this quality sadly does not stay for very long... The rest of the Episodes: Episode 2, 3 was handled by a completely different studio and staff as Yuji Moriyama is now series director instead of Hiroshi Nagahama. Episode 2 was handled by Yuji Moriyama and Episode director Taiki Nishimura and Episode 3 was handled by Yuji Moriyama and Episode director Shingenori Awai. Episode 2,3 are to put it bluntly borderline unwatchable, these episodes are clearly unfinished, rushed and had no where near the time that the first episode was given. Episode 2 is worse but not by a large amount as both episodes have awkward and unpolished CG animation, Clunky 2D animation that's still and lacks expression. What makes these episodes unwatchable though is how inconsistant these episodes are animated as for 95% of the run time they look dreadful but sometimes a great still frame or small sequence will come out no where only for you to be snapped back into reality when the animation goes back to ''normal''. Episode 4 is where this get's interesting, Studio Fugaku return and this episode actually has no series director credited and has FIVE episode directors those being Hao Wu, Daisuke Sato, Koichiro Sahtome, Shinrai and Studio Massket respectfully which is unheard of. Before the episode aired there was a rumour that Hiroshi Nagahama was to return to oversee the episode but nobody is credited so its pretty safe to say that its a high possibility that Hiroshi Nagahama took his name off the episode...what a mess. Episode 4 actually has a small spike in quality but it never reaches the heights of what episode 1 was able to accomplish. The shading is also improved from episodes 2 and 3 and once again feels like I'm watching the Junji ito adaptation I was promised all these years ago but that doesn't mean the episode is perfect as it has a lot of bad looking shots and jarring still frames that made me laugh at times we're I really shouldn't have been. What went wrong? It's pretty clear to understand what went wrong if you sat through the end credits of each episode of UZUMAKI, the studio changed but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Alot of sources came out after the series had finished talking about what went wrong with this adaptation that's been in the works for over five years and to condense this information the best I can, Around the time episode 1 was finished new management came in and production hell began. This gave Akatskui (The studio behind Episode 2,3) a lot less time and money to make their episodes near the quality of the first. Its sadly a pretty open and shut case of mismangement from higher ups not understanding that less does not equal more when it comes to the animation industry. Plot/Story: The plot of Uzumaki is about a small town cursed by spirals or Uzumaki (hence the name). Junji ito has always been able to make the mundane absolutely terrifying and that's why I feel his manga works so well, it get's you thinking about how scary the small things can be but this adaptation will only be remembered for the wrong things if even remembered at all. The story of Kirie and Shuichi's small village being consumed by the spiral is still here though but due to this adaptations flaws I'd it should be at the bottom of your list if you were to consume this story for the first time. Overall: Adult Swims attempt at handling UZUMAKI is embarrassing, for an adaption in the works for FIVE years I expected better as did almost everyone rightfully so. It's upsetting but maybe one day we'll get the good Junji Ito adaption UZUMAKI (2024) failed to be... 4/10
AweSok
10/25/2024, 05:34 AM
Overview Uzumaki The anime is about some kind of spiral horror aspects that the world becomes convoluted and strange and loses the sense of self within this strange but weird idea in a good way that the story revolves around. I am just reading this first sentence I typed am I already lost myself in my extremely good English. The story is good with this craziness, the people become a void of spirals and things keep spinning. I love this type of horror it created with the idea. Story 8/10 I think for the idea they really taken this idea to the next level, and they explored itso well that the story revolving around it fits and somewhat makes sense somehow. I am really impressed how the story revolves around spirals… It doesn’t make sense right now but trust me when you watch the anime it all makes sense in the end… I think… I love the horror created environment idea that they created and made into a story. Art style 8/10 The art style is well made, and I love that the entire anime is in this vortex of nothingness, but it is something out of nothing in a way. Hahaha. Sound 8/10 The sounds are great with the voice actors really creating this eerie and scary feeling with one of the characters which I love. They really know how to make things creepy the Japanese which is why this horror type anime works so well with this surreal style anime that they created. Character 8/10 They fit so well with terms of creepiness, reaction, eerie, atmosphere and how they absolutely find things just as horrible as a viewer would in the anime watching from their perspective. Enjoyment 8/10 They did a really good job with this horror in terms of idea, story, character, voice actors, sounds, atmosphere. If you don’t like horror, then what place to don’t like it even more than this anime called Uzumaki. Hahaha. If you enjoy reading my review, please leave a like. OH, and don’t forget to watch the anime. This is a good horror anime, and that’s good as there aren’t many good horror anime out there.
1hahman
10/23/2024, 04:03 PM
Please, do yourself a favour and read the manga! The show, with the exception of the first episode, was badly animation and the story progress was far too quick, leaving you little time to fully enjoy the art and horrors, and numbing you to the next "scare". If you really must, just view the first episode to see how interested you are in the theme, and then begin reading the manga from the beginning. For anyone who wants to know more, the first episode is amongst the best adaptations of a Junji Ito work, the animation is great, the music is amazing, the plot compared tothe manga is condensed slightly but it palatable. However, you'll be a fool to think the rest is as amazing as that intro. From episode 2 you'll realise that the animation is choppy, and jarring, while the plot feels hurried. Unfortunately, things only get progressively worse by episode 3 & 4 that you'll want the show to end quickly just so that you can move on with your day.
CalvinKoigakubo
10/22/2024, 05:44 PM
Decaiu, hein. It is really, really sad to see what has become of this series. It had the potential to be a modern-day classic and ended up being one of the most disappointing experiences I had this year. I did enjoy how they adapted many of the stories to make them happen at the same time, which is not obvious from the episodic structure of the source material and heightens the sense of urgency to leave the town before it is too late. The epilogue in the end of the four episode was also a very welcome addition to the lore, even though it's nothing too ambitious.I also enjoyed the eerie lullaby for the ending theme. In fact, one of the show's highlights is its superb score. The production of this show was troublesome and it shows in the brusque decline in quality from the first to the second episode (the first episode, although often praised as the best - which it is - was also not free of issues). The way many of the stories were hastened was detrimental to the overall atmosphere of the show. Ironically, it seems that Itō, who is famous for his stories about curses, is himself cursed with bad adaptations of his most popular works. This had the potential of being the greatest adaptation of his magnum opus and (almost) manages to be worse than the 2000 live action film.
KaaruOobun
10/22/2024, 05:03 AM
U Z U M A K I Short review Story: (8) I understand the setting completely and how thestory unfolds, but if only more details were put into crafting this masterpiece. This would be one of my favorite horror. In my personal opinion: Each episode feels like it deserves its own season. The concept is there, but it lacks something. They’re cramped into one episode, but still I understand the author's intent. Characters: (9) SHUICHI (8.7)- Respectable. The curse is inevitable, but he still fights until the end :( KIRIE (9) - Her decisions are sometimes questionable, but she’s alright since she’s not crazy. I also love her character design; beautiful! Unpopular opinion: I’d like to see her in a romance genre. PEOPLE (7) - I like how they are mentally messed up all the way to the end. Also so s2pid SNAILS - (8) INTERTWINED COUPLE - (8) VA: (9) Animation: Ep 1 (9.5) -- Ep 2, 3 (8) -- Ep 4 (8.7) I don’t know why people hate the animation so much; I think it’s decent. The black and white gives it an eerie vibe. If they were only consistent, I’d probably rate it a 9. ENDING (8) From my perspective, It’s so difficult to envision a happy ending in such a scenario. I never would have guessed how the story would end because of the unpredictable plot. Fighting the curse of the town—how can you really counter that? As I reached the last episode, I was genuinely hopeful they would make it out. So I guess bittersweet is the only way, which is very very sad for a lovable MC OVERALL, good show for a casual
VoiceOvTerror
10/21/2024, 04:57 PM
Uzumaki : The Downwards Spiral: Myself, like other users here, are disappointed. But I'm also happy we got 1 great episode. For at least for 1 episode, the curse was broken, and there is hope that a capable team can bring the twisted terror of Junji lines to life, and scare us with disbelief. The first episode, will blow you away, and suck you into the town of Kurôzu-Cho, while the others will most like disappoint you. The character's voice actors did well, (I can only speak for the Jap Version), the music was very fitting and I liked the way the compiled the stories, Ifelt like it was passable for the flow of the episodes. You can check out my full video overview on youtube, if you wish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXNyannqPYU&ab_channel=VoiceOvTerror
juxyper
10/21/2024, 01:46 PM
The overall negative views of the already existing reviews mostly focus on the source material at hand. I will refrain from doing so, and focus on the anime itself. Why disconnect my review from the manga? It is already quite obvious that the adaptation is in fact a different imagining of the events, so taking it at face rather than with its background would seem to do it more justice. Let's start with the visuals. Even though the crew took a *very* long time to get this anime done (about 4 years, for 4 episodes of TV standard length), the animation quality tends to lack quitea bit in places, especially for episodes 2 and 3. However, the art *style* was a perfect approach - it gives you the best Junji Ito feel from all the adaptations I've seen so far. A pity that they couldn't get it done with the best quality possible. Perhaps they did rely on too much rotoscoping. The delivery of the content is not perfect, but considering that this is just 4 episodes for something much larger, we can take a different angle at this. How much of the horror you'd get from reading a Junji Ito book do you get out of this series? I'd say it's quite close. The live-action movie wasn't bad either - also decent - yet it didn't pack a punch this strong. The reason for watching a series like this is the visceral, gut-wrenching, outworldly horror that you'd get - and with Ito, you must get to visualize it the way he means it. This series does achieve that. What's left is the music, and the writing behind the content itself. We have Colin Stetson on the soundtrack, couldn't get better for something like this. For the writing, I'd say the deadpan cast just forced to live through this pandemonium and submit to it as mere victims/observers is very typical of cosmic horror (Lovecraft anyone?). The contrast of everyone vs. Shuichi is also executed nicely, as he is no romantic/tragic hero, but also another victim of the eldritch. Everything just clicks together to form a very traditionally written, yet eloquent horror story that parallels an actual masterpiece of the same art. So what's really wrong with this anime? Nothing *much* other than the animation quality really. It just needs to be criticized heavily if you consider the original source material. Take that with your own grain of salt.
The_Namer
10/21/2024, 10:31 AM
To paraphrase Jurassic Park, the people making this show were so concerned with if they could adapt the entire Uzumaki manga in four episodes, they didn't stop to think if they should. A typical 25-minute TV episode will follow a single plotline, two at most. The 42-minute US drama format traditionally opts for two plotlines, the A/B story format as it's known. Uzumaki's 25-minute episodes have A, B, C, D, and E plotlines, each originally a separate chapter in the manga, and now spliced together with seemingly no thought given to pacing or structure. It's a baffling choice. Horror isn't just about the money shots. Theyonly work when time is taken to establish the characters and scenario, make us care about the stakes, crank up the tension, and then finally drop the hammer. With only a few minutes dedicated to each story, it frequently rushes through the setup, leaves out important information, and sometimes cuts the payoff short too. I can only assume the priority was to cram in every single memorable image from the manga, but with so little runtime available it ends up feeling like a handful of poorly-edited recap episodes chopped down from a 12-episode series. The structural problems at least settle down in the final episode, but only because the last few chapters of the manga are one ongoing story, which made that easier to achieve. It's heartbreaking to see Junji Ito's masterpiece reduced to this, and even more so considering the obvious passion that was poured into the anime version. Ultimately it falls at the same hurdle as the second TV adaptation of Berserk, focusing so much effort on replicating the iconic look of the manga that the whole project collapses under its own weight. Despite all that, the strength of the underlying source material does bleed through at times, and the anime does at least achieve what seems to have been its core objective: bringing motion to some of the eeriest images ever to curse the printed page.
Cuube
10/21/2024, 08:45 AM
Uzumaki starts off great in the first episode with gorgeous animation and a good vibe, bringing the original manga into life, but completely falls a part in the later episodes. The pacing of the show completely misses the mark, it got to the point where the pacing made it impossible for me to be immersed in the story. It completely failed to build tension or suspense like the original manga did. I would honestly recommend future viewers reading this to watch the first episode and to figure out what uzumaki is all about and switch over to the manga if you enjoyed ep1. Overall, Iwould not recommend this show and advise you to read the manga and save yourself from the horrible animation later on.
MarlsMarsBars
10/20/2024, 05:25 PM
Whether it be in Hollywood or the Japanese anime and manga entertainment industry, the horror genre has really lost its touch for me. The creative juices of the horror genre have, to me at least, really ran dry mainly due to most entries in this section of storytelling have devolved to narratives - or lack thereof - focusing more on style rather than substance, whether it be endless jump scares that you can see from a mile away or overly grotesque scenes meant to make you look away in disgust all for the sake of shock value. To me, most modern pieces of horror fallinto one of those two categories, and, unfortunately, the anime adaptation of Uzumaki slides into the latter. Now, I never fully read the Uzumaki manga, but I was blown away by the brilliant and truly eerie art style by Junji Ito, so when the anime adaptation was announced to be airing this year, I was fairly looking forward to it. I’ll admit that I wasn’t going in expecting a deeply riveting narrative, or any expectations for that matter as what drew me to Uzumaki was its art, so at the very least I thought that the anime adaptation was going to at least easily nail that part, and even then I’m somehow disappointed in the final result. I will admit that the first episode was really good. The animation work utilizes a lot of rotoscoping (a little too much at times), but does so to illustrate how grounded both the characters and the setting are, which comes in stark contrast once all of the spirals, or “uzumaki,” come into play. The first episode perfectly captured the bizarre nature of the manga and, in many ways, felt like the pages were literally ripped from the source material and just given animation to bring them to life. Despite some pacing issues, Episode 1 was pure grotesque horror done correctly. However, the remaining three episodes in this anime don’t even come close to capturing that same vibe, which is particularly important since the narratives in this series aren’t particularly that great or noteworthy. With how flimsy the writing is in Uzumaki, the show could have at least made up for it with some well executed psychological and physical body horror, but the anime even then fails at that due to how amateurish the remaining three episodes felt. Both the animation and art style not only no longer fail to hit the aspects that made the source material memorable in the first place, but they genuinely look embarrassing. I won’t go over the production hell that this show experienced, but it really seems like the animators who worked on this were held back and not truly flourish at their craft, especially when we start to get scenes that genuinely look like PNGs moving across a static background. Whenever characters move, it just looks like someone highlighted the character drawing and just dragged the image from position A to position B on a photo editing software. Even the actual grotesque horror elements in the other three episodes are just slideshow transitions. I cannot express enough how embarrassing Episodes 2 - 4 looked, and I know a lot of people were saying that the finale was a step up from the previous two episodes, but even then it still looked like shit. I don’t really remember much from the parts of the manga that I read, but I truly do not remember the writing being this fragmented and sloppy. I could excuse the first episode’s pacing because I thought it was a good way to set up the overall atmosphere of the series, but the story beats are far worse in the other three episodes. Each episode consists of various occurrences happening in the town of Kurouzu-cho that are all related to the spirals, or uzumaki. Whether it be sometime turning into an uzumaki slime or other supernatural occurrences related to the spiral, the show is just people losing their shit or being victims to an uzumaki-related curse. Each plot point in this anime has zero connective tissue to one another outside of the main characters of Kirie and Shuuichi being involved in one way or another. Shit just happens in this show, and it’s not like the plot points are hard to follow or anything, it’s more so that they are barely developed and just happen for the sake of having something horrific needing to happen to maintain some psychological horror quota. The Uzumaki anime is purely shock value just for the sake of shock value, and I guess there’s technically nothing wrong with that, but at least make the grotesque aspects visually shocking and not cheap like it looks like someone’s very first animation project right out of art school. I really don’t like the saying of “what was the point?” The main reason why I’ve grown tired of that phrase is because that expression is usually said by people who just weren’t paying attention to whatever they just watched, and most pieces of fiction have a point, even in genres like slice of life. The phrase “what was the point” showcases a lack of basic attention span that even a five year old could maintain, but I feel like this anime was the perfect example of that phrase because honestly, what was the fucking point? If the whole point of this anime adaptation was to faithfully and seamlessly convert the art of the source material into an animated medium, then it fails at that miserably. If the point was to deliver on pure grotesque body horror, then you could make an argument that it did just that, but you have to sit through the most fragmented writing I’ve seen from this genre while having your retinas burned by cheap animation that gets progressively worse as the show progresses. This anime genuinely felt like a waste of time, and further made me lose even more hope in the horror genre of fiction, not that I had much of that to begin with for quite some time now.
BibleCampVictim2
10/20/2024, 12:31 PM
This anime has been such a dissapointing one, i am a horror enthusiast and when Uzumaki finally ended its Air i was so excited to see it, Sadly this adaptation's Animation was Way more Disturbing than the Story itself. The Story: -Bad Points 1) I Don't understand why they haven't left since the curse started, They easily could've still use the train to leave from the city after those events and could have just escaped. 2) Most of the characters (except Shuuichi and possibly others) are so dumb that they won't even think for a second of how things are going, (SMALL SPOILER) For example Kirie Still Trying ToFind Her Parents after they got Flinged, Any Normal Person Would accept the fact that they are surely dead, But apparently this Cuckoo still thinks they are alive. -Good Points 1) I Liked The Ending, It shows that history repeats itself no matter the circumstances 2) Shuuichi Actually thinks like a mild crazy/normal Person. Animation: This is the reason the adaptation is mostly at its score. They made 1st episode so smooth and yet the next one feels like even i could draw it (i'm so bad at drawing i draw hands instead of ears man). 5 Damn Years for a spit on my face, if this was a woman, i would gladly even open my mouth but it ain't. So well done wasting all that time when we could have maybe done something better. Music: Not much to say, i liked it at the start but they keep playing almost the same stuff again and again, atleast make a remix or something. Would I Recommend this? I don't know to be honest, if you do not care about the Animation and how some characters are so dumb. Or you just want to add another anime on your list that is short, then go ahead and watch this. I swear somebody needs to make Junji ito's Manga Adaptations good, poor man has only bad adaptations.
bossunhimeswitch
10/20/2024, 12:06 PM
I want to start by pouring one out for the anime this could have been. It's a shame that production problems plagued this adaptation, because the concept of making the anime black and white and really paying attention to the tone and point of the source material were all good choices. The first episode had so much promise and then we never reached that level of greatness again. That said, the subsequent episodes, while their production values suffered, did an excellent job of taking the story from the manga and improving upon in here and there to make it flow a little better and functionwell within the constraints of four episodes. Those little tweaks is why this is marked recommended instead of mixed feelings. Yet, I also feel disappointed that we did not get the product we could have had. Maybe someday someone will adapt it into a movie and give it the proper treatment it deserves. If you enjoy Itou Junji's works in general, you'll likely enjoy this anime. It'd make a great Halloween watch for those who celebrate. If you want something more faithful or haven't enjoyed other Itou adaptations, then this would be one to skip. If you don't like wonky animation, maybe if it gets a home release, the quality will improve.
whiteflame55
10/20/2024, 07:00 AM
Yep, this was certainly... a show that happened. The first episode was great, which makes this one particularly hard to rate because it's a balance of that with just how far it spiraled down in the next few episodes. Maybe... maybe that was the point? To make the audience feel like they're spiraling as well? If so, kudos to the showrunners: you did it. I'm sure plenty of reviews will talk about the visual quality, which took a nosedive after episode 1. This was a fraught product in development and it shows, with the budget for this thing nearly drying up after that first episode. It'stoo bad because you can really see the commitment to visual fidelity side-by-side with what it looks like when a studio phones it in, and the jank is absolutely real. But it's not just the visuals that bring this thing down. The team behind this knows how to emphasize the creepiness, but don't seem capable of showcasing the horror. The storytelling and presentation made some of these scenes outright goofy. I laughed outright several times at scenes that were supposed to evoke dread. None of that is helped by the series' need to keep moving to the next element, which meant that, even if a scene worked for me, it was left behind almost immediately and no one talked about it anymore. I've heard that that gets explained in the manga, but here, it just looks like even the series just doesn't care about most of what it sets up. It's not all bad, though without episode 1 to bring up the average, this would be significantly worse. I went into it thinking four episodes was not enough. I left thinking it was too many.
NeferpitouZ
10/20/2024, 04:54 AM
well... this was an experience like no other... Though as you can see I set this review as recommended but that's not because this show is anything amazing nor mind blowing. I think that for a 4 episode long anime this is a pretty unique experience that most anime fan should try to experience at least once. Anime as a medium isn't fit for horror, as animation especially in anime artstyle is pretty bad at showing fear or disturbing imagery so I guess I could appreciate Uzumaki for trying to make up for it by making the artstyle and coloring similar to that of a manga,but did it work? Well kinda... The artstyle manages to enhance the creepy eerie feeling that probably wouldn't exists if it was colored like a normal anime, but even then it is still quite lacking. And now lets talk about the story. I genuinely don't know whether to praise nor criticize the story, because its incredibly... weird? or maybe its better to call it unique? The story is simply so stupid and kinda goofy but the atmosphere and the characters are made in a way to kinda trick us into thinking that its creepy and serious but if you just stop for a sec and think, you would realize that the story and the events that happens are just dumb and so random. We all have definitely heard of the decrease in animation quality after the first episode and for a lot of people its a huge letdown, but I feel like it doesn't really matter whether the animation stayed consistent or not because its not like the animation could carry the stupidity and goofyness of the show. The only reason I put this as recommended is simply because of "why not", its only 4 episodes anyways its not like its gonna hurt to try.
Nisshokusan
10/20/2024, 03:47 AM
What can I say about the Uzumaki adaptation? Eh, it was alright. Initially after hearing that one of Junji Ito's most prolific pieces was about to be adapted into an anime, after that 'shonky' Netflix anthology, I was sceptical but indifferent as I had never read Junji Ito's work. However, soon after thinking that, I was gifted the deluxe edition and found myself amazed by Ito's macabre imagery and his ability to convey such a compelling story along with it, and found myself wondering as to how an anime studio (let alone Adult Swim) could adapt something so unique into an episodic limited series? So,I watched the trailer and again was shocked at how good it looked and told myself I would see it through and that there was still hope yet for an Ito adaptation that looks good in motion and...and...I was soon proven incorrect. While I don't find it to be the worst of the worst, I can definitely see how and why long time Uzumaki and Junji Ito fans may have felt slighted and frustrated at this adaptation and I would argue that some of these complaints are very much real and not just a matter of bias for the source material. For what it did well I found that ironically by doing away with the episodic nature of the original manga for a more streamline, interconnected narrative that incorporated ALL of the classic Uzumaki stories (save for the lost chapter), the anime felt more alive, with a bit more flow than the original manga. The voice acting provided for the show was also quite good and found that a lot of the characters sounded like I thought they would have funnily enough. Lastly, the animation in episode 1 was an absolute highlight as I for one never thought any Junji Ito story could be shown/animated in such a way as to emulate the source material and Ito's linework so effectively. Sadly, what it didn't do so well in also overlaps with some of these positives. While it was great to see every story adapted and interconnected, some stories just didn't fit very well, the worst examples of this coming in episode 3 where several storylines such as the 'Jack in the Box' felt shoehorned in or rushed through. The latter issue also proving to be an issue after the first episode where many of the stories then felt rushed with little time for them to truly shine, the hospital story(s) was one such victim of this in my opinion. I feel some stories should've been cut in the final compilation of the stories, though I acknowledge it would've been odd to have left out either one or two stories when all the others were adapted, so while it wasn't done the best and I feel more time should've been dedicated to some of these stories, it is refreshing at least to see an adaptation that truly utilises all of the source material. Now to discuss the elephant in the room, By and large, the biggest blemish on this adaptation is the animation, specifically episode 2's animation as it was just bad (along with some grating moments in 3 and 4). Grinding, PowerPoint presentation and ugly are the main things I've heard, and I'm sure if not for the new Blue Lock season, more people would be talking about this right now. I'm told there were issues pertaining to the budget of animation behind the scenes, as well as this being in production hell for a bit which probably compounded the issue, but that is a bit of speculation on my part, and I do feel a lot of the animosity comes from how the trailer used mostly episode 1 footage and thus felt a bit like false advertising on the airing of episode 2. And this is in no way meant to be a slight at the animation teams, but the final result cannot be ignored and episode 2 was definitely a visible drop off My final verdict? I've been waiting for this anime to wrap up for a week now so I can say my final thoughts, so I do apologise for going off about this at length, however the Uzumaki anime is not something I can really recommend. Though I prattled on about the animation, it didn't bother me as much as I know it did others, if anything it's serviceable beyond episode 2, but the pacing of the stories was handled very thoughtlessly I found. While I appreciated the little things they added to make the series more cohesive, the series felt like it was hurtling toward the finish line after episode 1, leaving little time to process or comprehend what was going on, I myself only just catching my bearings as I had read the manga beforehand...which leads into my final thoughts. While I acknowledge the adaptation offers something new that manga fans are sure to enjoy, I cannot recommend someone watch this anime just for those little tidbits. The anime is fine for people who prefer this medium, though I would urge anyone who wants to experience the Uzumaki story to read the manga. Final Score 5/10 "Just barely serviceable, but the spirals made me dizzy."
raviwe
10/20/2024, 12:27 AM
Uzumaki is, in my opinion, a true masterpiece of the horror manga genre. If you're even remotely curious about manga horror or willing to give it a shot, check out the manga—because this anime only manages to butcher it. The only redeeming factor is the innovation in art style in the first episode, which seemed like a good idea at first. Unfortunately, the quality drops quickly, and the changes to the source material are ultimately unwarranted. With that said, let’s start by exploring what this manga is about and the themes it seeks to convey. We’ll discuss whether the beginning is misleading, how it approaches itsthemes, and how effectively it utilizes the major elements of the medium. So, what is this manga about? At its core, Uzumaki is a story about obsession. The obsessive nature of spirals is an ingenious choice by Junji Ito, as spirals carry a natural, almost primal allure—there’s something entrancing about them, something that pulls you in. Spirals have long symbolized fascination, even madness, in various cultures, making them a fitting visual metaphor for the ever-tightening grip of obsession. The story uses this motif as a springboard for exploring how deeply and dangerously fixation can affect the human psyche, and how that fixation can spread like a curse through a town. First things later, let’s talk art direction. The true genius of Uzumaki lies in Ito’s exceptional art. His work captures an unsettling, almost Lovecraftian horror that is notoriously difficult to visualize. While Lovecraft relied on vague, indescribable horrors to terrify his readers, Ito makes the unexplainable tangible—without losing any of the dread that comes with it. From the first panels depicting the town of Kurouzu-cho and its residents, there's a persistent sense of unease, a feeling that something is inherently wrong. Even the mundane feels off, and once the spiral begins to take hold, the escalating absurdity feels strangely inevitable. When the horrors occur, they are both shocking and eerily appropriate for the world Ito has crafted. Kurouzu-cho itself feels alive, transforming along with its inhabitants in grotesque and fascinating ways. The anime tries to capture Ito's art by maintaining the black-and-white palette and replicating some iconic shots. It even succeeds in the first episode. But by the second episode, the animation becomes more cursed than the town itself. I wouldn’t mind if the animation were merely passable, but it is truly terrible. At least the theme song is appropriately creepy and fitting. So, how does it start? The beginning of the Uzumaki anime is its only saving grace, although the last episode is also passable, as it follows the original structure. It manages to prove that an adaptation of Junji Ito works can be done with some creativity. Unfortunately, that is horribly misleading and some will even take it to heart and start thinking it really was impossible. What about the characters? Kirie, the protagonist, is a fascinating take on the “audience insert” character. Despite the surreal events unfolding around her, she maintains a calm detachment. Kurouzu-cho has always been strange, so her reactions aren’t as dramatic as one might expect, which allows readers to process the horrors through her more grounded perspective. However, the real protagonist isn’t Kirie or even her boyfriend Shuichi, but the town itself. Kurouzu-cho becomes the true focal point, with the characters serving more as vehicles for the spirals’ effects than as figures with traditional character arcs. What about the story itself? Like much of Lovecraftian horror, Uzumaki doesn’t offer neat explanations. The plot isn’t concerned with wrapping up every mystery. Instead, it leaves much to the imagination, allowing the unease to linger long after the last page. The story provides just enough information to understand the thematic points, while keeping the greater mystery intact. Structurally, Uzumaki follows an episodic format. However, the anime attempts to streamline the story, catering to a more modern audience obsessed with immersion as the end-all-be-all of fiction. The result? Horrible pacing and an experience far removed from the intended one. No tweaks could have made the immersion work—the story is meant to make you step back and think. This is perhaps the most egregious change an anime adaptation has ever made to its source material. Altering the structure in such a fundamental way is, at the very least, a bold move. Then, what did I think of it as a whole? Uzumaki is a masterclass in horror storytelling. Ito’s ability to merge the grotesque with the philosophical makes it a standout not just in manga, but within the horror genre as a whole. While many horror works rely on shock value, Uzumaki weaves its unsettling imagery into a broader commentary on human nature, obsession, and the unknown. It’s rare to find a work that balances chilling moments with deep, resonant themes, ensuring it stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. For those seeking a Lovecraftian horror experience that’s more eerie than outright terrifying, Uzumaki delivers in spades. Its growing sense of dread creeps into your mind, much like the spirals that drive the story. It might not be for everyone, but for those willing to embrace its strange world, it’s a journey worth taking. Unfortunately, the anime doesn’t do the manga justice. It feels more like an experiment—and to be fair, the first episode does show that it can be done. But too many glaring mistakes ultimately sink the adaptation.
ImNotAnOtaku1
10/20/2024, 12:04 AM
The human mind is home to every single one of the greatest inventions that we, as a species, have seen; be them practical devices or amazing stories, there's a near infinite amount of beauty which originates in the brain of many a-homo sapiens sapiens out there. The human mind is also home to whatever the fuck this is, so it more or less evens things out to a middle-ground between "wonderful" and "God please we need another great flood and this time without Noah's ark". Junji Ito is, undeniably, one of the greatest horror writers in recent history, and Uzumaki is by many considered to behis magnum opus, his créme de la créme, and for those who don't understand Latin nor French: his bestest, goodest work. It takes a single man's mind to come up with such a story as that of Uzumaki, and when I mean "a single man's mind", it is in the sense that absolutely nobody else would have imagined such blasphemy which would have gotten him burnt at the stake a few centuries ago. In simple terms, he should consult a psychiatrist. Uzumaki provides a rather basic horror plot: "some small rural town has a curse!", but the main thing about it is that the curse in Uzumaki is one that revolves around spirals, which at the time in which this story was originally written, were generally seen as a good or positive symbol in Japanese society, which prompted Mr. Ito to subvert said notion to create the basis of the story's plot. The first problem you'll find here is that such notion is, well, part of Japanese society, and perhaps also too localized in time (1990s), which makes at least a part of this anime's appeal be lost, since there's no real perception being subverted as a ways to achieve greater impact on the audience given that most Western audiences and perhaps many Asian/Japanese audiences do not (any longer) have any "positive" perception of spirals; in fact, while spirals might refer to cycles, beauty or nature in Japanese aesthetics, they are often associated with negative connotations in western audiences, such as madness, hypnosis, chaos and else, which in turns, completely nullifies any attempt at having a cultural impact on most of the younger people, specially those who are not from the Japans. Now, the cultural impact of Uzumaki's plot might be an important root for the story's whole existence, but it is far from being what truly seeks to make an impact on those consuming it. This piece of Junji Ito's works does not rely on cultural cues to make the audience feel horrified, but on sheer visceral depravity: the type of events that are seen throughout Uzumaki will certainly make a lot of people want to look away due to the incredibly disgusting and morbid nature of it: ever wanted to see two humans turn into giant snails and then mate? Here you will get to see it... lord, believe me, you WILL get to see it. Such morbidity is what Uzumaki relies on for shock, and while it is certainly its most interesting aspect, it is, however, one of its greatest problems: the nature of everything revolving around spirals, and the rapid onset madness of the plot, which in turn leads to the aforementioned morbid events, make it so that it very quickly becomes predictable and much less impactful, which will make those with a stronger stomach rapidly find the anime to lose appeal given that whatever remains to be seen won't feel as horrid as that which has been already showcased earlier. The horror genre is a complicated one: it is certainly hard to write a story that's convincing, after all, most horror relies on supernatural phenomena, which in turn needs to provide a coherent argument as to why such phenomena happens which can then cancel any necessity for suspension of disbelief by those consuming it: having a story about a ghost haunting a house, and not providing a coherent reason why the people who live in the house just don't go live fucking elsewhere, makes for lazy writing, since it'll require the audience to ignore all logical thinking in order to be capable of enjoying the story, which certainly makes it harder to take seriously. Perhaps the greatest problem with Uzumaki is that it cannot be said that it manages to do just that; watching this miniseries implies a rather large amount of suspension of disbelief, because the characters tend to act irrationally, and no explanation is ever given for such behavior. For reasons not explained (or at least not explicitly-enough so), most of the characters have highly illogical reactions to even highly more illogical events: it'd seem as if everyone wants to pretend everything is a-ok in a town where people are dying in inhumane ways and in which everything is clearly NOT ok by any interpretation of the word. Because of this, Uzumaki's plot quickly becomes void of rationality, which in consequence makes the story feel highly forced and convenient, thus, it makes it appear to be badly written, which will certainly bother those who are here for things other than human snail mating or watching people's body contort and deform way past natural limitations. As stated at the very beginning of the previous paragraph, creating horror is complicated, and this is because the sense of "horror" consists of many negative feelings which need to be transmitted onto the public: anxiety, despair, restlessness, disgust, and many more emotions and states of the mind are the building blocks of a good piece of horror media, and to achieve them, you need to build an atmosphere through many audiovisual aspects, and in the case of an anime, these include the animation, color palettes, soundtrack, sound design, character design, voice acting, the plot, and many other bits and tads which make up the whole picture. Uzumaki, however, lacks much of them. The sound design is mediocre, the soundtrack mostly absent, the character design ranges from regular to absurd, the voice acting is at many times devoid of effort, the animation is hit or miss... there's just too many issues here. Uzumaki's production value is less consistent than a bipolar teenager's emotions, and it is not only clear throughout the 4 episodes of the anime, but it varies even throughout the very same episodes: the first episode starts off well, but the second has some horrendous animation quality, while the third and fourth tend to switch between good and bad. The whole anime is in black and white, and while this manages to make the entire thing a bit more unsettling, it also feels like a lazy way to avoid greater detail through color, lightning and other visual cues. The fluidity of the animation creates a bit of an uncanny valley feeling; it attempts to feel human-like, but it is not nearly fluid enough to feel convincing, which makes it perhaps be more awkward than anything else. All of this makes Uzumaki feel annoying to watch, since it creates no real atmosphere, no real horror, no real "art"; it instead feels like a bad attempt at adapting the story and adding the label "avant-garde" to justify the crappy production, crappy plot, crappy pacing, crappy you, crappy me, we are a crappy family! No, Uzumaki is hardly a "good" anime in technical terms, it is just simply shock content disguised as horror, with a lackluster production and lots of issues everywhere; it is a pathetic adaptation of an acclaimed manga, but as bad as it is, it still somehow manages to provide a decent amount of entertainment, and it is not bad at making you go "Jesus what the fuck is this shit, I feel bad for those poor bastards who were asked to animate this" in many occasions. That said, it only works as entertainment, not so much as an impactful story or something memorable for anything other than its horrid morbidity. Give it a try if you got guts, but don't show it to your kids, like, really, that's not a good idea.

Uzumaki うずまき

2024 fall | Episodes: 4 | Score: 5.8 (59666)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Production I.G

Streaming: Adult Swim

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Satake, Uki

Miki, Shinichiro

News

Reviews

batty97
11/13/2024, 02:40 PM
Honestly probably the best anime I have ever seen, it feels as if the manga has come to life, quite literally through the animation style, the fact people have given anything other than masterpiece is a travesty, if you know the manga of Junji Ito you will love this, if not I suppose that is why people aren't appreciating it. Regardless, as a fan of both horror and the amazing Junji Ito I absolutely adored this and how well it was done, his work is always disturbing in a captivating way which makes you fell enticed to the world he has created, this anime isno different. I watched it yesterday and I will be watching again in the weekend to share the experience with my friend, thank you to everyone who took part in making this masterpiece.
zflyy_itsnan
11/08/2024, 11:00 PM
The storyline, occasionally overly focused on building atmosphere, results in the main character’s development feeling somewhat stunted. Although the atmosphere is strong, some horror moments that should have had a greater impact end up feeling repetitive due to a lack of variation in tension-building techniques. In terms of story development, it seems overly focused on visual aesthetics rather than narrative depth. This tendency causes some of the underlying themes in the manga to feel faded or even entirely absent. The series often emphasizes visually stunning scenes, which detracts from the central conflict and the meaning behind the spiral’s terror. This is a point that may leaveloyal manga readers feeling that the adaptation doesn’t fully capture the essence of the original story.
Aristofanes
10/28/2024, 03:41 AM
Uzumaki is a massive failure. Nevertheless, it is one of the best anime series of 2024. The anime is not as good as the manga. However, I actually believe that the first part of the anime is better than the source material. There is a crucial difference – while the manga narrates each of the unsettling episodes separately, the anime decides to tell you multiple ones at the same time. This way the whole story feels more interconnected and the characters, especially Shuuichi, have more space for personal development, or rather descent. Having said that, after a very strong start, the anime fails spectacularly. The second partalmost feels like a self-parody. The pacing is off, the feeling of horror is almost completely gone. Instead of being mesmerised and unsettled by the story, one almost laughs at it. You are almost encouraged to see the lack of logic, consistency and seriousness that is inherent to the entire horror genre (and is supposed to be covered by the lingering aura of mystery and fear). I believe that this horrible pacing is partially caused by the wrong decision to cover every single part of the manga. Some of it just should have been left out. However, it is also clear that a lot of bad decisions and other problems must have led to such a poor result. Fortunately, the anime gets back on its feet in the 4th episode. The ending of the story is actually coherent and relatively closely resembles the manga (even though the pacing still is not always quite right). All in all, some parts of the series are just bad. Still, it remains a fact that the first episode of Uzumaki is one of the best things that happened in the anime world of 2024.
Bradley-I-Guess
10/27/2024, 03:43 PM
UZUMAKI (2024) is one of the most disappointing adaptations of not just a manga but any piece of media I've ever seen. This show dangles a great adaptation of one of the most famous horror manga ever made in your face and then proceeds to rip it away from you an episode later. I'm going to break this down episode by episode as this show is so inconsistant that each episode could be considered a different show. Episode 1: Episode 1 was handled by studio Fugaku and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama The first episode is easily considered the best out of the 4 episodes. Ithas some of the most expressive and detailed animation i've ever seen, every little movement from a character is fluid and stunningly animated. There were even times we're the animation was so fluid I wondered if rotoscoping was used, its beyond impressive what the team at Fugaku we're able to pull off. The fluid and terrifyingly beautiful animation of this episode is complemented by Collison Stetsons mesmerising soundtrack that allows the horror really sink in and both of these allow the story of UZUMAKI to unravel beautifully. Episode 1 is the Junji ito adaption of fans dreams but this quality sadly does not stay for very long... The rest of the Episodes: Episode 2, 3 was handled by a completely different studio and staff as Yuji Moriyama is now series director instead of Hiroshi Nagahama. Episode 2 was handled by Yuji Moriyama and Episode director Taiki Nishimura and Episode 3 was handled by Yuji Moriyama and Episode director Shingenori Awai. Episode 2,3 are to put it bluntly borderline unwatchable, these episodes are clearly unfinished, rushed and had no where near the time that the first episode was given. Episode 2 is worse but not by a large amount as both episodes have awkward and unpolished CG animation, Clunky 2D animation that's still and lacks expression. What makes these episodes unwatchable though is how inconsistant these episodes are animated as for 95% of the run time they look dreadful but sometimes a great still frame or small sequence will come out no where only for you to be snapped back into reality when the animation goes back to ''normal''. Episode 4 is where this get's interesting, Studio Fugaku return and this episode actually has no series director credited and has FIVE episode directors those being Hao Wu, Daisuke Sato, Koichiro Sahtome, Shinrai and Studio Massket respectfully which is unheard of. Before the episode aired there was a rumour that Hiroshi Nagahama was to return to oversee the episode but nobody is credited so its pretty safe to say that its a high possibility that Hiroshi Nagahama took his name off the episode...what a mess. Episode 4 actually has a small spike in quality but it never reaches the heights of what episode 1 was able to accomplish. The shading is also improved from episodes 2 and 3 and once again feels like I'm watching the Junji ito adaptation I was promised all these years ago but that doesn't mean the episode is perfect as it has a lot of bad looking shots and jarring still frames that made me laugh at times we're I really shouldn't have been. What went wrong? It's pretty clear to understand what went wrong if you sat through the end credits of each episode of UZUMAKI, the studio changed but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Alot of sources came out after the series had finished talking about what went wrong with this adaptation that's been in the works for over five years and to condense this information the best I can, Around the time episode 1 was finished new management came in and production hell began. This gave Akatskui (The studio behind Episode 2,3) a lot less time and money to make their episodes near the quality of the first. Its sadly a pretty open and shut case of mismangement from higher ups not understanding that less does not equal more when it comes to the animation industry. Plot/Story: The plot of Uzumaki is about a small town cursed by spirals or Uzumaki (hence the name). Junji ito has always been able to make the mundane absolutely terrifying and that's why I feel his manga works so well, it get's you thinking about how scary the small things can be but this adaptation will only be remembered for the wrong things if even remembered at all. The story of Kirie and Shuichi's small village being consumed by the spiral is still here though but due to this adaptations flaws I'd it should be at the bottom of your list if you were to consume this story for the first time. Overall: Adult Swims attempt at handling UZUMAKI is embarrassing, for an adaption in the works for FIVE years I expected better as did almost everyone rightfully so. It's upsetting but maybe one day we'll get the good Junji Ito adaption UZUMAKI (2024) failed to be... 4/10
AweSok
10/25/2024, 05:34 AM
Overview Uzumaki The anime is about some kind of spiral horror aspects that the world becomes convoluted and strange and loses the sense of self within this strange but weird idea in a good way that the story revolves around. I am just reading this first sentence I typed am I already lost myself in my extremely good English. The story is good with this craziness, the people become a void of spirals and things keep spinning. I love this type of horror it created with the idea. Story 8/10 I think for the idea they really taken this idea to the next level, and they explored itso well that the story revolving around it fits and somewhat makes sense somehow. I am really impressed how the story revolves around spirals… It doesn’t make sense right now but trust me when you watch the anime it all makes sense in the end… I think… I love the horror created environment idea that they created and made into a story. Art style 8/10 The art style is well made, and I love that the entire anime is in this vortex of nothingness, but it is something out of nothing in a way. Hahaha. Sound 8/10 The sounds are great with the voice actors really creating this eerie and scary feeling with one of the characters which I love. They really know how to make things creepy the Japanese which is why this horror type anime works so well with this surreal style anime that they created. Character 8/10 They fit so well with terms of creepiness, reaction, eerie, atmosphere and how they absolutely find things just as horrible as a viewer would in the anime watching from their perspective. Enjoyment 8/10 They did a really good job with this horror in terms of idea, story, character, voice actors, sounds, atmosphere. If you don’t like horror, then what place to don’t like it even more than this anime called Uzumaki. Hahaha. If you enjoy reading my review, please leave a like. OH, and don’t forget to watch the anime. This is a good horror anime, and that’s good as there aren’t many good horror anime out there.
1hahman
10/23/2024, 04:03 PM
Please, do yourself a favour and read the manga! The show, with the exception of the first episode, was badly animation and the story progress was far too quick, leaving you little time to fully enjoy the art and horrors, and numbing you to the next "scare". If you really must, just view the first episode to see how interested you are in the theme, and then begin reading the manga from the beginning. For anyone who wants to know more, the first episode is amongst the best adaptations of a Junji Ito work, the animation is great, the music is amazing, the plot compared tothe manga is condensed slightly but it palatable. However, you'll be a fool to think the rest is as amazing as that intro. From episode 2 you'll realise that the animation is choppy, and jarring, while the plot feels hurried. Unfortunately, things only get progressively worse by episode 3 & 4 that you'll want the show to end quickly just so that you can move on with your day.
CalvinKoigakubo
10/22/2024, 05:44 PM
Decaiu, hein. It is really, really sad to see what has become of this series. It had the potential to be a modern-day classic and ended up being one of the most disappointing experiences I had this year. I did enjoy how they adapted many of the stories to make them happen at the same time, which is not obvious from the episodic structure of the source material and heightens the sense of urgency to leave the town before it is too late. The epilogue in the end of the four episode was also a very welcome addition to the lore, even though it's nothing too ambitious.I also enjoyed the eerie lullaby for the ending theme. In fact, one of the show's highlights is its superb score. The production of this show was troublesome and it shows in the brusque decline in quality from the first to the second episode (the first episode, although often praised as the best - which it is - was also not free of issues). The way many of the stories were hastened was detrimental to the overall atmosphere of the show. Ironically, it seems that Itō, who is famous for his stories about curses, is himself cursed with bad adaptations of his most popular works. This had the potential of being the greatest adaptation of his magnum opus and (almost) manages to be worse than the 2000 live action film.
KaaruOobun
10/22/2024, 05:03 AM
U Z U M A K I Short review Story: (8) I understand the setting completely and how thestory unfolds, but if only more details were put into crafting this masterpiece. This would be one of my favorite horror. In my personal opinion: Each episode feels like it deserves its own season. The concept is there, but it lacks something. They’re cramped into one episode, but still I understand the author's intent. Characters: (9) SHUICHI (8.7)- Respectable. The curse is inevitable, but he still fights until the end :( KIRIE (9) - Her decisions are sometimes questionable, but she’s alright since she’s not crazy. I also love her character design; beautiful! Unpopular opinion: I’d like to see her in a romance genre. PEOPLE (7) - I like how they are mentally messed up all the way to the end. Also so s2pid SNAILS - (8) INTERTWINED COUPLE - (8) VA: (9) Animation: Ep 1 (9.5) -- Ep 2, 3 (8) -- Ep 4 (8.7) I don’t know why people hate the animation so much; I think it’s decent. The black and white gives it an eerie vibe. If they were only consistent, I’d probably rate it a 9. ENDING (8) From my perspective, It’s so difficult to envision a happy ending in such a scenario. I never would have guessed how the story would end because of the unpredictable plot. Fighting the curse of the town—how can you really counter that? As I reached the last episode, I was genuinely hopeful they would make it out. So I guess bittersweet is the only way, which is very very sad for a lovable MC OVERALL, good show for a casual
VoiceOvTerror
10/21/2024, 04:57 PM
Uzumaki : The Downwards Spiral: Myself, like other users here, are disappointed. But I'm also happy we got 1 great episode. For at least for 1 episode, the curse was broken, and there is hope that a capable team can bring the twisted terror of Junji lines to life, and scare us with disbelief. The first episode, will blow you away, and suck you into the town of Kurôzu-Cho, while the others will most like disappoint you. The character's voice actors did well, (I can only speak for the Jap Version), the music was very fitting and I liked the way the compiled the stories, Ifelt like it was passable for the flow of the episodes. You can check out my full video overview on youtube, if you wish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXNyannqPYU&ab_channel=VoiceOvTerror
juxyper
10/21/2024, 01:46 PM
The overall negative views of the already existing reviews mostly focus on the source material at hand. I will refrain from doing so, and focus on the anime itself. Why disconnect my review from the manga? It is already quite obvious that the adaptation is in fact a different imagining of the events, so taking it at face rather than with its background would seem to do it more justice. Let's start with the visuals. Even though the crew took a *very* long time to get this anime done (about 4 years, for 4 episodes of TV standard length), the animation quality tends to lack quitea bit in places, especially for episodes 2 and 3. However, the art *style* was a perfect approach - it gives you the best Junji Ito feel from all the adaptations I've seen so far. A pity that they couldn't get it done with the best quality possible. Perhaps they did rely on too much rotoscoping. The delivery of the content is not perfect, but considering that this is just 4 episodes for something much larger, we can take a different angle at this. How much of the horror you'd get from reading a Junji Ito book do you get out of this series? I'd say it's quite close. The live-action movie wasn't bad either - also decent - yet it didn't pack a punch this strong. The reason for watching a series like this is the visceral, gut-wrenching, outworldly horror that you'd get - and with Ito, you must get to visualize it the way he means it. This series does achieve that. What's left is the music, and the writing behind the content itself. We have Colin Stetson on the soundtrack, couldn't get better for something like this. For the writing, I'd say the deadpan cast just forced to live through this pandemonium and submit to it as mere victims/observers is very typical of cosmic horror (Lovecraft anyone?). The contrast of everyone vs. Shuichi is also executed nicely, as he is no romantic/tragic hero, but also another victim of the eldritch. Everything just clicks together to form a very traditionally written, yet eloquent horror story that parallels an actual masterpiece of the same art. So what's really wrong with this anime? Nothing *much* other than the animation quality really. It just needs to be criticized heavily if you consider the original source material. Take that with your own grain of salt.
The_Namer
10/21/2024, 10:31 AM
To paraphrase Jurassic Park, the people making this show were so concerned with if they could adapt the entire Uzumaki manga in four episodes, they didn't stop to think if they should. A typical 25-minute TV episode will follow a single plotline, two at most. The 42-minute US drama format traditionally opts for two plotlines, the A/B story format as it's known. Uzumaki's 25-minute episodes have A, B, C, D, and E plotlines, each originally a separate chapter in the manga, and now spliced together with seemingly no thought given to pacing or structure. It's a baffling choice. Horror isn't just about the money shots. Theyonly work when time is taken to establish the characters and scenario, make us care about the stakes, crank up the tension, and then finally drop the hammer. With only a few minutes dedicated to each story, it frequently rushes through the setup, leaves out important information, and sometimes cuts the payoff short too. I can only assume the priority was to cram in every single memorable image from the manga, but with so little runtime available it ends up feeling like a handful of poorly-edited recap episodes chopped down from a 12-episode series. The structural problems at least settle down in the final episode, but only because the last few chapters of the manga are one ongoing story, which made that easier to achieve. It's heartbreaking to see Junji Ito's masterpiece reduced to this, and even more so considering the obvious passion that was poured into the anime version. Ultimately it falls at the same hurdle as the second TV adaptation of Berserk, focusing so much effort on replicating the iconic look of the manga that the whole project collapses under its own weight. Despite all that, the strength of the underlying source material does bleed through at times, and the anime does at least achieve what seems to have been its core objective: bringing motion to some of the eeriest images ever to curse the printed page.
Cuube
10/21/2024, 08:45 AM
Uzumaki starts off great in the first episode with gorgeous animation and a good vibe, bringing the original manga into life, but completely falls a part in the later episodes. The pacing of the show completely misses the mark, it got to the point where the pacing made it impossible for me to be immersed in the story. It completely failed to build tension or suspense like the original manga did. I would honestly recommend future viewers reading this to watch the first episode and to figure out what uzumaki is all about and switch over to the manga if you enjoyed ep1. Overall, Iwould not recommend this show and advise you to read the manga and save yourself from the horrible animation later on.
MarlsMarsBars
10/20/2024, 05:25 PM
Whether it be in Hollywood or the Japanese anime and manga entertainment industry, the horror genre has really lost its touch for me. The creative juices of the horror genre have, to me at least, really ran dry mainly due to most entries in this section of storytelling have devolved to narratives - or lack thereof - focusing more on style rather than substance, whether it be endless jump scares that you can see from a mile away or overly grotesque scenes meant to make you look away in disgust all for the sake of shock value. To me, most modern pieces of horror fallinto one of those two categories, and, unfortunately, the anime adaptation of Uzumaki slides into the latter. Now, I never fully read the Uzumaki manga, but I was blown away by the brilliant and truly eerie art style by Junji Ito, so when the anime adaptation was announced to be airing this year, I was fairly looking forward to it. I’ll admit that I wasn’t going in expecting a deeply riveting narrative, or any expectations for that matter as what drew me to Uzumaki was its art, so at the very least I thought that the anime adaptation was going to at least easily nail that part, and even then I’m somehow disappointed in the final result. I will admit that the first episode was really good. The animation work utilizes a lot of rotoscoping (a little too much at times), but does so to illustrate how grounded both the characters and the setting are, which comes in stark contrast once all of the spirals, or “uzumaki,” come into play. The first episode perfectly captured the bizarre nature of the manga and, in many ways, felt like the pages were literally ripped from the source material and just given animation to bring them to life. Despite some pacing issues, Episode 1 was pure grotesque horror done correctly. However, the remaining three episodes in this anime don’t even come close to capturing that same vibe, which is particularly important since the narratives in this series aren’t particularly that great or noteworthy. With how flimsy the writing is in Uzumaki, the show could have at least made up for it with some well executed psychological and physical body horror, but the anime even then fails at that due to how amateurish the remaining three episodes felt. Both the animation and art style not only no longer fail to hit the aspects that made the source material memorable in the first place, but they genuinely look embarrassing. I won’t go over the production hell that this show experienced, but it really seems like the animators who worked on this were held back and not truly flourish at their craft, especially when we start to get scenes that genuinely look like PNGs moving across a static background. Whenever characters move, it just looks like someone highlighted the character drawing and just dragged the image from position A to position B on a photo editing software. Even the actual grotesque horror elements in the other three episodes are just slideshow transitions. I cannot express enough how embarrassing Episodes 2 - 4 looked, and I know a lot of people were saying that the finale was a step up from the previous two episodes, but even then it still looked like shit. I don’t really remember much from the parts of the manga that I read, but I truly do not remember the writing being this fragmented and sloppy. I could excuse the first episode’s pacing because I thought it was a good way to set up the overall atmosphere of the series, but the story beats are far worse in the other three episodes. Each episode consists of various occurrences happening in the town of Kurouzu-cho that are all related to the spirals, or uzumaki. Whether it be sometime turning into an uzumaki slime or other supernatural occurrences related to the spiral, the show is just people losing their shit or being victims to an uzumaki-related curse. Each plot point in this anime has zero connective tissue to one another outside of the main characters of Kirie and Shuuichi being involved in one way or another. Shit just happens in this show, and it’s not like the plot points are hard to follow or anything, it’s more so that they are barely developed and just happen for the sake of having something horrific needing to happen to maintain some psychological horror quota. The Uzumaki anime is purely shock value just for the sake of shock value, and I guess there’s technically nothing wrong with that, but at least make the grotesque aspects visually shocking and not cheap like it looks like someone’s very first animation project right out of art school. I really don’t like the saying of “what was the point?” The main reason why I’ve grown tired of that phrase is because that expression is usually said by people who just weren’t paying attention to whatever they just watched, and most pieces of fiction have a point, even in genres like slice of life. The phrase “what was the point” showcases a lack of basic attention span that even a five year old could maintain, but I feel like this anime was the perfect example of that phrase because honestly, what was the fucking point? If the whole point of this anime adaptation was to faithfully and seamlessly convert the art of the source material into an animated medium, then it fails at that miserably. If the point was to deliver on pure grotesque body horror, then you could make an argument that it did just that, but you have to sit through the most fragmented writing I’ve seen from this genre while having your retinas burned by cheap animation that gets progressively worse as the show progresses. This anime genuinely felt like a waste of time, and further made me lose even more hope in the horror genre of fiction, not that I had much of that to begin with for quite some time now.
BibleCampVictim2
10/20/2024, 12:31 PM
This anime has been such a dissapointing one, i am a horror enthusiast and when Uzumaki finally ended its Air i was so excited to see it, Sadly this adaptation's Animation was Way more Disturbing than the Story itself. The Story: -Bad Points 1) I Don't understand why they haven't left since the curse started, They easily could've still use the train to leave from the city after those events and could have just escaped. 2) Most of the characters (except Shuuichi and possibly others) are so dumb that they won't even think for a second of how things are going, (SMALL SPOILER) For example Kirie Still Trying ToFind Her Parents after they got Flinged, Any Normal Person Would accept the fact that they are surely dead, But apparently this Cuckoo still thinks they are alive. -Good Points 1) I Liked The Ending, It shows that history repeats itself no matter the circumstances 2) Shuuichi Actually thinks like a mild crazy/normal Person. Animation: This is the reason the adaptation is mostly at its score. They made 1st episode so smooth and yet the next one feels like even i could draw it (i'm so bad at drawing i draw hands instead of ears man). 5 Damn Years for a spit on my face, if this was a woman, i would gladly even open my mouth but it ain't. So well done wasting all that time when we could have maybe done something better. Music: Not much to say, i liked it at the start but they keep playing almost the same stuff again and again, atleast make a remix or something. Would I Recommend this? I don't know to be honest, if you do not care about the Animation and how some characters are so dumb. Or you just want to add another anime on your list that is short, then go ahead and watch this. I swear somebody needs to make Junji ito's Manga Adaptations good, poor man has only bad adaptations.
bossunhimeswitch
10/20/2024, 12:06 PM
I want to start by pouring one out for the anime this could have been. It's a shame that production problems plagued this adaptation, because the concept of making the anime black and white and really paying attention to the tone and point of the source material were all good choices. The first episode had so much promise and then we never reached that level of greatness again. That said, the subsequent episodes, while their production values suffered, did an excellent job of taking the story from the manga and improving upon in here and there to make it flow a little better and functionwell within the constraints of four episodes. Those little tweaks is why this is marked recommended instead of mixed feelings. Yet, I also feel disappointed that we did not get the product we could have had. Maybe someday someone will adapt it into a movie and give it the proper treatment it deserves. If you enjoy Itou Junji's works in general, you'll likely enjoy this anime. It'd make a great Halloween watch for those who celebrate. If you want something more faithful or haven't enjoyed other Itou adaptations, then this would be one to skip. If you don't like wonky animation, maybe if it gets a home release, the quality will improve.
whiteflame55
10/20/2024, 07:00 AM
Yep, this was certainly... a show that happened. The first episode was great, which makes this one particularly hard to rate because it's a balance of that with just how far it spiraled down in the next few episodes. Maybe... maybe that was the point? To make the audience feel like they're spiraling as well? If so, kudos to the showrunners: you did it. I'm sure plenty of reviews will talk about the visual quality, which took a nosedive after episode 1. This was a fraught product in development and it shows, with the budget for this thing nearly drying up after that first episode. It'stoo bad because you can really see the commitment to visual fidelity side-by-side with what it looks like when a studio phones it in, and the jank is absolutely real. But it's not just the visuals that bring this thing down. The team behind this knows how to emphasize the creepiness, but don't seem capable of showcasing the horror. The storytelling and presentation made some of these scenes outright goofy. I laughed outright several times at scenes that were supposed to evoke dread. None of that is helped by the series' need to keep moving to the next element, which meant that, even if a scene worked for me, it was left behind almost immediately and no one talked about it anymore. I've heard that that gets explained in the manga, but here, it just looks like even the series just doesn't care about most of what it sets up. It's not all bad, though without episode 1 to bring up the average, this would be significantly worse. I went into it thinking four episodes was not enough. I left thinking it was too many.
NeferpitouZ
10/20/2024, 04:54 AM
well... this was an experience like no other... Though as you can see I set this review as recommended but that's not because this show is anything amazing nor mind blowing. I think that for a 4 episode long anime this is a pretty unique experience that most anime fan should try to experience at least once. Anime as a medium isn't fit for horror, as animation especially in anime artstyle is pretty bad at showing fear or disturbing imagery so I guess I could appreciate Uzumaki for trying to make up for it by making the artstyle and coloring similar to that of a manga,but did it work? Well kinda... The artstyle manages to enhance the creepy eerie feeling that probably wouldn't exists if it was colored like a normal anime, but even then it is still quite lacking. And now lets talk about the story. I genuinely don't know whether to praise nor criticize the story, because its incredibly... weird? or maybe its better to call it unique? The story is simply so stupid and kinda goofy but the atmosphere and the characters are made in a way to kinda trick us into thinking that its creepy and serious but if you just stop for a sec and think, you would realize that the story and the events that happens are just dumb and so random. We all have definitely heard of the decrease in animation quality after the first episode and for a lot of people its a huge letdown, but I feel like it doesn't really matter whether the animation stayed consistent or not because its not like the animation could carry the stupidity and goofyness of the show. The only reason I put this as recommended is simply because of "why not", its only 4 episodes anyways its not like its gonna hurt to try.
Nisshokusan
10/20/2024, 03:47 AM
What can I say about the Uzumaki adaptation? Eh, it was alright. Initially after hearing that one of Junji Ito's most prolific pieces was about to be adapted into an anime, after that 'shonky' Netflix anthology, I was sceptical but indifferent as I had never read Junji Ito's work. However, soon after thinking that, I was gifted the deluxe edition and found myself amazed by Ito's macabre imagery and his ability to convey such a compelling story along with it, and found myself wondering as to how an anime studio (let alone Adult Swim) could adapt something so unique into an episodic limited series? So,I watched the trailer and again was shocked at how good it looked and told myself I would see it through and that there was still hope yet for an Ito adaptation that looks good in motion and...and...I was soon proven incorrect. While I don't find it to be the worst of the worst, I can definitely see how and why long time Uzumaki and Junji Ito fans may have felt slighted and frustrated at this adaptation and I would argue that some of these complaints are very much real and not just a matter of bias for the source material. For what it did well I found that ironically by doing away with the episodic nature of the original manga for a more streamline, interconnected narrative that incorporated ALL of the classic Uzumaki stories (save for the lost chapter), the anime felt more alive, with a bit more flow than the original manga. The voice acting provided for the show was also quite good and found that a lot of the characters sounded like I thought they would have funnily enough. Lastly, the animation in episode 1 was an absolute highlight as I for one never thought any Junji Ito story could be shown/animated in such a way as to emulate the source material and Ito's linework so effectively. Sadly, what it didn't do so well in also overlaps with some of these positives. While it was great to see every story adapted and interconnected, some stories just didn't fit very well, the worst examples of this coming in episode 3 where several storylines such as the 'Jack in the Box' felt shoehorned in or rushed through. The latter issue also proving to be an issue after the first episode where many of the stories then felt rushed with little time for them to truly shine, the hospital story(s) was one such victim of this in my opinion. I feel some stories should've been cut in the final compilation of the stories, though I acknowledge it would've been odd to have left out either one or two stories when all the others were adapted, so while it wasn't done the best and I feel more time should've been dedicated to some of these stories, it is refreshing at least to see an adaptation that truly utilises all of the source material. Now to discuss the elephant in the room, By and large, the biggest blemish on this adaptation is the animation, specifically episode 2's animation as it was just bad (along with some grating moments in 3 and 4). Grinding, PowerPoint presentation and ugly are the main things I've heard, and I'm sure if not for the new Blue Lock season, more people would be talking about this right now. I'm told there were issues pertaining to the budget of animation behind the scenes, as well as this being in production hell for a bit which probably compounded the issue, but that is a bit of speculation on my part, and I do feel a lot of the animosity comes from how the trailer used mostly episode 1 footage and thus felt a bit like false advertising on the airing of episode 2. And this is in no way meant to be a slight at the animation teams, but the final result cannot be ignored and episode 2 was definitely a visible drop off My final verdict? I've been waiting for this anime to wrap up for a week now so I can say my final thoughts, so I do apologise for going off about this at length, however the Uzumaki anime is not something I can really recommend. Though I prattled on about the animation, it didn't bother me as much as I know it did others, if anything it's serviceable beyond episode 2, but the pacing of the stories was handled very thoughtlessly I found. While I appreciated the little things they added to make the series more cohesive, the series felt like it was hurtling toward the finish line after episode 1, leaving little time to process or comprehend what was going on, I myself only just catching my bearings as I had read the manga beforehand...which leads into my final thoughts. While I acknowledge the adaptation offers something new that manga fans are sure to enjoy, I cannot recommend someone watch this anime just for those little tidbits. The anime is fine for people who prefer this medium, though I would urge anyone who wants to experience the Uzumaki story to read the manga. Final Score 5/10 "Just barely serviceable, but the spirals made me dizzy."
raviwe
10/20/2024, 12:27 AM
Uzumaki is, in my opinion, a true masterpiece of the horror manga genre. If you're even remotely curious about manga horror or willing to give it a shot, check out the manga—because this anime only manages to butcher it. The only redeeming factor is the innovation in art style in the first episode, which seemed like a good idea at first. Unfortunately, the quality drops quickly, and the changes to the source material are ultimately unwarranted. With that said, let’s start by exploring what this manga is about and the themes it seeks to convey. We’ll discuss whether the beginning is misleading, how it approaches itsthemes, and how effectively it utilizes the major elements of the medium. So, what is this manga about? At its core, Uzumaki is a story about obsession. The obsessive nature of spirals is an ingenious choice by Junji Ito, as spirals carry a natural, almost primal allure—there’s something entrancing about them, something that pulls you in. Spirals have long symbolized fascination, even madness, in various cultures, making them a fitting visual metaphor for the ever-tightening grip of obsession. The story uses this motif as a springboard for exploring how deeply and dangerously fixation can affect the human psyche, and how that fixation can spread like a curse through a town. First things later, let’s talk art direction. The true genius of Uzumaki lies in Ito’s exceptional art. His work captures an unsettling, almost Lovecraftian horror that is notoriously difficult to visualize. While Lovecraft relied on vague, indescribable horrors to terrify his readers, Ito makes the unexplainable tangible—without losing any of the dread that comes with it. From the first panels depicting the town of Kurouzu-cho and its residents, there's a persistent sense of unease, a feeling that something is inherently wrong. Even the mundane feels off, and once the spiral begins to take hold, the escalating absurdity feels strangely inevitable. When the horrors occur, they are both shocking and eerily appropriate for the world Ito has crafted. Kurouzu-cho itself feels alive, transforming along with its inhabitants in grotesque and fascinating ways. The anime tries to capture Ito's art by maintaining the black-and-white palette and replicating some iconic shots. It even succeeds in the first episode. But by the second episode, the animation becomes more cursed than the town itself. I wouldn’t mind if the animation were merely passable, but it is truly terrible. At least the theme song is appropriately creepy and fitting. So, how does it start? The beginning of the Uzumaki anime is its only saving grace, although the last episode is also passable, as it follows the original structure. It manages to prove that an adaptation of Junji Ito works can be done with some creativity. Unfortunately, that is horribly misleading and some will even take it to heart and start thinking it really was impossible. What about the characters? Kirie, the protagonist, is a fascinating take on the “audience insert” character. Despite the surreal events unfolding around her, she maintains a calm detachment. Kurouzu-cho has always been strange, so her reactions aren’t as dramatic as one might expect, which allows readers to process the horrors through her more grounded perspective. However, the real protagonist isn’t Kirie or even her boyfriend Shuichi, but the town itself. Kurouzu-cho becomes the true focal point, with the characters serving more as vehicles for the spirals’ effects than as figures with traditional character arcs. What about the story itself? Like much of Lovecraftian horror, Uzumaki doesn’t offer neat explanations. The plot isn’t concerned with wrapping up every mystery. Instead, it leaves much to the imagination, allowing the unease to linger long after the last page. The story provides just enough information to understand the thematic points, while keeping the greater mystery intact. Structurally, Uzumaki follows an episodic format. However, the anime attempts to streamline the story, catering to a more modern audience obsessed with immersion as the end-all-be-all of fiction. The result? Horrible pacing and an experience far removed from the intended one. No tweaks could have made the immersion work—the story is meant to make you step back and think. This is perhaps the most egregious change an anime adaptation has ever made to its source material. Altering the structure in such a fundamental way is, at the very least, a bold move. Then, what did I think of it as a whole? Uzumaki is a masterclass in horror storytelling. Ito’s ability to merge the grotesque with the philosophical makes it a standout not just in manga, but within the horror genre as a whole. While many horror works rely on shock value, Uzumaki weaves its unsettling imagery into a broader commentary on human nature, obsession, and the unknown. It’s rare to find a work that balances chilling moments with deep, resonant themes, ensuring it stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. For those seeking a Lovecraftian horror experience that’s more eerie than outright terrifying, Uzumaki delivers in spades. Its growing sense of dread creeps into your mind, much like the spirals that drive the story. It might not be for everyone, but for those willing to embrace its strange world, it’s a journey worth taking. Unfortunately, the anime doesn’t do the manga justice. It feels more like an experiment—and to be fair, the first episode does show that it can be done. But too many glaring mistakes ultimately sink the adaptation.
ImNotAnOtaku1
10/20/2024, 12:04 AM
The human mind is home to every single one of the greatest inventions that we, as a species, have seen; be them practical devices or amazing stories, there's a near infinite amount of beauty which originates in the brain of many a-homo sapiens sapiens out there. The human mind is also home to whatever the fuck this is, so it more or less evens things out to a middle-ground between "wonderful" and "God please we need another great flood and this time without Noah's ark". Junji Ito is, undeniably, one of the greatest horror writers in recent history, and Uzumaki is by many considered to behis magnum opus, his créme de la créme, and for those who don't understand Latin nor French: his bestest, goodest work. It takes a single man's mind to come up with such a story as that of Uzumaki, and when I mean "a single man's mind", it is in the sense that absolutely nobody else would have imagined such blasphemy which would have gotten him burnt at the stake a few centuries ago. In simple terms, he should consult a psychiatrist. Uzumaki provides a rather basic horror plot: "some small rural town has a curse!", but the main thing about it is that the curse in Uzumaki is one that revolves around spirals, which at the time in which this story was originally written, were generally seen as a good or positive symbol in Japanese society, which prompted Mr. Ito to subvert said notion to create the basis of the story's plot. The first problem you'll find here is that such notion is, well, part of Japanese society, and perhaps also too localized in time (1990s), which makes at least a part of this anime's appeal be lost, since there's no real perception being subverted as a ways to achieve greater impact on the audience given that most Western audiences and perhaps many Asian/Japanese audiences do not (any longer) have any "positive" perception of spirals; in fact, while spirals might refer to cycles, beauty or nature in Japanese aesthetics, they are often associated with negative connotations in western audiences, such as madness, hypnosis, chaos and else, which in turns, completely nullifies any attempt at having a cultural impact on most of the younger people, specially those who are not from the Japans. Now, the cultural impact of Uzumaki's plot might be an important root for the story's whole existence, but it is far from being what truly seeks to make an impact on those consuming it. This piece of Junji Ito's works does not rely on cultural cues to make the audience feel horrified, but on sheer visceral depravity: the type of events that are seen throughout Uzumaki will certainly make a lot of people want to look away due to the incredibly disgusting and morbid nature of it: ever wanted to see two humans turn into giant snails and then mate? Here you will get to see it... lord, believe me, you WILL get to see it. Such morbidity is what Uzumaki relies on for shock, and while it is certainly its most interesting aspect, it is, however, one of its greatest problems: the nature of everything revolving around spirals, and the rapid onset madness of the plot, which in turn leads to the aforementioned morbid events, make it so that it very quickly becomes predictable and much less impactful, which will make those with a stronger stomach rapidly find the anime to lose appeal given that whatever remains to be seen won't feel as horrid as that which has been already showcased earlier. The horror genre is a complicated one: it is certainly hard to write a story that's convincing, after all, most horror relies on supernatural phenomena, which in turn needs to provide a coherent argument as to why such phenomena happens which can then cancel any necessity for suspension of disbelief by those consuming it: having a story about a ghost haunting a house, and not providing a coherent reason why the people who live in the house just don't go live fucking elsewhere, makes for lazy writing, since it'll require the audience to ignore all logical thinking in order to be capable of enjoying the story, which certainly makes it harder to take seriously. Perhaps the greatest problem with Uzumaki is that it cannot be said that it manages to do just that; watching this miniseries implies a rather large amount of suspension of disbelief, because the characters tend to act irrationally, and no explanation is ever given for such behavior. For reasons not explained (or at least not explicitly-enough so), most of the characters have highly illogical reactions to even highly more illogical events: it'd seem as if everyone wants to pretend everything is a-ok in a town where people are dying in inhumane ways and in which everything is clearly NOT ok by any interpretation of the word. Because of this, Uzumaki's plot quickly becomes void of rationality, which in consequence makes the story feel highly forced and convenient, thus, it makes it appear to be badly written, which will certainly bother those who are here for things other than human snail mating or watching people's body contort and deform way past natural limitations. As stated at the very beginning of the previous paragraph, creating horror is complicated, and this is because the sense of "horror" consists of many negative feelings which need to be transmitted onto the public: anxiety, despair, restlessness, disgust, and many more emotions and states of the mind are the building blocks of a good piece of horror media, and to achieve them, you need to build an atmosphere through many audiovisual aspects, and in the case of an anime, these include the animation, color palettes, soundtrack, sound design, character design, voice acting, the plot, and many other bits and tads which make up the whole picture. Uzumaki, however, lacks much of them. The sound design is mediocre, the soundtrack mostly absent, the character design ranges from regular to absurd, the voice acting is at many times devoid of effort, the animation is hit or miss... there's just too many issues here. Uzumaki's production value is less consistent than a bipolar teenager's emotions, and it is not only clear throughout the 4 episodes of the anime, but it varies even throughout the very same episodes: the first episode starts off well, but the second has some horrendous animation quality, while the third and fourth tend to switch between good and bad. The whole anime is in black and white, and while this manages to make the entire thing a bit more unsettling, it also feels like a lazy way to avoid greater detail through color, lightning and other visual cues. The fluidity of the animation creates a bit of an uncanny valley feeling; it attempts to feel human-like, but it is not nearly fluid enough to feel convincing, which makes it perhaps be more awkward than anything else. All of this makes Uzumaki feel annoying to watch, since it creates no real atmosphere, no real horror, no real "art"; it instead feels like a bad attempt at adapting the story and adding the label "avant-garde" to justify the crappy production, crappy plot, crappy pacing, crappy you, crappy me, we are a crappy family! No, Uzumaki is hardly a "good" anime in technical terms, it is just simply shock content disguised as horror, with a lackluster production and lots of issues everywhere; it is a pathetic adaptation of an acclaimed manga, but as bad as it is, it still somehow manages to provide a decent amount of entertainment, and it is not bad at making you go "Jesus what the fuck is this shit, I feel bad for those poor bastards who were asked to animate this" in many occasions. That said, it only works as entertainment, not so much as an impactful story or something memorable for anything other than its horrid morbidity. Give it a try if you got guts, but don't show it to your kids, like, really, that's not a good idea.

Uzumaki うずまき

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

PV Collection for Jul 17 - 23

Full Cast Revealed for 'Uzumaki' First Episode [Update 7/26]

Junji Ito's 'Uzumaki' Horror Manga Gets Anime Series

Uzumaki うずまき

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

PV Collection for Jul 17 - 23

Full Cast Revealed for 'Uzumaki' First Episode [Update 7/26]

Junji Ito's 'Uzumaki' Horror Manga Gets Anime Series