Uzumaki Episode 1 Review: Junji Ito Horror Master Class

A new addition to the horror anime genre is here and it is a work by none other than Junji Itou himself. Let us see how this episode fared and whether you should watch it or skip it.

Uzumaki Overview

Uzumaki is an anime adaptation of the iconic Japanese horror manga by Junji Ito, known for his masterful blend of psychological horror and surreal imagery.

It continues to garner widespread critical acclaim and is often regarded as Junji Ito’s magnum opus. In recognition of its impact, Uzumaki was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2003, a prestigious honour in the comic world. It also earned a spot on the Young Adult Library Services Association’s “Top 10 Graphic Novels for Teens” list in 2009, further solidifying its status.

The anime, announced at Crunchyroll Expo in 2019, is a four-episode series animated by Drive and co-produced by Production I.G USA and Williams Street. Hiroshi Nagahama directs the series, with an evocative score composed by Colin Stetson. It debuted on Adult Swim’s Toonami block before its Japanese release, offering an atmospheric adaptation of Ito’s disturbing vision.

What makes the horror of Uzumaki particularly unsettling is its subversion of the usually benign spiral symbol, twisting it into something deeply menacing, as the protagonists confront a force far beyond their control.

– Minor Spoilers –

Uzumaki Episode 1 Review and Recap

This anime is unlike anything that you have seen before, and it honestly should not be compared with other regular shows. From a promised storyline to its animation, nothing can make you stay prepared for what you will witness. The story here starts off simple, but as we go forward, we see how a town, Kurouzu, descends into madness over something as simple as a spiral. You follow high schoolers Kirie and her boyfriend, Shuichi, who are also very different in their characters.

Shuichi comes off as a very observant man who seems concerned and paranoid from the beginning regarding the condition of the town. He absolutely hates his birthplace and comes to the realisation that something very wrong is happening here. Kirie, on the other hand, did not understand the gravity of the situation just like us audience, who are witnessing all the madness for the first time.

Hence, it is with her that our consciousness also detects the bizarre happenings of the town. Kurouzu is weirdly adorned with spiralling designs, and you can find it in the shrubs or even the drainage water. It certainly is not normal, but everything goes downhill when Shuichi’s dad becomes unhealthily obsessed with spirals to the point of doing unhinged activities. The iconic scene of him taking his tongue out and crafting it into a spiral is particularly famous.

But it is not just the things or situations that are weird. The characters showcased here are also peculiar and abnormal. Apart from the leads, we also meet others, and two of them carry particular importance. However, out of all the people slowly losing their sanity and becoming victims of something supernatural, the two protagonists are the only normal ones.

Verdict

I personally loved the unorthodox animation where we see a black-and-white rendition that creates the illusion of the manga coming to life. This adds to the eerie feeling as we get to witness the brilliant artistry of Junji Ito, whose art style is central to the story’s impact. The music is also very moody, with the ending theme perfectly complementing the whole show, utilising a hauntingly minimalist acapella performance.

All in all, even if you’re not typically drawn to horror, the gripping plot alone makes Uzumaki worth watching.

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