Originally destined to come this fall was an anime adaptation ofUzumaki, often considered to be one ofthe legendary Junji Ito’s best works. Although an anime adaptation of a classic, beloved manga would normally be a moment of excitement, many fans are concerned about the adaptation, especially after the recently announced delay.Uzumakiis a psychological body-horror manga written by Junji Ito,who is a revered horror mangakain the manga community. The manga follows the story of Kirie Goshima, who watches in horror as her hometown is slowly consumed by spiral-induced madness. The manga is often worshiped for its unique and terrifying art style, and intricate artwork of body horror that gave Junji Ito his infamy. Despite the manga’s passionate fanbase,the online manga communityhas been divided among the hopeful and the concerned about the upcomingUzumakiadaptation. What do we know about the upcoming adaptation, and previous Junji Ito adaptations, that can shed light on whether the upcomingUzumakianime will be worth waiting for?RELATED:Junji Ito Collection: The Most Disturbing Monsters
Previous Junji Ito Adaptations Fared Poorly
In 2018, there was an adaption of some of Junji Ito’s most popular short stories calledThe Junji Ito Collection.It washeavily criticized by fans of the series. On top of that, there was a special released calledTomie, based on a manga series by Junji Ito with the same name, with the same negative fanfare attached.
That being said, both of those were made by Studio Deen, which albeit has made popular anime such asKonosubaandHigurashi: When They Cry,were just not able to capture the same magic as themanga they are based on. TheUzumakiadaptation, however, is made by Drive, a relatively new studio. Without much of a track record to go on, it can be hard to predict quality, however, we can rest assured that it is a different team than the previous, ill-received adaptations.
This Is The Third Delay So Far
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time theUzumakiadaptation was delayed. In fact, it’s the third time. Originally the miniseries was going to air in 2020, before being delayed until 2021. Then, it was delayed due to Covid-19 reasons until October of this year.Now it is being delayed indefinitely.
However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The official Twitter for the Uzumaki Anime adaptation has confirmed the reasoning behind the delay. They have said in the tweet below, which includes an official English translation, that they don’t want to “compromise its quality by delivering a mediocre final product” while maintaining “the quality of the intricate designs and detailed line work” associated with Junji Ito’sUzumakimanga.
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The anime and manga community has faced many instances of stories or adaptations being affected by rushed pieces and short staff. Seeing an anime adaptation of such a critically-acclaimed manga being treated with this much love and care is refreshing.
The Attention To Detail
Continuing the previous point, we can begin to see the care being brought to theUzumakiadaptation. The update from the officialUzumakiTwitter account even has gone so far as to only promise a release date announcement “once we are confident this adaptation is as good as we know it can be”. The team also explicitly stated they areimitating Junji Ito’s artworkto the best of their ability, and the following teaser only proves this more.
Aside from the passion and the director of the series also supporting the care being put into the series, the animation is a perfect imitation of Junji Ito’s unique art style. Not only that, but they’ve chosen to animate it in black and white toimitate the feel of manga artwork. The music for the anime is even done by Colin Stetson, the same composer as the horror filmHereditary, a film with a similar eerie atmosphere and slow-burn horror as theUzumakimanga.
Overall, there is no way to completely predict how the Uzumaki adaptation will fare. However, it can be safe to assume from the trailer alone that it is worth checking out. The team behind the project is incrediblypassionate about the source material, their passion and drive isn’t often seen among anime studios who often pump out quick adaption to make cash off of dedicated fans. An anime hasn’t come this closely mimicking the manga’s style or atmosphere before, and we will have to wait for its eventual release to judge it.
