agmtw logo
search
Uzumaki

Uzumaki

A small town spirals over spirals in this strange, supernatural mini-series

7.8

TV Show

Japan, United States of America
Japanese
Animation, Mystery
2019
Kōichi Tōchika, Mariya Ise, Mika Doi
24 min

TLDR

Finally, a Western Junji Ito adaptation that isn’t allergic to black and white!

What it's about

The town of Kurouzu-cho slowly goes insane by obsession or by paranoia over a series of spiral shapes.

The take

The last time Junji Ito’s work was animated by a Western studio, it wasn't terrible, but it didn’t match up to the terror of his original stories. Nevertheless, animators persisted, and Production I.G. and Adult Swim’s attempt is a mini-series adaptation of the three volume manga Uzumaki. Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror is a peculiar horror series, one that may not be downright terrifying with its small-town tale, but it’s much scarier than other Western adaptations with its faithfulness to Ito’s black-and-white intricate line work. There’s probably no other way to depict this particular story– after all, it’s all about spirals– but director Hiroshi Nagahama adds dizzying movement and composer Colin Stetson adds eerie extended techniques that match the terror Kirie and Shuichi share as they struggle against the neverending spiral spell that takes over their town.

What stands out

I love how faithful the series is to the art because the contrast between the lines and space emphasizes the movement of the hair, shadows, and highlights, and always makes each item feel like it’s just ready to transform into a spiral.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Ethos

A level of attention to aesthetics usually reserved for the most elaborate films, mixed with a complex and relevant story, make this series from Turkey unmatched in its quality

9.9

Occupied

Norway's most expensive show ever is a timely thrill ride with a grim geopolitical premise.

8.7

Escape at Dannemora

Based on a true prison escape story, this slow-burn suspense thriller features once-in-a-lifetime performances by a star-studded cast

9.3

Unorthodox

A well-acted fact-based thriller about untangling the grip of a close-knit community

8.5

Wild Wild Country

Almost too outrageous to be true – this captivating true crime docuseries tells the unlikely story of an Indian cult in America

9.8

The Looming Tower

A well-written thriller miniseries about the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI and how they failed to prevent 9/11.

8.1

Unbelievable

Critics lauded the angle and feminist edge of this grim true crime miniseries.

8.8

The Queen of Villains

An intimate, sweet depiction of the savage world of ‘80s joshi wrestling

9.0

Patriot

This unique anti-spy drama is one of Amazon Prime's hidden gems

9.0

The Last Kingdom

8.6

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.