Junji Ito’s Uzumaki Anime: What We Know So Far

Uzumaki is a short manga, collected in three volumes, written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It ran from January 1998 to August 1999. The anime adaptation is animated by studio Drive and co-produced by Production I.G. USA and Adult Swim. It will premiere on Toonami.

The anime is directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, who is known for directing Mushishi. Music is provided by Colin Stetson, who is known for his work with indie rock bands such as Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Bell Orchestre; as well as his work Red Dead Redemption and NBC’s The Blacklist.

Uzumaki has suffered multiple delays ever since it was announced back in 2020. The most recent delay came in June 2022, when the manga’s Twitter account announced that the anime will have to be delayed “in order to replicate the quality of the intricate designs and detailed line work of Mr. Ito’s classic manga.”

What is Uzumaki about?

The story of Uzumaki takes place in a small town called Kurouzu-cho. Here, strange and terrifying events begin to occur after a mysterious spiral pattern is discovered throughout the town.

The story centers on a high school student named Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, who become increasingly obsessed with the spirals and the horrors they bring.

With its multifaceted exploration of themes such as obsession, body horror, and psychological terror, Uzumaki’s story beckons readers to the unsettling and harrowing tale of a cursed town. As one delves deeper into the intricate web of plotlines, it becomes apparent that the spiral curse is not merely a mere plot device, but a powerful metaphor that symbolizes the twisted path towards the characters’ inevitable descent into madness.

Uzumaki is a masterful work of horror that deftly navigates through the complexities of the human psyche, leaving its readers spellbound and in a state of constant unease.

Junji Ito will voice act in Uzumaki anime

Junji Ito is set to voice act in the upcoming anime adaptation of his classic horror manga, Uzumaki.

The news was revealed on the anime’s official Twitter account, which posted a video of Ito in a recording studio, where he records his line.

We don’t know what character he is playing in the anime though, as the video censors his performance, and no details are given about his role. However, it seems like he would only be playing a minor role, almost like a Stan Lee-esque cameo.

Merry Christmas???? pic.twitter.com/frgwKjDsx7

— UzumakiAnime (@UzumakiAnime1) December 24, 2021

Ito mentions in the video that he has never done ADR before. ADR stands for Automated or Additional Dialogue Recording, which is a post-production process in filmmaking where actors re-record their dialogue in a studio. Ito added that since he has poor enunciation, doing “this role” was perfect for him. It gives a slight hint about his character and what to expect when the anime finally comes out.

Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition)

Junji Ito made his professional manga debut in 1987 and since then has gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His titles include Tomie and Uzumaki, which have been adapted into live-action films; Gyo, which was adapted into an animated film; and his short story collections Fragments of Horror, Shiver and Frankenstein, all of which are available from VIZ Media. Ito’s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.

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