After having posted about this collection over a yr in the past in “Animation studios have realized nothing – concerning Ito Junji variations“. I can’t NOT observe up on Uzumaki (2024), now that it’s concluded. I’ve a whole lot of ideas, however I’ll do my greatest to not put the cart earlier than the horse right here. Underneath the minimize might be a collection synopsis after which my ideas as per typical.
Goshima Kirie lives a reasonably regular life within the city of Kurouzu-cho. She has a boyfriend, Saito Shuuichi, and repeatedly tells him of the mundane issues in her life. Like how her father, a ceramicist was taking a look at a snail shell. Shuuchi mentions that his dad has been appearing very unusual, and has obsessed over spirals as of late. Such obsession leads Shuichi to imagine that he and Kirie want to go away the city quickly, because the city is ‘contaminated with spirals’. Such small occurrences then result in a terrifying chain of occasions that trigger anybody and everybody within the city of Kurouzu-cho to spiral. Primarily based on the manga Uzumaki by Ito Junji.
Now that we’re all on the identical web page. I’m going to qoute myself right here from that earlier weblog put up:
“I’ve a really cautious hope for this collection. The first preview appears to be like very interesting. Personally, I prefer it fairly a bit extra then some other earlier iteration. The black and white animation is a powerful alternative – a whole lot of stylistic integrity from the unique manga. I really like the selection of going with a jazz backing monitor over anything since I feel that matches the ~ViBeS~ of Ito higher. I additionally on the whole am a sucker for jazz. It’s additionally promising that there’s been a considerable amount of time being invested in these collection”.
-Rise, January eleventh, 2023
“This one may look higher in concept, however a snippet is simply that – a snippet. They’re going to share the most effective of what they’ve in the intervening time with out getting too far forward of themselves. It’s not off the desk that the opening scene, first episode is the most effective we get after which it’s downhill from there. Anime is stuffed with titles which have a glowing first episode solely to be a whole let down by episode two. And once more, going again to my second paragraph – Mr. Ito’s works aren’t probably the most appropriate for variations, and looking out again don’t have a terrific monitor file both”.
-Rise January eleventh, 2023
I don’t need to say that my pre-release of Uzumaki, and my post-release of Uzumaki opinions are precisely the identical. I imply I watched the whole 4 episode collection. There’s much more materials to cowl. Nonetheless, that second paragraph I completely hate myself for this remark however… I kinda referred to as it on this collection.
The very first episode of Uzumaki was gorgeous, completely a masterclass of doing an Ito Junji piece justice. It regarded, felt and was extremely gorgeous.
The second episode as compared regarded, with all due respect, like crap.
Which by varied reporting, most followers have come to know was not intentional. The manufacturing crew was roughly cornered into an all episodes, or no episodes (or simply the primary with no follow-up) being proven for this venture that was being produced for 5 years. The crew selected to point out all episodes, and actually I recognize that transparency. I don’t need to get too into the weeds on that, however you may learn extra about it by way of this gizmodo article right here.
That every one being stated, there are nonetheless some collection positives, negatives and in-betweens I need to throw my hat within the ring to debate. The primary was that general, I actually favored the impression of the black and white animation. I feel it did wonders for the collection and retaining it consistant when it comes to tone and execution.
I did just like the jazz soundtrack for the collection. Sadly, I don’t assume it was effectively used after the primary episode. Nonetheless, the collection did have a fairly strong sound design. Nothing too blatantly bounce scare music or issues like that. The ambient noise, particularly after the city transforms a bit was actually unsettling if you made a degree to focus in on it.
I additionally appreciated that the studio took time to adapt the fabric. Which I do know, sounds kinda silly however hear me out. In my first episode viewing, my preliminary large gripe was that the collection felt extra like an animated manga then a real animation. Loads of the scenes have been a panel for panel recreation of the manga, with little to no inventive touches – in my opinion- that really made it Manufacturing I.G.’s piece.
After speaking with some in actual life people who have been watching, and particularly those that had learn the manga for lately then I – I noticed this was not the case. Much more care of clipping and reorganizing the occasions within the manga went into this adaptation then I initially gave it credit score for. I do know for a lot of that’s one more gripe about why this anime was unhealthy however for me, personally I didn’t thoughts it. I discovered it made extra sense at the very least for the anime and the episode depend they have been allotted, and that deserves a bit extra respect and recognition in my humble opinion.
That being stated, the obvious was the problems with animation because the collection went. The drop in high quality from episode one to 2 was almost catastrophic. I at the very least gave the collection the cop-out of at the very least it’s extra surreal and uncanny which provides to the ambiance. Everyone knows that’s only a good manner of claiming it was poorly executed. What’s worse is even the studios and people who labored on it realize it. It evened out in episodes three and 4, however genuinely I used to be fairly upset in that regard.
Moreover, whereas I can’t level precisely to what and the place, the pacing for Uzumaki was god terrible. There’s round 648 pages of manga to the unique Uzumaki (going off the English 3-in-1 version), the place 4 episodes is just not sufficient to adapt all the fabric. It seems to me that the crew didn’t make the most effective selections to cowl all the bottom they needed. After episode one, the remainder of the collection felt extremely uneven. I felt a whole lot of issues have been stored not as a result of they have been important to the story, however as a result of they thought followers would miss it and complain about it. Significantly with the “Jack-in-the-box’ character and sequence – it was so poorly included that it might have been minimize and actually the collection would have flowed manner higher. Then once more, it’s been so lengthy since I’ve learn Uzumaki I’m unsure if that sequence was a important piece of the story.
To wrap this up, Uzumaki isn’t an ideal execution of an Ito Junji manga tailored effectively. It’s nonetheless, for higher or worse, nonetheless the strongest adaptation of an Ito Junji manga that we have now at the moment. I don’t assume the beloved horror icon deliberately cursed his work to be unadaptable however… I haven’t modified my opinion that his work, actually at this level, simply shouldn’t be. Go take a look at a bodily copy of Uzumaki‘s manga and benefit from the journey there.
