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Uzumakiis a celebrated horror manga masterpiece. It is also one of the notable works by the horror mangaka Junji Ito. From contortions to spinning eyeballs, it is bone-chilling. This holds especially true with the use of body horror. The anime directed by Studio Drive is scheduled to release on September 29th. However, there are things viewers should know.
The anime is a much-anticipated release. Before watching the anime, here’s a recap of the manga. From the settings to themes, this recap is a glimpse. Moreover, it is a peek into the essence and philosophy of the spiral story.
Uzumaki outlines the insanity revolving around spirals
Uzumakirevolves around the fictional town of Kurouzu Cho. It follows the journey of protagonists Kirie and Shuichi. What starts as a coincidence becomes a living nightmare. From streams to skies, the town gets plagued with spirals. In no time, the town is stricken with madness. From Shucihi’s father to their classmate Azami, the characters areconsumed by the spirals.
In contrast to Kirie, Shuichi senses theinsidious natureof the spirals early on. In no time, the town gets consumed by the spiral entities. From smoke spirals to snail humans, the disease is boundless. Korouzu Cho becomes a living nightmare for its citizens. However, it extends to other characters as well. This holds especially true for Chie Maruyama.
5 Best Works of Junji Uto You Should Be Reading Before Uzumaki Releases This Month
The nub of thespiral insanitylies in the hidden town of spirals. The town consumed Kurouzu Cho. Whether or not the spiral being is sentient is unknown. However, it carried out a mass-scale destruction. With corpses piled on top of each other, the protagonists make peace with their fate. The insanity in the manga is outlined further with Ito’s use of body horror.
Junji Ito subverts the tropes in the genre through his body horror
Junji Itoisn’t a bog-standard horror manga artist. The disturbing and eerie elements in his manga are attributed to his medical expertise. His works stand in contrast to Western horror. He cites H.P Lovecraft as an inspiration albeit carving his identity. This is highlighted in hisuse of body horror.This is reflected in his works includingGlycerideandDear Ancestors.
Besides that, he takes it up a notch in his mangaUzumaki. The body horror accentuates cannibalism. From drinking blood to consuming scorched human snails, it only gets worse. In an interview withFull Frontal Moe, he shed light on his influences for body horror. He quotes
About body destruction, I sometimes ask myself, “If my body was destroyed, what would happen?” And it scares me. I got this apprehension expressed through my work. And concerning the insanity part, I think this is influenced by a Japanese novelist, Yasutaka Tsutsui, who writes sci-fi and often talks about insanity. Actually, in his books, madness goes so far that we end up reaching laughter and humor. It is really interesting, and I think it influenced me a lot.
Besides that, Ito’s spirals strip the characters of every hope. The manga encapsulates a rite of passage. It underscores the acceptance as characters make peace with the circumstances in the end.
Studio Madhouse Already has the Perfect Anime for Fans Awaiting Junji Ito’s Uzumaki to Release
Junji Ito is a true master of the horror genre. His medical expertise plays a pivotal role in bringing out terror. This holds especially true with his use of body horror. Lastly, the manga is essential in gripping the concepts of the upcoming anime better.
Uzumakiwill be available for streaming on Adult Swim’s Toonami. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
