Adult Swimhas revealed a brand-new trailer for the anticipated anime adaptation ofJunji Ito’s Uzumakiahead of its release onSeptember 28th on Adult Swim. After the announcement atCrunchyroll Expo 2019, fans waited 5 years for a full trailer and release date. They have confirmed the animation studio, director, and composer, but for the longest time, there was only a short teaser featuring Kirie Goshima, the main character of the manga, and then radio silence. After such a long wait, Junji Ito’s terrifying masterpiece spirals onto Adult Swim on September 28th and the next day onHBO Max.
Along withTomie, Uzumaki is the most celebrated of Junji Ito’s extensive work. It followsKirie Goshima, a teenage girl, and her boyfriend,Shuichi Saito, living in the town ofKurouzo-cho. The town is cursed with a"Spiral"phenomenon. Several spiral-related supernatural phenomena occur in the small town until it is plunged intocosmic-horror levels of misfortune. Some of the other Ito works have also been adapted into anime. However, all of them have been met with either lukewarm or universally unfavorable reviews. Ito’s distinct style is incredibly hard to adapt to anime, but Uzumaki seeks to finally break the curse.
During the Crunchyroll Expo in 2019, it was announced Uzumaki, the critically acclaimed horror manga by Junji Ito, would receive a 4-episode anime adaptation.Studio Drivewas announced to be animating the series, withMushi-ShiandFlowers of EvildirectorHiroshi Nagahamadirecting.Production I.G USAwould produce the series, whileColin StetsonfromHereditaryandThe Menuwould compose the soundtrack. In an interview with Junji Ito, he stated that the screenplay was already finished and he had read it.The anime was faithful to the original mangaand director Nagahama was quite talented.
Junji Ito’s Uzumaki Delivers a Terrifying Experience on September 28th on Adult Swim
Spirals Hold A Secret Power
The trailer showcases the breathtaking animation produced in black and white as promised before. It shows several clips of some of the most famous arcs, like"The Spiral Obsession", “The Snails”, “The Mosquitoes"and"The Scar”. These are perhaps the 4 arcs that the 4 episodes will cover, although it is unknown how the story will be rearranged for the adaptation. The series seems to implement a mix of 2D and CGI animation, while theblack-and-white art seeks to faithfully adapt the original manga.
The soundtrack, composed by Colin Stetson, enhances the eerie atmosphere of the story. Kirie and Shuichi are voiced byUki SatakeandShin-Ichiro Mikirespectively. Satake played Tsubomi Takane in Mob Psycho 100, while Miki is famous for Kisuke Urahara fromBleach, Roy Mustang fromFullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Zamasu inDragon Ball Super.
After facing numerous delays due to production issues and the COVID-19 Pandemic crisis, Uzumaki’s anime adaptation will finally be released in Japanese language with English subtitles on Adult Swim. It will premiere the next day on HBO Max. This is not the first time Cartoon Network has been directly involved in the production of a Japanese series. Studio Drive gathers a talented staff to bring fans a worthy adaptation of a Junji Ito work, with great attention to detail and faithfulness to the original manga. Hopefully, with the success of the series, other works could be adapted, like Tomie.
