Uzumaki

It's been a year and a half since I first read this, but I still vividly recall how thoroughly impressed I was with the story. It remains my favorite work by Ito.

I'm not typically into horror, except when it comes to manga. I dislike jump scares, which are unfortunately quite common these days, and generally, horror isn't my cup of tea. However, this was one of my first attempts at trying something new, and reading a genuine horror story blew me away.

Now, let's get into the review proper.

Story (10):

The concept of a city gradually descending into madness due to something as simple as spirals is absolutely fascinating. Although this isn't a character-driven narrative, you find yourself rooting for everyone until the end. The beginning is disturbing enough, and I won't spoil anything, but just know that things get very unsettling within the first few chapters. You think it can't get much worse, yet somehow, Junji finds new ways in each chapter to create an even more twisted story, culminating in a sense of total hopelessness for the characters.

Art (8):

The artwork is good, no doubt about that, but it feels a bit too simplistic for my taste. In my opinion, there's a noticeable issue with characters having similar faces, but aside from that, the art is amazing.

Characters (8):

The characters aren't as well-written as the rest of the story. They're interesting to follow, but they aren't the best part of the narrative.

Enjoyment (10):

The most important aspect for me is enjoyment, and this manga delivers despite its flaws. Every story has its imperfections, after all. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, mainly thanks to Junji's unique storytelling. It's incredible, especially considering how challenging it can be to make comics or manga genuinely scary.

If you're looking for something good and relatively short to enjoy, definitely give this a read!

I can't really give this manga a high score, not because it isn't good, but because I didn't enjoy it. It's not that the manga is bad; it's just that the feeling it left me with after reading was unsettling.

Be prepared to feel disgusted and grossed out by this manga, and you might find yourself blurting out swear words multiple times. The story has a unique twist, I suppose, but there are parts that made me shake my head and laugh due to their sheer absurdity.

If you're planning to read this, just make sure not to eat while you're doing so—it's really not a good idea. LMAO

Most of the manga consisted of stories that could have been told as one-shots with a spiral theme. As long as there is a spiral in the story in any way, shape, or form, it seems to be fair game (to the point of pointlessness?). You could easily skip several of the chapters and not be confused by the main story, which starts in the first couple of chapters of volume 1 but doesn't really take off until volume 3. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed almost all the chapters, and although I didn't find any of it truly scary, there were a lot of fun, original ideas, sometimes just plain gross. Yes, there was lots of gross. The main characters weren't all that interesting, but who reads horror for the characters? Shuichi was great, though. Every time I saw him, I wanted to laugh :P He was the greatest boyfriend ever!

Uzumaki is the pinnacle of Lovecraftian horror, a masterpiece that deserves far more recognition than it currently receives. The upcoming 'Toonami' adaptation may finally bring it the attention it merits. At its core, Uzumaki tells the story of Kirie and her boyfriend Shuuichi, who discover their town has become disturbingly obsessed with spirals, leading to its corruption. While this summary barely scratches the surface, it captures the essence.

What truly captivated me was Junji Ito's art style. He excels at depicting grotesque and deeply unsettling imagery, and Uzumaki is no exception. This manga is profoundly disturbing, especially in chapters like "The Hospital" and "The Scar," which contain some of the most terrifying visuals I've encountered across any medium.

My favorite chapter is undoubtedly "Twisted Souls." The first three chapters set the stage wonderfully, but Chapter 5 took me by surprise with its sheer madness and horrifying visuals. Yet, it wasn't just the disturbing imagery that stood out; the storytelling was exquisite. The bittersweet love story between the couple, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, was handled masterfully, culminating in one of the few happy endings in the entire manga. Even if it wasn't the scariest chapter, it left a lasting emotional impact on me.

In conclusion, if you're seeking pure terror, Uzumaki might not be what you're looking for. It's a disturbing, grotesque, and fascinating exploration of a town corrupted by spirals. Although the concept isn't inherently scary, the execution through visual and emotional storytelling is so compelling that by the time I reached Chapter 19, I found myself eager to reread it.

I HIGHLY recommend Uzumaki, as well as Ito's other works. He's a genius whose talent shines through every page.

I first read Uzumaki around 2012, I believe. Back then, I was at my cousin's house in another town, reading this manga a friend recommended while she was busy with her boyfriend. For a 13-year-old me, it was one of the best things I had ever read.

This still holds true 12 years later. Uzumaki is, undeniably, a masterpiece. At 25, I'm not as impressionable as my younger self; reading it as an adult is a very different experience and some of the manga’s flaws start showing. This isn't to say the manga is anything short of a tour de force, but a few minor defects must be recognized.

The story follows the slow descent into madness of a small Japanese town called Kurouzu as its inhabitants become obsessed with spirals to the point of eventually becoming one. We are brought into this universe through the eyes of the main character Kirie Goshima. Kirie is not a superhero nor someone who depends on her wits to stay alive: she's an everywoman who mostly just reacts to what's going on around her. This is intentional: Kirie is supposed to be the embodiment of the reader inside that universe, she is what brings us into Kurouzu and its ghastly events. This doesn't mean she is a useless character: as the town becomes more ravaged by the curse of the spiral, she learns to rely on her instincts to survive.

Itō is known for his short one-shot horror stories, and this series works as an anthology of short stories connected by the common theme of spirals. Mirroring Scheherazade’s frame story in the Arabian Nights, Kirie sews together these stories through her perspective, but the whole work feels episodic - because it is! While it might displease potential fans looking for a more cohesive narrative, this sort of storytelling works well to fully develop each of the horrors in the narrative, often to the detriment of the story's pacing, which makes it feel like the stories are happening in sequence rather than simultaneously, making you wonder why nobody’s getting out of that godforsaken town. One thing the infamous 2024 anime adaptation did right was adapting multiple chapters at once to remind us that all this is happening concurrently, leaving the inhabitants no time to react properly.

Kirie’s boyfriend Shūichi is one of the characters I couldn’t care less about. He starts off as an intuitive character but progressively becomes lackluster and annoying as he loses hope and keeps making vague, pessimistic comments about everything around him. I think he represents the greatest fall in the manga. Some of the smaller characters and situations might look a bit ridiculous and goofy when you’re not 13, but I think that’s part of Itō’s style.

Speaking of which, one of the things that make this manga so great is Junji Itō’s grotesque art style. He manages to evoke visceral sensations with his realistic, detailed artwork. Some of the ridiculous situations I mentioned are balanced out with Itō’s satirical narrative and exquisite art. Masaru Satō’s preface in the omnibus edition sheds light on possible critiques of Japan’s aggressive neoliberalism and the fear of poverty expressed by the Japanese after the economic cooling. The subversion of the spiral, an auspicious symbol in East Asian culture, is a bold and creative approach that makes the story even more intriguing. The grandiose, bittersweet ending is cemented as one of the best in horror manga’s history.

With its engaging stories and superb art sewn together by mystery and vertiginous pacing, Uzumaki is considered one of Itō’s finest works, and for a very good reason. It strikes you from beginning to end and has some of the most iconic imagery in manga history. It might not be a perfect 10 like it used to be for 13-year-old me, but it’s still a solid 9, which is no small rating. Still one of the best mangas in my collection and one I treasure like no other.

I've never been a fan of horror stories, so this was my first experience with a horror manga. I had always heard great things about Junji Ito's work, and UZUMAKI is one of his well-known series.

The manga is short, and the art is fantastic. It creeps you out, horrifies you, and delivers exactly what you'd expect from such artwork. My main issues usually revolve around the story and characters. The story tends to be standalone, and characters often exist solely for the sake of one narrative. At times, reading each page felt drawn out, especially when the main character finally realizes in the last arc that they need to leave the city—a suggestion made by another character right from the first chapter.

There were moments when I had to look away because the manga horrified me. In fact, it continues to horrify me even now. However, the horror didn't keep me in suspense like typical horror stories do. Questions like "What happened? To whom? Who did it? How?" weren't really answered. Instead, it was all about spirals—this spiral, that spiral.

SPOILER:
THE MOSQUITO WAS THE BEST AND HURRICANE WAS THE WORST ACCORDING TO ME.

I don't know what to say. It was horrible; it was great.

Thanks, Ito-sensei, for giving me goosebumps and a phobia of spirals. I'm speechless 😅🤨🤔😶😥😯

Whenever someone thinks of "Horror Manga," it's very likely that the first name popping into their head is Junji Ito. Ito is well-known among anime, manga, and even horror fans in general. Since 1987, he has been giving us horrific nightmares, something he still does to this day. Among all his works, one stands out the most: 1998's "Uzumaki," a story about a city consumed by The Spiral. Uzumaki has since been adapted into a live-action movie and more recently into a 4-episode anime mini-series. Now seems like a better time than ever to see what Junji Ito is all about. In Uzumaki, we follow Kirie and Shuichi, two citizens of Kurozu-cho, as they witness their town becoming increasingly haunted by anything and everything spiral-related. That's the gist of it, so let's address point one: Spirals are not scary, right? Well, Junji Ito rarely uses things that are scary by themselves; he generally takes things we take for granted and distorts them until they become frightening. That's exactly what he does here. Part of the reason to read Uzumaki is to see just how much he can do with just a pattern. With 19 chapters spread across 3 volumes, eventually released in that giant omnibus we all know, and having an extra chapter, Uzumaki isn't necessarily a huge manga, but it's still one of Ito's longer works. He mostly focuses on writing one-shots and one-shot compilations, and while Uzumaki isn't his ONLY long work, his non-one-shots are still the vast minority compared to his bibliography. This brings up the fact that he's primarily a one-shot writer. Ito's one-shots focus on short, mysterious, and unexplainable events happening to random people. They don't have big, deep stories or complex and interesting characters; it's all about the primal, raw feeling they invoke. Uzumaki is very much the same, with almost every chapter feeling like a self-contained one-shot, except for the final couple of chapters. Yes, there is a story slowly being told across all of them, but it doesn't go much further than "this town is being haunted by spirals." Sometimes there are two chapters in a row that might be connected, but for the most part, I could show you chapters in a random order and you probably wouldn't notice, except maybe a line of dialogue. While we do follow the same character through all 20 chapters, it's not like I can say she is a complex or interesting character. She feels very much like any other Junji Ito character, a blank slate we can use to self-insert and explore the actual main character of the story: the horror. Kirie's boyfriend, Shuichi, is the only character who has a bit more going for him, mostly because he's the only one who seems to understand what the hell is going on. That said, one doesn't read Ito's manga for complex stories or characters; we read it for the fantastic and horrific pay-offs he delivers, and Uzumaki does deliver, featuring some of Ito's most iconic imagery. Each chapter is a wild and fun ride full of weird events. We start with pretty basic ideas: the first chapter is about a man in love with anything that has a spiral pattern, and the second chapter follows his wife, who has a deep fear of anything spiral-related. These chapters ease you into the idea and show how prevalent this hypnotizing pattern is in our lives. You'll come out of these two chapters noticing spirals everywhere. The first chapter also has one of the best page turns in the entire series. For those unfamiliar with the term "page-turn," it's a technique often used in horror and comedy manga. The idea is to build anticipation for something revealed on the next page turn, letting your expectations build up before subverting them. In horror, especially Junji Ito horror, it can signal that something horrible is coming on the next page without telling you exactly what, leaving it up to you to decide if you're brave enough to see what's on the other side. This is present in almost every chapter of Uzumaki, and each page turn is fantastic. Here, Ito's art style comes into play. His art isn't the most beautiful to look at, but it's perfect for a horror series, weirdly realistic, and he spends hours on some pages, making them mesmerizing and haunting, with so much detail that they feel disgustingly real. It evokes a visceral and raw feeling, which is Uzumaki's strong point—pages that will stay burned in your mind forever. Everything else is a slow build-up for those reveals. Some chapters deal with ridiculous ideas, some too ridiculous, making them silly and more comedic than scary. But even those are enjoyable, and they still have visceral pages. It's in its final chapters that Uzumaki starts flowing more fluidly, developing its conclusion. These are some of the best chapters in the whole manga, and it's good to see it call back some previously mentioned events. The ending, without spoiling, isn't the most in-depth conclusion, but you shouldn't expect that from Uzumaki. Junji Ito follows Lovecraft's mantra, where his stories aren't meant to be explained; the horror lies in the mysterious and unknown. So it makes sense that the story concludes by keeping most things a mystery, giving us only small details of "why" it could have happened. Junji Ito doesn't use Uzumaki to explore his weak points or expand much on his strong ones. Ultimately, this is still an Ito manga 101. If you're coming into Uzumaki expecting more, you'll probably leave disappointed. If you're not a Junji Ito fan or don't like horror, this manga won't convert you either. But if you know his works and you're a fan or know what to expect and find it interesting, then you'll probably enjoy what this manga has in store. Uzumaki isn't a masterpiece, but what it does, it does very well.

Uzumaki is truly a unique work, completely [BAD WORD] beautiful. Ito Junji's way of making an odd concept the center of a horror series is so captivating. I'm going to break it into a few categories:

ART: Ito Junji has the (not arguable) BEST artwork in horror manga. He manages to use the layout of the page to the fullest, keeping the horror moving throughout the pages. Uzumaki is about spirals (that's the easiest way to put it) and a town being affected by it. It is hard to talk about art without spoiling the experience, but holy cow, it is gruesome and gut-wrenching throughout. 10/10

HORROR: Spirals aren't inherently scary, so a horror manga about them may seem quite odd. It is, and very worth your read. Ito Junji is best known for short stories, and that carries into Uzumaki heavily. Every chapter has a mostly contained main spook, but it works since each chapter is given enough attention for this to be manageable. 9/10

STORY: Honestly one of the low points of the series, YET is still very good. Watching the town slowly get more corrupted will most definitely keep you interested until it's all over. You're not gonna get spoilers from me, go read this one. 9/10

VERDICT: Just go read it, it's a masterpiece. 10/10

When I started reading Uzumaki, something felt off. I can't quite pinpoint what's wrong with this manga, but I'll do my best to explain :). First things first, let's start with the positives. Uzumaki boasts truly remarkable art and intriguing mysteries. Every page and panel is a work of art in itself. As you turn each page, you're left guessing about what will happen next. In my view, that unpredictability is a significant strength, as it keeps you on your toes. Generally, it maintains story continuity well. However, if a story relies too heavily on this technique, it can become tedious. In my opinion, Uzumaki starts off brilliantly but eventually turns monotonous. Perhaps the later chapters are more engaging, but overall, I find the story to be just average. Don't get me wrong; it's a good manga with stunning art and a captivating, spooky narrative. If you enjoy mystery stories, you absolutely MUST read this book. Highly recommended!!

Story:

This should be a recurring theme in all horror stories. Not just gore and jump scares for the sake of frightening people. Horror should unsettle and disturb you. This Manga does exactly that. It starts slowly and casually, though by the sixth or seventh chapter, I began wondering why the characters weren't addressing a certain moment that would have definitely drawn public attention. It wasn’t until the next set of chapters that I realized they couldn’t have done anything about it due to other parts of the ongoing plot. Most chapters are short stories with creepy yet creative themes and scary imagery that genuinely makes my skin crawl. Everything involves spirals found in animals, plants, inanimate objects, even mundane things like spinning, swirling, circling, all tied to a curse affecting Kurozuo-Cho town.

Art:

The manga’s art style fits perfectly with the terror witnessed as the story progresses. It captures shocking illustrations well. The spirals appear many times but remain fresh, matching the plot themes creatively. The symbolism was equally well-written. Characters’ facial reactions or expressions matched their emotions—worry, fear, sadness, losing their minds—all pleasing to see, even if I shuddered at some points.

Character:

The cast may not be the strongest aspect, but they’re necessary. They respond appropriately to dangers or psychological challenges. Kirie Goshima, the main character, is seen most often. What amazes me is her resilience throughout the series despite difficult choices or dangerous situations. That’s hard to achieve, and I commend her sanity throughout the story.

Her friend and main love interest, Shuichi Saito, is first scarred by the curse’s events because of who was affected. He struggles the most while trying to survive like Kirie. Without her, he would have fallen victim much sooner.

Enjoyment:

Without spoiling too much, the ending may not please everyone, but it didn’t ruin my personal experience. It depends on the person. Whether or not you think it's good, the journey will likely make you anxious and disturbed unless you have nerves of steel.

Overall: 8/10

I am fairly confident that until today, I have never reviewed a horror manga or anime. Today, however, marks a departure from that trend as I delve into the world of Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror. To be honest, horror isn't my go-to genre since it hasn't been particularly impressive in recent years. Try naming five good horror films since 2000; there aren't many. Thankfully, Japan has once again come to the rescue, delivering another piece of art showcasing its dark side. Uzumaki is a classic horror manga that not only makes you ponder what you're consuming but also leaves you feeling queasy while reading. True horror, to me, is something that churns your stomach or compels you to keep watching despite the disturbing content. It forces you to confront or indulge in your darkest fears. With this in mind, let's dive into the review of Uzumaki.

Background

Uzumaki is crafted by the renowned and legendary horror mangaka Junji Ito, known for his unique and distinct horror art style. He is also famous for other works such as the Ito Junji Kyoufu Manga Collection and Black Paradox. This manga was released on January 12, 1998, and concluded on August 30, 1999, spanning three volumes with 19 chapters. Uzumaki even saw a movie adaptation, though unfortunately, I haven’t seen it beyond a few screenshots.

Story

The story of Uzumaki follows a relatively standard yet intriguing plot, representing some deeper meaning—a hallmark of Junji’s work. The manga revolves around spirals that take over a town. While it may seem straightforward, Junji subtly uses visuals and writing to convey that these spirals are key to understanding the madness. By the end, the manga plunges you into your own spiral of horror. Figuring out what exactly is happening in this town is both fun and frustrating. Sometimes, you wonder if there will ever be an answer, but thankfully, by the end, I felt the conclusion, while not perfect, was solid. The journey here is more important than the destination, and the ending lies in the details leading up to it. So, if you plan to read this, pay attention to those details; you won’t regret it.

Characterizations

The characters in Uzumaki are interesting and crucial to the story.

Kirie Goshima is our protagonist, a high school student living in Kurozuchou with her family. She has longish brown hair and a fair complexion. Described as friendly and caring deeply about her family and friends, Kirie undergoes moderate development throughout the series. Overall, she remains static, serving as the constant character and grounding point.

Shuichi Saito, Kirie’s boyfriend, is one of the first to notice something is wrong with the town. Throughout the series, he faces numerous horrors and develops significantly as he tries to uncover the mystery behind the spirals and escape the town. Shuichi is likely the character most readers will root for due to his grounded nature.

Overall, the characterizations are solid. I genuinely empathize with these characters and their struggles. The horror they face is awful and disturbing, making them extremely sympathetic. Shuichi is the character I feel the most sympathy for, experiencing living hell repeatedly. However, I don’t sympathize much with Kirie, who seems deliberately written as the personification of innocence, spared from the horrors inflicted upon others.

Art

The art in Uzumaki is brilliant, easily the best aspect of the series. It sells the horror and keeps you hooked. Humans contorted into spirals, turning into snails, cannibalism, insanity—it’s all visually represented and horrific. These images are graphic, but not gore porn, possessing a violent and disturbing edge. Yet, it also has a beautiful side. Take the town of Kuruzou-cho, for example, which is mysterious, beautiful, and has elements that impress, like the lighthouse off in the distance. Character designs are great too, with some changing throughout the manga, like Kirie getting short hair midway. Overall, the art is brilliant.

Final Rating

Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror is a must-read for horror enthusiasts. It boasts a simple yet mysterious story, albeit sometimes slow, with great, sympathetic characters you can root for. And let’s not forget the art style, which is outstanding. Uzumaki is unforgettable, hauntingly beautiful, and every time I see a spiral, I’ll remember reading this manga. It receives an 8/10.