Uzumaki

In many ways, Uzumaki stands as one of the greatest horror manga ever created. However, there are certain imperfections that, if addressed, could elevate the narrative to an unparalleled masterpiece. Here's a breakdown of its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:
- A truly remarkable concept
- Stunningly beautiful artwork
- Boasts an exceptional storyline for the most part
- Cleverly utilizes the page turn to enhance suspense
- Transforms the familiar into something terrifying
- Consistently frightening in numerous instances

Cons:
- The ending feels rushed and lacks sufficient explanation
- Some chapters lean more towards bizarre rather than scary
- Certain characters deserve a deeper backstory

In summary, while Uzumaki has the potential to be a flawless masterpiece, a few lingering issues keep it within the realm of a highly commendable 9 out of 10 rating.

This manga is truly a masterpiece. It begins slowly and almost comically, using spirals as its central horror element. However, as the story unfolds, it gradually engrosses you. After some time, it becomes incredibly hard to put down due to the mounting excitement, yet simultaneously, it's challenging to keep reading because of the intense horror, gore, and overwhelming sense of hopelessness that the manga evokes.

I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a short, high-quality horror/thriller manga.

Things I disliked/liked: As any narrative progresses, every manga faces the challenge of making the villain or opposing force more formidable without crossing into unrealistic territory, which could break the reader’s immersion. This manga tackles this issue effectively, managing to maintain your engagement even as the horror surrounding spirals (seriously, just geometric shapes) continues to escalate. Kudos to the author for pulling that off.

This manga is a rollercoaster of thrilling and disturbing moments, yet it's simultaneously disappointing and over the top. What initially attracted me was the atmosphere that permeates from the very first chapter. It's dark, and the artwork masterfully creates nightmarish creatures and occurrences. There's no limit to the bizarre elements that will make you exclaim, "What the hell did I just see/read?!" That alone makes it worth a read.

However, despite its creepiness and disturbing nature, the impact wanes after several filler chapters that stretched my disbelief to its limits. This was particularly disappointing because there's a glaring lack of depth behind the story's events. The premise is cool—an obsession with spirals driving a small town's residents mad—but we don't get much insight into the why or how. Things simply happen, and occasionally, characters react disproportionately to the surrounding madness. I would have enjoyed Uzumaki infinitely more if the author had delved deeper into the backstory instead of leaving us with just a few minor hints.

While I'm overall disappointed with how the plot unfolded, I still believe this is something worth reading. It's unsettling at best and downright disturbing at worst. For the sheer "what the hell?" factor alone, you'll want to keep going to see just how much worse it can get until you've finished all twenty chapters. It's the kind of story that lingers in your mind late at night, giving you that paranoid feeling that all good horror should provide.

I must admit, I wasn't particularly impressed with the ending. This tends to happen when something is so iconic and overhyped that you expect a life-altering experience. At some point, the manga began to lose its plot coherence. The ending felt rushed without offering a satisfactory explanation for why everything unfolded as it did. It was simply attributed to a curse, which lacked origin, reason, or pattern. Overall, there were numerous plot holes that could have significantly improved the story. The art in the manga is undoubtedly amazing. You can read it just for the sake of enjoying the artwork, but I wouldn't say it's a must-read. There were times when I enjoyed it, especially when it made me ponder human psychology, an aspect I believe the author focused on throughout the narrative. I would give it an 8.

The artwork is stunning yet deeply unsettling. I grew quite attached to the main characters, Kirie and Shuichi. Chie was an interesting character but felt rushed and forced into the storyline. The narrative was disturbing, though it seemed riddled with plot holes. Certain inconsistencies made no sense, leaving me feeling cheated by the unnatural reactions of characters in specific situations. I disagreed with some of the choices made and found the underutilization of established eerie elements disappointing. Unexpectedly, one chapter abruptly shifted into a shonen style, which threw me off. While the manga is undeniably creepy, its plot ultimately failed to hold my interest.

This manga marks my first encounter with Ito Junji's works, and it provided an unforgettable experience. The unique aspect of this manga is how all the horror elements revolve around spirals, creating a distinctive atmosphere. It's astonishing that a single shape can be the foundation for a full-fledged horror story. Initially, I avoided horror literature because I couldn't comprehend how fear could be conveyed through words. However, after reading this, my perspective changed. While you won't get jump scares from text, it can still instill terror. The eerie feeling it evokes is enough to make your skin crawl.

The storytelling style reminded me of Doraemon. Each chapter is loosely connected, allowing you to read them in any order. Similar to Doraemon, every chapter presents strange phenomena that the main character must navigate. This format lasts for the first two volumes. The third volume requires sequential reading, as the chapters are interconnected. The ending is remarkable; while not everything is explained, it leaves a lasting impact—satisfying yet devastating. After finishing those final chapters, there's a moment of silence where you ponder, "What was I just reading? Oh yeah, spirals." I'm truly fascinated by the narrative progression.

My favorite aspect is the art style. The illustrations significantly contribute to the sense of dread. Throughout the manga, there are many quirky yet terrifying drawings. The situations are depicted beautifully, making you feel like you're right there with the characters. Although the characters sometimes behave irrationally due to the horror genre, which can be frustrating, their reactions are eventually justified near the end. Despite this, it still infuriates me at times. Consequently, I find it challenging to connect with the characters' personalities or names. Their designs, however, are quite good. They aren't drawn in the typical anime style but resemble real people, adding to the overall uneasiness.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching the anime adaptation, even though we've waited almost five years due to delays. Let's hope it's worth the wait. In the meantime, you can watch the live-action movie with the same title. Unfortunately, I can't share my thoughts on the movie since I haven't seen it yet. Overall, this manga is phenomenal. Uzumaki introduced me to Junji Ito's horror world, and I'm currently exploring his other works. I also plan to buy a hard copy of this manga someday and reread it. I believe the experience will be different knowing the ending. That concludes my review of this manga. Thank you for reading.

Uzumaki was the very first manga I ever picked up, and I couldn't be happier about it. Something about the idea of spirals tormenting a town intrigued me, so I decided to check out the first chapter online to see if it was worth purchasing. Before I knew it, I had read almost the entire series in one day (oops). In all fairness, I ended up buying the book after finishing it online because it was simply that good.

Junji Ito has this incredible knack for dreaming up the strangest stories and just running with them, making his work incredibly engaging. His artwork is nothing short of phenomenal; every page you turn feels like a masterpiece. I didn’t know what to expect, but by the time I saw the first full-page illustration, I was completely hooked. His drawing style manages to evoke a visceral reaction that’s both unsettling and fascinating at the same time.

Honestly, I felt the hurricane chapters were a bit drawn out, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this manga. If you’re into body horror, I would definitely recommend giving Uzumaki a read.

I had heard numerous praises about Uzumaki before I finally decided to give it a read.
Expectations were sky-high, but alas, I ended up feeling utterly let down.

Every character seemed either unlikable, insipid, irrational, or outright bizarre. This made it impossible for any genuine tension to build since I couldn't care less about their fates. A prime example is a character early in the story who becomes increasingly fixated on spirals. His family grows worried as we witness his descent into madness. Kudos for thematic storytelling. Initially, I was intrigued by this plotline and saw potential in its setup. I enjoyed delving into his peculiar psychological issue and was curious about how it would escalate.

But then, the payoff: this absolute oddball stuffs himself into a basket and breaks all his bones just to resemble a spiral. Presumably, this was intended as spine-chilling body horror. The artwork deserves praise; it's beautifully drawn. However, I burst out laughing instead. From that point, Uzumaki veered into strange, goofy comedy. But it wasn't funny for long, nor was it scary. It was simply absurd. What started off gripping and engaging utterly fell apart.

The story lacks coherent logic. Outlandish events occur constantly, and you're supposed to accept them without question. By the time people began transforming into snails, I had lost interest in every subsequent weird event.

I plan to eventually try some of Ito's other works. There's no denying he's an extraordinarily talented technical artist, and his creativity is evident. Still, this particular work didn't resonate with me. My expectations may have been unrealistically high. Much of that is my fault. Yet, I also blame those enthusiastic Uzumaki fans for hyping it excessively.

If you enjoy campy B-movie horror, you might find this entertaining. But don't dive into this book because others claim it's a life-changing masterpiece of psychological horror packed with complex philosophies and themes. It isn't, and those people are mistaken. You won't learn anything from this book. It won't shift your perspective or challenge your beliefs. If that's what you seek, as I did, save yourself the trouble. These are the three most profound questions Uzumaki will prompt you to ponder:

"WHY IS THIS CHARACTER ACTING SO DUMB?"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS EVEN HAPPENING?"

"HOW DO PEOPLE ENJOY THIS MANGA?"

While jotting down scores for this review, I gave a 10 for the story but only a 1 for enjoyment. This simple sentence encapsulates my feelings about Uzumaki.

Uzumaki is centered around a cursed town where strange events happen, all revolving around spirals...and that's as far as I can go without confusing you into becoming a complete recluse. Sure, I could mention the snail people and the man who contorted himself into a spiral in the first chapter, but then I'd be spoiling all the best parts.

The story above is probably unique in its way to draw you deeper and deeper in. The first and second volumes are almost like building blocks for the spiral that will fully engulf you by the third volume. However, once you reach the end, you'll instantly feel...what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, utterly disappointed!

To say I grew attached to the townspeople would be an understatement. I honestly wished they would return things to normal...but here's a spoiler for you. They don't. They all die at the end, turned into stone and wrapped around each other in spirals, waiting for the next unsuspecting person to decide "Let's build a town here!"

==============Segway here=============

But then again, my disappointment might stem from the unique style of Japanese horror storytelling. Whenever you watch American horror, don't you find yourself rooting for the monster instead of the hero? You do! Because you don't connect with the hero in any meaningful way. They keep making incredibly stupid decisions just to waste our time for an hour and a half.

However, when you watch Japanese horror, you get sucked in and constantly root for the heroes because they are ordinary people fighting against what used to be ordinary people! Ghosts in Japan usually arise from people who died horribly at the hands of evil individuals, so they become ghosts and haunt others for eternity, trapping anyone who comes near the same fate.

And that's precisely what happens in Uzumaki. Anyone who enters the town is doomed to be trapped there...trapped for eternity in endless torture! *sigh* That's what a true horror story is. Not the threat of death, but the threat of pain.

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The art is okay, nothing special. Except when things are put into a spiral...it suddenly becomes weird and unfocused, feeling nauseating and truly making you wonder when it will end.

Overall, this is a good read if you're in the mood for something scary and horrible. However, if you're dealing with depression and anxiety about death and blindness...you should go watch Naruto instead.

Uzumaki was a horror manga that truly widened my eyes. The storyline, while decidedly eerie, was genuinely captivating. Its characters stood out as unique and psychologically intense, injecting an extra layer of thrill and suspense into the horror genre. The artwork wasn't overly cute or whimsical, which effectively brought the narrative to life. It's astonishing how one simple shape - the spiral - could evolve into such a complex web of conflicts and tales. This is unquestionably among the finest horror stories I've ever read. If you're on the lookout for a remarkable horror manga, Uzumaki should definitely be on your list.