An Anime TV Mini-series

Numerous attempts have been made to adapt the famous works of acclaimed horror manga creator Junji Ito into film, TV, or anime, yet most have struggled to capture the essence of his work. Live-action adaptations of Tomie, Uzumaki, Long Dream, and Love Ghost emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s, riding the wave of Japan’s horror renaissance sparked by unrelated properties like Ringu. While these adaptations were serviceable, they often strayed significantly from the source material in tone and storytelling.

Anime adaptations have faced their own challenges. Films like Gyo offered somewhat faithful renditions, but broader attempts to animate Ito’s works, such as 2018’s Junji Ito Collection and 2023’s Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, were widely criticized by fans. Complaints centered on poor animation quality, mismatched musical choices, and a failure to grasp what makes Ito’s horror so unnerving, resulting in moments that felt unintentionally comedic. This underscores the inherent difficulty of adapting Ito’s work, which depends heavily on intricately detailed, static visuals to evoke a sense of dread. Successfully translating that to animation requires exceptional artistry and a deep understanding of horror’s subtleties—something many felt these adaptations lacked.

When Cartoon Network announced an animated adaptation of Uzumaki, hopes were reignited. Early promotional material impressed fans with its commitment to the manga’s black-and-white aesthetic and trailers featuring unsettling music and unique animation. Anticipation grew, as many believed this could finally be the definitive Junji Ito adaptation.

The first episode aired to critical acclaim, praised for its atmospheric visuals and faithful interpretation, despite compressing multiple chapters into a breakneck narrative pace. Presented as a major Halloween event for Cartoon Network and the Max Screaming Service, Uzumaki appeared to be a resounding success. But then came episode two. Suddenly, the cracks began to show, and the illusion shattered—revealing that the adaptation might not be the perfect masterpiece fans had hoped for after all.

Upon the release of the second episode of Uzumaki, viewers noticed a significant decline in animation quality. I mean VERY significant, like bafflingly worse quality – character designs were far less detailed, character models were off from scene to scene, most characters just stood around to save animation money, and the script seemed far worse. Critics and fans especially highlighted issues such as clunky, out-of-sync movements that disrupted the immersion. One particularly glaring scene, featuring characters awkwardly running across a beach, quickly became a meme – a far cry from the acclaim the series had garnered after its debut episode. This stumble tarnished the production’s reputation, especially for a series that had been so heavily hyped and initially lauded.

The decline in quality was attributed to several production challenges, only revealed after the massive backlash. Originally announced in 2019, Uzumaki faced multiple delays, including nearly a year-long halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These setbacks strained the production timeline and led to cost-cutting measures. After the first episode was completed, significant portions of the original team were disbanded due to poor business decisions, creating difficulties in maintaining consistency across episodes. Additionally, to meet deadlines and reduce expenses, some scenes were outsourced to overseas studios, which may have contributed to the uneven quality. Apparently Episode two was the hardest hit by outsourcing, and it really showed.

According to Executive Producer Jason DeMarco, the production team faced three difficult options after the initial team’s disbandment: cancel the project outright, release only the completed first episode, or proceed with all four episodes despite the challenges. Ultimately, the decision was made to continue with the full series to honor the work of the animators and meet the expectations of fans. DeMarco also urged viewers to approach the series with understanding and respect for the production team, who worked under immense pressure to deliver the adaptation despite numerous obstacles.

Episode two is by far the weakest of the series, but episodes three and four manage to recover somewhat by comparison. While they don’t match the groundbreaking quality of the first episode, they avoid the most glaring missteps of episode two. The primary issue with these later episodes isn’t necessarily the animation but the pacing. The series attempts to condense far too much of the original manga into a rapid-fire format, which can make it difficult for viewers to fully grasp what’s happening. However, if one accepts that this town is descending into chaos, with everyone succumbing to an obsession with spirals as reality unravels, the surreal horror becomes easier to appreciate.

The events of Uzumaki escalate into nightmarish absurdity: mosquito zombies, individuals developing whirlwind powers, townspeople fusing into a writhing mass, and roving bands of cannibals hunting the disturbingly delectable snail people – yes, there are snail people. These grotesque and bizarre phenomena embody the horrific surrealism that makes Uzumaki so memorable. Despite its flaws, the anime effectively captures many of the manga’s most iconic and unsettling moments, delivering a faithful, if uneven, adaptation of Junji Ito’s vision.

When all is said and done, Uzumaki is a deeply flawed production. Episode one stands as a triumph—a shining achievement that everyone involved should take immense pride in. It is, without a doubt, the truest form of any Junji Ito adaptation to date and should serve as the gold standard for future attempts to bring his work to life. Unfortunately, what follows is an uneven mess. While the series does manage to outperform both Junji Ito Collection and Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, that’s more an indictment of those two efforts than it is glowing praise for this one.

Taken as a whole, Uzumaki is average at best. It evokes the strange inconsistencies of many anime from the OVA era, particularly those that faced long production gaps. What could have been a masterpiece, a benchmark for horror anime, ends up being just okay. Whether the blame lies with COVID-19, David Zaslav, Cartoon Network, or someone else, the result is the same: Cartoon Network’s Uzumaki is a colossal missed opportunity. Thinking about what might have been is enough to leave any fan deeply disappointed.