Fans were over the moon upon the news of the release of Uzumaki‘s anime adaptation. Junji Ito’s distinctive art style and unsettling imagery seemed like the perfect fit for the monochrome animation, and fans’ expectations skyrocketed in the hope of a faithful adaptation of the nightmarish experience that had gripped them in the manga.
However, with the release of each episode, these high expectations are gradually decreasing. While episode one of Uzumaki showed the peak of animation quality, setting the tone with its eerie visuals and slow-building dread, the subsequent episodes have disappointed fans with their lackluster animation quality.
Despite the passion surrounding Junji Ito’s work, Uzumaki‘s anime adaptation appears to be succumbing to what some are now calling the “Junji Ito curse” in anime — an inability to fully do justice to his unique horror in motion.
Uzumaki‘s Rapid Decline from Episode 1 to Episode 3
The very first episode of Uzumaki felt like a celebration of everything fans had hoped for. While not exactly matching Ito’s exquisite linework, the design was close enough to reflect the overall mood of the source material, including the slow build of tension and the ominous presence of spirals creeping into ordinary life.
Episode 1 received praise for its creepy visuals, powerful storyline, and superb adaptation of Ito’s distinct style of psychological horror into the animated medium. However, following the success of the first episode, the series started to show cracks in its core with the release of episode 2.
While episode 3 of Uzumaki has shown some improvement in certain areas, it still left much to be desired. This episode received flak for stilted animation, even during moments that required subtle character movements, such as turning heads or simple actions like walking.
Why do they look like paper cuts outs 😭
— Blitzken (@Blitzken34284) October 20, 2024
They put all the budget on that first episode😭😭 wtf happened man pic.twitter.com/UpEK4g9cqx
— Xannie💊 (@Kloppyy1) October 20, 2024
The real horror is how they fumble junji ito every time.
— witchy (free palestine) (@venusbythursday) October 20, 2024
It pains me to say this but with all the hype they’ve given us. We don’t deserve this kind of animation it’s such a let down :/
— naomi ✨ (@iamnaaomixx) October 20, 2024
These scenes have come across as stiff and unnatural, making it difficult for viewers to fully immerse themselves in the story. The fans have described the characters as looking “like paper cut-outs”, a damning comparison that highlights just how far the animation quality has fallen since the premiere.
Can Uzumaki Redeem Itself?
Uzumaki has made it quite obvious yet again how difficult it is to adapt Junji Ito‘s art to animation. Ito’s art is infamous for his impeccable attention to detail, grotesque imagery, and ability to evoke fear even through stillness — a combination of traits that don’t often project well to animation. Even before, many of his manga got adapted into anime, however, none of them could do justice to the original artwork of Ito.
This struggle has led to the growing belief in what fans have called the “Junji Ito curse” in anime. Whether it be The Junji Ito Collection or Tomie — none of the anime adaptations of his work have fully captured the same level of dread and terror found in the original manga despite Ito’s legendary status in the horror genre. Fans were hoping for the curse to end with Uzumaki, but as the series progresses, the initial excitement revolving around it has waned.
However, there is still hope that the series can turn itself around. The core story of Uzumaki remains one of the most unique and terrifying in all of horror, and with a more focused effort on improving animation quality and pacing, the series could still deliver a satisfying experience. Only time will tell, whether Uzumaki can escape its own spiral of disappointing execution or not.
Uzumaki is currently available to watch on Adult Swim.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
