adult swim’s ‘Uzumaki’ Review

The long awaited anime adaptation of Uzumaki is finally here! First announced in 2019, the series experienced multiple delays, being teased in drips over the past few years. The final result was well worth the wait. While it may be in black and white, a vibrant world truly comes to life. Even days after watching it, I’m still thinking about it, putting my mind into a spin trying to comprehend what I witnessed and what is to come. 

While I’ve never read the original manga by Junji Ito, which the series is based on, it appears to be a pretty straightforward adaptation. It was announced there will be some changes to the series to consolidate the storlines, though the main story will remain. Viewers need to know nothing going into the series as it sets up its story fairly quickly. You are instantly pulled into this ominous and eerie world. 

The detail and work put into every scene makes it such an impressive masterpiece. I couldn’t help but be in awe of what was on screen at every moment. Each hand drawn movement is stunning. Every shade and shadow brings life to every character and background. The motion is fluid and captivating. Nighttime scenes are somehow even more stunning using unique shading and lighting to really create something special. Even the use of different sound effects helps to amplify scenes to greater heights, leading to even spookier vibes in an instant. Cracking sounds in a pivotal scene in the premiere gave me goosebumps. 

If you were hoping it would provide for spooky Halloween vibes, it is absolutely creepy and pulls you in. A lot of story is told in the course of an episode. It moves quickly, ramping up with intensity. Before I knew it the episode was over and I was dying to see what came next. Even the ED has spooky vibes leaving you with an eerie sense after witnessing some truly outrageous moments. 

Just enough backstory is given to each character to develop them as fully realized characters. You don’t need to know too much as the story is mainly about where they are going forward. The voice acting is really well done. Subbed or dubbed, whichever your preference, you will have a great experience. Having seen both, they equally deliver solid performances, effortlessly breathing life into the characters. 

Judging a series based on one episode is often tricky, and I’ve been fooled before. Fortunately, Uzumaki delivers so much in the one episode made available that I can only extrapolate that the following three episodes will provide for some even creepier moments. There is so much packed into a short period of time, but every moment is intentional and has meaning. Having a solid template in the acclaimed manga to work from likely helped it shine. 

The final results of the series truly make the wait well worth it. The extra time, care, and attention to detail in the production helped make this viewing experience even more enjoyable. These spirals! They’ll have you seeing them everywhere and questioning them as well!

The runtime of the first episode is a regular length half hour episode, with future episodes set to premiere in extended time slots for episodes two and three at the very least. 

Uzumaki premieres September 28 in Japanese with English subtitles on adult swim’s Toonami block. The English dub will premiere October 3 on adult swim. The series will also stream on Max.