Adult Swim debuts trailer for Junji Ito 'Uzumaki' anime adaptation

[Garth Gator]

Adult Swim is spiraling into the world of Junji Ito’s horror masterpiece, Uzumaki. The long-awaited adaptation has finally dropped its trailer as it slowly curls up on our television screens on September 28, 2024, promising to unwind the eerie tale that has captivated manga fans for years.

 

This four-episode series, brought to life by Production I.G, has been a labor of love—and fear—since its announcement in 2019. The road to premiere has been as winding as the spirals in Ito’s story, with multiple delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the attention required to capture the manga’s distinctive black-and-white style.

 

The story follows Kirie Goshima, a high schooler who witnesses her town’s growing obsession with spirals. What begins as a bizarre phenomenon quickly spins out into a terrifying force, leading to gruesome events that defy explanation.

 

Director Hiroshi Nagahama, at the suggestion of Adult Swim music collaborator Flying Lotus, opted to animate the series in black and white to faithfully replicate Ito’s detailed line work and the haunting atmosphere that made Ito’s original manga so spine-chilling.

 

Naively intended for release in 2020, the adaptation has certainly faced its share of challenges, not least of which is the so-called “Junji Ito adaptation curse,” referring to the difficulty many have encountered when trying to translate Ito’s unique brand of horror from page to screen. His works, known for their psychological depth and slow-burn tension, have often lost something in the transition to other media.

 

However, executive producer Jason DeMarco and his team are confident that their approach will finally break this curse. By carefully honoring the original art style and atmosphere, they hope to finally deliver an adaptation that does justice to Ito’s terrifying vision.

 

Fans will be able to judge for themselves when Uzumaki airs on Adult Swim, with a next-day streaming release on Max. Meanwhile, catch the hypnotic trailer below.

 

 

• https://gizmodo.com/adult-swims-long-awaited-uzumaki-anime-might-break-the-junji-ito-adaptation-curse-2000495372  
• https://gamerant.com/uzumaki-anime-reveals-official-trailer-and-release-date/ 
• https://bleedingcool.com/tv/uzumaki-trailer-is-as-disturbingly-twisted-as-we-hoped-it-would-be/ 

 

 

Image: Adult Swim