Comments on: Spiralling into insanity, looking at Junji Ito’s horror manga Uzumaki

By: czerro

czerro — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:29:32 +0000

Uzumaki is the truest and most inventive use of form in horror ever. The symbolism is not overwraught, and is yet deeply disturbing. What is more terrifying than the end? Junji Ito answers this: the only thing more terrifying than the end is an infinite reduction into something inhuman. And yet Junji Ito manages to capture something beautiful about the human condition in the climax of his tale. Though the protagonists must give themselves up to the inevitable, they are shown entertwined with one another. In a way they retained themselves from the spiral by creating their own spiral. If you liked Uzumaki, find a copy of Vol 1 and 2 of Gyo where Ito presents an entirely different but equally poignant view. It is much horror to get through to the end of this tale, and to the people in it just for the gore or action it may seem anti-climactic and leave you scratching your head. Now the much lauded Tomie tales I could give or take. I’m guessing it has a deeper root in Japanese culture that I do not understand, but for me they fail emotionally and on a horror level. Read Gyo though! It is revolting on many levels, but you will realise at the end, that all the gore and revoltishness was nescesary to frame meaning to the final subtlely tender scene on the cliff-top.

By: MaZtRHaXoR

MaZtRHaXoR — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:52:32 +0000

I have read the manga!!1 I can’t stop reading it!

I finished it in a total of 1 day ahahaha

now im downloading the movie

i am also reading his other mangas

By: TheFreakArtist

TheFreakArtist — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:18:37 +0000

Actually, the entire thing is available on youtube. ALthough I loved the manga, the movie was quite disappointing. I don’t recommend anyone bothers watching it. Read the manga though! Absolutely mindboggling.

By: bateszi

bateszi — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:36:59 +0000

@Ina: You can order the DVD from the ‘YesAsia’ website, which will probably deliver the DVD to your country.

URL for the Japanese R2 DVD is: http://www.yesasia.com/global/uzumaki-dvd-japan-version/1002794053-0-0-0-en/info.html

URL for the US R1 DVD is: http://www.yesasia.com/global/uzumaki-us-version/1005028016-0-0-0-en/info.html

By: Ina

Ina — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:21:36 +0000

i’m so corious about uzumaki movie. i have seen a lot of uzumaki movie picture in the internet. but i can’t find it in the DVD store in my country in indonesia. if you all know about the store that sells an uzumaki spiral movie in indonesia or in singapore and malaysia please tell me about it. i really want to watch this movie. i had read the comics. and i.m still courios…….
so please tell me if you know about the store….

thank you very much
(sorry, my english is not very good)

By: bateszi

bateszi — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:32:33 +0000

Actually, I’ve already picked up the movie, but I’m yet to see it. Also, I’m not surprised they’ve changed a few of the more “bizarre” elements that would be expensive/hard to film with little or no money (take note, Japanese live action Death Note). I had a quick skip through it earlier and it seems to involve the first family story line, probably including the mother stabbing her own ear-drums due to its spiral shape. Icky!

By: Kyla

Kyla — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:57:42 +0000

There’s a movie based on this manga…although probably very loosely because I don’t remember the umbilical cords that grow XD It’s pretty cheaply made and sometimes just plain hilarious because of the bad effects, but certain parts are very creepy and almost make me want to barf…

ask for Uzumaki at blockbuster and they should have it hidden away somewhere.

By: Kara

Kara — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:58:33 +0000

“he knows what’s lurking in the darkest caverns of reality, willing to fathom the moon-lit shadows being cast across our bedroom walls.”

LOL. Such a cliche and overused sentence. I think I’ve seen it used on most horror-based reviews.

By: IKnight

IKnight — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:33:26 +0000

I don’t think I’ll be reading this (horror tends to leave me, well, horrified) but the use of the spiral is interesting. It obviously offers the artist a lot of scope (with the intestines, snail shells etc.) while also symbolising obsession, madness (and addiction – newspapers talk of celebrities ’spiralling downward’?). Sounds like the horror of the inhuman as opposed to the horror of the almost-human.

As an aside, did you know that ‘terrorist’ used to mean ‘an author of gothic horror novels’?

By: bateszi

bateszi — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:21:57 +0000

Yeah, I try to make an effort to read, if just to maintain my own eye for writing and language. Now that I’ve finished Uzumaki, I’ve moved onto 20th Century Boys; the latest masterpiece from the author of Monster. It’s been really good so far, and very reminiscent of the way he’d suddenly twist a seemingly “nice bloke” into a murderous psychopath. 22 volumes, so it looks rather epic

Also, I’ve bought a bunch of (4 or 5) “serious business” anime books containing various scholarly articles and critiques. I’m interested in reading such high concept ideas that are riffing off of anime.