The much anticipated Uzumaki Anime aka Spiral has been delayed yet again. The anime was first announced in 2019 after the critically acclaimed Junji Ito anthology also received an anime adaptation. The Uzumaki anime was originally pushed to 2021 and then 2022. While there is still hope for the anime to release this year, here’s a look at the series fans have been waiting for.
Uzumaki is a horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito and serialized in Big Comic Spirits from 1998 to 1999. The entire series has been compiled into three volumes by Shogakukan. Viz Media has published the series’s English translation, which has been in circulation since 2001. Uzumaki also had a live-action horror movie in 2000.
The manga is rated 8.1/10 on My Anime List!
Uzumaki Anime Trailer
What is Uzumaki About?
Junji Ito is known for his classic style of portraying horror in the most ordinary things which makes his approach to horror very unique and effectively scary. Uzumaki is set in the town of Kurouzu-cho, a quaint Japanese town near the seashore. High-school student Kirie and her boyfriend Shuichi live knowing that the area is prone to supernatural events.
The curse of the spiral affects the lives of all the people in the town and Kirie and Shuichi see all the people around them slowly be consumed by it. As time goes by, the town reaches a desolate state with a spiral abyss growing in the middle which keeps growing. The turn turns into ruins and ancient buildings cramped together and the society basically turns into a survival of the fittest situation. The unnatural spirals keep spreading and weaving into the lives of all the people of Kurouzu.
When will Uzumaki Anime release?
The Uzumaki anime was announced in 2019 before being pushed to 2020. It was postponed to 2021 and then October 2022 before another announcement revealed that the anime will be delayed again.
The announcement of postponement was done on the official Twitter account for the anime. The reason behind the delay is the production team’s proposition for extra time to give a quality Uzumaki experience in line with Ito’s magnum opus.
“As much as we’d like to deliver this show to the public as soon as possible, we don’t want to compromise its quality by delivering a mediocre final product. We remain fully committed to pursuing the completion of this work at the highest caliber. We’ll be back with a firm premiere date once we are confident this adaptation is as good as we know it can be.”
Uzumaki anime production team
The anime was announced for a 4-episode run on Toonami. The announcement of a final Uzumaki anime release date will be done soon but we will also need details on whether it will premiere in Japan ahead of its Toonami release.
Which volume of Uzumaki manga will the anime cover?
The Uzumaki manga spans three complied volumes and will definitely take longer than four 20-minute episodes to cover the entire series. This could invite rearrangement of the manga storyline to fit the story into four episodes and basically cut out a lot of things.
Judging by the length of the Manga, the 4 episodes will probably be close to 1-hour each and cover the series in parts. The director has said that Uzumaki’s anime adaptation was a “different work” than typical, and Judging by the teaser, they’re using methods like rotoscoping. Maybe this is the reason behind the delay of 5 years.
The Toonami release is under scrutiny in light of the delays. Release on other platforms is not confirmed yet but will get announcements in the future. The official Twitter for the series has stated that the team does not intend to deliver mediocre material and thus will be pushing the release date again.
Where can you Watch the Uzumaki Anime?
The Uzumaki anime confirmed that it would air on Toonami. The streaming platform availability has not been revealed yet and also given that there has been another delay in release, details are not expected to come in at least a couple of months. An English Dub for the anime has also not been confirmed but will probably be announced if it is confirmed anytime soon.
Uzumaki anime adaptation by Nagahama’s team isn’t the only anime coming up this year. Netflix has recently revealed the anime anthology Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre is set to premiere in 2023.
Uzumaki Anime Characters, Cast, and Staff
The voice cast for the anime has already been confirmed! The main cast for the series as well as the supporting voices include:
- Uki Satake as Kirie Goshima
- Shinichiro Miki as Shuichi Saito
- Toshio Furukawa as Kirie’s Father
- Takashi Matsuyama as Shuichi’s Father
- Mariya Ise as Azami Kurotami
- Mika Doi as Yukie Saito
- Katsutoshi Matsuzaki as Katayama
- Wataru Hatano as Okada
- Kouichi Toochika as Yokota
- Ami Fukushima as Shiho
- Tatsumaru Tachibana as Tsumura
- Anna Nagase as Girl
- Gen Sato as Boy 1
- Shunsuke Takeuchi as Boy 2
- Kosuke Okamoto as Attendee 1
Production I.G and Adult Swim are co-producing the series with Hiroshi Nagahama as the director. Colin Stetson is credited with the music composition for the upcoming Uzumaki anime.
FAQs – Uzumaki Anime Edition
Q. When is the Uzumaki anime release date?
A. the Uzumaki anime series has met with a lot of roadblocks along the way since its announcement in 2019. As of the last announcement from the official Twitter for the series, the release of the series has been moved from the Fall 2022 schedule, changing the original release window from October 2022 to a now unknown date. It is now much more likely for the series to release in Winter 2023 anime calendar.
Q. Is Uzumaki black and white?
A. The Uzumaki anime has released an official teaser which shows that the anime adaptation for the series stays true to the original manga style. Junji Ito’s art style translates to the anime not only in its drawing style but also in the classic black and white approach of the manga. The black and white animation is an exciting prospect as it will better deliver the kind of horror Junji Ito excels in while also transforming it into animation.
The Junji Ito Collection that was released a few years ago animated a number of Junji Ito’s works into an anthology, which did not quite deliver what is expected with the horror and visual storytelling. The black and white animation for the upcoming Uzumaki series should do justice to Ito’s most popular work.
Stay tuned for updates on the Uzumaki Anime and all the good stuff from your favorite titles. In the meantime, don’t forget to let us know your picks from Spring 2022 anime releases and let us know all you plan to watch in the upcoming season!
