The shocking quality drop between Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror‘s first and second episode has baffled fans, but an executive producer on the series has revealed studios “screwed [them] over.” Based on the manga of the same name by Junji Ito, Uzumaki is a four-part Adult Swim series which follows a group of characters in a mysterious coastal town slowly being overrun by spirals. Uzumaki is Ito at his best, blending interesting character work with gruesome body horror. Fans were incredibly excited about the new series when the trailer showcased the stunning animation. However, it didn’t last long, as Episode 2 looked less like a major production, and more like a piece of Tumblr fan art.
An executive producer on the series briefly took to Bluesky to explain the dip in quality between the first and second episodes. The original posts were promptly deleted, but a Redditor screenshotted the thread. “It’s fine, we knew this would happen,” the thread began. According to him, without naming any specific people to blame, the producers on the series were “screwed over,” and left with three potential options for the show’s existence. He explained:
“The options were A) not finish and air nothing and call it a loss, B) just finish and air ep 1 and leave it incomplete or C) run all four, warts and all. Out of respect for the hard work we chose C.”
The producer completely understands that fans were mad by the drop in quality — countless videos have appeared online showing embarrassing side-by-side comparisons of Episodes 1 and 2. While fans have been heavily speculating on the potential reasons why, it has been reported that the series underwent a change in production team after the first episode. Studio Fugaku were responsible for the stunning debut episode, while Studio Akatsuki took over animation on the second and third episodes. Fortunately, Fugaku reportedly returned for the fourth and final episode.
When Will Junji Ito’s Work Get a Good Adaptation?
Hopes were high, but expectations were low for Adult Swim’s Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror adaptation. Despite being the most prolific horror manga writer working today, Junji Ito’s stories have a bad track record of being adapted into animation shows and movies. Most recently, Netflix’s Junji Ito Maniac attempted to condense many of the artist’s shorter works into an anthology series. As impressive as the show looked, the resulting episodes were criticized as lackluster, boring, and not scary by critics and audiences.
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Uzumaki was thought to be the show to break the streak of failures after the first episode enamored audiences. However, the bizarre controversy surrounding its animation will likely halt any chance of success dead in its tracks. It’s a crying shame because Uzumaki is a story that is rife for an animated adaptation. If the high animation quality had continued following the first episode, then Adult Swim’s Uzumaki would likely be a surefire hit. Unfortunately for Junji Ito fans, we are left waiting even longer for a good anime adaptation. Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror is available to watch on Adult Swim or stream on Max.
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror is an adaptation of Junji Ito’s acclaimed manga, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. The series unfolds in the town of Kurôzu-cho where inexplicable events related to spirals plague the inhabitants, leading to terror and madness. Highlighting the psychological and supernatural, the show follows high school student Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, as they confront the spiraling horrors that engulf their town.
- Release Date
- September 29, 2024
- Cast
- Uki Satake , Shin-ichiro Miki , Mariya Ise , Toshio Furukawa , Mika Doi , Takashi Matsuyama , Katsutoshi Matsuzaki , Tatsumaru Tachibana , Kôichi Tôchika , Ami Fukushima , Wataru Hatano