Junji Ito is a huge name in Japanese horror manga. So, when a faithful adaptation of his biggest work was announced, there was immediate hype. Since then, Uzumaki’s release date has been repeatedly delayed.
News on the anime has been patchy, to say the least, but details are trickling out from Production I.G. and Adult Swim. Here's everything we know so far.
Related: The Most Horrifying Junji Ito Manga Stories Ranked
What is Uzumaki About?
Uzumaki (which can be translated as Spiral)is based on the bestselling horror manga of the same name by Junji Ito, widely seen as a master of the genre.
The story takes place in the small coastal town of Kurouzu-cho. Kirie Goshima lives a normal life in this quiet town until she notices her boyfriend’s father staring at a snail shell.
Her boyfriend then suggests that they leave Kurouzu-cho, claiming the town has been infected by spirals.
Eventually, the curse of the spirals turns deadly, with everything and everyone slowly descending into madness.
The manga follows Kirie and her boyfriend as they discover the curse taking on a multitude of horrific forms across the town.
Uzumaki Anime Release Date
There has been no announcement confirming when the Uzumaki anime will now be released. However, Adult Swim's Jason DeMarco has said that the series will appear sometime in 2023.
The horror anime was initially supposed to appear in 2020, before being delayed until 2021. Another delay pushed that back to October 2022, but that was revised again in June that year.
The good news is that the message said "we remain fully committed to pursuing the completion of this work at the highest calibre." Subsequent trailers and teasers mean the series is unlikely to be completely cancelled.
Despite having only a few months of 2023 left, there are still no specific details regarding Uzumaki’s release. All we know is that the series is likely to premiere on Adult Swim before being released in Japan and elsewhere.
Where Will Uzumaki Be Streamed?
Uzumaki was supposed to initially air on Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block. It was then expected to be broadcast in Japan and be available on Crunchyroll for international viewers.
Due to the delays and a rapidly changing streaming landscape since 2019, it's unlikely that the original broadcast plan will remain when Uzumaki comes out.
Uzumaki, like other Adult Swim productions, will likely stream on Max (formerly HBO Max). Adult Swim is part of the Warner Bros. Discovery network.
However, the adaptation was initially announced at Crunchyroll Expo in 2019 and the streaming service has been providing updates ever since, so some distribution on the popular anime platform is also likely.
Something that has been confirmed is that Uzumaki will only be four episodes long. No runtime for these episodes has been announced, though.
What Studio is Producing Uzumaki?
Uzumaki is being animated by the studio Drive, with production by Production I.G.
Drive is a relatively small anime studio, arguably best known for its work on To Your Eternity Season 2 and KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!
Production I.G, meanwhile, is an incredibly reputable anime studio, having produced acclaimed anime such as Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass and Haikyuu, while also being involved with Attack on Titan and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The series will be directed by Hiroshi Nagahama, most known for directing the classic anime Mushishi. The series composition is handled by Aki Itami, who’s worked on scripts for Fruits Basket and, more recently, Teasing Master Takagi-san.
Based on the first-look video seen below, it appears the production will utilise 3D animation while maintaining the eye-catching, line-intensive style of the original manga.
The lead Kirie is set to be voiced by Uki Satake, who recently played loved interest Tsubomi in Mob Psycho 100. Shuuichi Saitou, meanwhile, will be played by Shinichiro Miki, who voiced Roy Mustang in the Fullmetal Alchemist series.
Music, meanwhile, is being composed by Colin Stetson, a North American composer. The song heard in the teaser trailer above – Among the Sef – is available on Spotify and other music platforms.
Uzumaki Trailer
We can’t wait to enjoy this amazing horror series in animated form! Even if it takes a little longer to realise, we hope it will be well worth the wait.
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