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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
In the mood for the surreal and the grotesque? Junji Ito has you covered. His epic manga of a town’s descent into madness and destruction because of a ‘contamination with spirals’ starts off as a series of creepy vignettes, and culminates in an unsettling view of the ancient horror buried beneath the town’s foundations. Not for the squeamish, but as an avid horror reader (in both manga and text form), I very much enjoyed this trippy journey into the macabre. My favorite vignette was the lighthouse, but the ending tops it all. Spirals…they’re everywhere…
- Hillary D.
- Hillary D.
This definitely was creepier than I had expected. I had to put the book down, multiple times, while reading because I was that creeped out.
I read this nearly a decade ago, but there are still vivid memories of it imprinted on my spiraled brain. The weak of heart should be wary.
I read this nearly a decade ago, but there are still vivid memories of it imprinted on my spiraled brain. The weak of heart should be wary.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Uzumaki is a horror manga. The plot and content are both original and unique. Ito establishes an intriguing plot immediately in the beginning of the first chapter. Uzumaki isn’t just something happening; it is a reflection of the past. The book begins with Kirie reflecting on what had happened to her town then Ito immediately shifts to the actual events that occurred. This kept the book from feeling too rushed. It is only 208 pages so it is easy to feel like the plot is rushed, but everything feels paced out. Ito worked very hard to develop the plot.
Shuichi’s character development is the best part of the manga. Because the story is told through the eyes of Kirie, we really have the chance to see how Shuichi is tormented by his father’s obsession and the subsequent consequences. Kirie herself changes. In the beginning, Kirie was just a casual observer, but as the story continues she becomes more entangled (LOL! no pun intended) in the events. It will be exciting to see to her further in the other two volumes.
The book is very creepy, scary, and straight out trippy. There were some parts where I was looking over my shoulder while reading and I was definitely creeped out at some parts. If you do like horror, this is not for you. As someone who is not familiar with manga, I think Uzumaki is a great place to start.
Shuichi’s character development is the best part of the manga. Because the story is told through the eyes of Kirie, we really have the chance to see how Shuichi is tormented by his father’s obsession and the subsequent consequences. Kirie herself changes. In the beginning, Kirie was just a casual observer, but as the story continues she becomes more entangled (LOL! no pun intended) in the events. It will be exciting to see to her further in the other two volumes.
The book is very creepy, scary, and straight out trippy. There were some parts where I was looking over my shoulder while reading and I was definitely creeped out at some parts. If you do like horror, this is not for you. As someone who is not familiar with manga, I think Uzumaki is a great place to start.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Genocide, Suicide
dark
I can never look at spirals and snail the same after reading this book and I love it for it!! Junji Ito is one of my favorite manga authors and this books proves it very well. From the creepy art style to the interesting and random segments that tie together Uzumaki definitely is one of my favorites out of his books. Lowkey wanna ride a tornado too -3-
Did I enjoy this? No.
Did it make me feel uncomfortable and creeped out? Yes.
So I guess in the end it did what it was intended to do…
2.5 stars.
Did it make me feel uncomfortable and creeped out? Yes.
So I guess in the end it did what it was intended to do…
2.5 stars.