A review by holli1al
Uzumaki 01: Spiral into Horror, Volume 1 by Junji Ito

3.0

A Lovecraftian-inspired tale if ever I saw one. Some of the earlier chapters felt so over the top that I found it difficult to take the story seriously--and I certainly didn't find it scary. At times it felt like a satire of Lovecraft because of this, and yet at the same time it was taking itself seriously. Perhaps the reason it felt "funny" to me is because the main characters don't try to escape town until the very end; they go on living normally despite their insane experiences to the point where it becomes ridiculous. I will say that the end culminates really well. If any part of this manga is creepy and horrific, it's definitely the last five chapters or so. When they try to escape the fate of the spiral, and can't...that's when the stakes are raised and the real horror begins.