Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Fenrir366
First episode: spectacular! You'd expect an incredible series!
The rest of the series: the most hideous thing ever conceived.
The first episode was genuinely incredible. For a moment, it felt like we were finally going to get a proper animated adaptation of Junji Ito's work, with the atmosphere, visuals, and horror actually working together.
Then the second episode happened.
From that point until the finale, everything completely fell apart. The animation quality became unbelievably inconsistent and, at times, genuinely awful. Scenes that should have been disturbing or unsettling often looked unfinished instead. The contrast with the first episode is honestly insane.
It's one of those series where the first episode makes you think you're watching something special, only for the rest o…
Read at the sourceZawllerAC
Introduction ENGLISH
After years sitting on upcoming release lists, Uzumaki finally arrived as a highly anticipated entry into psychological horror. Without prior familiarity with the creator or the studio, the premise alone promised a dark, surreal experience. The premiere episode immediately set a high standard, delivering a sinister atmosphere that lived up to years of waiting.
Story
The narrative is extraordinarily original, delivering shocking turns that force viewers to question everything on screen. The spiral curse builds an intense sense of paranoia, driving the plot toward a mind-bending conclusion. The tragic resolution for the main couple and the realization that the cycle is condemned to repeat forever leave a lasting, haunting impact.
Visuals
Rendering the entire series in…
Read at the sourceSahmoorai
I would like to start by saying that I haven't read any of Junji Ito's work and that I'm only aware of some of his work and the theme. Mentioning this so as not to be biased.
Objectively speaking, this was pleasing to the eye...initially, as others have also mentioned, starting from the second episode, one can see the drop in quality. The whole anime is portrayed in what could be described as a manga-style anime, where everything is drawn (shocking, I know). This was unique for me, as personally I can't think of anime off the top of my head that did so.
The story was also interesting in a weirdly interesting and unique way. However, I think that it falls into the category where more episodes were needed, perhaps at least 2 more. For the story, or at least part of it, it went straight t…
Read at the sourceRoving
Uzumaki was the first manga I ever read back when the world was locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Everything from the atmosphere, tone, horror, pacing, and art was simply magnificent.
This anime adaption, however. It's a slap in the face. I will never accept or believe they chose monochrome over color for artistic reasons. It was simply a financial decision and that also applies to everything in this adaption. You can clearly see they put most of the finances and production into the first episode. After that, it takes a downward spiral...pun intended. Nothing about this anime is worthy of it's source material. It's just outright awful.
One day I hope we can get an adaption worthy of the manga. I'd love to see it in color and produced by Studio Bones. Until then, I will continue t…
Read at the sourceSupernitpicker
It's so fucking disappointing. After years of buildup and a kind of unfaithful movie, the anime looked promising. In fact, the first episode isn't awful. It looks nice. Stock sound effects and cramming events did feel off. So, I stopped watching and went and read the source material, which I had minimal experience with. After returning, the issues were super apparent.
This is so truncated. The odd, episodic form of the comic has been aggressively lost. It's like they ran out of time on the test and started scribbling in answers. Shoving unrelated events from the manga together ad nauseam. Even if I hadn't read it, there would still be a feel of crowding out. Like those great, old communal houses that keep growing, the problems kept growing too. Good lord is the animation junky. They reall…
Read at the sourceBriareoss
Given the fact, that Production I.G. is basically the only animation studio left that provides the industry with high quality productions, it is kinda mind boggling that the same studio is actually capable of delivering such hot garbage as Uzumaki. The character animations in all four episodes (YES, the first one included) are a mix of badly made P-Cap CGI and moving freeze frames, like the kind found in later Yami Shibai seasons. The character movement that derives from this pathetic display is so completely chopped up and sluggish (no pun intended) that you really wonder sometimes if your stream is buffering. But don't be alarmed, your stream works fine, its really the bad framerate from the anime itself. The alleged high quality of the first episode is nothing but a lie. If anything the…
Read at the sourceImmortalMephisto
Uzumaki – A Visually Striking Collapse of Narrative Potential
Uzumaki begins with an exceptional first episode, delivering slow-burn psychological horror, strong atmosphere, and a clear sense of impending doom. The pacing is deliberate, the music enhances tension perfectly, and the story feels ready to unfold into something truly disturbing and memorable.
Unfortunately, everything after that point rapidly falls apart.
From the second episode onward, the series abandons gradual horror in favor of nonstop visual shock. Events happen back-to-back with no time for buildup, emotional impact, or psychological tension. Terrifying ideas are introduced only to be immediately consumed and discarded, making the horror feel hollow rather than unsettling. What once felt like a carefully crafted descent…
Read at the sourceKenblaster
**Score: 8/10 — Very Good, Not Perfect**
I read *Uzumaki* a long time ago, back when I was much younger, and I still remember how hard it was to put the manga down. Because of that, I went into this anime knowing something important from the start: Junji Ito’s work is meant to be read. His horror lives in stillness, page turns, and staring at panels longer than you want to. Animation can’t fully recreate that—and it never will.
Keeping that in mind, I honestly think this anime did a **very good job** with something that’s basically impossible to adapt.
What mattered most to me is that the **story survived**. The structure is there. The slow collapse is there. The ending is there. It doesn’t explain itself, it doesn’t comfort you, and it doesn’t try to make sense of the spiral. When it e…
Read at the sourceHelene18
The basic idea is terrifying and original. The obsession with spirals as a curse gradually invading an entire city—bodies, minds, environment—is a powerful and unsettling concept, very well executed.
• The horrific atmosphere, blending body horror, psychological horror, and cosmic horror, is precisely what makes the work memorable. The grotesque, disturbing aspects often leave us feeling like we're walking a tightrope between fascination and disgust.
• For the anime adaptation: the black and white visuals are quite effective—they recall the manga's style and reinforce the sinister atmosphere.
• A few striking scenes remain effective: when the horror erupts, the mix of sounds, movements, and disturbing images can truly create a feeling of dread.
The narrative (especially in the anime) i…
Read at the sourcebatology
I am happy to say that Uzumaki was the first anime that I've ever seen (without counting Doraemon, because yk). What I mean is that it was the first anime that I've actually finished, and I loved every episode (it only has 4 episodes, but let me feel the joy about finishing it). It left me disturbed, not going to lie, but I like it though.
I get why some people didn't enjoy it, as they were VERY hyped up, only for the anime to turn a disappointment to them, I truly understand that people. But.. in my case, I didn't expect anything from Uzumaki, maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much.
I would recommend it to people that enjoy horror, of course. From my point of view, this anime is aimed at a certain type of public.
Read at the sourceMugiwaara_ya
You will just waste your time watching this anime.
Better read the manga.
The production experienced delays and changes in animation studios. One theory suggests the initial studio spent most of the budget on the first episode, necessitating a studio change for the remaining episodes.
Reading the manga is better because of the character designs , it is anime with a simple horror story and is not that interesting there are better choices in horror anime.
Here's a breakdown of the issues:
Initial Promise and Quality:
The first episode was praised for its animation and accurate depiction of the manga. Deteriorating Quality:
Subsequent episodes saw a significant decline in animation quality, with some describing it as "sloppy" and "lazy".
Pacing Issues:
The anime's pacing was also critic…
Read at the sourceQiraNavi
The best thing you can do for both yourself and Junji is to just read his work. Unfortunately every adaptation they try to make of his masterful work always falls flat. No one can do him justice the way only he himself can. first ep starts the series off strong, beautifully animated and ready to set your expectations sky high. The rest is a rushed and muddied mess. I have read Uzumaki more times than I can count and I promise its much more worth your time to just go that route. Pretty sad honestly but if you love Junjis work you will still enjoy seeing it animated even if its not perfect.
Read at the sourcePootisHoovy
Honestly it's not that bad.
I get it that we all waited for it to be peak cinema ever since that first trailer dropped, but the hate for it was greatly exaggerated. It's clear that the animators were screwed over and they had the options of not airing it, airing only the first episode or airing all 4 even if incomplete for the respect of the work already put in. (and I would pick the last option any day of the week)
The first episode has set a high standard and of course the following one's had a dip in quality, but in my opinion, it wasn't that noticeable except for a few scenes. The sound is good, the horror is awesome and the atmosphere is very disturbing. It did a great job under the circumstances and was a good adaptation. (although it does pain my heart that it wasn't a GREAT one)…
Read at the sourcebigzap
A large misinterpretation of and major disgrace to Junji Ito's lowkey-masterpiece.
The visuals are definitely experimental and the black-and-white approach is much appreciated. I can dig it, but the animation rapidly drops in quality after the first episode. The soundtrack is bone-chilling and the voice acting stands out, especially Kirie's mom, Saito. But this really only goes for the first episode.
I'm surprised and frankly disappointed they adapt so many chapters into one episode—it's a major downside, as part of what makes the manga so great is its slow descent. This simply throws us into the madness with little to no hesitation. It also just leaves out the incredible tension abundantly found within the source material. I would have much rather they produced a 16-episode season with…
Read at the sourceMooBouBies
People made a big stink about the animations drop in quality after episode 1 when this first came out. I won't lie, it definitely drops off, and its pretty horrible in places, but id say it fits the corny horror vibe of Junji Ito very well. The vibe I got from the beginning was more of a horror comedy mix, at least I found myself laughing at most of the creepy things from the start, so the animation being stilted was more of a plus than a downside for me in that regard. Then again, Im really not much of a stickler for "good" animation generally, so if its a problem for you then fair enough.
I think people may take Junji Ito a bit too seriously if they think he was robbed by this adaptation. He's a bit like Stephen King in that he pumps out a ton of horror and his work has a surprising amo…
Read at the sourceemberreviews
Uzumaki is one of those rare, or at least used to be rare, instances of an anime immediately becoming infamous because of its production issues, and while I’d be remiss to gloss over the very obvious drops in quality, I still think there’s enough here for it to be a compelling horror series. The overall vibe of an entire town going batshit crazy due to internal forces they seem to have no control over was a perfect match for this body horror extravaganza, and the moments where the artwork manages to shine through delivered some exceptionally creepy and gruesome imagery, occasionally leaving me cringing from the imagined pain. It also nailed the more absurdly comedic aspects of these horrifying events in a manner similar to the works of Tsutomu Mizushima’s such as Another and Mayoiga, manag…
Read at the sourceHypn0s_X
Uzumaki – Started Strong, Spiraled Out
As a longtime fan of Junji Ito's manga, I was genuinely hyped for this adaptation. The trailers promised a bold, black-and-white horror aesthetic and the first episode actually delivered. It felt weird, unsettling, and most importantly faithful to the original tone. I thought we were finally getting the Ito anime that breaks the curse.
But after that strong start, Uzumaki quickly loses its footing.
The pacing is the biggest issue here. Instead of letting the tension slowly crawl under your skin like the manga does so well, the anime rushes through major arcs and story beats. It doesn’t give the horror room to breathe. What should feel like a slow descent into madness turns into a highlight reel of creepy moments with little emotional build-up.
The…
Read at the sourceLegoC97
60-SECOND REVIEWS
Look how they massacred my boy! My sweet, spirally snailboy!
Junji Ito is an auteur and Uzumaki is perhaps his greatest creation. And, boy, was I looking forward to this for YEARS since that initial announcement. Junji Ito has never once had a good adaptation of any of his works, but maybe MAYBE this would be the one.
And then to pull off one of the worst bait and switches I've ever seen, releasing a first episode which was fantastic and everything I ever hoped and dreamed it would be. Maybe a little rushed, but that's okay. Finally, a great adaptation! And then episode 2 released, then 3, then 4. Episode 1 is a strong 8/10 and worth a watch. The rest is a 3/10.
You know, perhaps the real spiraling horror is getting excited for every new Junji Ito adaptation only t…
Read at the sourceLilacSpectre
I was absolutely blown away at the trailer for Uzumaki. I watched it day one and I could not wait, and to my surprise, episode 1 was absolutely phenomenal, but unfortunately my excitement and joy was absolutely devastated upon watching the other three episodes. The pacing and animation quality took a dramatic nose dive and most scenes looked so disgustingly cheap and rushed that I could barely sit through them. Go and read the manga if you wish to enjoy this phenomenal story, or perhaps treat the first episode as an amazing one off and leave it there. I would rate this lower if it wasn't for such an amazing start to an embarassing series of sloppy and horrendously insulting episodes.
Read at the sourceTuls
Horror isn’t the most favorable genre in anime, and Junji Ito getting terrible adaptations is probably a curse at this point. Uzumaki is atmospherically strong but not so much narratively. I believe this is a recurrent occurrence in Ito’s work, as he seems much more keen on the visual aspect of horror rather than trying to make sense of it. It’s a double-edged sword, and personally, I can’t say it works for me; however, I still appreciate what he does with the visuals. There is merit in his framing of body horror, making spirals a symbol of disaster, a loop without a beginning or an end. He uses the village as his thematic playground, a mysterious breeding ground of ruin where everything spirals out of control. The use of monochrome in the anime is a good decision, but the promise shown in…
Read at the source
