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Uzumaki

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This article is about the Japanese manga. For the feature film adaptation, see Uzumaki (film). For the Naruto character, see Naruto Uzumaki.
Uzumaki
Cover of Uzumaki, vol 1
うずまき
GenreHorror
Manga
Written byJunji Ito
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineBig Comic Spirits
English magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original run1998 – 1999
Volumes3 (List of volumes)
Video game
Uzumaki: Denshi Kaiki Hen
DeveloperOmega Mikotto
PublisherOmega Mikotto
GenreVisual novel
PlatformWonderSwan
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2000
Video game
Uzumaki: Noroi Simulation
DeveloperOmega Mikotto
PublisherOmega Mikotto
GenreSimulation
PlatformWonderSwan
ReleasedMarch 4, 2000
Films

Uzumaki (Japanese: うずまき, Spiral[1]) is a horror seinen (targeted towards men) manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1998 to 1999. Shogakukan published the chapters in three bound volumes from August 1998 to September 1999. In March 2000, Shogakukan released an omnibus edition and released another version in August 2010. The series revolves around the citizens of Kurôzu-cho and the mysterious events involving spirals. The positive representation of spirals in Japanese media inspired Ito to use it in a work of horror by drawing it differently. The manga was adapted into two video games for the WonderSwan and a live-action film directed by Higunchinsky.

In North America, Viz Media serialized an English-language translation of the series in its monthly magazine Pulp from the February 2001 issue to the August 2002 issue. It published the series from October 2001 to October 2002, re-released it from October 2007 to February 2008, and published a hardcover omnibus edition in October 2013. The manga has received generally positive reviews from English-language critics. It was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2003, and placed in the Young Adult Library Services Association's list of the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Teens" in 2009.

Plot

Uzumaki revolves around a high-school teenager Kirie Goshima (切り絵五島), her boyfriend Shuichi Sato (修一佐藤), and the citizens of the small, fictional Japanese town of Kurôzu-cho (黒渦町, Black Vortex Town) cursed by supernatural events surrounding spirals. As the story progresses, Kirie and Shuichi witness how the spiral curse affects the people around them, causing the citizens to become obsessed or paranoid about spirals. Eventually Kirie is affected by the curse as well, when her hair begins to curl into an unnatural spiral pattern and choke her whenever she attempts to cut it off. Shuichi is able to cut her hair and save her. The curse continues to plague the town, until a storm conjured by the curse destroys most of the town. The only remaining row houses protect the citizens from becoming snails and whirlwinds as a result of the curse. The citizens then begin expanding the row houses in an effort to protect themselves from it.

Kirie and Shuichi devise a plan to escape Kurôzu-cho, but when they attempt to escape, their efforts are unsuccessful. After returning to the town, they discover that ten years have passed since they left and that the citizens have expanded the row houses: now, the row houses connect and form a giant spiral pattern. Kirie and Shuichi have no choice but to go to the center of the town in an effort to find a way to stop the curse. Once they reach the center, they fall into a pit of corpses, where they discover a city made entirely of spirals. Shuichi urges Kirie to move forward, but she replies that she does not have the strength and wishes to stay with him. The two embrace each other as their bodies twist and wrap together as a result of the curse. As they lie together, Kirie notices the curse builds a new town on top of them. Kirie notes that the curse ended at the same time it began and that the events that have happened will occur again, concluding that the curse is eternal.

Development and release

Uzumaki was written and illustrated by Junji Ito. When creating Uzumaki, Ito tried to find an answer behind the pattern.[2] He noted the positive effects of spirals in media and how it inspired him to turn it into horror stating, "Usually spiral patterns mark character’s cheeks in Japanese comedy cartoons, representing an effect of warmth. However, I thought it could be used in horror if I drew it a different way."[3] Ito used various methods such as staring at spirals, reading reference materials about spirals, creating spiral patterns by draining water from bath tubs, eating foods with spiral patterns, and raising snails.[2] Ito also noted that horror writer H.P. Lovecraft was one of his inspirations when creating Uzumaki stating, "His expressionism with regard to atmosphere greatly inspires my creative impulse."[3]

The manga appeared as a serial in the weekly manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1998 to 1999.[4][5] Shogakukan compiled the chapters into three bound volumes and published them from August 1998 to September 1999.[6][7] To celebrate the release of the live-action film, the manga series was released in an omnibus volume in March 2000, with an additional "lost" chapter.[8] Shogakugan released another omnibus edition on August 30, 2010, with the same content and additional commentary from Masaru Sato.[9] In North America, Viz Media serialized an English-language translation of the series in its monthly magazine Pulp from the February 2001 issue to the August 2002 issue.[10][11] It published volumes of the series from October 2001 to October 2002.[12][13] Viz Media re-released the series with new covers from October 2007 to February 2008,[14][15] and published the omnibus volume in hardcover with twelve color pages on October 13, 2013.[4] The series has also been translated into other languages, such as French,[16] Brazilian Portuguese,[17] Swedish,[18] Mandarin,[19] Korean[20] and Serbian.[21]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 29, 1998[6]4-09-185721-3October 6, 2001 (1st ed.)[12]
October 16, 2007 (2nd ed.)[14]		[[Special:BookSources/1-56931-714-3+%281st+ed.%29%3Cbr%2F%3EISBN+1-4215-1389-7+%282nd+ed.%29 |1-56931-714-3 (1st ed.)
ISBN 1-4215-1389-7 (2nd ed.)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
  • 01.The Spiral Obsession Part 1 (うずまきマニア：その1, Uzumaki mania: So no ichi)
  • 02.The Spiral Obsession Part 2 (うずまきマニア：その2, Uzumaki mania: So no ni)
  • 03.The Scar (傷跡, Kizuato)
  • 04.The Firing Effect (窯変, Yōhen)
  • 05.Twisted Souls (ねじれた人びと, Nejireta hitobito)
  • 06.Medusa (巻髪, Maki kami)
  • Afterword
2 February 26, 1999[22]4-09-185722-1July 6, 2002 (1st ed.)[23]
December 18, 2007 (2nd ed.)[24]		[[Special:BookSources/1-59116-033-2+%281st+ed.%29%3Cbr%2F%3EISBN+1-4215-1390-0+%282nd+ed.%29 |1-59116-033-2 (1st ed.)
ISBN 1-4215-1390-0 (2nd ed.)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
  • 07.Jack-in-the-Box (びっくり箱, Bikkuri-bako)
  • 08.Snail People (ヒトマイマイ, Hitomaimai)
  • 09.Dark Lighthouse (黒い灯台, Kuroi tōdai)
  • 10.Mosquitoes (蚊柱, Kabashira)
  • 11.Umbilical Cord (臍帯, Saitai)
  • 12.The Storm (台風1号, Taifū ichi-gō)
  • Afterword
3 September 30, 1999[7]4-09-185723-XOctober 6, 2002 (1st ed.)[13]
February 19, 2008 (2nd ed.)[15]		[[Special:BookSources/1-59116-048-0+%281st+ed.%29%3Cbr%2F%3EISBN+1-4215-1391-9+%282nd+ed.%29 |1-59116-048-0 (1st ed.)
ISBN 1-4215-1391-9 (2nd ed.)]] Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
  • 13.The House (鬼のいる長屋, Oni no iru nagaya)
  • 14.Butterfly (蝶, Chō)
  • 15.Chaos (混沌, Konton)
  • 16.Erosion (続・混沌, Zoku konton)
  • 17.Escape (脱出, Dasshutsu)
  • 18.Labyrinth (迷路, Meiro)
  • 19.Completion (遺跡, Iseki)
  • Lost chapter: Galaxies (番外編 銀河, Bangai-hen Ginga)[n 1]
  • Afterword
Notes
  1. ^ The chapter was not originally included in the original Japanese release but in the following omnibus editions. In North America it was released within the the third volume.

Video games

Two video games were developed and published by Omega Mikotto for the Bandai WonderSwan. The first, Uzumaki: Denshi Kaiki Hen (うずまき 〜電視怪奇篇〜, Spiral -Power Vision Strange Edition-), was released on February 3, 2000, and is a visual novel retelling the events of the manga.[25][26] The second game, titled Uzumaki: Noroi Simulation (うずまき 〜呪いシミュレーション〜, Spiral -Curse Simulation-), was released on March 4, 2000 and is a simulation game. The goal is to find hidden objects to gain more "Spiral Power" and progress the story.[27][28]

Live-action film

Main article: Uzumaki (film)

In 2000, a live-action adaptation of Uzumaki was released in Japan.[29] Directed by Higuchinsky, it featured Eriko Hatsume as Kirie Goshima, Shin Eun-kyung as Chie Maruyama, Fhi Fan as Shuichi Saito, Keiko Takahashi as Yukie Saito, Ren Osugi as Toshio Saito, and Hinako Saeki as Kyoko Sekino.[29] Consisting of four parts ("A Premonition", "Erosion", "Visitation", and "Transmigration"), the film uses a different ending than the manga, as a result of the film's being produced before the manga's conclusion.[30] The film received a 54 percent approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with the general consensus that "Uzumaki uses its creepy, David Lynch-inspired atmospherics to effectively build a sense of dread, but ultimately fails to do anything with it."[31]

Reception

Uzumaki was nominated for an Eisner Award in the category of "Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material" in 2003.[32] The Young Adult Library Services Association chose the first volume for its list of the "Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens" in 2009.[33] The manga was also included on its list of the 53 "Great Graphic Novels for Teens".[34] Viz Media's Deluxe edition ranked #172 in Diamond's Top 300 Graphic Novels on October 2013 with a total of 784 copies sold.[35] About.com's Deb Aoki placed Uzumaki in her list of horror manga, describing it as a classic of the genre.[36]

In Manga: The Complete Guide (2007), Jason Thompson gave Uzumaki three and a half stars, and wrote that, taken as a whole, the manga succeeds as "an elegant and sometimes blackly humorous story of dreamlike logic and nihilism."[1] Thompson featured the manga again in his House of 1000 Manga blog, praising it for its originality, in that it revolved around a "a certain nightmarish, fatalistic way of looking at the world".[5] Comics Alliance author and comic artist, Sara Horrocks, praised the mechanics that Junji Ito used for the manga stating, "What makes Uzumaki such a strong work is how precise it is in it’s mechanics. It is meticulous in the way that a curse might be."[37]

For the first volume, Theron Martin from Anime News Network gave it a B, praising the art style and character designs, including Viz Media's new cover design. According to him, "some of the attempts at horror get too preposterous for their own good."[38] Greg Hackmann of Mania it an A stating, "Ito makes an interesting artistic choice by loosely tying these episodes together with an overarching story arc; this small touch really helps to hold this collection together as a coherent entity. Ito's well-honed artistic chops also play a significant part in why this volume works"[39] Barb Lien-Cooper of Sequential Tart gave it a 7 out of 10 stating, "The art is clean and simple. It works to help maintain the paranoia. The tone and pacing of this story are also just right. Altogether, one of the better horror stories I've read this year."[40] Ken Haley of PopCultureShock it A rating of shock value praising the artwork for its details and able to convey horror stating, "The level of detail in the artwork adds further weight to the body-deforming acts that occur as the story progresses. [sic] Ito’s artwork ensures that each is depicted in appropriately creepy and unnerving matter."[41]

For the second volume, Lien-Cooper gave it 8 out of 10 stating, "What astounds me about Junji Ito’s work is its deceptive simplicity and its flawless execution."[42] Sheena McNeil also from Sequential Tart, instead gave it a 9 out of 10 stating, "The stories of the various possessions are not only unique but unusual; they are things one would not normally think of which will keep you coming back for more."[43] Hackmann however gave it a B with a less favorable review due to the shift in story stating, "Unfortunately, this shift in story format is largely a failed experiment: with the overarching escape storyline put on hiatus, a good number of these disconnected episodes degenerate into simple, "lookit, weird stuff happening" horrorfests that lack much of the creative spark exhibited throughout the first Uzumaki collection."[44]

When reviewing the third volume, Haley also gave it an A praising Junji Ito for providing answers to questions previously asked but not answered in a heavy or mundane form.[45] However, for the third volume, Lien-Cooper gave it a 6 out of 10 criticizing the ending stating, "The ending didn't make a lot of sense, although by that time, I didn't care. And, the back up story, which seems to try to explain what set this all in motion (I think), really didn't interest me."[46]

References

  1. ^ a b Thompson, Jason (2007-10-09). Manga: The Complete Guide. Del Rey Manga. p. 383. ISBN 978-0-345-48590-8. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b Ito, Junji (2001-10-06). "Afterword". Uzumaki. Viz Media. pp. 204, 205. ISBN 1-4215-1389-7. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Into the Spiral - A Conversation with Japanese Horror Maestro Junji Ito". 78 Magazine. 2006-03. Retrieved 2014-04-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b "VIZ Media Releases a Deluxe, Hardcover Omnibus Edition of Junji Ito's Celebrated Horror Manga Uzumaki". Anime News Network. 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  5. ^ a b Thompson, Jason (2011-06-30). "Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Uzumaki". House of 1000 Manga. Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  6. ^ a b "うずまき 1" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  7. ^ a b "うずまき 3" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  8. ^ "うずまき (ビッグコミックス ワイド版)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  9. ^ "うずまき" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  10. ^ "Pulp :: New Japanese Pop Culture Monthly". Pulp. Viz Media. Archived from the original on February 20, 2001. Retrieved 2014-04-23. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 2, 2001 suggested (help)
  11. ^ "Pulp Ends in August". Anime News Network. 2002-04-11. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  12. ^ a b "Uzumaki volume 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  13. ^ a b "Uzumaki volume 3". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  14. ^ a b "Uzumaki, Vol. 1 (2nd Edition)". Viz Media. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-15. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 7, 2010 suggested (help)
  15. ^ a b "Uzumaki, Vol. 3 (2nd Edition)". Viz Media. Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2014-04-15. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 24, 2008 suggested (help)
  16. ^ "Spirale" (in French). Tonkam. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  17. ^ "Uzumaki -Volume 2" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Conrad Editora. Retrieved 2014-04-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  18. ^ "Uzumaki Spiralerna del 1" (in Swedish). Galago. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  19. ^ "《漩渦》 1-3集完" (in Mandarin). Tong Li Publishing. Retrieved 2014-04-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  20. ^ "소용돌이 1~3(완)" (in Korean). Sigongsa. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  21. ^ "Uzumaki 1 - Spirala užasa" (in Serbian). Darkwood. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  22. ^ "うずまき 2" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  23. ^ "Uzumaki volume 2". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  24. ^ "Uzumaki, Vol. 2 (2nd Edition)". Viz Media. Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  25. ^ "うずまき~電視怪奇篇~ WS 【ワンダースワン】" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  26. ^ "うずまき 〜電視怪奇篇〜" (in Japanese). Swan.Channel.or.jp. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  27. ^ "う ずまき~呪いシミュレーション~ WS 【ワンダースワン】" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  28. ^ "うずまき 〜呪いシミュレーション〜" (in Japanese). Swan.Channel.or.jp. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  29. ^ a b Mitchell, Elvis (2002-05-01). "Movie Review – Uzumaki – Film Review". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  30. ^ Thompson, Jason. "Reviews – Uzumaki Manga-Movie Comparison: Autopsy of an Adaptation". Jpopcinema. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on 2002-08-16. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  31. ^ "Uzumaki". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  32. ^ "Few Manga at Eisner Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  33. ^ "Librarians Honor Sand Chronicles, Real, Uzumaki, Japan Ai". Anime News Network. 2009-01-28. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  34. ^ "Great Graphic Novels for Teens". ICv2. 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  35. ^ "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--October 2013". ICv2. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  36. ^ "Horror Manga: 13 Creepy Comics and Gruesome Graphic Novels". About.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  37. ^ Sarah Horrocks (2013-05-30). "The Horrific Mechanations of Junji Ito's Uzumaki". Mercurial Blonde. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  38. ^ Martin, Theron (2008-01-03). "Uzumaki GN1 review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
  39. ^ Greg Hackmann (2007-12-14). "Uzumaki Vol. #01". Mania. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  40. ^ Barb Lien-Cooper (2002-02-01). "Uzumaki Vol. 1". Sequential Tart. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  41. ^ Ken Haley (2007-10-10). "Manga Recon Spooktacular: Uzumaki and Gyo". PopCultureShock. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  42. ^ Barb Lien-Cooper (2002-08-01). "Uzumaki Vol. 2". Sequential Tart. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  43. ^ Sheena McNeil (2002-08-01). "Uzumaki Vol. 2". Sequential Tart. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  44. ^ Greg Hackmann (2007-12-04). "Uzumaki Vol. #02". Mania. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  45. ^ Ken Haley (2008-01-31). "Manga Minis, January 2008". PopCultureShock. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  46. ^ Barb Lien-Cooper (2002-12-01). "Uzumaki Vol. 3". Sequential Tart. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
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