What Fans Hope to See in the Upcoming Horror Anime
Anime has a reputation for being focused on action and fantasy, but it also delves into other genres, particularly horror. Shows like Another and Higurashi: When They Cry have garnered a following for their high levels of tension and rural terror. While there are successful horror manga that have yet to be adapted, one that is considered a peak in the genre is finally getting the screen treatment it deserves. Junji Itou’s Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror is getting a four-episode anime adaptation set to premiere this fall.
The works of Junji Itou, especially Uzumaki, have been praised by horror fans for their eerie towns and mysterious characters. However, horror has never been an anime’s strong suit because most fail to balance story and jump scares. To make it work, the anime must recreate as much substance from the manga as possible.
Animation is key in any anime, and flawless animation is imperative in Uzumaki. Ito’s artwork features minute details that are essential to solving the mysteries. The dizzying spirals in the manga panels add to the unsettling atmosphere, making for a terrific reading experience. Fortunately, the trailers have showcased unique black and white coloring and Ito’s evocative character designs.
Music plays a significant role in setting the mood in a horror series. Uzumaki has the potential to outperform every horror anime produced in popular media with well-composed music. Colin Stetson, the man behind Hereditary and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is composing the music for Uzumaki.
An anime with only four episodes may comprise small stories rather than a larger plot. However, if the studio attempts to connect the stories from the start, the anime could break records. The manga is criticized for its broken narrative due to the frequent shift between seemingly unconnected but thematically related short events. The anime could focus on fleshing out both main and side characters, particularly Kirie’s relationship with Shuichi.
Uzumaki does not yet have a set release date, but the studio is delaying it to make it more faithful to the original material. If the anime is well-received by audiences and there are no further delays, we can look forward to more of Junji Itou’s works and potential sequels. Horror fans are eagerly anticipating the premiere of Uzumaki this fall.
While action and fantasy are where anime’s reputation is built, it also pays significant attention to other genres, especially horror. The high levels of tension and thrill in shows like Another and Higurashi: When They Cry and the distinctive rural terror they portray have led viewers to label them as horror masterpieces.
Unfortunately, numerous successful horror manga have yet to be adapted, but one that is widely considered the genre’s peak is finally getting the screen treatment it deserves. Horror fans have long praised the works of Junji Itou, especially Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror.
The short four-episode anime adaptation of Uzumaki will premiere this fall, and if it is well received by audiences and there are no further delays, we can look forward to more of the author’s works and potential sequels. However, it is seldom easy to precisely adapt the source material without leaving anything out. So, here are some things we’d like to see in the Uzumaki anime.
A Creepy Horror Story Like No Other
Junji Itou’s works have always had one thing in common: spooky towns and a plethora of mysteries. From a few one-shot manga he made in his early years, like Lighthouseto the classic masterwork Tomall of his pieces are great depictions of shady societies and scary characters.
Furthermore, horror has never been an anime’s strong suit because, except for a few chosen series, most fail to strike a balance between story and jump-scares, but Uzumaki has the ability to do so. However, if it is to work, the anime must recreate as much substance from the manga as possible, rather than skimming through it as most anime have done in the past, which were apparent failures.
Animation in the Style of the Author’s Majestic Artwork
When it comes to anime, fans don’t mind the story as long as the animation is good enough to make it worthwhile. Some shows, such as Demon Slayer, Fateand Sword Art Onlinedon’t have particularly compelling plots, but they surface almost instantaneously when you search for good recommendations. It all comes down to details, which can only be improved by flawless animation.
It is imperative in this anime because most of Ito’s works feature minute details in the artwork that subsequently end up as a solution to the mysteries. Furthermore, the dizzying spirals in the Uzumaki manga panels add to the unsettling atmosphere, which makes for a terrific reading experience. Fortunately, the trailers haven’t let us down, with their unique blend of black and white coloring and Ito’s evocative character designs.
Haunting Music to Set the Mood
Music serves a great purpose in a horror series because, rather than a jump scare, the haunting score in the background makes us feel more uneasy. Another is a wonderful illustration of this matter since the anime creeps the hell out of viewers right from the opening song, and each episode only adds to the feeling.
However, Uzumaki is considerably superior to any horror anime we’ve seen thus far, and with well-composed music, it may easily outperform every horror anime produced in popular media. Fortunately, Colin Stetson, the man behind Hereditary and Texas Chainsaw Massacreis composing the music for Uzumaki. In fact, the recent trailer featured one of his eerie soundscapes that wonderfully caught the essence of the manga, so we can expect the adaptation to be truly incredible.
An Overarching Story and Fleshed-Out Characters
Typically, an anime is deemed short if it has eleven or twelve episodes, but what if it only has four? It will likely comprise small stories rather than a larger plot, which is probably what Uzumaki intends to do to see how well audiences will receive it. However, even manga readers often feel it falls short in that regard due to the narrative being broken due to the frequent shift between seemingly unconnected but thematically related short events.
While this may be accepted in manga due to the prevalence of works that consist of interconnected short stories rather than a continuous narrative, the same cannot be said of anime. If the studio attempts to connect the stories from the start, the anime could break records even before touching its whole source material, considering it is simply on another level compared to previous adaptations.
Since not only does protagonist Kirie’s personality seem off-balance in the beginning, but as many exciting side characters are typically killed off abruptly, leaving readers unhappy, the anime might also focus on fleshing out both main and side characters. In addition, Kirie’s relationship with Shuichi is often described as heartwarming, but the manga didn’t go into much detail about why; thus, it could be improved in the anime.
Uzumaki does not yet have a set release date, but the studio is delaying it in order to make it more faithful to the original material rather than rushing it. As a result, we may expect it to be released sometime this fall.
