"Uzumaki": A Tale of Throwing Up in My Mouth a Little

'SUP, NERDS?!

My love for manga and horror never wanes. For those who don't know me, I collect new books and it takes me forever to actually get around to reading it. I recently embarked on a journey to Kurouzu-cho... a place I've been wanting to visit for years. Since turning the first page, it took me a couple months to finish Uzumaki because the spiral infiltrated my own world.

tldr; Junji Ito's Uzumaki

Uzumaki is a tale of sickness and obsession about spirals. Residents of Kurouzu-cho slowly become entranced with the motivation to create more and more spirals. The protagonists, Kirie and Shuichi, are the only people to resist the power of the spiral as their town deteriorates. If this sounds cool to you, you can purchase a fancy hardcover copy published by VIZ Media.

One of my favorite chapters is about
blood sucking pregnant women...
Trust me, it's amazing.

How Spoopy?

What makes Uzumaki creepy is not necessarily the visuals. I don't want to discredit the artwork, but Ito doesn't waste space. He makes fantastic use of screen tones to create more to look at than your average manga. Hell, sometimes I got a little dizzy after admiring his beautiful lines! Repulsive imagery.



Each chapter is carefully paced. making me cautious to turn the page, knowing there will be an abomination. I was disgusted by the behavior of victims as they descend into madness, feeling dirty as a witness to their crimes. As townies become hideous creatures, I feel the protagonists are the most (no pun intended) twisted.

Kirie & Shuichi

Kirie unsettles me. She narrates the story and casually accepts the strange events. Her boyfriend, Shuichi, is the first victim of the spiral when father dies from collecting spiral paraphernalia. After his father's death, his poor mother suffers from spiral paranoia. Identifying the curse, Shuichi urges Kirie to escape with him early, but neither take action.

Kirie  (left), not giving a shit about her spiral hair.

Why do they stay in Kurouzu-cho? That's what really freaks me out. Neither of them have motivation to stay but aren't seemingly cursed by the spiral. Kirie wants to stay with her family but doesn't bother trying to get them to leave town. Poor Shuichi is clearly mentally disturbed, so I can dismiss his lack of response just a tiny bit. Kirie is so... nonchalant. That's where I draw the line.

I often think about how I would react to a situation out of a horror movie and know I would miserably die... probably give up once I'm too tired to move. Either way, I cannot grasp Kirie and Shuichi. They choose to resist, but don't escape?

LATER, DWEEBS!

For those who've read Uzumaki, do you like Kirie and Shuichi? Do you think they are mentally unstable for staying?

What do you think your reaction would be in a horror scenario?

Loverly Liz