Review: Uzumaki Vol. 1 by Junji Ito
Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror Vol. 1
by Junji Ito
The small Japanese town of Kurozu-cho has become infected with spirals. At first, it was mostly harmless, like whirlpools in the water and dust devils in the breeze. But then the spirals began infecting people. Kirie, the pretty teenage narrator, and her boyfriend Shuichi are the first ones to notice the spiral effect when Shuichi's father becomes obsessed with the shape. He begins collecting anything with a spiral pattern on it - snail shells, kimonos, ceramics, rolls of tape, and spiral-shaped incense - and stares at his collection for hours, ignoring his family and work. When his family tries to intervene, Shuichi's father becomes 'one with the spiral' through a grotesque, horrible death. Sadly, his death is only the first of many, as the influence of the spirals spread throughout Kurozu-cho.
Why spirals? Who the heck knows! In this first volume, there's absolutely no explanation given for why the spiral shape suddenly becomes an evil force destroying the residents of the town. It's very episodic: Kirie introduces us to a character, Shuichi identifies them as a spiral victim, and then the new character(s) die in a gruesome, spiral-themed manner. Kirie's narration is oddly distant for someone at the heart of every event, but then, she doesn't understand what's going on any better than her readers. Her detachment contributes to the surreal, unbalanced atmosphere of Uzumaki.
Junji Ito's art really makes the stories work. Images that would look simply absurd when drawn by other artists become chilling and disturbing here. They aren't quite gory - very little blood is spilled in this book - but it's very creepy and strange. The simplicity of black and white allows to create detailed, intensely intricate panels, like this one:
Horror isn't for everyone, especially stories this bizarre and violent, but for fans of the genre Uzumaki is definitely worth checking out. If you are a fan of movies like the The Ring or the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, I think you'll enjoy Junji Ito's nightmarish little spirals.
5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Uzumaki Vol. 1, buy it from an independent bookstore or add it to your wishlist click here.
by Junji Ito
The small Japanese town of Kurozu-cho has become infected with spirals. At first, it was mostly harmless, like whirlpools in the water and dust devils in the breeze. But then the spirals began infecting people. Kirie, the pretty teenage narrator, and her boyfriend Shuichi are the first ones to notice the spiral effect when Shuichi's father becomes obsessed with the shape. He begins collecting anything with a spiral pattern on it - snail shells, kimonos, ceramics, rolls of tape, and spiral-shaped incense - and stares at his collection for hours, ignoring his family and work. When his family tries to intervene, Shuichi's father becomes 'one with the spiral' through a grotesque, horrible death. Sadly, his death is only the first of many, as the influence of the spirals spread throughout Kurozu-cho.
Why spirals? Who the heck knows! In this first volume, there's absolutely no explanation given for why the spiral shape suddenly becomes an evil force destroying the residents of the town. It's very episodic: Kirie introduces us to a character, Shuichi identifies them as a spiral victim, and then the new character(s) die in a gruesome, spiral-themed manner. Kirie's narration is oddly distant for someone at the heart of every event, but then, she doesn't understand what's going on any better than her readers. Her detachment contributes to the surreal, unbalanced atmosphere of Uzumaki.
Junji Ito's art really makes the stories work. Images that would look simply absurd when drawn by other artists become chilling and disturbing here. They aren't quite gory - very little blood is spilled in this book - but it's very creepy and strange. The simplicity of black and white allows to create detailed, intensely intricate panels, like this one:
Horror isn't for everyone, especially stories this bizarre and violent, but for fans of the genre Uzumaki is definitely worth checking out. If you are a fan of movies like the The Ring or the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, I think you'll enjoy Junji Ito's nightmarish little spirals.
5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Uzumaki Vol. 1, buy it from an independent bookstore or add it to your wishlist click here.