As fans eagerly await the upcoming anime adaptation of Uzumaki, one of Junji Ito’s most iconic works, there’s no shortage of memorable and spine-chilling moments to look forward to. Known for his masterful use of cosmic horror, Ito’s twisted storytelling blends grotesque imagery with a haunting sense of dread. The new anime, premiering on Adult Swim on September 28, 2024, promises to bring these terrifying scenes to life. Here are ten of the best moments from Uzumaki that fans can’t wait to see animated.
10. Fungi in the Maternity Ward
Chapter 11: Umbilical Cord
Kurôzu-Cho is plagued by the spiral curse, but one of the most unsettling scenes involves newborns. When Kirie stumbles upon a horrific discovery at the local hospital, she finds that mushrooms, sprouting from infants’ regrown umbilical cords, are being harvested and fed to patients. This grotesque twist marks a new level of horror, but it’s only the beginning of the disturbing revelations to follow in this chapter.
9. Wakabayashi’s Disturbing Transformation
Chapter 13: The House
Peeping Toms are rarely this terrifying. Wakabayashi, a new resident in Kirie’s row house, begins drilling peepholes to spy on her. His secret habit takes a horrifying turn when the spiral curse twists his body, turning him into a grotesque creature covered in drill-like spikes. His transformation is one of the most memorable cautionary tales in Ito’s world, where dark desires manifest in the most horrifying ways.
8. Kirie’s Medusa Moment
Chapter 6: Medusa
Kirie’s hair becomes the focus of a terrifying transformation when it falls victim to the spiral curse, coiling uncontrollably in a scene reminiscent of Medusa. As her hair grows out of control, it begins strangling her in a desperate attempt to assert its dominance. The visual of her hair twisting and threatening her life is one of the most iconic images in Uzumaki, haunting both readers and soon, anime viewers alike.
7. Yukie’s Spiral Descent
Chapter 2: The Spiral Obsession (Part 2)
Yukie Saito’s fate is sealed after the death of her husband, who succumbed to the spiral curse. Haunted by spirals appearing everywhere—from medical equipment to insects—Yukie’s downward spiral is a tragic and inevitable descent into madness. This chapter captures Ito’s mastery of psychological horror, where the inescapable nature of the curse drives its victims to self-destruction.
6. The Horror Master’s Cameo
Various Afterwords and Post-Chapter Panels
Junji Ito is not only the creator of Uzumaki but also a playful participant in its world. After some of the most terrifying chapters, Ito humorously inserts himself into post-chapter panels. Fans of his quirky self-portraits will enjoy seeing him indulge in odd habits like sampling spiral-shaped foods while researching. His lighthearted, self-aware humor is a sharp contrast to the dark content of his stories.
5. Katayama’s Snail Transformation
Chapter 8: The Snail
Katayama’s transformation into a snail, a direct consequence of the spiral curse, is one of the most grotesque examples of body horror in Uzumaki. Slow-moving and ridiculed, Katayama’s eventual change into a human-snail hybrid is both horrifying and tragic. The eerie concept of people slowly turning into snails fits perfectly into Ito’s nightmarish world, and seeing this animated will be a chilling experience.
4. Springtime in the Cemetery
Chapter 7: Jack-in-the-Box
Mitsuru Yamaguchi’s obsession with Kirie takes a dark turn when he causes a car accident in a twisted attempt to win her affection. After his death, he leaves behind a macabre gift—a jack-in-the-box—and vows to return from the dead to kill her. His resurrection is a horrifying moment, but what’s more disturbing is how his corpse is animated—spring-loaded from the car’s suspension. This darkly inventive twist on zombie tropes makes it one of the series’ most shocking moments.
3. The Spiral City
Chapter 19: Completion
Uzumaki culminates in a breathtakingly eerie moment when Kurôzu-Cho is fully transformed into a city of spirals. This Lovecraftian nightmare features spiraling buildings and streets made from the remains of its victims, creating a grim and impossible landscape. The anime adaptation will surely push the boundaries of animation to depict this vast, surreal city.
2. The Haunting Presence of Mr. Saito
Recurring After Chapter 1: The Spiral Obsession
One of Uzumaki’s most haunting images is the twisted corpse of Mr. Saito, contorted into a spiral. His death is only the beginning, as his grotesque figure haunts his family, appearing in wood patterns, insects, and even hallucinations. This moment is etched into the minds of Uzumaki readers, and its transition to animation will no doubt send chills down viewers’ spines.
1. Kazunori & Yoriko’s Twisted Fate
Chapter 5: Twisted Souls
Kazunori Nishiki and Yoriko Endo, star-crossed lovers from feuding families, suffer a tragic fate when their love becomes ensnared by the spiral curse. Their bodies, bound together in a grotesque and inescapable embrace, reflect the ultimate manifestation of the curse’s power. This heart-wrenching scene is a perfect mix of horror and tragedy, leaving readers with a lingering sense of dread—and one that fans are eager to see animated.
As the Uzumaki anime approaches, these moments are just a glimpse of the horrors awaiting viewers. Junji Ito’s signature blend of psychological, supernatural, and body horror promises to make this adaptation one of the most highly anticipated anime releases in recent years.