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Uzumaki episode 2, which premiered on Sunday, October 6, 2024, has left many fans, who had high hopes for a series that would faithfully adapt Junji Ito’s manga, feeling underwhelmed. The series had a lot going for it at the start, thanks to its amazing visuals. But the latest episode has been getting a lot of criticism for its patchy storytelling and lack of emotional depth, as well as the failure to deliver on the promise of those stunning visuals.
In the first episode, viewers were introduced to the town of Kurouzu, which is plagued by mysterious spirals. Kirie, the protagonist, learns about these strange occurrences from her boyfriend Shuichi. As the story progressed, the bizarre events escalated, resulting in several deaths. The latest episode further explores the curse afflicting the town's residents.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers and reflects the opinions of the wri
Uzumaki episode 2 review: The series fails to meet expectations with subpar animation
The visuals do a disservice to Junji Ito's work
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In Uzumaki episode 2, there is a noticeable drop in quality compared to the first episode. There are also some distinct stylistic changes. To take an example, the characters' faces lack detail, with the classic Junji Ito hatchings that were emulated in the first episode largely missing or rendered poorly. The movements also appear stiff so that it feels like a fan-made production. To make matters worse, several scenes feature an odd glow and vignette effect.
One of the most poorly produced scenes in this installment is the one where the young couple is at the beach, wrapping around each other until they become inseparably bound. This scene feels like a fever dream, but this is mainly due to the subpar quality of the animation.
The drop in quality might be attributed to the fact that Uzumaki episode 2 was produced at Akatsuki and directed by Yuji Moriyama, whereas the first episode was animated at Drive and directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. This change in production teams and directors likely contributed to the differences in animation quality and style.
The pacing problem persists
Uzumaki episode 2 continues to jump between various storylines without concluding the ones introduced in the previous episode, such as Shuichi’s mother’s story arc. This episode introduces even more storylines, including the Medusa arc, Jack-in-the-Box arc, and Lighthouse arc, all unfolding simultaneously.
This approach creates a disjointed effect, making the episode feel scattered and unfocused. Some storylines, like Jack-in-the-Box, seem unnecessary and could have been omitted, as they do not significantly contribute to the overall plot and rely on cheap scares.
The episode could have benefited from more anime original additions that make it clear Kirie is aware of and experiencing all the spiral-related horrors simultaneously. This would have provided a more cohesive and immersive experience for the viewers.
There are some notable scenes, such as Kirie with her hair grown long and curled into spirals, visiting Katayama, who has transformed into a snail. In the manga, these events occur at different points, but in the anime, they are combined. However, the lack of depth in portraying Kirie's fear and the overwhelming nature of her experiences dilutes the impact of these scenes.
Final thoughts
Uzumaki episode 2 shows a noticeable improvement in terms of the storytelling compared to the previous installment. However, some of the same problems that marred the first episode are still present, albeit to a lesser degree. Given how long the production took, fans naturally expected top notch quality.
Now half of the series is done, and there is a lot more of the story to cover, without even considering the smaller story arcs. After being disappointed by the drop in animation quality, and the disjointedness of the narrative itself, the hopes of fans have gone down.
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