Why you should read Junji Ito's Uzumaki Manga before the anime premieres, explored

With adult swim having released the first look of the Uzumaki anime, fans have been looking forward to its release. That said, the anime adaptation was announced a long time ago and even now, it is yet to reveal a release window other than stating that it will release in 2023. Hence, many fans are left confused about what to do.

Junji Ito's Uzumaki is a horror manga following the story of Kirie Goshima, a girl living in the town of Kurouzu-cho. However, one day she happens to see her boyfriend's father look obsessed with spirals. Following this observation, both Kirie and her boyfriend Shuuichi notice how the entire town becomes madly obsessed with spirals.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Uzumaki manga.

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Uzumaki: Why fans should read the manga before anime releases?

Despite the fact that Uzumaki anime was announced back in 2020, the anime is yet to announce a release window. While Studio Drive has accounted for the delay as issues caused due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the truth is that the anime has only been listed for four episodes. Even so, the studio hasn't finished producing the same.

Considering the clips that adult swim has released on their YouTube channel, it does seem like Studio Drive is working exceptionally hard on replicating the intricate character designs as seen in the manga. However, the delay is too long for fans to wait. Hence, it would be best advised for Junji Ito fans who haven't yet read the manga to read it before the anime premieres.

Kirie Goshima as seen in the anime's first look (Image via Studio Drive)

While many horror fans would be willing to wait until the Uzumaki anime premieres, there are several reasons for them to read the manga before they watch the anime. To this day, there have been several anime adapting the works of Junji Ito. However, none of them has hit home with the fans. While the studio responsible for the previous anime isn't the same as the one adapting the latest series, it would be best for fans to stay cautious and read the manga first.

This is because Uzumaki is considered to be a masterpiece released by Junji Ito. Hence, if it happens to not be well adapted in the anime, many horror fans would not want to give the series a second chance with the manga.

Toshio Saito as seen in the anime's first look (Image via Studio Drive)

Moreover, fans should know that the entire Uzumaki manga is 648 pages long. Considering that a 200-page shonen manga generally has about 3-4 episodes worth of content, the fact that a 648-page-long Uzumaki manga was only able to provide content for four episodes is very questionable. Thus, there is a good chance that the anime studio may have skipped several parts and scenes from the manga.

If as a horror anime fan, one does not want to miss out on the entire work by Junji Ito, perhaps reading the manga before watching the anime will be best for them. This should help them identify any scenes that have been omitted during the anime adaptation.

Kirie Goshima and Shuuichi Saito as seen in the anime's first look (Image via Studio Drive)

However, the number of episodes the anime has been listed for could also be a sign that the anime will have multiple seasons. When the manga was first released, it was published in three volumes. Thus, there remains a possibility that Studio Drive will actually be releasing the anime in three seasons, with the first season set to adapt the manga's first volume.

If this does happen, fans may have to wait years until they get to see the entire manga get adapted into an anime. Thus, considering the number of pages in the Junji Ito manga, it would be better if they start reading it right away.