Uzumaki Episode 2 Review

Episode Two of Uzumaki has arrived, and it’s no overstatement to say that this week’s release marked a moment of truth of sorts for Studio Drive’s adaptation. As with any adaptation of beloved source material, fans were skeptical of whether Drive had really struck gold with this anime, or whether Episode One was simply a fluke. Well, I’m happy to report that Episode Two represents perhaps the most important aspect of this adaptation for fans – consistency.

In this review, we’re going to be talking all about the second episode of Uzumaki, an episode where we cut past the mystery and nuance of Episode One, and begin to witness a town’s full descent into madness. There will be spoilers ahead for the events of Episode Two, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to watch and then come back! Without further ado, let’s get into the review!

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The Review

Image by Drive

Uzumaki kicked off with an excellent first episode last week, and the greatest testament to this week’s episode is that it has kept up that high standard established in the series premiere. With us being halfway through the adaptation now, considering where the story is at, I think it’s safe to say that some content from the manga will be cut, but honestly, that was to be expected. Having gotten over that loss already, I was able to experience this episode unburdened by that lingering thought – and that made it all the more enjoyable.

I will say though, this week’s episode was conflicting for me, in regards to the plot. At this point, Uzumaki has started to fully explore the various tales of the spiral across Kurôzu Town, which means the vibe has shifted from feeling like one, consistent story, to a series of short stories mashed together – which is a vibe Junji Ito excels at. However, this week happened to combine some of my favourite sections from the manga, with probably my least favourite, leaving me drifting between being fully invested in the storyline, and completely detached.

This is not necessarily a fault of this adaptation – after all, they’re adapting the source material pretty faithfully – but I simply cannot get invested in the Katayama ‘snail’ storyline. Since it was teased last week, and I was suddenly forced to remember it ever happened, I’ve been waiting for the anime to get through it so I could move on. Luckily, that side of the story seems to be wrapped up now, but it did taint a chunk of this episode for me, especially when some of my favourite sections were also adapted.

Image by Drive

I was never really able to get past just how nonchalant everyone was about the whole ‘human-snail’ thing. To watch Kirie walk home from school and casually utter the sentence, ‘I can’t believe he turned into a snail person too’, as though this was a regular Tuesday was a complete separation from how seriously she was taking everything else she was seeing. I imagine this casual attitude towards horror is there to symbolize her dangerous familiarity with the madness of the town, but it still has always felt out of place to me.

Luckily, this episode wasn’t all about snails. The section of the manga revolved around Kirie’s hair has always been one of my favourite visuals from the manga, and we got to see it adapted in all of its glory here. Kirie’s hair is an interesting take on the spiral theme for me, because whereas the events involving Shuichi’s father and Katayama’s transformation fully showcased how horrific the spirals were, Kirie’s hair is the first section of the manga where the spiral appeals to the viewer themselves. You know her spiraling hair represents something sinister, but the imagery is so visually compelling, you almost felt drawn to the dreaded swirl itself.

This storyline also coincided with another favourite of mine this week, the Yoriko and Kazunori couple storyline. This plot is remarkable to me in how it actually weaves the concept of a ‘spiral’ into the emotions of the people involved. The idea of their respective parents constantly fighting in a never-ending spiral, so the pair decide to create a spiral of their own to finally be with each other is a poignant take on what, to this point, is a full-on horror anime. However, the horror is still present here – the Yoriko-Kazunori ‘entwining’ scene is animated in all of its horrific glory. That scene in particular was the highlight of this week for me.

Image by Drive

The episode concluded with the lighthouse chapter, which if I’m being completely honest, I forgot ever happened until the corpse in the stairway panel was adapted. The sequence definitely felt shoved onto the back of the episode, though its adaptation does mark nearly half of the manga being covered. There’s a faint chance that we might see the ‘hospital’ section here after all, but I still have my doubts. Next week will reveal all in that regard.

Where last week’s episode introduced viewers to the twisted world of Uzumaki, this week’s episode slammed on the gas pedal, and threw us full-throttle into just how unusual this story is. Most importantly of all, Studio Drive has leaned into the abnormality of Junji Ito stories. This truly feels like the manga brought to life, in a way that other Ito adaptations have not – and honestly, I think the black-and-white is a huge factor in this.

Another strong episode this week, that was, unfortunately, only bogged down a few notches by my own personal distaste for the snail storyline. What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you think Studio Drive are going to stick the landing, or do you think that Ito’s manga will always be the only way to properly experience Uzumaki? Let us know in the comments!

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Where to Watch Uzumaki?

Image by Drive

Uzumaki premieres weekly on Adult Swim, during the Toonami block at 12:30am EST. This means that if you’re reading from the UK, it airs at 05:30am! Luckily, you can catch each episode the next day on streaming, as every episode streams the following day on Max. Happy watching!

See also: Scariest Junji Ito Manga Stories

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