Uzumaki Episode 4 Review

After four short weeks, our journey into the twisted spiral of Uzumaki has ended, and for some fans, the journey itself was a downward spiral. While Episode 1 captured fans’ hearts with stunning animation and a generally solid creative vision, after some production hiccups started to appear in the second episode of the anime, some viewers lost all hope that Drive would be able to stick the landing with their take on one of the most beloved manga of all time.

Generally, I’ve enjoyed the Uzumaki anime thus far, but like many, I too shared concerns over this final episode. Now that it’s here, and our journey with the show has come to an end, what did I think of its final stand? In this article, we’ll be reviewing Uzumaki Episode 4, talking all things good, bad, and ugly. We’ll also be talking spoilers, so be sure to check the episode out before reading on! Let’s get into this Uzumaki Episode 4 review.

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The Review

Image by Drive

My experience with this finale started off on a good note, as I realised that the runtime was longer than previous episodes. Last week, I had voiced my concerns about a rushed ending if all of the final chapters were to be shoved into a 20-minute slot. While a 30-minute slot is not a huge jump, at least it gave the episode some more time to breathe. The episode may have felt rushed compared to the more methodical pace of Ito’s original work, but this was largely due to the manga having many large, page-filling action panels in these chapters. For the most part, there was very little cut from the manga here.

Plot-wise, we now jump ahead to a Kurozu-Town completely destroyed, and in some ways, the horror of the town was now far more realistic than when we were being haunted by cosmic spirals. Of course, those spirals continue to haunt, but our characters now must deal with the horrors of humanity on the brink of survival, and the selfishness that comes with it, which is a far more realisable horror in everyday life. Sure, the cursed spirals aren’t helping with the matter, but Kurozu-Town is now also being destroyed by its citizens.

Some of the most destructive of these residents are the whirlwind gangs that have taken it upon themselves to weaponise Kurozu-Town’s tornado problem and run the streets themselves. This section always stood out to me in the manga as unusual, but now, it stands out for the wrong reasons. Episode 1, on the animation side of things, was too good to be true. Whatever the reason, Drive is clearly cutting corners on action sequences here, as we watch Kirie and friends, alongside the whirlwind gangs, float lifelessly as png images through the sky. It’s disappointing to see, compared to how fluid and lifelike the animation was in the beginning.

Image by Drive

Now, the animation was still fairly enjoyable for most of this episode. I do want to give credit to Drive in how well, overall, they’ve adapted an Ito story – if we know anything from past experiences, it’s no easy task. However, I can’t ignore how well-animated the whole series is, until anything even remotely action-related happens, after which still images are used. This was particularly jarring in this episode when Shuichi is tackled into the spiral on the endless staircase. Watching him fall into the depths, completely motionless because they’ve essentially taken a screenshot of him and shrunk it to represent falling, sucked all life out of the scene.

Still, this section of the manga is perhaps the most difficult to adapt yet. Particularly when it comes to the scenes representing Kurozu-Town’s new geography, I do have to commend Drive for pulling off the atmosphere intended in the original work. This was an episode that, unlike the past episodes of the series, focused a lot on environmental storytelling and our characters’ surroundings, rather than their actions. For the most part, it looked well, but some weak animation took me out of the moment.

I also want to give one final heaping of praise to the OST of the series. Colin Stetson has pulled off one of the best horror soundtracks, if not one of the best anime soundtracks, in recent memory, and I believe he was the perfect choice for the job. The music in each scene added so much to the vibe, and cast an eerie shadow over all the happenings on screen. However, as someone who has checked out the soundtrack on streaming, it’s clear that Drive hasn’t taken full advantage of his work. There are some tracks on the soundtrack, one in particular named ‘The Eternal Spiral’, that would have been a perfect choice for the show’s final moments, and yet, it isn’t used at all. I cannot understand why Drive would turn to a talent like Stetson, and then not use the incredible work he produces. Again, this was incredibly disappointing.

Image by Drive

I’m generally unsure of how people will react to this ending if they are experiencing Uzumaki through this anime for the first time. Some people like their stories to have concrete reasoning behind them, and yet, when it comes to Uzumaki, the reality is entirely cosmic. As a manga reader, I loved this ending, mainly because of how ominous and well set-up the reveal was. However, as the anime moved through these chapters at quite a pace, and in general, sped through the final chapter which reveals the cosmic truth, I can see viewers being unhappy with the reveal. I’d be interested to see reactions to the ending from anime-only viewers, because manga readers likely have a bias towards liking how the ending came about.

So, overall, what did I think of Uzumaki? Well, in general, I had a good time with it. I absolutely adore the source material, and this likely played a role in my enjoyment of the series, but I still think that, regardless of bias, this is the absolute best anime-adaptation we’ve ever had of an Ito story. Even if the first episode was its only true shining hour, the team behind this anime clearly appreciated Ito’s vision, and tried their hardest to bring it to us in an anime medium. However, it certainly didn’t live up to the expectations set for it. The Uzumaki manga is a 10/10 – this anime overall falls around a 7/10 for me. Not a bad show in the slightest, but certainly not the triumph I would have wanted for this horror staple.

What did you think of Uzumaki Episode 4, and the series overall? Was this your first experience of Ito’s cosmic classic, or are you a manga reader hoping to see your favourite story take the screen in glorious form? Do you agree with my thoughts on this finale, or do you think Drive stuck the landing? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thank you for reading!

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Where to Watch Uzumaki?

Image by Drive

Uzumaki premiered weekly on Adult Swim, during the Toonami block at 12:30am EST. You can catch each episode on streaming, as every episode is available to watch on Max. Happy watching!

See also: Uzumaki Episode 3 Review

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