Review - Uzumaki Vol. 1

Uzumaki Vol. 1
by Junji Ito
2007 2nd English Edition

Uzumaki is a horror manga done by Junji ito who is perhaps best known for his work Tomie. Drawing his influences from Kazuo Umezu, known for his work The Drifting Classroom, and H.P. Lovecraft, Ito has crafted a great piece of horror fiction.

The story is centered in in the small Japanese town of Koruzo-Cho which is infected with the spiral, appropriately hinted at by the subtitle "Spiral into Horror" for the series. The spiral shape, on everything from a snail to the curls in a woman's hair, has taken on a sinister significance in the town. Characters become obsessed with the spiral or are otherwise "infected" with it when they are obsessed by a variety of things. This first volume and from what I understand the following two volumes are filled with tales from this town from the point of view of high school student Kirie. The first story chronicles the obsession that overtakes her boyfriend Shuichi's father and how he loses himself in the spiral. Kirie at first seems to be outside the psychological and physiological effects of the spiral, but soon we find that anyone in Koruzo-Cho is vulnerable to the horror.

Ito's work in Uzumaki can be solidly categorized by what many refer to as "body horror" as the characters are often twisted by the spiral into horrible shapes and monstrous beings. H.P. Lovecraft's influences are felt in the mysterious almost cosmic nature of the "spiral infection" and how people are not only warped physically but also mentally. This is a manga in which there isn't simply gore and body horror, but also the psychological horror of insanity, madness, and obsession. This recalls the way in which Lovecraft would often have his characters lose their minds in the face of his horrors rather than die since in many ways insanity can be seen to be worse than death.

The artwork is well done and Ito creates a unique feel to this mysterious and horrible world he has created. The manga is laid out quite beautifully and panels are broken down in a manner in which to build the tension and horror of the moments. The way in which the spirals are done is easily the highlight of the first volume and they are often drawn so as to draw you into them and keep you mesmerized just as the characters themselves are lost in the spirals.

Uzumaki is not for everyone both because of the gore and the resulting body horror and because of the psychological aspects of the story can be rather disturbing, but those who enjoy the works of Lovecraft and psychological horror in films such as Jacob's Ladder and video games such as Silent Hill should find much to enjoy in the town of Koruzo-Cho and in Uzumaki.

Verdict: 5 stars out of 5.