As a gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt and countless hours spent immersed in various genres, I can confidently say that the upcoming anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s masterpiece, Uzumaki, has me absolutely spellbound. Having grown up reading manga and witnessing the rise of Japanese horror icons like Hideo Nakata (Ring) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure), I have eagerly anticipated a faithful adaptation of one of Ito’s seminal works.
At long last, “Spiral Into Darkness,” or Uzumaki as it’s commonly known, is set to premiere on Adult Swim later this month. One of the key figures behind the production has shared insights into how they successfully translated Junji Ito’s distinctive artwork and style for the anime adaptation. Junji Ito is a highly influential manga creator, with his chilling works serving as a major inspiration for numerous other creators in the field today. While many of Ito’s works have been adapted into anime, Uzumaki has been eagerly anticipated by fans, who consider it to be his most outstanding creation overall.
2019 marked the initial announcement for the adaptation of Uzumaki into an anime series, a project that Adult Swim and Production I.G have been diligently working on since then. The long-awaited premiere is finally set for September 28th. In a recent interview with Vulture prior to the launch of the new Uzumaki TV anime, Jason DeMarco, SVP of anime and action series at Adult Swim and the show’s executive producer, shared insights into the creative process behind recreating Junji Ito’s unique art style for the anime, its monochromatic design, and other aspects.
Uzumaki’s Long Road to Premiere
In explaining the objective of the new Uzumaki TV anime, DeMarco expressed that they aimed to come as near as feasible to something genuinely eerie, a sensation Ito-sensei often evokes in his work but hadn’t been fully captured in previous animated adaptations. Regarding the monochrome aesthetic of the upcoming series reflecting the Uzumaki manga, DeMarco disclosed that this concept originated from Flying Lotus, a musician who has collaborated extensively with Adult Swim on various projects. “When I informed him we were about to finalize a deal for the show, he suggested ‘You should do it in black and white,'” DeMarco shared. “I found that suggestion brilliant and proposed it to director Hiroshi Nagahama during our first discussion about the project. He mentioned that he had actually been contemplating the same idea and was delighted that I brought it up.
As a gamer putting this into my own words, Director Hiroshi Nagahama proposed an intriguing approach that made the project more demanding yet rewarding. His idea was to employ motion capture technology and construct everything in CG first, followed by redrawing every frame meticulously. This technique, he believed, would empower animators to recreate Ito-sensei’s exquisitely detailed line work.
Why Uzumaki Took So Long
The creation of Uzumaki took an extended period due to various reasons, including Nagahama’s decision to rework motion capture and CG work, as well as numerous real-world factors that affected the small production team. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the project, causing a full halt in work for approximately a year. As DeMarco disclosed, “The pandemic almost entirely stopped production on the series for nearly a year. This was the most significant influence.” The crew’s size made it particularly difficult when even a few members and their families fell ill, severely impacting both the project and team morale. Reviving the show after such a setback proved to be quite a challenge.
I’m thrilled beyond words! After a long, anxious wait, my favorite manga masterpiece, Junji Ito’s Uzumaki, is finally making its way onto our screens through Adult Swim’s Toonami block on Saturday, September 28th at 12:30AM EST. The original Japanese audio with English subtitles will be the first treat for us fans. The following day, it will be streamable on Max. And here’s the cherry on top – starting October 3rd, we can enjoy the English dub release every Thursday at 12:30AM, with an encore broadcast every week!
HT – Vulture
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2024-09-10 00:40