Book Review: Uzumaki by Junji Ito

If all horror manga is as fucked-up and disturbing as Uzumaki, then my bank balance will have something else to worry about, in addition to my coffee addiction.

“Spirals... this town is contaminated with spirals...”
Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. However, the town is not haunted by a person or a being, but a pattern - uzumaki, the spiral.

That synopsis sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet Ito manages to make such a concept absolutely terrifying! His imagination reminds me of Clive Barkers in so many ways, I almost can’t fathom how they come up with such insane, disturbing ideas.

The illustrations are INCREDIBLE, just mind-bending and horrifying. Some will live long in the memory! I loved how each chapter had its own self-contained story or theme, therefore it’s very easy to pick up and read a single chapter and still get a satisfying experience.

Uzumaki really has it all: fucked-up body horror, Lovecraftian elements, boundless imagination, and an unnerving sense of dread that pervades throughout its entirety. Highly, HIGHLY recommend. I need ALL the Junji Ito now! 4.5 stars.

Johann
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