The Curse of the Spiral

Title: Uzumaki
Story & Art: Ito Junji
Volumes: 3
Genre: Horror

After I read Gyo (which I'll probably write about later), I've been following Junji Ito's works. This manga, Uzumaki, has been adapted into a movie, so I thought that it was about time that I read it. (I was kind of uneasy reading it at night, so when I had time today, I quickly read the story.)

It wasn't exactly scary. Creepy, perhaps...but not that scary. The plot revolves around a girl who lives in a town, Kurozu, that's obsessed with spirals - both natural and artificial ones. It's not really the people who "are" obsessed, it's just that the town holds a lot of power that makes people obsess over the spirals. The whole town is full of it, which is kinda creepy.

In Uzumaki, one girl, Kirie, and her boyfriend, Shuuichi, get first-hand experience of the terrible events that these spirals cause when Shuuichi's father dies because of them. The occurences that happen all throughout the three volumes all have something to do with spirals and the plot ends with the most diabolical spiral there is. Hehehe...

Well the artwork is good and the story is unique in itself. Well that can be expected of Junji Ito anyway. But yeah, it kinda left me hanging again, just like with his other works, then again, that must be the reason why I like reading his manga. The "air of mystery and suspense," perhaps?

Although unless you don't really get queasy that easily, try reading Uzumaki. It isn't really for those who get upset over something graphical since Junji Ito's artwork really does make his manga bizzare and downright repulsive at times. It helps with the story greatly, so that sort of artwork is called for.