A spine-tingling clip from Uzumaki emerges from Adult Swim Festival 2023

Fans of Japanese horror maestro Junji Ito have been patiently waiting, waiting, and waiting for the upcoming adaptation of Uzumaki, the 1998 supernatural horror manga that first introduced Ito’s hyper-detailed form of grotesque body horror to readers in the West. Last weekend’s Adult Swim Festival got us no closer to a definitive release date, other than later this year. But on the plus side, we did get a new clip of the anime, and it looks fantastic.

Produced by Japanese animation studio Drive, the four-episode anime adaptation revolves around the story of residents of Kurouzu-cho, a quiet Japanese town who are suddenly struck by a deadly spiraling supernatural curse that drives anyone who sees them mad. The Uzumaki anime is directed by Hiroshi Nagahama of Mushishi And The flowers of evil fame and is produced by animation studio Drive, with a score of Heir apparent composer Colin Stetson.

The visuals certainly resemble Nagahama’s signature cel-shaded rotoscope animation The flowers of evil, featuring eerie body movements and character silhouettes that mimic Ito’s line work and shadows. It’s been four long years Uzumaki was first announced at Crunchyroll Expo 2019, and while the wait was unbearable for some, the additional details we to have seen show a care and attention befitting only Ito’s most iconic work.

Uzumaki is expected to air later this year on Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block.