Junji Itofans have known all along that an anime adaptation ofUzumakiwould be the biggest, most anticipated release of all of his works, and thanks to a new trailer, fans won’t have to wait long. The latest trailer from Adult Swim revealsUzumakiis set to drop on Toonami on June 28, 2025, at 12:30 AM EDT, with a next-day release on the Max streaming app. The trailer features a greyscale glimpse into visions of obsession, descents into maniacal terror, and a menacing soundtrack to punctuate just how impactful the release ofUzumaki’sanime series is.
Uzumakiis a limited anime series, slated to release four pulse-pounding episodesdepicting Junji Ito’s most famous supernatural and body horror work. The anime promises to be the greatest adaptation yet for the veteran mangaka, and it’s clear that the long wait time is increasingly proving to be worth it, at least from the trailer glimpses alone. Spirals and their mystical properties are explored, obsessed over, and chillingly shown in terrifying extremes in theUzumakianime, and it could be the most exciting horror anime in years.
Uzumaki Gets Right What Other Junji Ito Anime Have Gotten Wrong
Production Value Is the Tip of the Iceberg
While many of Junji Ito’s previous adaptations fall within anthology collections of his short stories,Uzumakiis regarded as his magnum opus, so an anime adaptation would need a stellar release to set itself apart. This isn’t to say his other anime are bad;Junji Ito’s anime adaptations occasionally have abrupt endingswith their short stories, but these are fairly faithful to his manga, which frequently have dark or ambiguous endings that are far from happy. But from the trailer alone, the animation is smooth, the music is fitting, and most crucially, it renders everything in monochrome.
The result is anUzumakianime that addresses the troubling flaws of adding color to an art style that thrives so strongly on its grayscale imagery. It’s a topic that’s been explored in other adaptations, such as the animated manga fan adaptation ofBerserk.Uzumaki’sanime is highly anticipated, so a proper, chilling rendition of the horrors that have been displayed in art galleries bearing Ito’s name need to be given proper justice.
Uzumaki Isn’t Just Junji Ito’s Best Anime, It Could Be The Best Horror Anime In Recent Years
A Genre That Occasionally Goes Underrepresented
While anime have been able to thrive with touches of horror or secondary themes bearing the genre, such asChainsaw Man,Attack on Titan,Dark Gathering,orMade in Abyss, fewer recent anime have done well as strictly horror tales. Given that it’s a three-volume manga being adapted as opposed to Junji Ito’s other relatively short stories, it’s clear thatUzumakihas the potential to be more widely discussed than other contemporary Junji Ito adaptations. With video games and feature films thriving in the horror genre,Uzumakirightly deserves a hit anime series.
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
Cast
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror is an adaptation of Junji Ito’s acclaimed manga, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. The series unfolds in the town of Kurôzu-cho where inexplicable events related to spirals plague the inhabitants, leading to terror and madness. Highlighting the psychological and supernatural, the show follows high school student Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, as they confront the spiraling horrors that engulf their town.
