The first trailer for the anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki has been released, and it looks like this could be one of the best renditions of his work yet.
Of all Ito’s works, two stand out as the most iconic. One is Tomie, a series about an immortal woman who compels those who fall in love with her. The other is, of course, Uzumaki, a series about a town that’s enveloped by… uh, a whirlpool! It’s scarier than it sounds, I promise. The classic manga was actually adapted into a live-action film back in 2000, as well as a couple of video games, but it’s never been adapted into an anime. Technically, that’s still the case, as it hasn’t even been released yet, but after years of waiting, the first trailer for the series was finally released at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con, confirming it’ll air on Adult Swim’s Toonami on September 28th.
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You can check out the first trailer for the series above, and it’s mostly a collection of ominous, occasionally spiral-filled shots, but it’s still pretty stunning at first glance. You’ll obviously notice pretty quickly that the series has opted to be shot entirely in black and white, which is a rarity in anime adaptations, but for a work like Uzumaki, I can’t think of a better creative choice. Sure, color could add a lot to some adaptations, but Ito’s work is particularly striking because it’s in black and white, and seeing it realized in anime form makes this series very exciting, even regardless of how classic it is.
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The only downside is that it’s only four episodes long, so you won’t get to see a lot, but it’s still got a lot of talented actors. Hiroji Nagahama (Mushishi) is directing the series at Studio Drive and Studio Akatsuki, but the series also has another surprising credit: Hereditary and Menu composer Colin Stetson created the score.
“Swirl” will air weekly on Toonami starting September 28, but will be available to stream on Max the day after each episode airs.
