Leading anime and manga distributor Viz Media is bringing all four episodes of the highly anticipated miniseries adaptation “Uzumaki: Animated TV Series” – originally titled “Uzumaki” on Cartoon Network’s Toonami – to EST (electric sell-through) platforms today.
Produced by Adult Swim and Production I.G USA, the U.S. branch of legendary Japanese anime makers Production I.G, “Uzumaki” arrives just in time for Halloween. Based on Junji Ito’s hugely popular manga of the same name, the body horror series is animated, like the book, using black-and-white 2D drawings. To heighten tensions, producers recruited “Hereditary” composer Colin Stetson to put together the show’s otherworldly score.
“Uzumaki” unspools in the fictional town of Kurouzu-cho, where everything from a strange whirlwind to billowing smoke from the crematorium and the residents themselves turns into spirals. Inside people’s heads, their eyes turn and whirl as their bodies twist into unnatural shapes. To escape the malady, a young girl named Kirie decides to flee the city, but the task is not so straightforward.
Originally published in the manga magazine “Big Comic Spirits” in 1998-99, the manga received quick critical acclaim and was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2003. It has since been adapted into two video games and a live-action film. The anime adaptation from Adult Swim and Production I.G USA aired on Adult Swim’s Toonami block this month, with the finale airing last night, Oct. 25.
“We are incredibly excited to bring Junji Ito’s masterpiece Uzumaki to the screen in a way that retains the manga’s haunting visual style and intensity,” said VIZ Media Senior Director of Digital Distribution JP Villanueva. “By releasing it on digital storefronts, we’re offering fans a new way to experience this gripping horror series, ensuring they can access it whenever and wherever they choose.”
San Francisco-based Viz Media is a major player in bringing Japanese manga and anime culture to the rest of the world. The company distributes physical and digital media copies of franchises including “Bleach,” “Naruto,” “Sailor Moon,” “Death Note” and “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,” as well as numerous manga and the iconic “Shonen Jump” magazine, among others.
“Uzumaki: Animated TV Series” is now available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home and the Microsoft Store.
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