February 22, 2023
A Dark Manga
Not in the mood for dark academia? Try this manga horror!Uzumakiby Junji Ito
In the small town of Uzumaki, Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend start noticing strange occurrences that all seem related to spirals, almost as if spiral shapes were somehow haunting the town or infecting things that get too close to them. A gripping tale, the manga Uzumaki is uniquely disconcerting with how it blends modern life with a surreal otherworld of disturbing impossibility, all visually striking thanks to Junji Ito’s unparalleled style. If you like horror but don’t interact much with Eastern media, give it a Google or pick up a copy! Or, if you have too many books and not enough time like me, be sure to keep an eye out for the animated adaptation currently being worked on. And in the meantime, you can check out an animated collection of shorter works recently released on Netflix: Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre.
—Henri Lepak