Uzumaki Crew Details the Anime's Long Wait: "It Almost Killed Us"
Adult Swim will bring Junji Ito's Uzumaki to life on September 28.
Back in 2019, the world was promised a brand-new take on Junji Ito's most famous story. The master of horror manga has put out tons of creepy titles over the decades, but few can stand up to Uzumaki. The thrilling horror is a fave with fans, and Adult Swim announced plans to turn Uzumaki into an anime years now. What followed was a series of production delays that left many fans wondering if Uzumaki would ever hit television. Now, the show is slated to drop at the end of September, and its crew is unpacking all the roadblocks that tried to stop Uzumaki.
The confession comes from Vulture as the outlet spoke with Jason DeMarco, the show's executive producer. It was there the executive said the COVID-19 pandemic tried to derail the anime entirely, but the entire staff was able to rally around the project.
Why Did It Take So Long to Make Uzumaki
"The pandemic completely stopped production on the show for close to a year. It was the single biggest impact," DeMarco explained. "Our crew was small, so having even a few members and their families getting deathly ill was a huge blow to both the production and our morale. It was very challenging to bring the show back from the dead."
Clearly, the two biggest hurdles facing Uzumaki was timing and staffing. The show was announced in 2019 just before the advent of COVID-19. The response to the pandemic differed from nation to nation, and in Japan, strict lockdowns were often put in place to protect the public. This meant Production I.G. had to scale back its work, and Uzumaki wasn't the top priority for the studio at this time.
This intense production delay put Uzumaki on the back burner, but Adult Swim did not give up on the vision. Thanks to director Hiroshi Nagahama, the show's small staff was able to resume work on Uzumaki and bring Ito's horrifying vision to life. "Our goal was to get as close as possible to something truly unsettling, something Ito-sensei does in much of his work but we had not felt in previous animated adaptations," DeMarco stressed.
What's Next for Uzumaki and Adult Swim After the Anime Premieres
Clearly, Uzumaki was a labor of love, and DeMarco has taken to social media to share just how intense its production period was. "I hope you guys like it. It almost killed us," he shared with followers earlier this month. Given that Uzumaki will premiere on September 28 on Adult Swim, all eyes are on the Ito adaptation. After all, Uzumaki looks unlike any adaptation gifted to Ito so far, and that is a good thing.
Over the years, a number of anime projects have tried to bring Ito's work to life, but they have yet to capture his ominous aesthetic. Nagahama worked hand-in-hand with Adult Swim to craft an animation style that perfectly suits the vision Ito inked years ago. So if you are curious to see how Production I.G. fared with the series, you will get to peek its first episode later this month. The show will air on Adult Swim first before moving to Max several days later for those who've moved to streaming. The team behind Uzumaki worked incredibly hard to bring the series to life, and if we want more Adult Swim originals, netizens will need to show their support.
Are you excited to check out Uzumaki when it debuts on Adult Swim? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
