Toonami Co-Creator Candidly Talks Uzumaki Animation Issues

Junji Ito's Uzumaki saw some big problems with its second episode and Jason DeMarco speaks on them.

By Evan Valentine

While Uzumaki's first episode was one that drew plenty of eyeballs, it appears as though the second episode hasn't been a hit amongst the anime fan community. Many viewers have taken to social media to express their beliefs that something has gone wrong in terms of the latest Junji Ito anime adaptation. In a shocking twist, Toonami co-creator Jason DeMarco discussed the issues with the animation of Uzumaki Episode 2. Unfortunately, this latest statement has horror and anime fans alike wondering how the final two episodes of the spooky mini-series will look in comparison to its premiere.

DeMarco, following the reception to Uzumaki's second installment, took to his official social media account on BlueSky, saying the following before deleting said comments, "We knew this would happen. I can't talk about what went down but we were screwed over and the options were A.) not finish and air nothing and call it a loss, B) just finish and air episode one and leave it incomplete or C.) run all four, warts and all. Out of respect for the hard work, we chose C". Thanks to this statement, many are left wondering if Uzumaki can stick the landing when its finale airs later this month.

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(Photo: Adult Swim & Studio Drive)

Uzumaki: A Spiraling Disaster

DeMarco had more to share on the recent installment and the Uzumaki anime as a whole, "After waiting so long, it makes sense people would be mad. Unfortunately, I can't tell them who to blame it on, but someone is definitely at fault here, and we all just had to do our best when things imploded. Maybe others would have made different choices. We did the best we could with what we had. Again, a lot of people worked very hard on this show and I didn't think the actions of just one or two people should be the reason it never saw the light of day. Maybe that's the wrong choice, I truly don't know. But those people have a right to be annoyed and disappointed. I'm glad you are digging it."

In 2022, DeMarco was already ringing the alarm bell on the potential problems surrounding the spooky anime adaptation. When asked as to whether or not Toonami and Adult Swim would create a new adaptation of Junji Ito's work, the Toonami creator stated, "If I'm being honest, it's been very challenging to adopt that style. I don't know if we could do it again." 

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(Photo: Adult Swim & Studio Drive)

Uzumaki Adaptations In The Future

While it's sad to think that Uzumaki might be the only Junji Ito adaptation to come from Cartoon Network, that doesn't mean that the master of horror's works won't be brought to life in the future. In fact, Fangoria Studios has announced that they plan on creating a trilogy of live-action films that will adapt the mangaka's spookiest stories. To start, Bloodsucking Darkness is a tale that Ito weaved that offered a brand new take on creatures of the night that Fangoria will sink its teeth into. Following this, the studio plans on adapting Mystery of The Haunted House, a story that focuses on a recurring Ito character as he establishes a spooky abode that is far more sinister than it seems. 

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The third live-action movie remains a mystery at this point but there are plenty of spooky stories to choose from. Junji Ito has spent decades creating some of the scariest stories in the anime world and it doesn't look like the artist is slowing down any time soon. 

Want to stay up to date on all the good and bad surrounding Junji Ito's Uzumaki? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the horror anime and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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