Dustin Roberts
The third episode of Uzumaki is more focused than the previous two, but the cracks in the show’s structure are showing more. Thematically, this episode continues to expand on the ideas of generational conflict, leading to breakdowns in society, while ramping up the scale of the narrative. While episodes 1 and 2 contained overlapping narratives that sometimes fought each other, episode 3 focuses on just two overall stories, and the episode is pretty evenly split down the middle between them. As a result, it feels like two 15-minute episodes, with some brief scenes that act as payoffs to previous stories. Still, while there are some truly disturbing moments, Adult Swim’s Uzumaki is struggling to match the intense promise of its source material.
The first half contains arguably the scariest story arc in Uzumaki manga, and it’s very effective here. Kirie is currently in the hospital after last week’s hair-battle showdown with Kyoko, and she sees that her pregnant cousin has been admitted after receiving a brutal attack from some particularly vicious mosquitoes. While there, some mysterious deaths occur where several patients are found drained of blood. What transpires next is a wholly unique and extremely effective vampire tale, one that furthers Uzumaki’s already established themes of a society where the parents have failed the younger generation at every turn. If Uzumaki is often a story about a generation of children with no guidance or protection from their elders, the hospital/vampire story is about the inevitable conclusion of such a society—one in which the children desire nothing more than to return to the safety of their mothers’ wombs. In Uzumaki, every metaphor is literalized, to horrific effects. This ends with one of the most disturbing scenes and images that we’ve seen thus far.
The second half of the episode is about a mysterious typhoon that has appeared over Kurouzu-cho seemingly out of nowhere, and unnaturally hovers over the town without weakening. While it reigns destruction on the town, destroying much of it. This is the story that will lead us into the climax of the series, as things become increasingly untenable. One of the impressive things about the Uzumaki manga is its sense of ever-growing scale. Things start wild and continually escalate, and the typhoon signifies that growth. Literally a massive spiral, the typhoon is not only unnaturally still, but it seems sentient. Even more frighteningly, it seems to have targeted its wrath on Kirie for mysterious reasons.
Additionally, there are a few scenes and subplots that attempt to tie up previous stories, some of which work and some of which don’t. Mostly, they feel like the writers wanting to tie up every fairly loose knot before the finale. Several moments were stripped of their power because some other, unrelated, plot thread reared its deranged head into the scene. It’s mostly distracting because you can feel the writers working hard to make everything work.
It’s becoming clear that four 25-ish minute episodes probably aren’t enough to tell this story, because few of the individual stories are given enough time to breathe. While that was a strength in the claustrophobic episode 1, by episode 3 much of the terror inherent in Uzumaki is suffocated in favor of moving on to the next beat. Add to that the disappointing and steep drop in the quality of the animation and art from episode 1 and it’s hard not to feel bummed about how this show has come together. Still, I’m hopeful that the final episode gets the same treatment that episode 1 got in order for it to end on a high note. The ending of the manga is epic and presents wonderful opportunities for some spectacular, surreal moments of awesome cosmic horror.
