Forum - View topicUzumaki: A Horror Classic
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driverstart
 Posts: 214 Location: America |
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This forum is all about Uzumaki and stuff about it. I'll just start off this forum with a few things:
It may not be the biggest thing in the world, but have you notice the rating change in Uzumaki? The original format for the Editor's Choice editions were that Uzumaki was rated M. Now if we look at the second edition verisons of the story, they are now rated T+ for 16 and up. I'm wondering if there has been any edits or did they just review it again and decided to down grade the rating? Also, Manga Life reviewed the entire series. Volume one has an A and volume 2 and 3 have an A+. That's all I have to say. |
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smoochy
 Posts: 367 Location: Texas |
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Easily has some of the of the most disturbing ideas I've ever seen in a manga, and some of the most inventive.
I think the third volume is one of the best manga I've ever read. I don't want to even put up spoilers of it case someone reading this thread hasn't read the manga, but Ito ties up his series in one of the best ways possible. |
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blind_assassin
 Posts: 755 |
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I want to read the rest of this series but as it stands they're reprinting it and only the first volume is released so far. Number 2 comes out just before Christmas and Volume 3 comes out in February of next year. It's definitely a very good series. Junji Ito has a very cool style of horror.
I'm reading Gyo as well. His style is pretty distinct in both series. |
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smoochy
Posts: 367 Location: Texas |
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Aye, Gyo is a very good read, but it doesn't really compare to Uzumaki. After you read volume 3, if you aren't blown away, I don't think Ito is the manga-ka for you. |
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Not a Jellyfish
 Posts: 539 Location: Boston, MA |
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I'm not typically a horror fan, but I decided to pick up the reprints of Uzumaki anyway. I must say, I'm absolutely fascinated with his style. And as much as I wouldn't say it's necessarily "scary" it is definitely disturbing. I'm definitely picking up the next volume when it comes out, just to see how twisted (ha ha, sorry) this one may be.
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Highway Star
 Posts: 227 Location: Ireland |
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Is Uzumaki a good starting point for a new-to-horror manga reader such as myself?
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Probably. I think Ito is generally overrated (incredible artist but an average writer with some very notable exceptions) but Uzumaki is a solid manga that's very much in-line with modern J-horror. I'm always going to recommend Drifting Classroom as the premiere horror manga available in English, but I suppose Ito's work is a bit more accessible if your used to only modern manga. |
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Highway Star
Posts: 227 Location: Ireland |
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Thanks for the advice dude. I seen Drifting Classroom two days ago, should've damn picked it up... Every manga/mangaka search I make on this forum usually has a post by you in it, you've got damn awesome taste man (Taiyo Matsumoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Jiro Taniguchi etc.). You're also on Dark Horse message boards, right? Also, I wouldn't really call myself a modern manga reader, I do lurve me classics like Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Osamu Tezuka and the very little I've read of Yoshiharu Tsuge... then again, I'm into good ol' Taiyo Matsumoto and Daisuke Igarashi too. |
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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@Highway Star: In addition to the excellent Drifting Classroom, I'd recommend Dragon Head. While it doesn't remain pure horror throughout, the first few volumes are some of, if not the best example of horror that you'll find in manga available in English. Later volumes take a turn into apocalyptic sci-fi territory but remains great.
Interestingly enough, both The Drifting Classroom and Dragon Head end in English in April of next year. Also, Domu: A Child's Dream has to be read to be believed. Currently it's out of print, but if you see a copy (or Dark Horse decides to re-release it) then be sure to buy it if you haven't already considering you're a fan of Otomo. |
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Highway Star
Posts: 227 Location: Ireland |
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Thanks, I appreciate your help man, I'll definetely give both a check.  And yeah, I'm just about the biggest Otomo fan in Ireland (well, self-proclaimed), Domu is perhaps one of my favourite stories, ever. Unfortunatelty, I only have the original Japanese edition, but I have read the translated and hope to pick it up fairly soon too.
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Monumension
 Posts: 268 Location: Norway |
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Seconded. Dragon Head is excellent horror. And while the later volumes drifts into these apocalyptic doomsday-scenarios I still think the series maintains a far creepier atmosphere than any other alternative. The hopeless situation and complete isolation of the main characters started to remind me of survival-horror series Silent Hill. As for Uzumaki; while it manages to end with a satisfying conclusion I hardly got to enjoy the story as simply that; a story. It felt too episodic and sporadic at times. It almost seemed like Ito used two whole volumes to get to the real point. That being said it also contains some creepy sequences and twisted (get it?) art. It's also got my all-time favorite quote form any manga: "After school my hair took me to the station, because it wanted a larger audience" Classic. 
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Not a Jellyfish
Posts: 539 Location: Boston, MA |
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Really??? I'm a die-hard Silent Hill fan. Some of the greatest games ever made imho. But I was always a bit skeptical about Dragon Head. Not sure why, the reason fails me now, but if it has similar themes and style as SH, then I'll definitely pick it up?
HAHA, I was highly amused by that chapter. I was just trying to imagine what I would do if my hair just got a mind of its own. 
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Monumension
Posts: 268 Location: Norway |
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While there are no supernatural elements in Dragon Head (no psychic powers or dimensional rifts) I thought it's mood was quite similar to the first Silent Hill game. Both mediums feature a world that has been turned upside down by extreme powers (in Silent Hill they are paranormal, in Dragon Head they're most likely of natural basis) and both feature protagonists lost in a dangerous wasteland searching for the reason behind the devastation. I like how DH tries to solve the mystery by eliminating one possible option after the other, volume by volume. In the first volumes you think the characters have survived a train-accident or maybe an earthquake, but as the story progress you realize there must be something truly gargantuan behind it all. So just like in Silent Hill Dragon Head doesn't reveal too much, but keep holding back information from the reader while it gradually closes in on the terrifying reason behind the hopelessness (which has yet to be revealed). |
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areallystupidguy
Posts: 13 Location: Montana |
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Uzumaki is one of the awesomest things I've ever read. Gyo was good too. Surprised no one's mentioned Hideshi Hino yet, his stuff isn't that scary, but he's great at mixing subtle satire with disturbing imagery for maximum entertainment effect.
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