New horror anime based on one of Junji Ito's scariest manga lands a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

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Uzumaki is set to scare us silly

A woman with a spiral eyeball in horror anime Uzumaki
(Image credit: Junji ITO, Shogakukan / Production I.G., LLC/Adult Swim)

Uzumaki, the horror anime adaptation of one of Junji Ito's scariest manga stories, is getting early rave reviews – and a perfect score on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

First announced five years ago before being met by delays, the four-episode horror series – set to air on Adult Swim in the US and Channel 4 in the UK – follows the stories of the citizens of the quaint Japanese town of Kurouzo-chu, as each seemingly succumbs to a terrible fate. The new Uzumaki trailer also previewed some of the body horror and eerie, spiral-centric sights we can expect from the new anime.

"If the series can maintain its presentation and momentum, it has the makings of an anime horror classic," Paste Magazine's Elijah Gonzalez writes in his review.

ComicBook.com's Evan Valentine is similarly positive, writing, "Horror anime is something that viewers don't nearly get enough of and so it is beyond satisfying to finally see what might be the perfect example of the genre arrive right in time for the spooky season."

Io9's Isaiah Colbert also points to Uzumaki doing the impossible: breaking the long spell of Junji Ito adaptations (including the Junji Ito Collection and Gyo) that have failed to shine on its leap from page to screen: "Uzumaki‘s first episode casts an enchanting spell of its own through the detailed technical innovations of Production I.G’s animation that will hopefully keep up its winning momentum to end the Junji Ito anime adaptation curse once and for all."

For more, check out our picks for the best anime you should be watching in 2024, plus the latest on the medium's biggest names – including Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3, and the Demon Slayer Infinity Castle trilogy.

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Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.