Uzumaki episode 2 leaves you spinning this week. After a banger of a premiere episode, it would be easy for the follow up to fall flat, but it doesn’t. In fact, episode two lets the dread build slowly throughout the episode so that you’re just as uncomfortable with snails after the episode as you are while watching it.
Youthful energy
The thing that is most striking about the episode is its focus on the high schoolers. When you’re a teenager, there is a sense of urgency with everything. It creates an underlying tension in the episode no matter which character is in the spotlight. Additionally, it takes issues that teens deal with and pushes them to the far end of the spectrum in such a way that it’s almost unsurprising how their stories end. This creates a sense of unease that I don’t think would be there if the adults share the spotlight.
The key element of episode two is the foreshadowing. From the very first shot of the twisted snakes, it’s obvious what will happen to Kazunori and Yoriko—but the ending is still striking. You root for these two kids who want to live in peace and be happy for each other, but obstacles get in their way every step of the way. Even when you think the two of them will finally get their happy ending, they end up even more twisted than before. Their love breaks your heart in more ways than one.
Bullying and comeuppance
Bullying as a story point is nothing new to manga, but especially when it comes to Junji Ito. The difference is that Ito brings the bully down a few notches in a Lovecraftian way. Starting in episode one, Katayama is obviously the kid that everyone makes fun of for various reasons: he only shows up when it rains, he’s quite literally slow when moving or speaking, and he’s overall a bit of a weird kid. Tsumura, the class bully, consistently makes fun of him, going so far as to call him Sluggo in episode two. But, he gets his just dessert after making fun of Katayama once he turns into a snail – a horrifying experience for both the class and people watching.
The most unsettling thing in that story isn’t Katayama turning into a snail, though. It’s Tsumura also turning into a snail. The chaos that ensues after he also turns into a snail is not for the weak. It is, to put it as simply as possible, kind of gross. I’ll never be able to look at a snail the same way again after this episode.
Hair care
There is something to say about the importance of hair to teenage girls. It’s a key part of our identity. When Kirie’s hair begins to spiral, so does her identity. She immediately goes to the hairdresser to cut them out because the spirals aren’t part of who she is—not that the spirals allow Kirie to get rid of them so easily. Throughout the episode, we watch as the spirals, quite literally, suck the life out of Kirie until finally, she passes out from the toll of carrying them around. It’s only when Shuichi manages to cut Kirie’s hair that she’s able to return to herself as we know her.
Additionally, hair can make or break a friendship between two girls. This is exactly why the one-sided rivalry between Kirie and Kyoko is more than meets the eye. It’s clear from the first scene we get with Kyoko that even though she puts up a front as a good friend, she dislikes Kirie to the point of wanting to harm her in order to be the center of attention. Rivalries between girls who are friends in media are nothing new, but Uzumaki shows the physical manifestation of that rivalry. The two girls have a hair off despite Kirie not being interested in fighting with Kyoko, leading the latter to win the fight even if she doesn’t get to celebrate for long.
Brisk but effective pacing
Pacing plays a major role in Uzumaki. Episode two takes place over two days but the overlapping of stories makes you forget that because so much is happening. Dare I say, it sends you spiraling? But, that spiraling works for the show by increasing the tension and dramatics as the 23 minutes tick on.
Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror episode two is a great follow-up to an absolutely stunning premiere. The spotlight being on the high schoolers throughout the episode made the story come to life in a way that few animes know how to do. Between lovers being twisted together, bullies turning into snails, and hair taking on a life of its own, episode two of Uzumaki left me dizzy in the best way possible.
Uzumaki airs Saturday’s on Adult Swim, streaming the next day on Max.
Featured image Adult Swim/MAX
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‘Uzumaki’ Episode 2 - 9/10
9/10
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Did we watch the same episode? The quality in animation in ep. 2 was horrible. It looked fan-made compared to the first episode, though I’ve seen some fan-made animations that look much better. This was pitiful. The music was good, the source material is, of course, there, and that’s about the only thing good I can say about it. It was difficult to watch.
The second episode had to have been done by an entirely different team of animators. Clearly, saving money was the primary factor here. Adult Swim and Production I.G. couldn’t offer the same quality for four twenty-minute episodes? That’s disappointing.
I’m starting to understand why this show was delayed so long.