The production house behind the anime “Uzumaki: Spiral to Horror” – Jason DeMarco, has recently gained notoriety for the quality of the second episode of this highly anticipated anime. This situation has sparked considerable criticism within the fan community.
DeMarco, known as the creative force behind the launch of Toonami on Cartoon Network, utilized the social media platform Bluesky to interpret the events surrounding the adaptation of Junji Ito’s famous horror manga.
The second episode of the anime “Uzumaki” aired on October 5 on Adult Swim and faced intense scrutiny regarding its animation quality, which the public has notably remarked upon.
Regarding the controversial episode, DeMarco stated: “I can’t precisely articulate what happened, but it has frustrated us, and the options were: A) no conclusion, no airing of anything, and just leave it; B) only air episode 1 and let it remain unfinished; or C) air the whole series, including all its flaws. Given the limited resources we had, we chose option C.”
DeMarco emphasized that after several years of waiting, he understands why fans are frustrated, but he pointedly remarked that someone must be held accountable for the production issues, even though he could not specify who. “Many people have worked very hard on this project, and I do not believe that the actions of one or two individuals are the reason the show has struggled to come to light,” he added.
The first episode of Uzumaki received high ratings for capturing the unique visual style of Ito’s artwork, making fans believe that the “curse” that was supposed to be conveyed from the original manga had been effectively portrayed.
However, the second episode featured poor animation quality, lackluster music, and inconsistent visuals, leading to immediate backlash on social media.
Although DeMarco did not explain in detail what transpired, the production issues surrounding the anime Uzumaki have been known to many since it was first announced in 2019. After five years of development and several delays, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the anime finally premiered in September 2024.
While the first episode was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama and produced by studio Fugaku, the second episode was directed by Yuji Moriyama and produced by studio Akatsuki, which has created a noticeable difference in animation quality.
The mini-series Uzumaki still has two episodes remaining: episode 3 will air on October 12, followed by the final episode on October 19. Despite the ongoing concerns, DeMarco expresses hope that they have done their utmost with the available resources, regardless of whether the decisions made were the right ones or not.
