[spoilers] Uzumaki - Episode 4 Discussion

Episode 1 was good, pacing issues aside. Episode 2-4 is when it went downhill. I hate the pacing. It is way too fast. This should not have been 4 episodes. If they wanted to do 4 episodes, make them hour long episodes. The pacing could have been improved.

It was good, the art was great and it gave me a weird feeling like episode 1
The episode felt like it was 1.5x speed with the dialog and no held shots

What a bizarre adaptation. The animation quality this episode was for the most part was passable although they did resort to manga screenshot slideshows again... and then it jumps back to episode 1 quality for the ending?? I'm glad that the scene of them spiralling around each other got done justice, and this episode conveys the full descent into horror in terms of the actual story and writing well enough that I can ease up on the series a little for rushing through the previous two episodes, but MAN was this whole thing managerial mismanagement central. This needed just another episode or two, or just to outright be a movie with movie funding where they cut a couple of the less-consequential plotlines, or even just an adaptation where they cut their losses and try to go for their own unique art style that wouldn't require a zillion dollars in budget, something like that... this does not do the manga justice at all, and it's a shame because it seems like everyone involved on the creative side wanted to do exactly that. At least we have that beautifully haunting soundtrack and some funny shots out of it, I guess.

That's it? That's the whole anime? It just went full circle lol. Anyway, pacing is too fast for me leaving no dead air fr. My favorite scene in episode 4 is the "blow off" outside the door, my deadass cannot LMAO. A lot of eyo moments and overall, it's a niche anime to get creepy vibes despite its oddities. A 6.9/10 from me.

This is the second best episode in the series. I know that's not saying a lot but still. They did a good job of putting the final six chapters in a single episode. I also like the post credits scene.

After watching the show. I can't help but to think about Berserk's anime adaptations (1997 & 2016). The 1997 one didn't try to copy Miura's art style. But it did a good job with the story. The 2016 adaptation on the other hand, focus on coping Miura's art style more then the story. The 1997 anime is the more loved adaptation. Due it focusing on doing the story justice then coping Miura's art style.

Uzumaki anime adaptation is a 3.5 out of 10. It's just sad.

Aw man, you can really feel that they tried to do something unique with this.
And they partly succeeded but the whole thing must have gone off rail very badly and they decided to pull the plug, finish it like they could and just release it.

I didn't read the manga but the story felt all over the place in this adaptation. And the tornado gang was so goofy and out of place in this episode.

I'm really conflicted about the whole thing...

Most disappointing release in recent years. Straight disrespectful

With 2 extra episodes this would have been an amazing adaptation in my books. The animation itself wasn't a problem for me but the fact they crammed 20 chapters of story into 4 episodes. I really liked the black and gray style and the creepy vibe was especially present in episode 1. The story came to a nice closing, although a bit sped up, but still a nice closing in episode 4.

Hypothetically speaking, story wise this would've easily hit 95/100 but with the bad pacing I'm deducting 17 points. For the somewhat wacky animation I'm deducting 4 more points making this a well deserved 74/100

Peak comedy

Biggest letdown of the year. I only enjoyed Colin Stetson's score

Honestly it wasn't bad at all. It's a decent show that did feel quite rushed and had very inconsistent animation.

Gyo
Tomie
Uzumaki
Black Paradox
Hellstar Remina

2 chances left. I'm starting to lose hope

I enjoyed this one and the series as a whole, definitely wish i read the manga instead since i mainly loved the story more than anything (I'll be sure to read it sometime). This was definitely a step up from episode 2 and 3, both with animation and more importantly (to me anyways) the pacing was good like episode one. 2 and 3 was so weirdly paced.
Not a compliment to the adapatation,more of a praise of the story, but i was super satisfied with the end, the idea of it being a cycle that repeats and the reveal of the structure under the town was fascinating, i was worried it would end with "we dont know why, what happened, happened" . But its still ambiguous as to why that structure is there or its true nature.

Junji Ito fans writing him a stern letter to STOP letting people adapt his works.

The episode was fine, rushed as hell but fine. Which is my overall impression of this anime. You know I'd almost find it enjoyable. If it wasn't for the ever so slightly important fact that we waited 5 YEARS for THIS.

Damn, I've seen rushed pacing before but this is the first time I encountered lines of dialogue that sounded like the VAs were rushing to say their lines in as little time as possible. Mix that with the inconsistent animation quality and this episode was just bad. Not as awful as episode 2, maybe, but it feels worse because this is the ending.

I understand that animation is hard and creators are massively underpaid and overworked. I also understand that any adaptation of such a beloved work was always going to fall short of fan expectations, regardless of how good it was. But this just feels disrespectful. To both Ito himself and to all the fans who waited five years for something this underwhelming.

for anyone curious, this episode covers chapters 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19

The adaptation definitely loses some points for pacing and the drop off in ep 2, but it's still Uzumaki, thoroughly unsettling and creative, and even if there was a quality drop and rise they could've done way worse, especially in terms of art style and voice

This episode is definitely an upgrade from the manic bullshit of the middle 2 episodes, but I feel like those episodes kneecapped the ability for me to be satisfied even if this episode is well done. A spiral loses its ability to draw you in when the lines are broken, and those lines were very broken.

Plus I think the adaptational changes especially ruined the progression of Shuichi's character since moving the death of his mother and the cutting of a lot of the content of the middle chapters removes the space where that happens. So his relationship with Kirie doesn't feel as strong of an ending for their characters as it does with the manga. I watched the entire series on TV as it aired with my mother (sorry mom) and asked how she felt about ending on their relationship before the town reset. She said it felt like just another thing that happened for the sake of happening.

One has to wonder what was going on behind the scenes for the last five years if this is what they have to show for it.

if ep1 was 10/10
what are you smoking my dude this shit was garbage through and through

I just have the slight feeling that Junji Ito doesn't care about the quality of his adaptations, or even worse, he leaves everything to a company that makes all decisions for him. I don't mean that in bad faith, he just seems fully detached from anime and manga culture and treats his work the same way anyone would treat a job. He is passionate about his job as a mangaka/illustrator, but doesn't seem to live and breathe it, or care about protecting his vision. Feels similar to ZUN (Touhou), except ZUN is notoriously anti-corporation and gives his IP to the community instead.

That's really the only way I can explain why everything he makes get such terrible adaptations. I really doubt he has watched any of his anime or live action movies, maybe when it was all very new, and maybe he even likes it, since he doesn't seem like a picky person. He has the vibe of a very normal man living a very normal life, and that he is grateful that his work supports himself and his family. That's really the only way I can explain why it never works out.

This story deserved double the episodes it was given , bombarding the audience with one story beat after the other continiuosly without letting the story breath and giving people a chance to pass time with the characters is just not a good way to deal with this kind of story , this pacing might work with shounen but not with these kind of shows
There's no need to talk about the animation as everybody already discussed that

Even when it never reached again the animation of episode 1. I must Say that it's the Best junji ito adaptación for now. The OST and VA did a great job, and I enjoyed the 3 episodes (episode 2 don't exist in Ba sing se) however this final episode was very well made.
The series in general was something different from the usual, and I appreciate that

I waited so long for this anime and was fairly impressed by the first episode. The direction, score, and animation were all spectacular. Then came episode 2. Then 3. And finally, the abomination that we call episode 4 has thoroughly took my excitement, and stomped the life out of it. One thing is for certain, and its that this shows animation SPIRALED out of control hahahahaahahahahahaha

As someone who has never read the original, I really do think Episodes 2 and 3 were the peak points of this anime. 4 was the lowest point. At least with 2 and 3 there was chance to laugh as things continued zooming past

Idk what y'all are talking about, episode 2 was the best of the series lmao at least it was funnier. The other episodes were just boring for the most part. "Look at this weird thing I came up with" okay? That's all it is, not even interesting either. The dialogue and story are terrible. I can't imagine hour long episodes of that

Episode 1 gave me creepy vibes, but every other episode it just kind of felt like things happened. Fairly disappointed.

My takeaway is that this was the one chance to do anime horror well, and they kinda stumbled, tripped over themselves and somehow still completed it. It's not awful. Episode 1 is great, the OST by Colin Stetson is also really good. Episode 2 and 3 had a loot a lot of stinkers. And the unfortunate truth that the source material is occasionally just kinda goofy and dumb is unavoidable. Nonetheless, episode 4 I thought was pretty alright. Overall coherently watchable, pretty fun for most of it and I've seen far worse stuff. probably like a 6/10