Production I.G. brings forth one of the most famous stories from legendary horror mangaka Junji Ito to life. Take a peek into the black-and-white world of the small town of Kurouzu-cho that’s plagued by spirals. Welcome to Uzumaki.

At first, the seaside town of Kurouzu-cho seems to just have some strange occurrences: a suicide, a student’s scar turns into a black hole, and a few townsfolks turn into snails. What do these events have in common: the spiral that links them all together. Soon, it becomes more apparent that the town is cut off from the rest of the world, as the spiraling whirlpools sink incoming ships, tornados disrupt all air traffic, and tunnels are distorted endlessly. Fear, paranoia, and horror settle in as the mystery of these spirals begins to unravel.

Directing the series is Hiroshi Nagahama, known for his directorial work on Mushishi, The Flowers of Evil, and The Reflection. During the interview with Toonami, Nagahama stated that as a fan of Ito’s work, he wished to give the source material justice in both art and writing. He stated that the crew worked diligently to recreate Ito’s artwork, which is why they opted for a black-and-white series. Nagahama added that creating the anime without color is like “going into battle with minimal equipment”, but he believes the end result enhances the quality. As for the writing, Nagahama stated he wished to be as faithful to the source and keep its integrity, which was a challenge. He went on to add that for any changes, there had to be ”the right reasons for [any] changes” from the original source. Finally, the score for the anime will be provided with Colin Stetson, frequent collaborator with Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, TV On The Radio, and numerous others.

Uzumaki is currently slated for a four episode OVA, which has been pushed for a 2021 release. This is also the fourth time that Cartoon Network has been directly involved in the creation of a Japanese anime, following The Big O, IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix, and FLCL. The teaser trailer is currently available for viewing and the original manga is available through Viz Media.