Despite its overall faithfulness to the source material,Uzumakimissed a bold opportunity by not adapting the manga’s lost chapter. For the most part,Adult Swim’s ambitious adaptation ofUzumakiwas a mixed success from fans. It was able to bring a massive graphic novel to life with every story getting a chance to shine, even with its middle episodescontroversially decreasing in animation quality. However, one terrifyingUzumakichapter was left out entirely.
Galaxiesis a chapter fromUzumakithat was deemed lost for yearsbefore being added to the story’s overall collection, due to it not fitting the narrative. However, reading over the story’s events would have made for an excellent moment in the anime. It follows Kirie and Shuichi as they discover a never-before-seen galaxy in the sky. This leads to the town of Kurouzu-cho becoming obsessed with astronomy as more galaxies begin to appear overhead. Soon, Kirie and Shuichi discover that these celestial bodies are projecting radio waves to influence townspeople to kill one another to get full credit for their discoveries.
Galaxiesis Junji Ito Exploring Cosmic Horror at His Best
Kurouzu-cho’s Galactic Madness Is Eerily Reminiscent of Lovecraft
Junji Ito is no stranger to telling cosmic horror stories. In fact, one of his most acclaimed works,Remina, shows a town plunged into madness after the discovery of a rogue planet heading for Earth. However,this lost chapter fromUzumakifeels different than any cosmic horror story Ito has created.The idea that the horror lies within something so beautiful as a spiral galaxy is a perfect jumping-off point. Plus, when the cosmic radio waves emitted from the galaxies begin to motivate the townspeople, it perfectly dives into the evil side of nature.
The most iconic part of this story is when armchair astronomer Torino calls upon the galaxies to receive their waves as their true discoverer. It’s incredibly impactful, as the heavenly bodies grant his wish and overload his head to the point that it expands and essentially explodes. This leads to what’s left of his mind ascending to space, becoming a galaxy himself. It’s reminiscent of things that happen to people who look upon Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, where the mere sight of these cosmic horrors can drive them to madness.
Galaxies' Grand Scope Would Have Looked Incredible Animated
The Story’s Tremendous Scale Ups the Stakes for the Story
What’s notable about this lost chapter in theUzumakistoryline is how grand in scope it is compared to other happenings in Kurouzu-cho. Until the third volume, when typhoons wreck the town and cause everyone to begin spiraling into madness, the tales are fairly straightforward and self-contained.While Ito leftGalaxiesout from the overall manga, featuring it in the anime would have made for a great moment of foreshadowing to hint at the harrowing conclusion below the town. It would have shown that a greater evil is lurking somewhere within Kurouzu-cho, and it’s so impactful that it’s influencing the stars themselves.
Plus, the story’s inclusion in an official anime adaptation would allow for the night sky throughout the story to come alive. The anime already did a great job of showing the horrors of nature whenJunji Ito did a cameo as the voice of a typhoon, making it feel large and threatening.IncorporatingGalaxiesinto the mix would give the story the medium it needs to best tell its tale.Seeing the galaxies swirl above and witnessing Mr. Torino’s head explode would be incredible to see animated, so it’s a shame that it was left out of the anime in general.
An Official Galaxies Adaptation Would Have Opened the Story to More Audiences
The Tale Could Have Benefited from Uzumaki’s Mainstream Appeal
By far, the most disappointing thing aboutGalaxiesbeing left out of the anime is how many more people could have discovered it through the anime. While fans of Junji Ito are fairly well aware of this lost chapter in his work,theUzumakianime was made to appeal to pretty much everyone.This mainstream push is essentially a way to bring new eyes to not justone of Junji Ito’s masterpieces, but his wide array of other work as well. IncludingGalaxieswould allow for an incredible shock-and-awe moment for those who are unaware of the chapter’s history as they see just how grandiose the Spiral Curse can be, paving the way for new fans to seek out Ito’s work to see how else he handles cosmic horror.
Even though this often overlooked chapter in theUzumakisaga got left out of the anime, it’s still a chapter that anyone who loved the anime should seek out. It’s arguably Junji Ito’s best cosmic horror story outside ofReminadue to its maddening event of galactic proportions that sees Kurouzu-cho at its absolute darkest. TheUzumakianime missed a bold opportunity to include this lost chapter in its short episode count, but hopefully new eyes will discover it following the success of the show’s run.
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
Cast
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror is an adaptation of Junji Ito’s acclaimed manga, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. The series unfolds in the town of Kurôzu-cho where inexplicable events related to spirals plague the inhabitants, leading to terror and madness. Highlighting the psychological and supernatural, the show follows high school student Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, as they confront the spiraling horrors that engulf their town.
