Uzumaki Episode 2 Review

Key Takeaways

Animation quality severely declined, distracting viewers from the plot.
Music and sound remain excellent, creating a terrifying atmosphere.
Direction and adapted chapters in episode 2 disappointed fans, leading to a different tone from episode 1.

As a seasoned anime enthusiast with over two decades of gaming and anime-watching under my belt, I must say that the latest installment of Uzumaki left me feeling rather dismayed. After the promising debut of last week, episode 2 seemed to have taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Last week’s debut of the anime adaption of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki received high praise, creating great anticipation for the rest of the series. Unfortunately, episode 2 has elicited primarily negative feedback from fans. Although the music and sound quality remain exceptional, and the direction is still strong, there seems to have been a significant drop in animation quality.

Was the second episode of the Uzumaki anime as strong as the first, outstanding one? Regrettably, it didn’t quite measure up. In fact, the decline in quality was so noticeable that it drew the viewer away from the storyline.

Animation, An Egregious Downgrade

Baffling Quality Change

Initially, the first episode boasted exceptional animation that heightened the spooky ambiance of the narrative. However, this second episode noticeably fell short in terms of quality. The characters’ movements appeared stiff and unnatural, while the art style seemed disjointed, missing the intricate detail present in the first installment. In various sequences, figures seem to run on the spot or sideways, creating an inconsistency that is hard to ignore. Overall, the animation quality suffered a significant decline, reaching a point where it becomes jarring and takes attention away from the events of the episode, diminishing their impact.

Towards the end of the episode, certain scenes showcased improved animation quality. Kirie’s facial expressions were particularly well-executed, and the lighthouse scene was impressively done, yet it didn’t entirely erase the unpleasant feeling the rest of the episode left with viewers. It’s intriguing to speculate about what transpired between episodes 1 and 2. The production likely encountered several difficulties during development, one of which being the COVID-19 pandemic that affected numerous productions. This could potentially explain the decrease in quality. We’ll have to wait and see how the last two episodes perform.

Music and Sound, The Saving Grace

It Remains Excellent

Colin Stetson’s soundtrack stands out as a key strength in the production. His haunting, understated tones contribute significantly to setting the scene’s mood. Frequently, Stetson incorporates a disrupted and twisted siren-like sound, which serves as a recurring theme. This motif portrays the scenes as if the characters or the town itself are warning of the curse’s perils. However, the cacophony of the Spiral often overpowers their desperate pleas for aid, plunging them deeper into the terror of the curse.

The sound design significantly enhances the visual scenes. It employs slimy and unsettling sound effects for the snails that perfectly convey the strange, body-horror aspect of the snail people. The climax of the twisted couple is accentuated by bone-grinding, otherworldly sound effects as they contort like snakes. The sound team in the Uzumaki anime remains a standout element in the production.

Direction and Adaptation, Not the Expected Horror

Chapters that Didn’t Need to be Included

In this instance, Director Hiroshi Nagahama was responsible for episode 1’s creation, but his involvement in this particular episode is limited to storyboarding. Instead, it was Yuuji Moriyama who took the helm for this episode, and the difference in narrative flow and scene execution compared to episode 1 is quite noticeable. The storyline lacks the cohesion and structural finesse exhibited in episode 1, and the overall delivery of scenes does not capture the same emotional tone as episode 1 did. This inconsistency in quality becomes more apparent when you look at the credits, as this episode was produced not by Studio Drive but by Studio Akatsuki and Chinese studio Phoenix Animation Holdings. It appears that this episode underwent extensive outsourcing, which explains the significant shift in quality compared to the first episode.

This discussion involves the way stories are modified and the manner in which these modifications take place. In this particular installment, the tales of “The Snail”, “Medusa”, “Twisted Couple”, “Jack in the Box”, and “The Lighthouse” have been woven together. Although the initial episode’s quick tempo sparked debate but predominantly resonated with viewers, this one was overwhelmingly intense and disjointed. The narrative flow seems to be rushed, lacking the necessary pauses for suspense, and it appears that terrifying occurrences are occurring in the town without a moment’s respite.

Another issue is the adapted chapters themselves. Many fans feel Medusa, Twisted Couple, or Jack in the Box could not have been adapted at all, and nothing would have been lost. Medusa especially feels cartoony and goofy in comparison with the rest of the series. There’s a big tone dissonance when you go from the first episode to this. The terrible animation paired with the goofy chapters adapted makes episode 2 feel like a completely different series to what we saw in episode 1.

As a devoted fan of Uzumaki, I must admit that I was left feeling rather disheartened by episode 2. The significant dip in animation and direction quality has noticeably impacted the storyline’s flow. Despite the music and sound effects continuing to be exceptional, they were unable to compensate for the clumsy and awkward visuals and adapted narratives. Fingers crossed that episodes 3 and 4 regain the brilliance demonstrated in episode 1, but this week has been a significant letdown for Uzumaki.

2024-10-10 20:04