The creepfest continues. This guy comes up with the most bizarre, disturbing stuff. I enjoyed this volume, and I'm curious how it all will end for Kirie and Shuichi. ( )

"Uzumaki" has a strong beginning, a middle, and an end. That may not sound like much, but it's Ito's work after all, which is saying a lot.

Ito takes everyday objects and turns them into pure horror. Spirals, a rather simple pattern that appears in both nature and man-made objects, is converted into a source of terror, both physically and emotionally.

The first two stories are the absolute best, capturing and conveying the horror of obsession. While the first focuses on body horror, the second beautifully captures the gothic kind. This results in a wonderful see-saw of emotions in the readers; it's something I've seen very few authors, especially in manga, do, and it must be applauded.

Ito also expertly crafts stories about phobias centered around the body. Saying more would be akin to providing spoilers, so I'll refrain. You should read the stories.

Ito balances cosmic and body horror brilliantly, especially in the way he answers the question of who's more evil. While there is unseen and unexplained evil at the core of the town, it's the people who end up doing horrific things unprovoked. It is what truly drives the stories forward, making them more horrific than they should be.

"Uzumaki" is a brilliant read throughout. It goes a bit off the rails at some points, but the genius is consistent enough to make this an excellent read. ( )

junji ito, sir, i'm in awe of the way you can deeply disturb me, but also keep me engaged with every single story in this series. well done, sir. well done. ( )

That was disturbing. ( )

Not quite as strong as the first volume, feels a little more episodic rather than a broader narrative, but still very entertaining albeit disturbing - the snail story will haunt my dreams ( )