From someone who considers this my favorite Junji Ito work ever, this adaptation is not only a waste of potential but also a complete disappointment—sorry. If you expect the same great animation quality as the first episode, just watch that episode and switch to the manga afterward. If you're watching for the plot and to understand the story, I suggest avoiding it, because I can't guarantee you'll tolerate the drastic drop in animation quality. The pacing is poor. The sound and voice acting are good, and the artwork is good (becuase almost every scene with Kirie are well drawn), but the animation is inconsistent throughout. I simply cannot bring myself to rate it higher than a 5. It’s not great, nor is it even good—everything deteriorates after the first episode. This was a highly anticipated release, but it ended up being a massive disappointment. What could have been a contender for Anime of the Year quickly became one of the biggest letdowns of the season. Honestly, I don't even know how to express how disappointing this is. If you're a Junji Ito fan, this will leave you frustrated, much like the Junji Ito Collection. If you thought that was bad, this adaptation is on the same level, with the exception of the first episode, which serves as the only highlight. The animation is so inconsistent that, even though Episode 4 has brief moments that match the quality of Episode 1 and a reasonably well-done ending, 80% of Episode 4 is just as poorly animated as Episode 2. Episode 3 is only decent, and frankly, "decent" is unacceptable for a work of this caliber. This adaptation was supposed to be perfect—one of the greatest pieces of anime ever created. Instead, it was ruined by a poorly coordinated production team that failed to collaborate effectively. Frankly, ruining Uzumaki feels like more than just a creative failure; it’s a complete betrayal of the source material. The production team responsible for this should be barred from adapting any future works.
