Fans of Junji Ito have waited ages for the show Uzumaki! It has come out and while audiences are impressed it's got a really bad start with one key character. The story features Shuichi Saito, who is the main character's boyfriend, Kirie Goshima. While they have been a big part of the manga and those who've read this story will already know what a major influence this "spiral curse" is on everyone in Kurouzu-cho. This has been reimagined as an anime adaptation on Adult Swim. Fans who are familiar with the original material are really concerned! Why? Let's dive in to understand why.
id="shuichi-saito-is-changed-for-the-worse">Shuichi Saito Is Changed For The Worse:While fans have always admired Junji Ito and loved the terrifying world of "Uzumaki." One thing everyone always understood, was how Shuichi Saito is slowly consumed. In the manga it appears that his paranoia came from a loss of family members, making his character have an emotional response and he even becomes more sensitive about spirals as they relate to the story. But this doesn't hold up in the anime adaptation. This change in personality doesn't appear as naturally. Fans have been trying to get a deeper grasp as to what made them make such drastic alterations to this pivotal character! The audience got an almost immediate sense of madness! And it seems that Shuichi's paranoia, it really doesn't come about from something more deeply personal or from a tragic loss! It happens before these events take place.
An Early Sign Of Madness
One of the main moments where you can see this! In the anime it has a great, chilling introduction into what is an incredible tale. But Shuichi Saito's madness is revealed early! That is one of the biggest challenges of the series! That it is clear that he knows all the terrible details. In a really scary and intriguing turn, fans were not prepared! Shuichi seems to know all these big spoilers of what's happening. And with this type of story that depends upon that gradual fear, it might really leave those watching the adaptation with a feeling that "Shuichi" is way out of sync with the storyline. You see it was a major part of "Uzumaki". For the readers it was a slower process. Where "Uzumaki", is supposed to slowly consume him, like those who watch the show Shuichi is in this altered reality with a really obvious feeling that the anime took shortcuts, something that was an incredibly bold move! There was already so much going on with this manga's retelling in this style.
Fans and the people behind the production of this show did mention that a major part of creating this story was a big challenge as the manga is very complex, a huge epic Story.
A Different Shuichi and The Scars:
This shift in character becomes a whole lot more clear with the "The Scar.". If you haven't read the manga, this chapter was a major element. But to bring a point to light. There was an entire process that allowed Shuichi to recognize that a strange, terrible presence had come into their lives, which happened while Kirie is around to see. She gets a good glimpse into what this truly feels like. You have this interesting element where "Uzumaki" really gives an awesome visual impact, so for those who have been fans for a long time. You can feel those visuals were done really well! However, the story doesn't have a chance to feel the full weight because you're missing a few core moments. A time period where he lost his parents, and there is this feeling that Shuichi is simply too much ahead in the story.
The Downside Of Early Madness:
What might be an amazing thing for one show might end up being a disaster for another show!
- Fans really felt Uzumaki was special in the manga because it explored a real and haunting feeling of gradual change that made everyone really scared, but also, got fans to appreciate this horror!
- The changes that Shuichi Saito is experiencing have the opposite effect. This makes it not so spooky and interesting! The feeling of despair!
- It made his change an absolute tragedy as those who went through the manga! In the manga his madness became so intense and this gave it a really haunting, incredible sense of what was possible! He got consumed in this way. But when we're seeing it before that occurs! His madness doesn't have an ability to build up, as there was an opportunity to slowly make it all terrifying!
If Uzumaki can't turn its fate around, it may lose the fans that love Junji Ito, and possibly those who haven't explored these amazing series. In Uzumaki you should expect a good scare, and be immersed in a truly disturbing, creative experience. This series' ability to remain popular, is all going to rely on if the creative minds behind it, can really manage to keep the right blend between the manga and this anime! What will become of Shuichi Saito?
Only time will tell what Uzumaki does with Shuichi's character but if these major alterations do keep going in the wrong direction, it will be a huge loss for those that really love this franchise, but maybe also the very real possibility of bringing in more, if they get to explore these incredible changes with open arms. For anyone who hasn't seen it. You're in for a wild, unpredictable ride with a bunch of weird stories and the kind of animation that captures the original manga well, with only a handful of episodes released so far. It might not have given us the exact same character but it's one to check out!
So make sure to get a chance to watch it. Who knows. It might turn around! Even more, make sure to check out the original source, the manga to see what is such an amazing creation, and a world that makes Junji Ito a master at capturing these incredible, strange, but beautiful pieces of art.
