UZUMAKI: Junji Ito Viz Media (English Translation) 1st / 1st

UZUMAKI
 
Junji Ito
 
Viz Media
 
English Translation 1st / 1st
 
Uzumaki ("Spiral") is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shogakukan and published from August 1998 to September 1999. In March 2000, Shogakukan released an omnibus edition, followed by a second omnibus version in August 2010. In North America, Viz Media serialized an English-language translation of the series in its monthly magazine Pulp from February 2001 to August 2002. Viz Media then published the volumes from October 2001 to October 2002, which is what we have here.
 
The series tells the story of the citizens of Kurouzu-cho, a fictional city which is plagued by a supernatural curse involving spirals. The story for Uzumaki originated when Ito attempted to write a story about people living in a very long terraced house, and he was inspired to use a spiral shape to achieve the desired length. Ito believes the horror of Uzumaki is effective due to its subversion of symbols which are positively portrayed in Japanese media, and its theme of protagonists struggling against a mysterious force stronger than themselves. Uzumaki continues to receive critical acclaim, deemed by many as Ito's magnum opus.