Games

Why Is Junji Ito Manga So Hard To Translate Into Animation

Published

29 seconds ago

November 16, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Junji Ito’s anime adaptations have been divisive, with mixed reviews for all releases.
Ito’s horror works are hard to animate due to detailed panels and difficulty capturing the aesthetic.
Adding filler to Ito’s works for an anime adaptation would ruin the horror experience.

In the realm of manga and anime adaptation, Junji Ito’sworks have had some of the most divisive anime releasesof all time.Being one of the most notable horror manga authors of all time, JunjiIto’sworks seemlikeobvious candidates for adaptation. With works likeUzumaki, Dissolving Classroom,andHellstar Remina, seeingIto’siconic artworkproperlypresented on the silver screen is the dream of many, especially those who have never had the opportunity to experience them. In fact, a proper anime adaption may be one of the best ways forthe master of manga horror, Junji Ito,to reach an evenwiderpopulation of horror fans.

Junji Ito’s works have had some of the most divisive anime releases of all time

However, sadly,anyadaptation the manga author has had so far has been met with mixed to subpar reviews. Even the newest adaptation ofUzumaki,while starting strong, seems to have fallen off past the first episode. As many fans havealreadynoticed, JunjiIto’swork isextremely difficultto translate from manga to anime. Here are a few reasons whyIto’sworks are nearly impossibleto properly represent inthe form ofanimation.

Uzumaki Episode 2 – A Disappointing Follow Up

The Uzumaki anime follows up with a very disappointing episode displeasing fans

Why is Junji Ito So Hard To Animate?

Too Much Detail in the Horror

To properly understand why Junji Ito’s scariest works are difficult to animate, understandingIto’sstyle is paramount. Firstly,Ito’sworks often rely onextremelyshocking and detailed panels. When reading something likeUzumakithe horror comes from suddenly seeing a horrifically disfigured human being, warped into an incomprehensible shape. Outside these impactful drawings, JunjiIto’sworks are designed specifically for the medium of manga, using the strengths and weaknesses of the mediumto better present the story as a whole.

I made Uzumaki very realistic, so I believe he will use that in the production.

Already,whenmoving to the realm of animation, these impactful and terrifying framesare already going tobe difficult to animate.Looking at the newest Uzumakianime adaptation,it’seasy to seejusthow much lower the qualityis comparedto the manga. Inherently, anime is more about seeing what corners canbe cutto still present a fluid and coherent product.Of course, this much less detailed style takes away far too much from the horrific impactthat each drawing is supposed tocapture.

Additionally, translating the impactful moments of Junji Ito’s manga into anime would turnwhat’ssupposed to be an intricate and detailed scene into nothing more than a jumpscare. A Junji Ito panelis meantto be analyzed, giving the audience a chance to absorb each horrific detail.However, in an anime, dwelling too long on a visual will only cheapen the overall look of the animation and unnecessarily add to the run time.Plus, trying to format these moments as a jump scare may be effectively scary and take less time, though it will fail to capture thetrueJunji Ito aesthetic.

Junji Ito’s Work Doesn’t Deserve Padding

Anime Fluff Will Ruin the Horror

Outside of animation, JunjiIto’swork, standing out as the best horror manga, is also hard to animate because his most famous stories tend to focus less on a short series of collections rather than a massive overarching plot. When it comes to anime, adding filler tends to be the go-to strategy for padding out the run time of a show. However, any unnecessary element added to one of JunjiIto’sworks will completely ruin the experience overall, cheapening the horror.Paired with an already difficult time keeping detail with so manyframes of animation, any added fluff is like a death sentence to a Junji Ito anime adaptation.

“Someone is Definitely at Fault Here”: Uzumaki Executive Producer Speaks Out About The Series’ Production Quality

After the backlash surrounding its recent shortcomings, Uzumaki’s executive producer spoke out about some of the issues the series has faced.

While not impossible, in the end, JunjiIto’swork, like Uzumaki, is most likely best left as some of the best surreal horror manga.Masterfully using the limitations of manga to its advantage, like using the turn of a page to lead into a shocking jumpscare, makes the medium the best place to experience his worksin general.Although an animation would be easier for awideraudience to share, if this means cutting corners and cheapening the workin general, it may just not be worth it.

Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror is an adaptation of Junji Ito’s acclaimed manga, directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. The series unfolds in the town of Kurôzu-cho where inexplicable events related to spirals plague the inhabitants, leading to terror and madness. Highlighting the psychological and supernatural, the show follows high school student Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend, Shuichi Saito, as they confront the spiraling horrors that engulf their town.

Release Date: September 28, 2024
Creator: Junji Ito
Number of Episodes: 4
Streaming Service(s): Adult Swim , Max
MyAnimeList Score: 6.11