Straight Up Reviews: Uzumaki (Manga)

 

Cosmic Horror. It rarely has a happy ending, but it has an abundance of fucked up imagery. Whether it's aliens in the spaces between spaces, to viruses that have minds of their own. To god like entities that are beyond good and evil. Cosmic Horror has had more questions raised than answered and very few were able to make a story captivating enough to want us to keep reading.  Of course the most common name for Cosmic Horror has often always been H.P. Lovecraft. The less said about his racism the better. However, regardless, his influence in that genre has caused many writers from Stephen King to many filmmakers like John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon to either adapt or be inspired by his work.  And that just covers the western world.  The Eastern World on the other hand, especially in Japan, often have a tradition. If they can't make any form of horror based on their own myths and legends. Which there is an abundance of, considering things like the Shinto Gods and Goddesses and whatever the hell inspired Mr. Popo and Jynx; they would often always take ideas and influences from the west and make them thousands of times more scarier. Bram Stoker's Dracula was scary, but Kouta Hirano made it more scarier by making Hellsing. So naturally if someone were to adapt H.P. in a manga or god forbid take inspiration from his works or works similar, it would make seeing Cthulhu's true form look like you watched a really bad skin rash.  Which brings us to our review of the most fucked up Lovecraftian like story I have ever read that wasn't written by the man himself. This is Uzumaki.

Created by Junji Ito and published by Viz Media, Uzumaki is a unique version of Cosmic Horror, that is meant to scare and fascinate you. Every moment is supposed to make you piss yourself, vomit and yet you cannot look away.

The Manga itself was originally published in three volumes consisting of a total of 19 chapters and 1 lost chapter.  It was written and published from 1998 - 1999 and has been adapted into a live action film in 2000.  Said film was in production before the manga was completed. There is also an upcoming 4 episode Anime in 2021. Which you can see the trailer here.

As for why I mentioned Lovecraft. The music they used for the trailer and presumably the upcoming anime has been composed by Colin Stetson. Colin has done many horror flicks, but I first caught wind of his work from the recent Lovecraft movie, Color out of Space. Which I will talk about another time. They did pick the right guy to score this though.

Now I have binge read the manga to prepare for the event of the anime so what you're getting here is a fresh perspective. 

Warning: The Following Review may contain explicit images. If you are not of the legal viewing age LOOK THE FUCK AWAY!!!

Since the review won't make sense if I don't tell the full story, there will be spoilers.

Uzumaki takes place in the small town of Kurozu-Cho and revolves around two central characters.

Kirie Goshima. Who lives on a house near Dragonfly Pond in the center of town. The eldest of two children whose father runs a pottery shop. 

Shuichi Saito. Kirie's boyfriend who lives outside of Kurozu-Cho in the neighboring city Midoriyama-Shi.

The series itself starts out as an anthology in which a different problem happens every chapter, but with the exception of some continuity between them; there is barely a connection between them. Save for a recurring theme that the overall cause of the phenomena being caused by a spiral or spirals of some sort. So naturally in order for me to sum it up I'll have to go chapter by chapter. 

Chapter 1 and 2 happen to be a two parter known as The Spiral Obsession.  

Part 1 begins with Kirie introducing herself and the town while she notices a strange man looking at an old Snail shell. Said man is Shuichi's father Mr. Saito.  Who has an obsession with collecting various spiral patterns. Whether it's from decorations on Kimonos, old snail shells or works of art, he won't stop until he collects them all. As all this goes on, Shuichi tries to persuade Kirie to run out of town with him. Believing the spiral thing to be a symptom of a bigger problem within the town. Even pointing out that there are so many spirals all over the town, from the clouds in the sky, to the whirlpools in the water.  Mr. Saito's obsession increases when he skips work to look at his collection more and refuses to eat anything that doesn't have a spiral in it. To add to his collection he commissions work from Kirie's father, Yasuo Goshima to make spiral themed pottery. Fed up with his obsession, Mr. Saito's wife, Yukie throws his collection away while he's out. And I do not blame her for one minute.

If you are epileptic do not step into this room, you will die instantly. 

 

Initially Mr. Saito is angry, but he continues his obsession a different way.  Problem solved right? Well, not exactly.  During his obsession he found out he could make spirals appear with parts of his body. Starting with his tongue and eyes. A motion that scared Kirie away from him. After being missing for a few days, Mr. Saito was found dead. The story was that he died falling down the stairs. However Shuichi later reveals to Kirie, what really happened. In his study, where his collection used to be, there was a small wooden tub with a lid on it. Shuichi and Yukie open it out of curiosity and find to their horror:

 

Mr. Saito dead in the tub. His bones broken in his suicidal attempt at becoming a spiral himself.  Part 1 ends at Mr. Saito's funeral, his body cremated and the attendees pointing at something directly in the sky.

Part 2, picks up where the first part leaves off. After the funeral a distraught Yukie starts envisioning an image of her spiral obsessed husband whenever she sees a spiral. It starts out just after the funeral.  It turns out that the attendees were pointing at a pattern of smoke and ash. Which not only forms another spiral, it also settles down into Dragonfly Pond. The image causes poor Yukie to develop her own obsession with spirals. Only where Mr. Saito had a twisted love of them, Yukie developed a fear of them. Every time she sees one, she sees an image of her husband pleading her to join him in the spiral. As a result she goes on the warpath, eliminating spirals from her body.  First she shaves her hair so she doesn't see the whorl.  Then she cuts off her fingerprints and toe prints due to their natural spiral pattern.  Shuichi catches on to her psychosis, advising the doctors to go through various precautions to hide spirals from her.  However upon realizing she has spirals within her head. Specifically the cochlea within the inner ears, she does the unthinkable:

 

She stabs her inner ears with scissors to dig them out. The result of which not only deafened her, but also caused her body to lose it's natural balance. Eventually killing her and causing her body to be cremated as well. Causing another spiral of Smoke and Ash.

Now before I do Chapter 3, I would like to point something out. Up until this point, there has been an ongoing theme, that Kirie didn't believe Shuichi regarding the spirals and their effect on people. And while the deaths in the first two chapters are bizarre, she could easily rationalize the causes of them as nothing more than insane delusions.  And the pages in Chapter 2 could have been interpreted as such since Yukie's fear of her husband's apparition could have just been hallucinations. Have fun still thinking that. 

 

 Chapter 3: The Scar. 

This chapter begins with Kirie talking about a fellow classmate of hers: 

Azami Kurotani.  Azami was described by Kirie as a pretty girl who managed to get a lot of attention from the local schoolboys.  So much attention that rumours were spread of her being promiscuous and dumping every boy she went out with after seducing them.  Azami later explains to Kirie that as a result of a childhood accident, she received a crescent moon shaped scar which seemed to have the ability to attract any boy in her vicinity.  Something she takes both pride and irritation for. Despite claiming that the rumours were just that, Azami asks if Kirie introduces her to Shuichi.  Against her better judgment, Kirie brings her.  At first he seemed cordial, but upon taking a good look at Azani, Shuichi flips the fuck out and demands that she leaves. While she seemed to take it well at first, Azami was shocked that out of all the boys that came to her, Shuichi was the only one that wasn't swayed by her scar or her charms. Later on the phone, Kirie demands answers from him to which he explains that looking at her was like looking into a spiral. So he assumes she's been contaminated by the spirals like the rest of the town.  Azani shows up demanding to know why he rejected her, to which he explains that she has a spiral on her forehead.  She initially disbelieves him until she looked in the mirror. The crescent moon shaped scar was no longer there. In it's place a bigger scar in the shape of a spiral. Shuichi warns her to move to another town so she wouldn't get further cursed, but instead she continues to stalk him. Her obsession growing stronger.  Kirie eventually has had enough and demands that Azani leave Shuichi alone, however at that point, not only has Azani made up her mind about taking Shuichi, her scar has gotten bigger:

What was once a skin deep scar became a growing spiral shaped wound.  Slowly going into her skull. Shuichi later calls Kirie, saying that a student named Okana claims to have a crush on Kirie and wants to meet him at the park so they could talk about it.  Kirie informs him that she has no idea why Okana would say that.  Both suspicious, Shuichi and Kirie leave their houses to investigate. As Shuichi meets Okana, Kirie runs into Azani. Who scares her by showing the extent of her scar, in what is considered one of the most iconic images of the Manga:

At this point, the scar has become what appears to be a miniature black hole. Slowly eating away at her head. The shock of such a sight scares Kirie as Azani goes to meet Shuichi.  However it doesn't all go as planned. Okana demands that Azani goes out with him, which reveals that she used him to lure out Shuichi.  Upon removing her hat in anger at being rejected Okana gets a full view of her disfigurement at it's current state:

As if things couldn't get any worse, the now insane Azani eats Okana using the black hole in her head. Kirie arrives just in time to not only watch, but also witness the spiral consume Azani from the inside out. Leaving no trace. The first step of Kirie no longer being skeptical about the spirals. 

 

 

Chapter 4: The Firing Effect. 

After another cremation, Kirie and her family notice that the ash and smoke continue to spiral and settle in Dragonfly Pond. Kirie checks on her father who has been tirelessly working on pottery. 

He explains that while he made the pottery normally (Plates bowls etc.) within the heat they warp into spiral like shapes.   However instead of feeling down, he considers them works of art.  Claiming the process and the new clay used is a trade secret.  Kirie and the family start to suspect something off about her father due to irrational behaviors. In Kirie and her Mother's case, he demands that they don't look into the kiln. Kirie also notices that the smoke from their clay house is forming a spiral similar to the crematory.

 

 After his work was rejected, Kirie and the family notice on top of strange spirals on the pottery, that there appear to be images of people's faces. Specifically Shuichi's parents and two recent deaths that have been cremated. In an attempt to get to know him, Kirie's family invite Shuichi to their house for dinner, much to his reluctance.  His reasoning being that she lives right near Dragonfly Pond and said pond is infested the worst with the spiral problem.  

Dinner seems to go well, until Shuichi discovers the plate he ate off of, was covered in spirals.  It turns out as that Kirie's father made that plate especially for Shuichi as an unknowingly insensitive means of thanking his father for inspiring him to use spirals in his art. Showing the first time one person cursed with the spiral influencing others. It was then and there he revealed where the new clay came from. Dragonfly Pond.  Naturally this put Shuichi at his limit causing him to leave so he can throw up.  Since his parents were cremated in Chapter 1 and 2, he may as well be eating their remains.  A theory Kirie proposed when talking to her mother.  Kirie decides to investigate how her father makes the pottery and is astounded that they look normal at first. her father explaining once more, that it's when they're on the kiln that they start to warp.  As the days go by and the new pottery is cooking, Kirie goes to check on her father. Only to find him asleep. Out of curiosity she checks on the kiln and is subjected to one of the most horrible sights she has seen so far: 

The pottery is not only warping into the spirals and images of the deceased, they are also screaming in pain begging to be set free.  Now I always believed that the cremated remains, are a link to the soul of the departed. If I ever heard a story of someone defiling them in some manner I would no doubt, call them out on it due to that.  This became a new reason why. Her father kicks her out and she's in her room still hearing the screaming voices of those in the kiln. Shuichi calls her and notices the voices too, despite her denial.  As Kirie begins to realize that her father knew about this, Shuichi confronts him demanding he sees the Kiln.  Claiming that it's calling to him.  Shuichi sees to his horror that the souls of his mother and father are crying out to him. 

Causing him to flip out and destroy the Kiln. Freeing the souls from their tormented state.  The result of which destroyed the pottery cottage. The Chapter ends the morning after, with Kirie's father obsessively digging up the pottery he made.  

This chapter is unique among it's predecessors because of a few factors:

1. It offers one of the first clues to why the spirals are plaguing the town. Which I will go in at the end of this. 

2. It's the first time that someone ingrained in the spiral curse survived it. Kirie's father is lucky in that respect even if his obsession continues. 

3. It gave some semblance of hope that the curse can be fought. 

 Chapter 5: Twisted Souls. 

Hey kids. Did you ever wanted to see the mutant lovechild of H.P. Lovecraft and William Shakespeare? No? We'll you got it anyway.

The Chapter starts off with Kirie talking about the Row Houses in town. For those who don't know a Row House is a huge house split into separate spaces for separate homes.  They are often looked down upon, because said houses are often afforded to people who are poor or low working class. Which I am sure has no baring to the plot of this manga whatsoever.  Moving on.  

This story takes place in a specific row house where Kirie witnesses a friend of hers, Kazunori Nishiki, get caught up in a feud between his family the Nishikis and The Endos. Whom fittingly live on opposite ends of the Row Houses. The latter of which has a daughter named Yoriko.   Despite the families feuding, much like the Montagues and the Capulets, Yoriko and Kazunori are the only members that can stand one and other and are madly in love.  They have tried everything within their power to make the families drop the feud and accept the union, but nothing has worked.  Kazunori theorizes that both families can't accept their poverty and they shield themselves from becoming warped and taking it out on each other.  When Kirie walks him home, she sees first hand how bad it is between the two families. Despite living on opposite ends, they can hear each other insult and yell at each other. 

Unable to stand the fighting any longer, Kazunori and Yoriko try one more time to escape and reunite, but they're dragged back in the houses by their respective parents. After Kirie talks to him, Shuichi theorizes the reason why the parents won't stop fighting each other is that the spiral curse has twisted their souls and initially refuses to help. Asking one more time for Kirie to leave town with him.  Kirie refuses and leaves.  Upon checking on Kazunori, Kirie discovers the family fighting once more. Only this time they have a somewhat legit reason: Kazunori and Yoriko have ran away. Naturally they blame each other for it. The couple are resting in an abandoned Row House and as they do they stumble upon a peculiar sight. 

Two snakes found intertwined to each other.  Initially they assumed the snakes were fighting. Equating it to their parents fighting.  However they realize that they were really having sex. Something many Rick and Morty fans would point out if they saw this.  Inspired, they decide to run away and elope. Kirie finds them, but just as soon after the Endos find them too. Yoriko's father punching Kazunori before taking Yoriko away. When Kirie helps him up she discovers something strange. 

Kazunori's upper body has been twisted all the way around without any injury or death. Later on, Kirie and Shuichi agree to meet the couple so they could take the next train out of town and elope.  However once the Yoriko and Kazunori meet them, they realize they are in a rush.  Their parents in hot pursuit after them. The foursome try in vain to make it to the train station, but are cut off by each member of each family. In desperation, they flee to the beach only for Yorkio's brother to knock Kazunori down and begin beating on him. Faced with having to separate once more, the couple do the unspeakable. And by that something so grotesque mere words alone cannot describe it. 

They twist their bodies and intertwine with each other. Yoriko's father tries one last time to separate them, only for them to flee to the sea. Never to be seen from or heard from again.

This chapter intrigued me because scary shit aside, this was one of the few moments in the overall manga where people get a happy ending. Granted they went through twisted means to do so, but if Romeo and Juliet could turn themselves into twisted intertwining snake people, they would have instead of relying on apothecary poison and a happy dagger. It also managed to explain things in the previous chapter such as how Mr. Saito was able to twist himself in the tub the way he did. It would seem that those under the Spiral's influence can twist themselves at will. 

Chapter 6: Medusa.

The final chapter of Volume 1.  This chapter revolves around Kiyoko Sekino. An attention hungry classmate of Kirie's who desires to be the center of attention.  Which is further exemplified, when they witness a classmate of theirs fall off the roof in an acrobatics attempt gone wrong.  Shuichi theorizes that the need for attention is also one of the effects of the spiral. Specifically the outside going in effect of a spiral.  He believes that because that particular spiral goes from outside into the center that it has a constant need for attention.  Hence why many people affected by the Spiral Curse often try to get people to watch them. To draw them into the center too, with the center being them. Shuichi believes that anyone who wants to be the center of attention is doomed to be cursed by the spiral.  Kirie notes that Sekino may just be another victim one day. Suichi notices that Kirie's hair has gotten a little longer and suggests she get it cut. The next morining Kirie notices that her hair keeps growing and that her classmates are staring at her.  Sekino points out the reason.

Her hair has not only grown, but curled into spirals.  

 

She tries to braid it only for it to loosen the tie on it's own.  Prompting everyone to stare at her. 

She tries to get it cut when it attacks the barber and when her parents try to get her to the hospital it tries to strangle her.  Stopping when she no longer resists it. She finds out that the effect it has on her classmates has also happened to her parents. Realizing that her hair is hypnotizing them.  Attracting crowds everywhere she went.  Sekino gets jealous and accuses Kirie of trying to be the center of attention, when nothing can be further from the truth. She takes it as a challenge. Kirie's hair kept trying to attract larger crowds as it grew, the only one not effected by it, was Shuichi.  Who ran away. Kirie then and there realized that she was cursed by the spiral.  Said curse sapping her strength. 

 Just when things couldn't get anymore worse or fucked up. Sekino appears, somehow having been able to make her hair grow and curl.  As well as inheriting the effects that Kirie's has. Needless to say both hairs don't like the other hogging all the attention and in one of the most twisted and funny moments of the manga, the battle of the hair began.  

 

 

It started out as simply a staring contest, only for Sekino to turn it into a phyiscal fight, by some how having her hair try to strangle Kirie. With Kirie's hair on the defence. 

 

 

When Sekino gains the upper hand, Shuichi comes rushing in, cutting the hair strangling Kirie with a pair of scissors. 

 

 

When he attempts to cut off Kirie's hair the hair envelops him. Kirie passes out making Seikno the winner as she causes the populace to follow her. Just when we think it could be the end for our protagonists, a badass moment occurs. 

 

Shuichi. With nothing but a pair of scissors, cuts his way out of the cocoon of hair he was trapped within. Cutting Kirie's hair off at the root to keep it from killing her.  Ash Williams may have his chainsaw and fight attacking trees, but this guy killed an entire field of attention seeking, energy draining deadly hair with nothing but a pair of scissors. He comes to the same conclusion as Kirie theorizing her energy was drained for the hair to grow.  Meaning it won't be long until Sekino realizes the effects.  

As Seikno wanders the streets gaining more attention, her hair has drained her down to nothing. With it and her tied up into a telephone wire. 

 

Chapter 6 was silly, but it did offer a few clues to why the curse was happening around Kirie, which I will get to later. 

And that is the end of Volume 1. At the end of the Volume there is an Afterword that involves Junji Ito trying to understand the secret of spirals to further inspire his work, but I won't get into that as I am focused on the overall story.  I will say this, whether he intended it or not, the afterword makes him come across like Rod Serling.

 

Chapter 7: Jack In The Box. 

Now this was the chapter that introduced me to the Uzumaki series as a whole. I first saw this on a youtube clip of a live episode of Atop The Fourth Wall. It was considered one of the silliest chapters in the series. For good reason though. 

 

The Chapter starts with Kirie talking about a fellow classmate named Mitsuru Yamaguchi who is nicknamed Jack in The Box. Mainly because he has a creepy habit of jumping out of nowhere to scare and surprise people.  Kirie also realizes that Mitsuru has a crush on her and does his shtick around her the most, to get her attention.  Much to her annoyance.  

 

 

When walking home from school with a classmate, they realized that the nearby cemetery is burying people again instead of the cremation.  Her classmate mentions it's because they were sick of seeing the spiral smoke that came out of the chimney in the past volume. Although it was dismissed as malfunctioning equipment or strange weather, the class mate mentions that it only happens in this town and to the people that died in it.  Kirie theorizes it could mean that everyone in town is infected with the spiral.   Now in the West this didn't seem like a big deal since when we die, we often either get buried or cremated. However from what I heard, in Japan, while burying is an option, they prefer cremation because they don't like the idea of walking on ground where corpses are underneath.  

 

 

Mitsuru scares the two which infuriates Kirie and she demands he leaves her alone. He apologizes explaining that he likes to surprise people. However what would have been a sweet moment that would make us feel sorry for him, makes him look more like a dick later on. He explains to Kirie that the reason why he wants her to be his boyfriend, so he can impress his friends. Using her as the ultimate surprise.  That and the fact that he insults Shuichi prompts Kirie to reject him. Mitsuru vowing to win her over. In a mix between funny and creepy there is a montage of pages of Mitsuru trying to woo her. From surprising her, by popping out of a trash can, to taking a cue from Marlon Brando and shouting to  her window.  Kirie then recieves a package from Mitsuru, but refuses to even open it. When she confronts him. Stating that the more he follows her, the less she's starting to like him.  It seems like she got through to him, only for him to run into moving traffic believing the power of love will stop the oncoming car. 

It goes about as well as you'd expect. Now in Linkara's review, he questioned how he was able to get run over like that. While I agree it would seem physically impossible, but considering we've seen people able to willingly and unwillingly twist their bodies in ways that shouldn't be physically possible, it's probably the dumbest nitpick I ever heard. It's safe to say the laws of physics went out the window since Chapter 1. 

A funeral is held and Kirie is at home with the package Mitsuru gave her. Feeling bad that her last words to him were a rejection, she opens the package to find a Jack in The Box.  Which seems harmless at first, until you realizes springs are spirals too. Kirie calls Shuichi for comfort, only to have the moment interrupted.

The Jack in The Box springs to life informing Kirie that Mitsuru will come back for her. 

Taking no chances, Kirie and Shuichi go to the cemetery to kill Mitsuru before he comes back.  At this point they seem prepared for any surprises the spiral curse will inflict upon them. They dig his coffin up and start removing the nails of the coffin out. The pressure of which caused the viewing window to open. 

 

Just as they get the nail off, Mitsuru bursts out of the coffin, drooling and hissing and seemingly staring at Kirie. They run for it, as Mitsuru hops after them in hot pursuit, his body falling appart with each landing. He loses his legs which seems to stop him. Only for him to keep hopping after them. 

 

 

They initially thought his spine was turned into a spring, which was why he was able to hop after them. Upon catching Kirie the spring falls out, stopping him for good. They find out it was from the suspension of the car, lodged into his body. I refer to the run over part of my review to further reiterate how dumb the nitpick is.

 

Now there has been some debate to whether or not, Mitsuru was really a Zombie come to life or if the spring simply was just going Weekend at Bernie's with his corpse.  I believe that he is, simply because he went after Kirie and that he didn't do anything until after they managed to get the coffin open. As silly as this story is, it also clues us in that not everything regarding the rules of the spiral curse is set in stone and even a series of apparently coincidental events does coincide with the curse.

 

 

Chapter 8: The Snail. Probably one of the saddest stories I've ever read so far in the manga.  

It starts out on what should be a normal rainy day in school. Kirie guesses that a slacking student named Katayama will show up in school today. Since he only comes on rainy days.  He explains that even though he got up earlier, for reason's unexplained, he took a long time to get to school.  Tsumara a class bully, offhandedly mentions that Katayama is just naturally slow. Although the class doesn't like Tsumara they agree once they see how slow Katayama moves. After his slowness cost them a volleyball game, Tsumara and his gang strip Katayama and drag him out of the locker room just as Kirie is walking by. 

 

Initially disgusted, Kirie's disgust turns into out right shock when she notices a familiar shape marked on Katayama's back. As if things couldn't get weirder, he crawls back in the locker room, leaving a trail of slime behind. We are then treated to a montage where Katayama shows up later and later to class each day, while they notice a swelling on his back.  The spiral rising and turning into the similar shape of a snail shell.  During one particular rainy day they find Katayama on the wall. Where the last of his transformation is complete.

 

He is now a snail person.   Another victim of the spiral curse.  The teachers try to call his parents, only for them to refuse to believe that thing is their son. So the school eventually took care of him. Setting him up in a cage to feed and care for him.  Tsumara on the other hand, still keeps taunting him. Poking at him with a stick.  Justifying it by saying that Katayama isn't human anymore.

The next day they find that Katayama has retreated into his shell. As that is going on, we see that Tsumara is acting strange. Drinking more water than usual, slowing down in his movements and eventually missing.  A large snail person is seen crawling onto the glass. Mr. Yokota assumed Katayama escaped, but he was wrong.

 

For it was Tsumara that became a Snail Person.  They caged him with Katayama. As humans, they were bitter enemies. As snails, they became friends.....then mates. It's explained that snails are hermaphroditic and that they do not need a set gender to mate and reproduce. Since they became snails, they're no longer men or women. They escaped the cage. Mr. Yokota, Kirie and another class mate follow the snail trails to find them only to discover something else in their stead.

 

They laid eggs. Disgusted at the idea of these creatures breeding, Mr. Yokota destroys the eggs. They couldn't find more or the two Snails. 

 

 

After several days since the initial incident, Mr. Yokota comes to class. Becoming another snail person. This chapter had an interesting Aesop on the endless cycle of bullying and the consequences that befall the bully when the tables are turned. When Tsumara didn't let up even after Katayama transformed, he became a snail too. When Mr. Yokota destroyed the eggs out of disgust and discrimination, he became one too. It seemed like the Spiral Curse was generous that day.....yeah right.

 

 

Chapter 9: The Black Lighthouse.

Now this one was probably one of the clever ones.  Mainly because if you were to read it, knowing what you know at this point, you'd wonder what a Lighthouse has to do with spirals and spiral curses.  Classic bait and switch.

 

The chapter begins with the citizens of Kuruzo-cho out at night witnessing a strange phenomena. 

 

The black lighthouse off the cape of Kuruzo-cho is emitting a brighter than usual light. Which seems to mesmerize the entire town. However despite people amazed at this wonder, they do wonder what's causing it. Since that lighthouse is abandoned.  At home Kirie's brother Mitsuo won't stop gushing over how cool the light looks, despite Kirie's warnings not to look at it. Her mother agreeing since she feels dizzy from it. After numerous complaints of the lighthouse constantly emitting the light, a group of people decide to try to shut it down. Noting that the lighthouse should have been put out of service a long time ago.  The group comes in, but they don't come out. The light continuing to mesmerize the people. The next day Kirie notices even stranger phenomena.

 

Some of the people hit with the light have become caught in a perpetual spin. They cannot stop walking around in a circle no matter how much they want to. The first sign that this is a spiral curse.  As if things couldn't get anymore weirder (For this chapter at least.), a fishing boat is found crashed off the cape.  The crew also walking around in circles. A group of kids come to Mitsuo whom all plan to explore the lighthouse. Despite Kirie's warning, Mitsuo goes with them. Prompting Kirie to give chase. As she ascends the stairs looking for her brother, we see what a lighthouse has to do with the spiral. 

 

While it's not quite noticed in real life, it's a little known fact that every known lighthouse in the world has a spiral staircase. One of which Kirie is exploring at this page. But even then, good old Ito couldn't resist putting more on the walls. These ones emitting the only glowing light in the house other than the lighthouse light.  As Kirie goes further up, the stairs seem never ending. That is until she noticed some burn marks along with the spirals, the higher she went.Along with something else. 

 

Kirie finds the burnt remains of the workers that came to shut the light down. After hearing a call for help, Kirie rushes to find two of Mitsuo's friends huddled at the stairs. Traumatized from seeing the corpses. As well as two more bodies. Mitsuo's friends inform her that Mitsuo and their other friend have reached the top so they could see the light.   Kirie orders them to run home while she finds Mitsuo and the other kid.  Along with the most freakiest things you could ever see in a lighthouse. 

 

Kirie tries to get the two to leave, but they are too scared to move. Believing the light is looking at them. Kirie figures out that the shape of the light was the result of a melted Fresnel Lens. For those that don't know, this is what a Fresnel Lens is supposed to look like intact. 

It's essentially a lens that is common among lighthouses and searchlights. A succession of concentric rings, each consisting of an element of a simple lens, assembled in proper relationship on a flat surface to provide a short focal length.

However this particular lens in the lighthouse has been melted by the heat turning the concentric circles into one big spiral.  It takes Kirie a while to figure out that the light from the lighthouse liquefied the room and killed everyone it hit. When she realizes the sun is setting, she tries to hurry the kids up. Knowing the light will come back on. As they rush down the stairs the light comes on and the heat blast starts heading towards them. 

 

Mitsuo's friend trips on the stairs and is flash-fried, while the blast blows Kirie and Mitsuo out the door. Kirie and Mitsuo survive, but they are very badly burned. While the light continues to shine at night, there is some hope that the lighthouse will get demolished. 

 

 

Chapter 10: Mosquitoes

If you think West Nile Virus and Malaria are the worst things mosquitoes can do, then stay out of this town. 

Chapter 10 picks up where 9 left off with Kirie recovering from her burns.  It is summer, so naturally it's mosquito season.  However they swarm more frequently than usual in this town. Big surprise.  Mitsuo has already went home, but because Kirie's injury is more severe she has to stay. As she continues to recover, she's attacked by a mosquito. Which seems to not be the first time. However this one acts strange.  It's flight pattern forming a spiral that lulls her to sleep, before feasting on her blood.  The next day while she is walking outside with a visitor she notices a swarm of mosquitoes doing strange movements. 

 

 

Her visitor explains that it's a mosquito column. Mosquitoes form a column during mating season to reproduce.  She mentions to Kirie that this column has been doing so most frequently in Dragonfly pond.  Oh fuck. Last time that pond was involved in something it was the souls of those that were cremated and their ashes falling in that pond.  If they have been fucking there, then we know there's trouble. Something that Kirie seems to agree with since she realizes this particular column has formed another spiral.  Kirie decides to go back indoors, only to stumble upon something horrible.

 

They discover a corpse of a woman. With multiple holes in her body. Just when things couldn't get anymore stir crazy, Kirie witnesses a pregnant woman being hauled in with multiple mosquito bites.  Said woman is one of now 10 in the hospital.  Kirie's cousin, Keiko.  While Kirie checks on her ill cousin, the nurse working in the Maternity Ward suspects that the illness they're feeling is more psychological. She asks Kirie to help unpack Keiko's belongings and Kirie finds among most things, a heavy oddly shaped object wrapped in cloth. Which Keiko request gets put in the cupboard. The next morning, the doctors and nurses find another body. Similar to the dead woman they found before. They discover not just the same holes, but the fact that all the blood has been drained from that one.  Kirie relays the story to Keiko who tells her she's feeling much better and that she can feel her baby moving.  A sweet moment, needed for some levity between horror shots. Shuichi shows up in Kirie's room to check on her. Explaining that he didn't see her, because he's become such a recluse from the events leading to this chapter that he barely goes out anymore. Shuichi let's Kirie know that she must check out of the hospital. Worried that something may be wrong with the place. The nurse brings Keiko into Kirie's room and explains that the maternity ward has become overcrowded.  Shuichi is suspicious of her and tries to further warn Kirie. However she seems to delve into classic Kirie (As in skeptical of Shuichi's suspicions despite him being right every time.) offended that he would say an ill word about her cousin.  

 

I'm stopping right here for a moment. Kirie, you should know by now that your family is not exempt from the fucking curse.  Just in the early chapters, your father went nuts trying to make spiral themed pottery off the ashes of your boyfriend's parents. Your brother nearly got (No offence Japan.) Hiroshima'd which is why you're in the hospital in the first place. It's safe to say if Shuichi believes something is wrong with your cousin, then SOMETHING IS FUCKING WRONG WITH YOUR COUSIN!!! 

Moving on. 

Before Shuichi could explain what, another mosquito comes in. He flips out and sprays it, causing Keiko to react violently to the spray. While he didn't have time to completely explain why, since the nurse kicked him out, Shuichi gave Kirie a clue. That only female mosquitoes suck blood. To feed their young. That night, Kirie sees another mosquito coming in. She warns Keiko, only for her to say that she loves them now. She hears the buzzing coming out from the hallway and goes to investigate.  Where she is subjected to an unimaginable horror. 

 

Several of the materinity ward mothers have walked out into the hallway. Each one armed with a crank drill in their hand.  She notices that they split up into different rooms and investigates one. Making the already scary situation even worse.

 

She witnesses one of the mothers drilling a hole in the neck of a patient and feasts on the blood.  Providing yet another spiral image through the drill bit.  The mother realizes there's a witness and chases Kirie. Kirie trips on her hurt leg while calling for help. Another patient comes out and is frightened by the sight. Before he could do anything, the mothers hypnotize him. Tracing a spiral around with their fingers. As they prepare to feast on him, a nurse shows up, only to be the next victim. They seemed to be satisfied with the blood and plan to return to their room.  Only for the mother Kirie caught to say that Kirie saw what she did. Prompting them to try to kill her. Kirie manages to get to her own room, closing the door and believing she is safe. Or is she?

 

 

Since Keiko was also pregnant and bug bitten, she too has a taste for human blood and wants to feast on her own cousin. The rest of the mothers come busting in. Cornering Kirie. 

 

 

Thinking fast, Kirie manages to get a hold of the bug spray Shuichi left behind, driving the mothers away. Kirie theorizes that they were affected by the curse, which prompted them to feed on human blood to sustain their newborns. All evidence of their crimes were disposed of by their husbands.

 

Chapter 11: The Umbilical Cord

 

Let's just say the Mosquito Mothers were tame compared to this one. 

The chapter picks up where 10 leaves off. Although Kirie knew no one would believe her, she still tried to warn people anyway.  The head Doctors thought she was having a nightmare. The nursing staff thought she was crazy.  Her own family beleived that she was being cruel to her cousin. Goddammit. 

Anywho, a sliver lining. Due to the cops investigating the hospital they no longer attack the patients. However Kirie catches Keiko compensating by stealing and drinking a blood pack Kool Aid Jammers style.  

The babies finally get born and Kirie wonders what sort of horrible monstrosities these blood sucking matriachs have created.......

 

Aww its so adorable. As it turns out they are just ordinary babies.  Why do I have the feeling it's gonna be like Gremlins? Where they're cute at first, but they end up killing you.

More good news comes, as Kirie is now fully recovered and can leave the hospital at any time. Before she leaves, she decides to see her cousin one last time and meet her first cousin. Whom Keiko has named Makio.  Kirie finds him cute at first, but notices something strange. 

 

She notices Makio's stomach is swollen. Prompting angry stares from all the mothers. Kirie notices that all their babies have the same swell.  The Maternity Doctor, Dr. Kawamoto dismisses it as them wearing belly bands.  When Kirie tries to investigate the matter further, Makio's cute expression turns into one of annoyed anger. Before letting out a cry. Which causes this horrible chain reaction.

 

 

All the babies collective cries become so unbearable for Kirie that she runs for the stair case. Only to trip and fall down.   Prompting her to stay at the hospital for another week.  She mentions that she can still hear the cries, even after they long since stopped, but the doctors dismiss it as being the result of the fall. The nurse comes in with her food, which recommending the mushrooms.  Kirie tries one and spits it out, finding it suspicious that they taste like meat. She refuses to eat them while the other patients gorge on them immensely. Becoming addicted to them in the process. To take her mind off the sounds and the shrooms, Kirie enters the nursery. Where she hears the babies make sounds. The sounds then turn into words. Words expressing to desire their return to what they deem is the warm place. As Kirie listened in, she finds to her surprise and later horror that the babies can not only speak fluently, but they desire to go back into their mother's wombs.  Believing Doctor Kawamoto can help them.  

 

Now it's not unusual for horror story to have creepy babies. Whether they talk creepy, talk like adults or even express fucked up desires like what these ones talked about. It's par the norm in horror. However what you're about to see here, is so disturbing, that I advise you to bring the nearest bucket for you to puke in. This was one of the most talked about moments regarding the manga. A moment so disturbing that you don't even have to describe it in more than six words. Those words being "The babies oh god the babies." If you have a weak constitution I advise you to LOOK THE FUCK AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!! You've been warned.

 

When one of them expresses too much excitement regarding the idea, his stomach rises. Causing a mish mash of mushroom and meat to rise up and out of his shirt. Not just any meat mushroom, but the same one the hospitals have been feeding their patients with. As if things can't possibly get any worse. Kirie hears Keiko's voice from the delivery room.

 

 

She goes into investigate and finds that there are more meat mushrooms being cultivated. Presumably from samples extracted from the babies.  Dr. Kawamoto comes in and Kirie demands to know where Keiko and Makio went.  The good doctor however has flipped his lid at this point. Going on a rant about how all infant mammals use their cuteness as a weapon, to get adults to help them survive. he explains that the shroom and stem are the result of the babies regrowing their umbilical cord and placenta. And that these shrooms were the result of failed attempts at cutting them off. That upon eating one it restored his health. Huh, I wonder if someone will use that as a theory to where 1Up Mushrooms come from. DON'T EVEN TRY!!! 

 

Kirie repeats her demand and he calmly tells her that Keiko and Makio are in the next room. That their operation was successful. What operation?

 

 

A reverse C-Section.  However as a result of it, poor Keiko once again must feed on human blood to sustain her child.  Dr. Kawamoto tries to use Kirie as the source but a new mutation has occurred. 

 

 

 

Before, Keiko required a drill to drink blood. However now, she has a spiral shaped tongue similar to a mosquito's proboscis. Which she uses, not to drink Kirie's blood, but Dr. Kawamoto. Kirie tries to escape during the commotion and finds herself cornered by Keiko, but luck befell her in the form of shroom addicted patients. Too distracted by the meat shrooms to notice or care that they're being hunted by a human mosquito.  Kirie escapes the hospital. Never to return. 

 

I decided to review these three chapters altogether because much like Spiral Obsession, they all formed an arc.  With the Black Lighthouse providing the reason why Kirie would have to be in the hospital and her antics within the hospital.

When I first read the lighthouse chapter, the whole light hypnotizing people and then destroying those too close to it, seemed to remind me of It and It's Deadlights.  But that story would put the Deadlights to shame.  Aside from listening to wiser family members I never really saw an aesop to learn from this as it came across as an action scene in an otherwise beautiful horror.  While many would on the surface dismiss Kirie and Mitsuo's survival as plot armour, I beg to differ, which I will explain why later in my conclusion.  But there are 8 chapters to go, before I get to that. 

The Mosquito and Baby chapter's though were by far the most disturbing shit and even without Youtube's restrictions, I could see them still banning imagery from it, simply because they're that disturbing.  However what I couldn't really stand was the stupidity regarding Kirie and her mother.  These two alone witnessed a lot of disturbing things. They know they're family is not exempt from either being a victim or making other people victims of this curse. Yet Kirie who should be wiser at this point and believes in the spiral curse dismisses the one guy that would have helped her out of this mess and her mother dismisses Kirie when Kirie finally believes Shuichi. However while I dislike their stupidity it does later on make sense why. Since one of the main traits of the Spiral Curse so far is mesmerizing anyone that looks at the spirals, it's safe to say that the mosquito hypnotizing Kirie tried to dumb her down and the pottery that Kirie's father has, has begun to affect her mother as well. 

 

 

Chapter 12: The Storm.

This chapter starts with Kirie and Shuichi relaxing on the beach. She laments that if not for Shuichi, she'd have been dead a long time ago. Their moment is ruined when a Typhoon shows up. Shuichi wisely hauls ass, warning everyone he can. Initially no one believes him until a hurricane warning appears on the news.  Despite the warning, Kirie still tries to provide food to Shuichi.  OH COME ON!!! If it were just rain, I'd let this slide, but you're going into a typhoon. I'm pretty sure Shuichi would rather starve than see you get killed out there.

 

Anywho, as she makes her way, the wind seems to appear to get stronger. Strong enough that she loses her umbrella and the bag  the food was in. 

 

 

She gives up and goes home but not before seeing the eye of the storm. Which appears to be staring back at her. As Kirie sleeps at home, she hears her name in the wind.  Kirie wakes up the next day wondering if that sound was real or just the wind.  The storm has appeared to have calmed down. Upon looking outside, she finds that the storm is just dormant and the eye is hovering above her house. Kirie once again tries to bring Shuichi food, the storm increasing once again. Shuichi, being the voice of reason as always, yells at her demanding to know what she's doing. When she asks why he's yelling he points it out pure and simple.

 

The storm is another spiral and it's watching her. Calling her name as well. A fact that everyone seemed to heard other than Kirie. He theorizes that the storm has a crush on her and is stalking her.  A theory proven correct, when he tries to get her away from it. Enraging the storm and causing it to pursue them. Leaving destruction in it's wake.  It throws debris at them to slow them down. Prompting Shuichi to take Kirie between the houses. Which later get ripped apart, pinning Kirie down. When a bystander comes to help, the Typhoon sucks the poor girl into the eye, mistaking her for Kirie. When it realizes it's mistake it sends the poor girl slamming into the ground, killing her instantly. They hide under an overpass while the Typhoon rages on looking for her. Destroying everything in it's path.  Initially they think they lost it, only to find it can see them through a mirror. They flee to the storm drain for better protection, but that doesn't do them any good. 

 

For they find more spirals forming in the sewer water.As if things couldn't possibly get any worse. 

 

The storm takes them both. It seems like all is lost, however they find themselves near Dragonfly Pond. The storm itself drawn to the pond and sucking up the clay and grass that was in it, before disappearing.  

 

Now so far in both volumes I have heard the location Dragonfly Pond being referenced many times. As the bulk of the bad stuff seems to happen near it or gets forced there. Even this Typhoon cannot help but drag our two protagonists into that area. There's a reason for that. However from what I've been reading so far, this has become an escalation of madness and terror. However as the next volume is coming up. The worst has yet to come.

 

End of Volume 2. 

Chapter 13: The House

Picking up several days where the last Chapter left off, Kirie's house along with the other houses surrounding Dragonfly Pond have been destroyed. As a result some of the people living in the area have moved out, while Kirie's family are looking for a place to live. A realtor however gave them good news. Until their house is rebuilt they'll be staying at a house that's been vacated. The bad news.

 

 

They're living in a row house. This particular one rumored to be haunted by a monster that came out at night. Several dogs and pets in the surrounding neighbourhood have been slaughtered. The family protests, but the realtor tries to reassure them, that the house has had repairs and has all the comforts of home. He also mentions that they don't have much of a choice since all the other houses have been occupied. 

As they try to make themselves get comfortable, Kirie asks Yasuo when the house was built. To which he says that it was built around the 19th Century. Prompting Kirie to joke that she wouldn't be surprised if it was haunted. Mitsuo however freaks out, over the random noises, wanting to leave because they give him the creeps. Yasuo decides to leave to salvage supplies from their old house and Kirie's mother decides to introduce themselves to the neighbours.  They are introduced to Wakabayashi who warns them to not bother talking to the other neighbours. For they didn't have permission to move in their apartment, long before the storm. They try anyway, but have no response.

Mitsuo believes the neighbours are the monsters, but his mother dismisses them.  

 

 

All the while Yasuo discovers a painful wart on his toe, in a very familiar shape. 

 

As if things can't get any bad for them. They are being watched. More specifically, Kirie is being watched. That night, while everyone tries to sleep, loud noises echo throughout the home. Waking Kirie and Mitsuo up.  Mitsuo once again believing it's the monster. The next morning, Kirie is cleaning the deck when Wakabayashi approaches her. He too asking about the noise. He mentions that it's coming from the neighbors he warned them about. He explains that they moved n before the storm and that they have been living on Welfare. That the son has a medical condition that puts him in constant agony. While his mother refuses to let anyone see him.  Rumors persist of him having strange deformities which is why the monster story exists.   As they speak, the old woman has left the house, covered in heavy clothes to hide her appearance. She was simply going to get her laundry when she falls over. Kirie rushes to help her only to discover worse things on the lady's skin.

 

Warts similar to the one on her father. Only they have seemingly popped out into Spiral shaped cones. The old lady rushes back into the house. Later in the afternoon the family hears a loud scream. Kirie thinking the Old Woman is in danger, rushes to her aid. When asking what is wrong, she only says one thing. "My son has died." The son was tragically hauled away and the mother, put in the hospital so they could study the skin condition that killed her son. Wakabayashi asks Kirie out of morbid curiousity what the son looked like. Since he seen the inside of the house was covered in holes. Kirie, out of respect, for the dead refuses to say. Later on, as announcements of a second hurricane are blaring through the radio, Kirie and the family discover they all have warts too. Putting them into a panic. We then get a reveal of who has been watching Kirie. 

 

Wakabayashi. His intentions made pretty clear to why he's spying on her. However upon contemplating where to drill the next hole, karma comes to him. 

 

In the form of spiral warts. Just around the same time the second hurricane shows up. Stuck in a rock and a hard place, the family can't go to the hospital even though it's clear they have to, since the warts are becoming unbearable.  Kirie realizes that they aren't warts, but the skin disease the old woman and her son suffered from. They call Wakabayashi for help, but he doesn't answer. The warts becoming worse for Yasuo. Kirie theorizes that whatever disease is in the house, is what's causing the condition and that they must leave even if it's not safe in the storm. Kirie tries to make a break for it, but Mitsuo directs her attention to the wall. Growths similar to theirs appear to be growing out of it, before the wall breaks open. 

 

Wakabayashi has become a monster. After eating a rat he is fixated on Kirie. Presumably intended to act on his sexual desires for her. Kirie runs outside into the raging storm, while Wakabayashi is in hot pursuit. Just when we think he has her cornered. 

 

 

The storm ends up saving her life, by impaling the monster with a fence post. Then subsiding into Dragonfly Pond like the last one. The family leaves the house and their skin disease dissappeared. 

 

I once heard in a review of this chapter, that there may be two competing spiral entities and the hurricane along with the monster were the result of them competing over Kirie. Which seems reasonable, but I have an alternate theory. Which I will get to. I will say this, there's a reason why each one since chapter 5 has been coming after her. 

 

 

Chapter 14: Butterflies. 

This story introduces a new character. Named Chie Maruyama A reporter who came to Kurozo-Cho to investigate and report on the damage caused by the second hurricane. Upon arriving a tornado takes out her van and kills her crew. Leaving her the only survivor. 

 

 

 

As she makes it through the town for help she notices a large spiral shaped cloud hovering over the sky. As well as three kids tied up and gagged on stakes.  Thinking that they were being treated cruelly she unties them. However she later realizes her mistake when they approached a nearby house.

 

For with their collective breath, thy not only can conjure up tornadoes, but also use them to destroy buildings. When things couldn't get any worse, they turn their attention onto her and try to kill her with another conjured tornado.  She dodges it, but is hurt from the blast. When they go to finish her off, she shouts. Creating a tornado of her own. Sending them away.  She is met by Kirie and Mitsuo. Who were out looking for food. They explain that the phenomena is caused by the air pressure that is the reuslt of the hurricanes being sucked into Dragonfly pond. Turning it into an perpetual whirlpool. She advises Chie to keep her voice down and move slowly. So they don't create tornadoes by accident.  Chie immediately feels guilty that she hurt the kids. Yet Kirie takes her, to their new home for help. Another rowhouse. She mentions that they Rowhouses were the only places to not take any damage. However unlike the last time where they had their own space.

 

It's now occupied by pretty much the entire town. With barely any room for anyone else.  She asks for volunteers to find a way out of town so she can bring help in. Kirie's family volunteers, but the rest of the rowhouse protests. Stating that things have gotten worse since the last hurricane. Anyone that's come into town and survives, will never get out. That a terrifying power is over them preventing their leaving. Sucking them into it's spiral.  The family still tries to help, but before they could set foot outside. 

 

 

 Two of the three kids show up.  Informing Chie that she's killed the third one.  They try to kill her, but she and Kirie's family run back into the house. The other refugees explain that ever since they were orphaned by the hurricane, that they snapped and decided to take it out on the town. Meaning half of the destruction was their fault.  They try to blow the rowhouse down, but find that it won't budge. They summon stronger gusts of wind, but it still doesn't budge.  Taking their chance the refugees fight back. 

 

We here at CIEIR do not condone child violence. But since this is a post apocalyptic town, where the rules against such don't apply and those kids happen to be psychotic brats that tried to kill someone that saved them, I have this to say: I hope they landed on something sharp. They got blown away when the refugees used the wind against them. Just as they celebrate their minor victory, no pun intended.  We hear the voice of a familiar lad. 

 

 

Shuichi old man, I know it's only been a few chapters but I feel like i haven't seen you in ages!! How've you been....oh. It seems since the first hurricane incident, Shuichi has gone off his rocker.  He believes the town has gone mad and will one day become a spiral.  It turns out however their victory has been short lived. Since not only have the kids returned. 

 

They've learned how to fly using the lift from the tornado. Now this chapter is very interesting, because before, whenever a spiral curse occurs it either resolves itself, the innocent victims get better or the assholes that fall victim to it, face some karmic justice. Here, however there are no aesops, no resolutions and the problem is only just beginning. To make matters worse, Shuichi, our resident sane man has now given into Spiral Madness. This also has become the point where it stops being a loosely connected anthology and starts becoming a full story, with every thing and I mean EVERYTHING that came before, coming together here. 

Chapter 15: Chaos.

Picking up where Chapter 14 left off, Kirie, Chie and Mitsuo witness a gang of delinquents riding tornadoes and destroying buildings for fun. Mitsuo, not learning from the lighthouse experience wants to join them so he can ride twisters too. However Kirie berates him, noting that many people died trying. Mitsuo becomes more brattier than ever, wondering why they get to do what they want and he can't. As they make their way back home they discover three familiar shells. 

 

The snail people have returned. Kirie, who hasn't seen them in a while, wonder what brought them out now. They go back to the rowhouse to find it's more packed than ever with the newer residents demanding they leave. Even though they rightfully explain that they were there first. Because everyone is too crowed they start to get on each other's nerves. Tensions seem to increase when one resident finds a scroll embedded in the wall. He drops it which lands in Kirie and Chie's area. They read it to discover a huge bombshell. 

 

It's an old map of Kurozu-Cho which contains a large spiral covering the entire town.  The resident who dropped it, unaware of it's signifigance demands they give it back. Causing the rest of the rowhouse to snap and argue with each other.  One resident takes the opportunity to throw Shuichi out for insisting everyone's gone mad. Kirie, her family and Chie follow him prompting the residents to throw them out too. As they search for another row house, Chie insists they all should get out of town. However Kirie reminds her that she tried that already. By escaping through the tunnel that she came in before. Only to find it never ending. Kirie mentions that Shuichi was right all along and that the spiral won't let them leave. While Chie hopes to find a way Yasuo finally let the madness consume him. Stating he wants to rebuild his furnace, make ceramics again and focus on the art of the spiral. Only to be reminded by his wife, that it's impossible to get clay from under Dragonfly Pond now because of the whirlpool.  As they all contemplate what to do, Mitsuo smells something cooking. They go and see that the gang they witnessed before are indeed. Cooking something. Against Kirie's protests, Mitsuo approaches the gang. Only to find to his and the family's horror, what they are cooking exactly. 

 

They're roasting the snail people. Meaning that Katayama, Tumura and Mr. Yokata are in fact, dead. While they are cordial enough to offer them food, Kirie is upset since she knows that they're in fact former humans. This causes tensions between the gang and Kirie's Group, which prompts Yasuo to snap out of his funk and demand they leave them alone.  This causes the leader to send him flying. Prompting Kirie to fight back. Creating a storm of her own. Which causes them to go airborne. Prompting the gang to chase them down. As they try to get away, Kirie notices they're coming back to a familiar place. 

 

 

Dragonfly Pond.  Which is the second time Kirie has been blown in that direction. Before they get sucked into it though, Kirie, Chie and Shuichi form a human chain while grabbing on a telephone pole. While the gang gets sucked into the whirpool. 

 

Chapter 15 seemed to expand on what 14 was conveying, even calling back to previous stories in the worst way.  It showed that as the Spiral tightened it's grip on the town, it caused many people to cope in different ways. From turning against each other to eating each other.  Causing a spiral effect of it's own as the result of the human mind slowly unravelling. 

 

 

Chapter 16: Erosion

When things couldn't get any worse for this town, more people from the outside begin to flood in. With the exception of the Rowhouses the town is in further ruins and the whirlwinds are becoming more frequent thanks to what was left of the Twister Gangs. As a whirlwind claims another life, we are introduced to Tanizaki. A relief worker who volunteered to help the town after the previous disasters. He along with Chie among Kirie's group discuss the many attempts they had to escape the town.  

In Chie's case, she tried leaving through the tunnel. Only to find it neverending.  Yet upon taking the route back into town, she arrived as though she never left.

 

In Tanizaki's case, his group tried to build a raft and escape by sea. Another group went first only to get sucked into a whirlpool.  Kirie brings Chie and Tanizaki back to her home. Instead of the Rowhouses which were still full, her group has made a makeshift cabin out of remnants of their old home.  With her mother recovering from the injuries of the twister gang.  Yasuo was still missing in action and Kirie's mother feared the worst. Tanizaki rightfully warns them, that their cabin is unsafe so they trek to find another Rowhouse.   As Kirie and Tanizaki's group look for one, one of theirs Okamoto falls over. Complaining about his back.  Tanizaki inspects it.

 

Okamoto is turning into a snail person and he's not the only person vulnerable to do so. Shuichi theorizes that because people are moving so slow, the entity controlling the curse is catching up to them and any one of them could be next. In a test that would make John Carpenter proud, the rest of the group check their backs to see any changes.  

 

 

Another one, Togawa has a spiral mark on his back. Meaning he's further off than Okamoto.  They try to keep him from panicking so he can't cause another whirlwind. They finally make it to another Rowhouse, but find to their suprise it's also full. Panicking, the relief workers try to break the door down. Only to get blown away. The whole thing escalating into an all out war. They managed to break in and find one of the most gruesome hells one can imagine. 

 

Because so many people kept flooding in, the bodies in an effort to make room, twisted and tied themselves to each other in a manner similar to Uzumaki's Romeo and Juliet: Kazunori and Yukio.  Only where they have their happy ending, these people have become a hated, yet mutual collective as a result.  Unfortunately because there was little room in the houses, they eventually burst out from the collective weight. In an attempt to cover themselves they do something that we thought only an Amish village can do. 

 

 

Using the ruins of the other buildings they proceeded to add sections of the houses for more room.  Tanizaki, feeling inspired wants to help make the extensions, because he believes if the Rowhouse can withstand the winds, then they could just make it.  However, the rest of his group disagree, fearing they'll turn into additions to the current residents.  Before any arguments can be settled, rescue ships arrive. Much to the joy of some, but to the doubt of Kirie. Funny, it takes many chapters for her, but she finally is on the same wavelength as Shuichi. Plus she was right.

 

The ships get sucked into another whirlpool.  Night falls and the groups are running out of food. One of the workers find an alternative source. 

 

A snail person, already cooked and left behind by the Twister Gang.  Initially Tazinaki is reluctant, but without any other options, they feast. Finding the meat delicious they offer Kirie's group some. Justifying that they're not human anymore. One of the workers, notes Okamoto isn't eating and expresses greivance over having to carry him.  He suggest they tie him so he doesn't wander off. Their intentions for dessert well known. Initially Kirie was reluctant, but after watching that even Shuichi is eating, she joins in.  

 

After taking their share, Kirie's group and Tainzaki's group go their seperate ways. They find their cabin has collapsed from the whirlwinds, their mother taken by the whirlwinds and Mitsuo pinned under debris. Yet he appears to be unharmed for the worst reason imaginable.

 

 

Mitsuo is turning into a snail person. Since Kirie knew it won't be long until Tanizaki's group or some other group would eat their "rations", it's only a matter of time before her brother becomes the next meal. Which causes her to vow to escape.

 

This chapter is by far one of the craziest ones I ever seen in Volume 3, because it takes the concept of Rock and Hard Place to the Nth degree.  If they move too slow, they become snails and eventually dinner. If they move to fast they create whirlwinds, risking killing themselves and others. If they go back to the overcrowded Rowhouses, they become mangled monstrosities trying to tear away from each other no matter how much they stick further. Yet despite that, they work collectively to protect themselves from outside dangers. Which seems to be humanity in a nutshell. However the worst is yet to come. Now I know what you're thinking. Since the second two snails were created due to picking on the first, then shouldn't Kirie, Shuichi, Chie, Tanizaki and their group be doomed to turn as well? There's a reason why they aren't. However if there's any consequence that befalls Kirie it's that by giving into spiral madness and eating a fellow human being, the fact that her brother is in constant danger of becomming a meal. The title Erosion takes on a whole new meaning here. Much like the natural destruction of ground through years of water damage, the town and one's sanity are naturally rotting away more and more.  Since our resident sane man has given into said insanity, needless to say no one is safe.

Clapter 17: Escape

Picking up where Chapter 16 left off, Kirie decides to escape the Kurozu-Cho. Since leaving by sea and by tunnel are out of the question, she decides to try the hills.  Believing there's a trail. She hopes that by leaving the town, Mitsuo will return to normal and once finding a way out, she'll come back to look for her missing parents. Despite Shuichi, giving up at this point, which I count as a warning in and of itself, Kirie decides to go. In a clever use of the sensitive whirlwinds, they decide where to start. 

 

Using a falling stick they follow the whirlwind created with it, to figure which direction to go. Deciding to venture north at the steepest of the hill. Once they make the climb they are able to see what's left of their town from above and survey the damage.

 

 

With the exception of the rowhouses, everything was destroyed and Dragonfly Pond is still a perpetual whirlpool.  Mitsuo pointing out that the rowhouses are facing the pond.  They also notice the whirlwinds are being concentrated to one rowhouse, which is being extended.

 

 

 

On top of the frame work, Tanizaki is personally working on the extension. His hammering and cheering causing most of them.  When he spots the group, he enthusiastically announces that there will be a home for everyone.  When I first read this, I didn't know if he gave into the madness completely or is genuinely happy. However I'm gonna say the latter, because his reckless cheering nearly blew them away.  Kirie notices that Tanizaki isn't the only one.  As more people are buidling extensions to the other Rowhouses. When they venture on, the Siren blares. Much like the Lighthouse, despite being no power, it continues to work. Kirie noting that it's almost like it's warning the town of escapees. They find the trail covered in many spiral shaped plant life, wondering how long until they reach the  paved road. However they find themselves in yet another situation.

 

 

They run into Takemoto and the rest of the relief workers.  Who claimed they were following them. Despite meeting each other on opposite ends.  They realized then and there they both went in a full circle. As if things couldn't get anymore worse, Kirie notices they have Okamoto tied up. 

 

 

Takemoto taking Son Goku Abridged's cue and using him as emergency food. Putting Kirie's group on edge.  Okamoto goes under the final sequences of his transformation, causing Takemoto and his group to prepare to feast. Instead of cooking him however, they want to eat him raw to see if he's like Escargot. Initially they were gonna get him with a rock, but don't out of fear of getting whirlwinded.  Takemoto gets an idea to get it.

 

 

By crawling into the shell. The others try to take him out worried he'll hog all the meat. While distracted, Kirie's group makes a break for it. They wander through the woods wondering how long they've been out there. They notice a tree stump and try to use the rings to tell the time. When Shuichi looks at it though, he sees a familiar face.  

 

 

His father once again asking him to join him.  Since Kirie and Chie don't see him, they believe he's re-imagining it.  They try to venture forth, with Mituso succumbing to his snail instincts and eating the leaves. Kirie carries him so he doesn't dottle behind. The group running into Takemoto's group once more.  They try their best to hide Mitsuo's transformations, Shuichi taking a shift carrying Mitsuo as they walk along. Takemoto gets hungry again and around the same time Mitsuo finishes his transformation.  The jig is up and Kirie's group runs for it. They find themselves at a cliff near the lighthouse. Takemoto's group closing in.

 

In a sad move Kirie hits her brother and forces poor Mitsuo to climb down the cliff to safety.  Takemoto's group reaches them, demanding they hand over Mitsuo.  Takemoto goes mad, talking about the senstations he felt eating Okamoto's face and crawling into his shell.  Causing him and his group to go even crazier. 

 

Turning their bodies into twisted spirals. Kirie's group leave realizing they're never gonna leave town and decide much to their reluctance to go back to Kurozu-Cho.  Witnessing an offscreen sight that puts them in shock.

 

This chapter was balls to the walls insane.  Showing humanity's madness ever increasing as they try to feast on one and other.  While the hints were very subtle, it seemed there were more and more call backs to the earlier chapters. Turning what would have been considered an Anthology into a unique brand of horror story, strengthening the bonds of continuity. It also showed a bit of hope, when Mituso is let go. Even though he's a snail now and the possibility of him being lunch is inevitable, he is free for now. 

Chapter 18: Labyrinth.

This chapter page, is unique among the rest, because while the others show art that often foreshadow the events to come, Junji Ito seemed to decide "Fuck that shit, let's show them what happened." The chapter opens revealing what shocked them. The town has now become a gigantic spiral of Rowhouses. Similar to the spiral shaped mark on the old town map. They don't believe it at first, since in their point of view they've only been gone for a few days.  However Shuichi theorized that the spirals also control the concept of time. Meaning days for them, were years for the town.  He also theorized that through the curse, the survivors began unconsciously building the town into a giant spiral, the way it used to be before.  Kirie decides to explore the rowhouses hoping to find her parents.  As they venture in the spiral maze of houses they notice that they can no longer make whirlwinds. The houses surrounding them protecking them. As they venture through, they find more twisted people within the windows. Kirie asks them if they know where her parents are, but they don't. They also ask them to get rid of what they toss out. 

 

The untangled corpse of a former resident.  They continue onwards finding more untangled corpses. With more twisted people asking them to get rid of them. Kirie still asking about her parents and they're still unable to answer.  They find only one person who isn't a twisted monstrositiy. 

 

 

Mr. Tanizaki. Who has aged a considerable amount since they last saw him and is working as a caretaker.  He mentions that it's been years since he last saw them.  That the rowhouses are almost finished with the twisted survivors building them from inside. He mentions that the last he heard regarding Kirie's parents were that they were making Pottery by Dragonfly pond.  Giving Kirie hope. They continue onwards finding dead ends as they travel through the gaps, watching the twisted survivors building.  As they rest they speculate why they would rebuild something that was in the past.  Shuichi theorizes that this isn't the first time this town was cursed. That the curse has been around since ancient times and that it ends with the town becoming a spiral.  However he squashes that theory based on the older houses not being ancient.  That any story that could be passed on vanished with the storyteller.  The next day, they continue their journey and notice a site they haven't seen in a long time.

 

 

The smoke spiral cloud has returned, meaning they just started cremating bodies again. The smoke and ash going straight to Dragonfly Pond.  They use the smoke to guide them to the center, hurrying as they do. Avoiding dead ends and running for a closing gap. However, they weren't fast enough.

 

 

Chie has been sealed in. Despite their efforts they couldn't get her out.  The spiral town has now been completed. They hear a rumbling sound that has moved rapidly throuhgh the entire spiral.  Realizing that the houses have been emptied, Kirie and Shuichi go in and follow the trail there, knowing the end will lead them to Dragonfly Pond. 

  

Once they reach the end they find that the spiral continues. The Pond has since been drained out and in it's place, a spiral staircase. The only part of town, that actually does look ancient. They realize the twisted survivors have fallen through the long hole in the stairs. Kirie and Shuichi realize then and there, that whatever is down there may be the true cause of the Spiral Curse.  Kirie, more determined than ever, decides to go down there.  Shuichi, goes with her. 

 

Both ascending the spiral stairs to find Kirie's parents and solve this mystery once and for all. Now this chapter really broke my heart and my brain.  The idea that these things have become more mangled and twisted yet still form a society only for them to end too, by going down there. It's quite hard to wrap my head around it.  Chie's demise was also very heartwrenching because, they were that close to getting through and they lose yet another ally. The whole thing looked like it was something out of a tragic death in a zombie apocoplypse. It did raise some interesting speculations about the curse as a whole. Yet I feel like it's not enough to save them. The madness of the overall story, is reaching it's peak. Before I continue, I wish to apologize for the long read. There was so much to go through and I felt I would't do it justice if I just cherrypicked the manga.

 

 

Chapter 19: Completion.

Picking up exactly where 18, left off Kirie and Shuichi ascend down the stairs. Which seem to be neverending.  Kirie almost loses her balance by staring at the center of the stairs.  Not knowing how much time has passed. 

 

They stumble upon a straggler who begs them to take it with them.  Claiming there's something wonderful down there.  They refuse, because they don't have the strength to carry it. 

 

Not taking no for an answer the straggler attacks Kirie, causing Shuichi to fight it and send them falling through the center.  Kirie runs down the stairs noticing a light at the end.

 

She reaches the bottom, finding a snail shell shaped statue in the center.  Which is attached to a screw shaped column. She tries to carefully climb down it only to find herself slipping and falling. An unknown force slowing her fall down. 

 

She lands safely on a pile of frozen bodies. The Twisted Survivors. All of them looking up. Kirie out of curiousity looks up and subjects her gaze into a horrifyingly amazing site. 

 

A ruined city of spiral structures. Covered in a mesmerizing light.  She decides to look for Shuichi among the frozen people. Some of which Kirie noted have turned into stone. Being assimilated by the ruins themselves. 

 

 

Kirie finally finds her parents. Also petrified and staring up. Shuichi was not too far behind. His legs were broken and he couldn't move.  He mentions the ruins have a will of their own.  Cursing the town for being underground and hidden and not being the center of attention. (Sound familiar?)  He mentions that he doesn't know who built it or why, but the ruins often reach people every 100 - 1000 of years.  Trying to rebuild themselves. Shuichi begs Kirie to leave him and keep fighting. However instead she can't run either and decides to stay with him. 

 

They become twisted together in a romantic embrace.  The only people not staring at the spiral ruins as they become frozen like the rest.

 

The column brings it's way up and seals Dragonfly pond.  Ending the curse. 

 

 

Kirie's final narration narrrating that while time sped up outside the spiral, it froze within. Leaving them in an endless moment. Claiming the curse ended just as it began.  That eventually when Kuruzo-Cho gets rebuilt, that it will begin again. 

 

And that is the end of the story. There is a chapter after, but it takes place within the early events and doesn't really have a place in the overall story. 

 

First off, holy shit. This story was fucking insane all the way through. I don't like downer endings much, but this one holds a place in my heart due to the nature of the story.  Now the ending along with the whole story has had many people debate and reading between the lines to what it means. 

 

In my case I believe that since Shuichi mentioned that the Rowhouses aren't old, that this has not just happened before, but it has happened to them multiple times. That they're trapped in an endless time loop that could have broken had they left town while they can. Since time and spirals are neverending, that is the most logical theory I could come up with.  

 

As for the overall curse.  The way I see it, while the ruins do play a huge part of it, every curse has a trigger.  In this case, since Shuichi's father has been a constant appiration throughout the entire story. I think he triggered the curse. His spiral obsession may have unwittingly made a mockery out of the ruins and the fact that everything went to hell when he and his wife's cremated remains sprinkled down into Dragonfly Pond are further proof.  

Then you have the key people who are affected by the Curse. Kirie and Shuichi. Now another reviewer whom I will put his video on here mentioned an interesting thing about the curse.

 

He mentioned that the overall curse is based around the specific spiral pattern of the outside going in.  Which made sense. At the starting point outside, the curse was tame.  Still scary, but only had minor occurances. As the chapters went on and we made our way further down the spiral, the curse started getting worse and worse. Individual incidences started coming in bulk. With the whole thing eventually coming to an end. However I do not think it just applies to the town. But rather inidividual people. It also does not just apply to the outside going in.  I believe that each character even the minor ones are spirals all there own as well.

First let's start with Shuichi.  He lives outside of town, yet despite hating said town, he frequently comes in for Kirie's sake.  As the chapters went on, he kept coming in more frequently and his sanity was decreasing.  He was the outside spiral going in.

Then you have Kirie. She lives by Dragonfly Pond, the very center of the town.  Despite her reluctance, she's always the center of attention. Shuichi wants her and only her to leave town.  Many boys gush over how beautiful she is, with said beauty becoming an obsession and many girls want what she has.  Azani wanted Shuichi, because on top of him being the only boy that rejected her, she wanted what Kirie had. Sekino was so deluded into thinking that Kirie was an attention whore, that she risked her life and sanity to get that attention. Then there's also the spirals most frequent appariations, the Hurricane and the whirlwinds after.  The hurricane when it finally caught Kirie, sent her back to Dragonfly pond. When she and her group fled on the Whirlwinds they gravitated towards Dragonfly Pond. Then there's her overall attitude on the curse. She dismissed the early incarnations as mere accidents. Only becoming a believeer when she saw something she couldn't rationalize. Since then, the curse has been gunning for her, with almost every individual inicident revolving around her. Whether it effects her family or eventually gets her. She was the inside spiral trying to get out and the curse was in it's own POV, trying to put her in her place. 

The manga is good, I highly suggest you all read it. I'll get to the movie another time and I cannot wait to see the anime. 

Take care of yourself and watch out for spirials. They could be anywhere. Including your hom-.

 

What was I talking about? Oh shit I have to write the review. 

Cosmic Horror.....