The narrative of ‘Uzumaki’ is told through the eyes of Kirie Goshima, a young woman residing in the coastal town of Kurouzu, which is gripped by a bizarre and hypnotic supernatural curse, driving its residents into a deadly and obsessive madness centered around spirals.
The book, published in Portugal by Devir, spans over 600 pages in black and white, offering a realistic and intricately detailed depiction of the grotesque and oppressive transformation into spirals.
‘Uzumaki’ originally appeared in Japan between 1998 and 1999, authored by Jungi Ito, aged 63, who has been acclaimed by critics as a master of horror manga. His works available in the Portuguese market include ‘Coleção de Contos’ and the ‘Tomie’ series.
“The universe of Jungi Ito is remarkably cruel, with characters often facing disproportionate punishment for minor transgressions under an unknown and incomprehensible natural order,” notes the biographical section in the book.
The Portuguese edition features a commentary by former diplomat and Japanese writer Masaru Sato, who hails ‘Uzumaki’ as a masterpiece on human condition and capitalism, recommending the manga to those seeking to understand Karl Marx’s ‘Das Kapital’.
“If we replace the term ‘spiral’ with ‘capitalism’, we see the essence of what we face today,” asserts Masaru Sato. He believes Jungi Ito “crystallized” in the manga a period in Japan’s history when the economic bubble burst in February 1991.
This dystopian horror story, nominated for the American Eisner Comic Awards, has inspired various adaptations into video games, films, and a television mini-series.
