▪ The anime adaptation teases a potentially unsettling conclusion to Junji Ito's haunting narrative.
The next episode will dive deeper into Kirie's harrowing experiences as she copes with the loss of her home. The temporary shelter she's found in a row house seems to carry its own curse, suggesting even more trouble ahead. In the previous episode, viewers were left on edge by the terrifying events at Kurouzu Hospital. Upon her recovery and return, Kirie found herself beset by unwanted attention, with no respite in sight.
In the last episode, Kirie was admitted to Kurouzu Hospital, where she shared a room with her pregnant cousin, Keiko, and other pregnant women bitten by mosquitoes. That night, she witnessed these women drilling into other patients to drain their blood. Defending herself with mosquito spray, Kirie's report of the incident was dismissed.
Days later, Kirie discovered newborns communicating and growing mushrooms from their bellies, which were served to patients, resulting in obsession. These mushrooms were placentas of the newborns, trying to return to their mothers. The doctor tried to restrain Kirie for blood-feeding but was ultimately attacked by Keiko. Shuichi's mother, in her paranoia, destroyed the spiral in her ear, leading to her death.
Back home, Kirie's father was fixated on creating spiral-patterned cutlery. Shuichi broke open his kiln, releasing souls. A typhoon, obsessed with Kirie, called her name and descended into Dragonfly Pond.
Uzumaki episode 4 is slated for release on Sunday, October 20, 2024, on Adult Swim's Toonami block. Here's the schedule by time zone:
Pacific Time (PT): Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 9:30 PM
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST): Sunday, October 20, 2024, at 3:00 PM
For those in the US, Uzumaki episode 4 will be available on Adult Swim, with a rebroadcast in both languages on Thursday, October 24, 2024. The episode will also be accessible for streaming on HBO Max. Viewers in the UK can watch it on Channel 4, though availability remains limited to specific regions.
In episode 4, the spiral curse will further entrench itself into Kirie's life. The show creators have made noticeable changes so far, and it remains to be seen how they will tackle the concluding segments of Junji Ito's dark masterpiece. With several chapters yet to be adapted, ensuring the correct pacing is crucial to delivering a powerful ending that mirrors the manga's impact.