Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror

If the spiral curse were real, do you think it would have the same destructive effect depicted in the book (especially considering modern society’s level of technology)? Would the curse be able to unravel society itself?

Junji Ito’s art style brings out the horror of his narrative, especially the double-page spreads which force readers to take in detailed, terrifying images. Which illustration was your favorite, and why?

Do you find the spiral curse’s natural origins (revealed in Chapter 19) disappointing and/or more frightening than a supernatural explanation? Why or why not?

In Chapter 8, those who are cruel towards snail people end up becoming snails themselves. Knowing that these snails are eventually hunted down and eaten, do you think the bullies deserved their fate? Why or why not?

How did you feel when Kirie decided to eat snail person meat in Chapter 16? Does her decision detract from her earlier kindness in Chapter 8 (among other chapters)? Why or why not?

What is the significance behind the spiral completing its growth just as Kirie and Shuichi embrace in Chapter 19? What might Ito be communicating by connecting this act of devotion to the curse itself?

Compare and contrast Kirie and one of the following female characters: Azami Kurotani (Chapter 3), Sekino (Chapter 6), or Ms. Maruyama (Chapters 14-18).

While most of the spiral curse’s horrors deal in death, the vampiric mothers and their talking children (Chapters 10-11) deal in life—albeit in a perverse way. With that said, in what way does this story follow the curse’s pattern?