Legendary horror mangaka anime adaptations titled Junji Ito Collection and Junji Ito Maniac with a recently announced live-action film adaptation of his story Bloodsucking Darkness on the way. However, the most anticipated translation of Ito's work is undoubtedly Adult Swim's Uzumaki. This anime has been in the works for a long time now, and it looks like it has an extra surprise up its sleeve as Ito himself is expected to make a cameo.According to Comic Book Resources, the official Twitter page for the Uzumaki anime showcased a video with Ito himself in the sound booth. He's given clear instructions regarding how to prepare for delivering his lines before speaking in the microphone for a small cameo. It's a very quick session that even surprises director Hiroshi Nagahama when he proclaims in disbelief "That's it for him?" However, the fact that the legendary creator of Uzumaki will be making a small appearance in the anime is incredibly exciting and something for fans to keep an ear out for when it premieres.
Junji Ito Explains Why He Never Provided His Voice Before
What's interesting about this brief video is Ito's discussion about why he's never voice-acted before. While he did make an appearance in Hideo Kojima's video game Death Stranding, this cameo in Uzumaki is the very first time he's ever voice-acted. When Nagahama asks if he's ever lent his voice to a character before, Ito responds that he has "poor enunciation" which makes it difficult for him to be an actor. However, he takes pride in the character he plays because they match his enunciation difficulty perfectly. It's still unknown who Ito is expected to play, but knowing his role will likely be deadpan should help fans pick him out.
Now that Ito has some acting experience under his belt, it could open the doors for him to cameo in other adaptations of his works. While he may not be gunning for an Academy Award anytime soon, seeing him make appearances akin to Stephen King in adaptations of his works could make for a fun Easter Egg for eagle-eyed fans. Plus, with Bloodsucking Darkness on the way, he could step in front of the camera for the first time to surprise fans of his work on the big screen.
It's still currently unknown when Junji Ito's voice-acting debut will finally arrive though. Since 2022, Uzumaki was delayed indefinitely while the artists worked to make sure that the mangaka's story is fully realized before release. Still, it will be well worth the wait when it finally arrives. A lot of care is clearly being placed into the making of this adaptation for Toonami because of how impactful the story has been since it was first published in 1998. Seeing Junji Ito give his seal of approval for Uzumaki by making his voice acting debut is a perfect way to put a fitting bow on this adaptation whenever it releases.
Sources: Comic Book Resources, UzumakiAnime
