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Since its first publication in the late '90s, Uzumaki has been released to the world in many incarnations. Now, the horror series is coming to screens as an anime.
A creation of manga artist and storyteller Junji Ito, Uzumaki lives up to its name, which means "spiral." In the town of Kurouzu-cho, residents are affected by a supernatural curse related to spirals. The curse is tortuous, with psychological and physical effects that can lead to death. The story follows Kirie and her boyfriend Shuichi, a pair of high-schoolers who get caught up in paranormal occurrences while trying to learn how to escape the town and defeat the hex.
Considered one of Ito's most acclaimed works, Uzumaki dives deep into the structures, myths and portrayal of spirals throughout time. Here's when to watch the show, and how you can enjoy it without cable.
Read more: Best Anime Streaming Services of 2024
After a long wait, Uzumaki is finally coming to the small screen, bringing Junji Ito's story to life.
Junji Ito/Shogakukan/Production I.G., LLCRelease date for Uzumaki
Uzumaki will debut at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on Saturday, Sept. 28 on Adult Swim, where viewers can watch it live. There are only four episodes total, so the show will end its run before Halloween.
Watch Uzumaki on demand
You'll be able to stream Uzumaki on Max the day after episodes air live. If you aren't a Max subscriber, you can sign up for the ad-supported version of the service for $10 a month. That's the cheapest tier Max offers. If you want to watch ad-free, you can subscribe for $17 or $21 a month, depending on your needs. And if you're a fan of Hulu and Disney Plus and want to save money, you can get the bundle that packages Max and stream all three for a lower monthly price.
While Max doesn't have a free trial, you can save money by purchasing an annual plan for any of its tiers. If you want the ad-based tier, it's $100 a year, $20 less than the price of paying monthly for a year.
Several live TV streaming services offer access to Adult Swim content, including Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV. Because the show airs late, you can choose to use your DVR to record it; these platforms offer that option.
Sling TV carries channels for Adult Swim content on each of its three subscription plans: Sling Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. Plans start at $40 a month, but if you're new subscriber, you can get half off your first month.
YouTube TV offers more than 100 live channels, including Adult Swim. The service has a base price of $73 per month that includes unlimited DVR.
Read our YouTube TV review.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $77 per month, offers additional access to Disney Plus, ESPN and Hulu on-demand at no additional charge and carries Adult Swim. If you're a new customer, you may be eligible for a three-day free trial.
Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.
How to watch Uzumaki from anywhere with a VPN
Perhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream Max while away from home. With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to access the TV series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.
A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you're traveling and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins when connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that's passed our tests and meets our security standards.
You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.
If you're looking for a secure and dependable VPN, check out our Editors' Choice: ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on multiple devices, and provides stable streams. It's normally $13 a month, but currently costs less overall for a 12-month subscription, where each month shakes out to $8.32.
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our review of ExpressVPN.
Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation and choose a US server, where Uzumaki will be streaming on Max. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Max on more than one device, it's possible you'll need to configure each one to ensure you're signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you're ready to open Max to stream.
If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Keep in mind that some streaming services will restrict VPN access.