Not since Ogroff have children been dismembered with such spectacular gusto as in The Curse of Kazuo Umezu. But that tracks.
Kazuo Umezu’s The Drifting Classroom is my favorite horror manga of all time. Because, in addition to the mutated insects, cosmic mythology, and many, many instances of jaw-dropping violence by (and against) kids, the story has a lot to say about trust, grief, and friendship. It caught me off guard, and I loved it more and more with each turn of the page. Drifting Classroom has a refreshing amount of depth to complement the carnage, which isn’t always the case with manga.
The Curse of Kazuo Umezu is an anime adaptation of Kazuo Umezu’s early short stories. It doesn’t hit the emotional heights of his manga, but it DOES have a scene where a shark-toothed dream demon eats its way out of someone’s body. And that’s really all I need out of a movie.
After an introduction from a sentient head, Curse kicks off with “What Will the Video Camera Reveal?”—a queer-tinged story that follows Masami as she obsesses over a new girl at school (”I can’t stand these strange feelings, what’s going on inside me?!”). Masami’s dreams are invaded by a vampiric beast that may or may not be a manifestation of her feelings—and also may or may not be materializing in the real world. With nowhere to turn, Masami uses a camcorder to record what happens while she sleeps. The results aren’t encouraging. In “The Haunted Mansion,” the second story, Miko and Nanako watch horror movies on VHS during a sleepover. When the videos don’t scare them, the girls decide to up the ante. Joined by two friends, Miko and Nanako break into an abandoned “ghost mansion” on the outskirts of town. Imagine their surprise when they find out that the house is occupied by a maniacal phantasm.
The Curse of Kazuo Umezu is a 40-minute OVA (original video animation) that has only ever been released on VHS and LaserDisc. It will delight fans of Ringu, Paranormal Activity, and children being decapitated. Leaning into early tech-horror mechanics and surrealist visuals, the movie’s strengths lie in its cozy, modest ambitions. These are pocket-sized stories with a focus on spooky mood over action—but they always deliver. Between the quiet moments, we get teddy bears that bleed, bedrooms that fill up with blood, and cursed VHS tapes. The limited animation, which is closer in style to Dark Cat than the psychedelic splendor of Space Adventure Cobra, complements the movie’s unassuming nature . . . and berserker violence. Overall, this feels like an anime take on Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? that was made strictly for adults. I like spending time in that zone. The good vibes are enhanced by the fact that this appears to be one of the few horror anime that was directed by a woman.
I love everything about The Curse of Kazuo Umezu. And I think you will, too.
Note: For this review, we watched a bootleg DVD-R of a LaserDisc rip with English subtitles. A lower quality version is available to watch via Internet Archive.
