a sunny school day
a child seeking attention
how deep is a scar
a tragic love leaves its mark
forming a scar on the heart

the crescent moon grows
dark clouds seek its light
attraction’s cost
love, a beautiful black hole
whose gravity devours us

“Scarred” is about the character Azami Kurotani. In the world of Uzumaki, people gravitate to spirals. As the first human spiral, Azami holds a special place within the series. Not only is her image iconic like Toshio Saito, but her story, “Scar”, is the first instance of the spirals influencing multiple people. In her case, the young men in town desire her, but she rejects them. Despite her rejection, they feel drawn to her.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Azami’s ability or curse stemmed from her desire to be seen by a boy she liked during her childhood. Her attempt to get his attention resulted in her crescent-shaped forehead scar. In the end, she got her man. As time went on, Azami could get any boy she wanted and those she didn’t. This made her indifferent to men because they all wanted her without knowing her, because she no longer needed to show off her personality. Things change when she gets her first rejection by Shuichi Saito, which causes her to spiral into obsession to get his love. This ultimately leads to her scar turning into a spiral and consuming her. I hope you enjoyed “Scarred” and look forward to more tanka based on Junji Ito’s works.