What Happened to Japanese Horror? | Video Essay

What happened to Japanese horror?
Well that's what our video essay will try to answer by taking a condensed look at the long cinematic history of Japanese horror. We start with the traditional Kaidan stories like in Kuroneko, the cyberpunk era with Tetsuo: The Iron Man, to the peak of the J-horror boom with Ringu.
Video made by Moises & Sergio Velasquez
■ Research Books:
Japanese Horror Cinema - amzn.to/3R9NADu
Japanese Cinema - amzn.to/3BxSm7Y
The Story of Film - amzn.to/3SnRiKI
■ Gear:
Microphone - amzn.to/3L3x8TG
Audio Mixer - amzn.to/3L5vQaB
■ T-shirts:
www.bonfire.co...
■ Socials:
Instagram: / screenedclip
Twitter: / moivel
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com...
■ Music:
By Eduardo Gonzalez
/ edgmusic1
/ @edgmusic
-------------Editor's Notes :
-I say Ring instead of Ringu because after researching I found out that apparently the title "Ringu" was born out of a miscommunication. The initial book the movie was adapted from is Ring so the name should be Ring. Although, I did write Ringu in the captions so it's easier to find.
-It was hard to find clips from the "Scary True Stories" anthology series, I only managed to find a video on KZbin but it had not date of release or credits at the end. So, I just added it as the closest reference.
-------------Book Sources :
1 to 7- Japanese Horror Cinema edited by Jay Mcroy
Japanese Cinema: Texts and contexts edited by Alastair Philips and Julian Stringer
-The Story of Film by Mark Cousins
-------------Movie Sources :
-Audition audio tracks and special features (Arrow Video)
-Ringu audio tracks and special features (Arrow Video)
-Godzilla: Interviews and special features (Criterion)
-House: Interviews and special features (Criterion)
-Kuroneko: Interviews and special features (Criterion)
-------------Link Sources :
-Obon festival: www3.nhk.or.jp...
-V-Cinema: www.midnighteye...
J-Horror ghosts: www.japantimes...
-Supernatural monster: www.vice.com/e...
A portrait of Postwar Japan Part 1 and 2: • Video
■ All the movie clips:
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Akira
Alien
Annabelle Comes Home
As the Gods Will
Audition
Battle Royale
Burst City
Complex
Creepy
Cure
Dark Water
Dark Water (2005)
Get Out
Godzilla
Godzilla (1998)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Hell Girl
Hereditary
House
Ichi the Killer
It
Jason X
Ju-on
Ju-on 2
Ju-on: The Beginning of the End
Kuroneko
Kwaidan
Lights Out
Noroi: The Curse
One Missed Call
One Missed Call (2008)
One Missed Call 2
One Missed Call 3: Final
Parasite
Parasyte: Part 1
Pinocchio 964
Polaroid
Pulse
Pulse (2006)
Ring 0: Birthday
Ringu
Rubber's Lover
Sadako 3D
Sadako vs. Kayako
Scream 2
Terra Formars
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
The Ghost Story of Yotsuya
The Grudge
The Grudge 2
The Grudge 3
The Possession
The Ring
The Ring 2
The Silence of the Lambs
The Wailing
The Witch
The Wretched
Tokyo Story
Train to Busan
Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Yojimbo
#JapaneseHorror #HorrorMovies

[@Screened]

What is your favorite Japanese Horror movie? Here are a few movies on our Letterboxd list: boxd.it/5GQXk

[@prithvithakur7950]

Ringu

[@MegaHarden]

Noroi

[@Screened]

Yeah that has to be one of my favorites

[@terrypark3690]

the last Ring no doubt.. the mirror scene is still unforgettable

[@Turboviikinki]

You really should take a closer look at Shinya Tsukamoto. He is reduced to only as the guy who made Tetsuo but his filmography is incredible.

[@AcolytesOfHorror]

It fascinates me how often success can be the worst thing that can happen to the creative energy of a genre

[@Hooga89]

It shouldn't be surprising. When an industry becomes successful it becomes rich, and when an industry becomes rich it is flooded by people who only care about money, and the money-people push out the creative people, leaving endless remakes and bad sequels only made for profit and all the creativity is subsequently gone.

[@angelusvastator1297]

@@Hooga89 Because quality is apparently too niche.

[@angelusvastator1297]

Hmm...really exposes the flaws of the free market.

[@silverfan9611]

@@Hooga89 basically what happened with Kojima and Konami. Thankfully passion, for some reason still exist in people working for Godzilla. Even the current american one. As much as the meaning has changed, his franchise is blessed with people actually cares about him. Perhaps is also how his franchise can survive for so long

[@stevemartin4249]

38 years teaching in Japan here. The Japanese have a saying that roughly translates as the 'The first generation is innovative and creative, the second manages the fruits of the first, and the third squanders it in corruption. I guess this is human nature all over and in all domains.

[@terrypark3690]

When you mentionrd that curses in Japanese horror films are about surviving rather than solving reminded me of a fundamental difference between Korean and Japanese horror films; most Korean horror films have han(恨) where Japan has won(寃). The former usually is more about something unresolved whereas the latter is about something that did happen. For instance if a A killed B and B came back as a ghost because they wanted revenege on A it would be han, but if B came back because they were outraged they were killed thus wants to kill anyone alive for being alive it would be won. It's a weird Korean distinction of types of grudges cuz we have sooo much.

[@Sim_Pole]

Quality comment right here

[@kerrychristensen7204]

Thanks for sharing! This was an interesting comment! 👍

[@SpaceOink]

Like Shutter, one of the best horror movies out there. Compare that ending to Ringu, and I think I understand what you trying to say here.

[@dimitrescu182]

@@SpaceOink Shutter is Thai though

[@SpaceOink]

@@dimitrescu182 OH! My bad. Thought I read some where it was korean.

[@Oveyz]

Ah, dude, I could listen to you reading the phone book.

[@Screened]

Thank you very much 👍

[@Oveyz]

@@Screened No, thank *you*! Sometimes I rewatch your cosmic horror video just to hear you talk through it. It's great to find informative, useful channels with good content, but when the voice delivering all this content is charming, it's like icing on the cake.

[@jbasti227]

@@Oveyz I agree. One of my favorite videos is the Cosmic Horror video, it was really insightful and helped me get started on delving into Lovecraft's work.

[@donaldn5798]

I couldn't, he's talking about a very niche topic that very few people have made a video essay about. Which is awesome

[@deadfr0g]

Aaberg Aaby Aadland Aagaard Aagard Aaker Aakre Aalbers

[@-haclong2366]

It's weird how the Japanese ring ghost looks like an actual woman when she comes out of the television, but the U.S. American ring ghost looks like she belongs in the static television world.

[@mibukdesjarlais534]

Another thing worth mentioning and kind of interesting is that in the original movie "Ringu" Sadako was a grown woman while in the american remake "The Ring" Samara Morgan was a little girl. I honestly don't know who's more terrifying since both girls are equally very scary.

[@angelusvastator1297]

That's the whole point.

[@pancakes8816]

@@mibukdesjarlais534 that should say something about the state of Hollywood ngl

[@vetlerradio]

@@pancakes8816 I kinda see your point.

[@Gideon13397]

Wasn't she a preteen? I mean Sadako from Ringu

[@ncspacemonkey]

I spent YEARS when Noroi came out trying to hype it up on IMDB and other message boards and nobody wanted to give it any love. Now I see a lot of people are talking about it. That's spectacular. I have no idea when it started to get noticed (I heard it might be on a streaming service?) but it's about time it got the recognition it deserves.

[@Screened]

Love Noroi👍

[@OtherworldlyCitizen]

bruuh Noroi messed me up ngl got nightmares from it too

[@maxgonzalez214]

I mentioned Noroi in comments in every YT horror channel, always saying that people should watch it and that it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. That movie just blew me away on first watch. Another one that doesn't get enough air time, although is not as good as Noroi, is Marebito.

[@Richvern1]

@@OtherworldlyCitizen I couldn't sleep for two months after seeing it

[@miromaynigo]

The early 2000s J-horror terrorised my childhood. And I love them!

[@thehorrorarchive]

there’s also a lot of good Hong Kong, Korean & Thai horror as well

[@hush-ik9mc]

J horror is not fully dead. It's movies are pretty.. Aight but the horror mangas are the scariest source of horror from Japan these days. Junji ito is a master of that

[@MASAHIRO-X-]

@@hush-ik9mcJapanese horror cinema isn’t dead whatsoever

[@jaydenle8897]

Thanks to Ju-on I still afraid òf dark staircases 🤣😂

[@duchi882]

I'm glad that *Screened* and *Accented Cinema* put into light about the Topic of Japanese Horror once again

[@Asian_Movie_Enthusiast]

I'm glad they made videos discussing this topic, but the utter lack of discussion on recent movies is concerning.

[@MASAHIRO-X-]

@@Asian_Movie_EnthusiastAbsolutely. I agree

[@miromaynigo]

I feel sad now on J-Horror. They were really a genre of their own but lost in its own way. I hope they find themselves again in the future.

[@z-beeblebrox]

That surge in popularity and sudden success of those directors really hurt it. People forget, but all those J-horror remakes done in the US? The studios frequently had the original Japanese directors come in to direct them. Regardless of the final execution, this propelled their careers into the stratosphere. All the low grade rip-offs and franchise milking in Japan was a result of the up-and-coming directors and writers seeing what happened and clawing after a piece of the pie. It's a shame, but I think that phase is already ending.

[@amy_yoshikawa]

Watch 'Inunaki Village' same director of Original Ju on The Grudge.

[@Yatukih_001]

Hey mate. They are not a lost genre. J - horror is just renewing itself now but the covid scare makes it easier for the directors to create movies and so they are less disturbed by the outside world.

[@-haclong2366]

I hate naming things like this, just because a film comes from a certain country doesn't mean that it's automatically a different genre. We don't call U.S. American music "Americana" as if Skrillex, Miley Cyrus, and Slipknot are all the same. Japanese horror films are very diverse and often only have in common that they're from Japan.

[@retroroy8720]

@@-haclong2366 There actually is a type of music called "Americana" that's more in line with traditional country and folk music.

[@1983simi]

The thing you say around 9:20 is what I used to love about J Horror the most. The ghosts/curses are relentless, pure unadulterated psychotic madness and cannot be bargained with or even beaten. That's what makes them so scary. And the fact that Western (especially American) horror movies tend to be so 'solution' oriented, trying to find a way to beat the ghost or even to reason with it is what makes them Disney movies for me for the most part. As if the ghost is sitting there with coherent thinking considering how to deal with those living and if the living just treat them right or say the right thing they'll be like 'ok, cool dude, i'm chill with you now and won't bother you anymore'. It's just not that scary.

[@jenniferariesta6635]

Underrated comment.

[@ladygrey4113]

The creator of Paranoia Agent, Satoshi Kon links a lot of the anxiety of the show and Japanese cultural obsession with "kawaii" back to the atomic bomb. The point seems to be an accusation/critique of japan's culture of avoiding their actions during the war while focusing on their victimization from the bomb. Almost all of the characters avoid facing their actions and summon shounen bat by their breakdowns and desperation to avoid reality's consequences.

[@Julia-gr7rh]

Such a good show

[@Belzughast]

Indeed, not only Satoshi made that link but an astute observation.

[@ladygrey4113]

@@Belzughast Well it is in the OP song and animation "A marvelous mushroom cloud"

[@Wheelio]

His death pains me, as he is probably my favorite anime director. He wasn't interested in pandering towards the crowd for popularity or money like 95% of other anime does. Anime in general seems to cater towards people who want to escape from real life, while Satoshi Kon seemed to be more interested in doing the opposite which I admire.

[@chericasayo9936]

Japaneses horror movies will always have a special place in my heart. Childhood 🥺

[@angelusvastator1297]

OMG same.

[@JP-wh8bo]

Same Ring and The Grudge scare me so much

[@hush-ik9mc]

​@@JP-wh8boy can watch noroi too. It's the best Japanese horror imo

[@MASAHIRO-X-]

then watch: - Evil Dead Trap (1988) - Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki (1992) - The Vampire Doll (1970) - Lake Of Dracula (1971) - Evil Of Dracula (1974) - Scissor Penis (2017) - Meatball Machine (1999) - Meatball Machine (2005) - Meatball Machine: Kodoku (2017) - Anatomia Extinction (1995) - Tokyo Gore Police (2008) - Egg (2005) - Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl (2009) - Helldriver (2010) - Dead Sushi (2012) - Miss Zombie (2013) - Sayuri (2024) - Howling Village (2019) - Suicide Forest Village (2021) - Ox-Head Village (2022) - Poison Girl (2024)

[@SunLevi]

The Grudge, was the only thing that ever truly scared me for some reason, nothing in the west scares me, only her.

[@smitadhikari1758]

Same man I still remember Grudge 2 like yesterday. The shit was unreal

[@smitadhikari1758]

@Mia Cook The hair thingy was too much for me as kid to handle as well.

[@happytrails1963]

watching this somehow makes it better, understanding its roots

[@ulquiorraschiffer1956]

I remember when I was a kid I couldn't sleep for 2 days after watching that movie.

[@asmi6839]

Yahh, like when I watch western horror, I forget in few days or weeks but Japanese...... I still cant forget the day when we watched grudge 2 in the assembly hall and then horror movies were literally banned from our school.

[@yungjose3369]

Why am i watching this at night

[@cassylk22]

Ikr

[@beekenko2379]

Strange when you knew the person in real life

[@WWeRockFan1001]

Bury me with all my ice on

[@realtalk6195]

Nothing about this video was scary.

[@jesmanesanches5668]

This is what I'm talking about!!! I'm so incredibly afraid of Ju-On because we it plays into the fear of violence against women, surviving curses or ills just because you were in the wrong place or wrong person. Its the unknown and unseen assailant that is relentless because you didn't walk this world with respect or reverence. Ju-On is even an empowering manifestation of a promise to unending justice in that sense.

[@smitadhikari1758]

Absolutely correct. The element of unknown fear and the inescapability does the trick.

[@urekmazino6800]

I'm still mortified of the grudge and im a 6'5 black guy lmao.

[@superal68]

@@urekmazino6800 ok

[@thehorrorarchive]

there’s actually more Ju-On movies than you think…the first ever Ju-On related form of media came in the form of two low budget short films called Katasumi (1998) & 4444444444 (1998) which tie into the later low budget V-Cinema movies called Ju-On: The Curse (2000) & Ju-On: The Curse 2 (2000)

[@thehorrorarchive]

in total if I were to show you how many Ju-On movies exist it would go something like: Ju-On: The Curse (2000) Ju-On: The Curse 2 (2000) Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (2003) The Grudge (2004) The Grudge 2 (2006) The Grudge 3 (2009) Ju-On: White Ghost (2009) Ju-On: Black Ghost (2009) Ju-On: The Beginning Of The End (2014) Ju-On: The Final (2015) Sadako vs Kayako (2016) The Grudge (2020)

[@nadg866]

The ring is the first book of the trilogy by Koji Suzuki, and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Guys, read it, it's so worthy

[@nadg866]

@endiness endiness loop is so fucked up! I loved It: the first half i have to say was a bit boring. I was thinking why the hell I was still reading it, but the good writing and the total disconnection from ring and spiral kept me on it. Then the second half came and... Wow. Many applause

[@christianblair8663]

Koji Suzuki is one of the best modern horror writer ever. Pity he hasn't done much recent works, but his books and stories are full of horror and unique ideas.

[@TooManyMovies]

V-cinema (direct-to-video) in Japan is considered a space for experimentation, we only got to know about Ju-On when it crossed over to theatrical. There are probably some great movies and directors we will never get to see outside of East Asia.

[@thehorrorarchive]

Absolutely! There’s some really neat, cheesy and lovely V-Cinema J-Horror films released.

[@itstr0n]

This was really well done. The Godzilla analogy was dope. And the piece you spoke in the end about if things aren’t resonating, we’re not exploring the right monsters was bars

[@RobVespa]

Kairo (Pulse) is a study on lonliness and being disconnected - often considered in the wake of how technology has impacted how people relate to one another. There are many interesting interpretations.

[@ILoveMarsBars]

this might be one of the most profound video essays i've ever seen. easily my favourite. you perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere of 90s and early 2000s J-horror. i grew up with the black hair white dress image of the female ghost. this entire video is so nostalgic.

[@cameron7982]

This channel is so well researched, well cited, and incredibly raw with its deconstructions. It's truly moving how potent each video can be. Thank you!

[@Screened]

Very much appreciated 👍

[@Abyssiondubs]

Absolutely loved this video, decided to pick up both shirts to support your work. Keep it up!

[@Screened]

Thank you very much for the support!

[@--Paws--]

1:36 In Asia, well I suppose, East Asian folklore, the theme of a woman in a white dress with long draping hair is a common ghost apparition.

[@patryksolecki6758]

There are lots of Ladies in White in Europe, too. Women do be scarier ghosts.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Women get wronged more often than men in society. Also women seemingly hold grudges longer than men

[@rarirurero282]

@@DefenestrateYourself Of course they hold grudges, they have more expectations to behave certain way in strongly patriarchal asian countries.

[@realtalk6195]

@@DefenestrateYourself Men get wronged far more often. You're really going by surface-level thinking if you think woman are wronged more.

[@pizzanewk6627]

Everybody gangsta till the pigeons start crashing

[@SPFLDAngler]

gaaaaay

[@sparkymcpi6626]

No. Gangster.

[@sparkymcpi6626]

@Amadeus Eisenberg: Your comment got flushed due to racism. Maybe you should, too. PS: YES, I know he won't be able to read this!

[@darkmode7455]

@@sparkymcpi6626 he deleted the comment

[@gunnsspace1300]

Dark

[@bubbadogproductions7403]

Love this channel, when writing gets frustrating I love to watch what other film makers do and this channel does exactly that. THANK YOU

[@Screened]

Thanks that's what we are here for 👍

[@tiffanydegoya]

How could anybody give this video a thumbs down?! I remember watching RINGU for the first time in the early 2000s and it was summertime but I was still under a blanket sweating , barely able to breathe. Then for the next week my boyfriend at the time kept calling from unknown numbers whispering “SEVEN DAAAAAYYYYYSSS” after I’d say hello 🤦🏾‍♀️ , so traumatizing. I got him back by calling and doing that JU-ON sound (he is one of my best friends to this day 😆)

[@zukiezuke]

"Doesn't contain spoilers" Spoils Ringu lmao

[@notmynamedammit]

I was gonna mention that. I didn't mind but this video does spoil a ton of movies.

[@nate-otero]

I’ve seen Ju-on and ringu multiple times but I still get a chill when I see these scenes again.

[@sifatshams1113]

A video on the unique 'horror' of a lot of dark comedies (King of Comedy, In The Company of Men, Man Bites Dog) would be really interesting.

[@Aster_Risk]

I've thought about this a few times recently. My mom is a huge horror fan and we watched a lot of Japanese horror in the early 2000s when hardly anyone else we knew was. I remember Audition, Suicide Club, Pulse and Tomie in particular. Audition is still one of the horror movies I recommend to everyone every chance I get, and the music from Suicide Club is burned in my brain. I hope we get some more really good Japanese films soon.

[@RingoLoadagain]

Fucking Audition. Easily the movie that has terrified me the most in my life. I'll never watch it again although I do think it's brilliant.

[@amn5837]

This is so good.. thank you. I wish more people would realize that popular media is just the mirror for society, and that any fiction is based on the true anxieties... More stuff like this. Please!

[@edo27]

This was awesome to watch! thanks for the hard work and the links you provide for further reading!!

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@usxnews1834]

This is great and so specifically useful for a project I'm working on right now, thanks!

[@praveensukhumaran]

Oh man.. I just came KZbin to find some J-Horror movies that I could've possibly missed out. I typed in the term 'Japanese Horror' and voila, your video came on top! Even more interesting is the fact that the video is not even a day old. Glad that I've found your video. You put all the necessary points together perfectly. ❤️ And, I've the same concern on Japanese horror as well. The industry which gave us some greatest horror films is fading out. Hope they'll create more such masterpiece in future. 😊 My all-time favorites would be Ringu, Ju-On and Noroi, to name a very few from a big list.

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@mophead_xu]

"when we think of white dressed girls with long black hair ... we automatically think of japanese horror." me, an indonesian growing up with tales of kuntilanak and sundel bolong: 👁️👁️

[@cajadiri]

lmao same

[@harathea7554]

In Philippiness, we have have white lady White dress + long hair It's similar to Latin weeping/crying lady

[@brassmonkeythefunkymonkey]

Indondesian movies are fucking bad

[@millicentwood549]

Hara Thea Very true! My lola and cousins always talk about white ladies.

[@mophead_xu]

@@brassmonkeythefunkymonkey jupe vs depe was iconic tho. love me some tiddy brawl.

[@agraciotti]

thank you for that. very well edited and put together.

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@kandikidzora]

Audition is one of my all time favorite movies, horror or otherwise!! I'm so glad you talked about it!!

[@marceledel8619]

The way to revitalize Japanese Horror films is to find a film director with the same style as Mangaka Junji Ito.

[@darkmode7455]

Junji Ito should make more...

[@darkmode7455]

@Hilary Lui yep that's sad :(

[@marceledel8619]

@Hilary Lui Yeah, I tried to forget that movie based off of Uzumaki. :|

[@wiccabessa]

Indeed my friend, indeed.

[@aidanl2324]

Dude, I fucking love your work. It’s always been my goal to break into the horror writing scene, but school has often kept me too busy. You’re analyses are getting me real hype for the freedom of my soon to be graduation! I’ma watch some more of your stuff instead of doing my math. Keep it up!

[@Screened]

Thank you and good luck on your work 👍

[@audreyleiker7840]

This is excellent. I myself am currently doing a deep dive into the Ring franchise (both Japanese films and the American ones) so it's nice that I got to watch something that plays into that.

[@lesliesu.1742]

This is definitely my favorite channel. I've always been impressed by the creation of a good film / series: all its incredible resources, its impact, and its power of representation. it's more like a hobby that I keep to myself but I enjoy watching channels like this that help portray the incredible essence of a well-told story and all the amazing cultural background. Plus i love the voice! I could listen all day ❤️

[@Screened]

Thank you 👍

[@ariana3348]

I have a degree in Japanese, studying Japanese theater for my thesis, and lived in Japan for many many years and I just want to say that you did an excellent job with the research, cited sources, and analysis. Wonderful work!

[@Screened]

Much appreciated!

[@cyrilvidal1834]

This is a well packaged video. Concise and into the point. Good job mate. Cheers

[@Screened]

Thank you 👍

[@urban0443]

The director of Ju-on actually directed the new J-horror called Howling Village. Base on the Inunaki Village in Japan. It's not as awesome as Ju-on but it is very enjoyable to watch.

[@sweetcinnamonpnchkin]

I’ve been meaning to watch that one

[@BartokAndras]

Okay, so I am nowhere near a movie fan but your videos are genuinely entertaining and I have subscribed immediately. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@Screened]

Thank you very much 👍

[@shiivainu9442]

This was so incredibly insightful and well done. I've been getting deep into Korean horror but haven't gotten much into Japanese. The parallels are endless, according to what you've talked about here.

[@PeaceDweller]

Korean Horror exists because of Japanese horror.

[@shiivainu9442]

@@PeaceDweller Throw me some suggestions if you have any :)

[@thepatternofchairs9814]

@@PeaceDwellerthere were Korean horror movies way before the genres took off. But you’re right, I’m happy Japan taught Korea how to make the much better movies.

[@MysteryFinery]

im amazed how you always show movies and pics that I've already seen. movies that I thought were forgotten but they are still mentioned by you. subbed.

[@atr0phaneura726]

It's not only horror, the attention has shifted to Korea on every field I think

[@senior.toucan6370]

Korean weebs are the new breed

[@Wheelio]

It was sadly inevitable. Japan pretty much only cares about... Japan. Korea on the other hand cares a lot about their overseas fanbase, so they swooped in and got it easily.

[@Yeesh69]

Excellent video, I never thought about the metaphor that lies within such big movies yet now it is so clear that the Japanese movies don't just come out as entertainment but also a lesson, a reflection of the time being.

[@Screened]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@juanloayza3752]

This is a great video. Made me want to re-watch Noroi since it's my fav J-Horror!

[@Raydiante]

This is the first video I've seen from you guys (it was in my recommended due to the ever changing algorithm) but thank you, thank you, thank you for putting the films name for every scene This needs to be the norm

[@desuMaKun]

“I won’t spoil any movies, let me just spoil all these movies!”

[@AnawithoneK]

Lmao I know right.

[@jamesmckean3221]

The Spoiler is a recognized genre of horror in the West.

[@MirageEspejismo]

This video was so interesting. I have been a fan of J-horror for a long time but never thought about anylizing it so in-depth. This helps me understand why it resonated with me so personally. This was honestly pretty deep. Amazing work you guys👍🏼

[@lindalily69]

I always been a horror fan and in Hungary in the 90's we had very few Japanese movies to watch on tv before internet. As a kid samurai horror fascinated me and have fallen love with Asian horror especially Japan but after seeing Sayako versus Kayako I kinda lost that passion and miss what Japanese horror used to be. Horror in general anywhere is just not the same anymore. I really enjoyed this video and appreciate the work you put into it.

[@jg5558]

Really interesting video. Thank you for the extensive research

[@joshuavstheworld7]

It's strange why they stopped making these movies. Because there are plenty of horror manga that are so damn good that can be used as source.

[@W0LF2612]

this channel is pure awesomeness

[@Screened]

Thank you 👍

[@fruitshae]

great video!

[@Screened]

Thanks 👍

[@Sx-xy2zi]

Thanks for this video it was very beautiful and informative

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@hachijospaniard5643]

Don´t know why, but I feel with this Covid situtation, J-Horror has a opportunity of doing a "Golden" 180º.

[@oneobjective5448]

Fantastic essay, this channel is a gem

[@Screened]

Thank you very much 👍

[@arielhansen4344]

Another book that is a total deep dive is J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond by David Kalat. By the time I finished reading it my to-watch list had more than doubled.

[@Figgy5119]

So well done! Your writing is well organized and easy to understand and you managed to find so many good clips to enhance the points you made! :D

[@Screened]

Thank you very much 👍

[@borek92]

They still do them, they just get more exposure in games. Souls series, Bloodborne, Evil Within

[@toroyoko]

the forbidden siren series, fatal frame series

[@borek92]

Austra oh right, Siren was the shit!

[@charles___]

You forgot Silent hill franchise

[@borek92]

@@charles___ Silent Hill is a relic of the past. I meant series that are currently active

[@rommelromanos9604]

Reassuring viewers that there would be no spoilers in the video but then proceeding to do just that. You pretty much gave away the essence of JuOn and Ringu!

[@Soluchi-InfiniteCoCreatorGod]

Great video.

[@scottporter4524]

Okay wtf lol this is at least the 15th time I've seen your comment on completely unrelated random channels lol, you have great tastes apparently!

[@sivaindraneeldhulipala2282]

The passion you guys have for films in general is stellar! This video is like a love letter to the now weak J-Horror genre. Hope to see you guys get the attention you truly deserve!

[@SamSepiol1909]

Folklore/curses in a modern world. That's the basis of a really scary horror movies coming out of Asia really. There's a few similarities between the tale of the folklore/curses sure but it's different culturally which impact the consequence and reaction.

[@33Jenesis]

I still remember Audition. That movie really chilled me and made me think.

[@GMoneyChuck89]

I still have an Audition poster handmade by an ex. Love that movie.

[@rali5381]

The original Japanese Ringu movies are my favourite horror trilogy of all time, it's the master blueprint and means of inspiration of many movies that came thereafter in the Japanese horror genre

[@MASAHIRO-X-]

A trilogy? not four movies? Spiral (1998) still exists y’know, a sequel to Ring (1998).

[@MASAHIRO-X-]

As for the inspiration on other Japanese horror movies, not many people will deny Ring (1998) was influential however during the 2000’s time period we got both Meatball Machine (2005) & Tokyo Gore Police (2008) in which their original counterparts debuted during the 1990’s those being Meatball Machine (1999) by Junichi Yamamoto & Anatomia Extinction (1995) by Yoshihiro Nishimura

[@johnmalinsnz2090]

Thanks for your explanation of what happened to Japanese horror. The Audition is one of my favourites of the genre. I am in the process of trying to write something in the cosmic horror genre, and I am looking for various forms of inspiration. Kabuki has spiked my interest and I intend to look into it to see if it spikes my imagination. I am quite keen on fusing mythology and superstition together with modern and futuristic themes. The idea of fusing together different elements together across multiple genres really fits well with cosmic horror. I appreciate your efforts putting together this video.

[@Screened]

Thank you 👍 I wish you much luck on your writing!

[@Spectre-xj7lx]

“What happened to Japanese Horror?” Me: Hollywood. Hollywood happened.

[@paulelroy6650]

What's hollywood got to do with japanese cinema?

[@Spectre-xj7lx]

Paul Elroy Japanese horror. Not cinema. They remade them so much without putting the actual heart that the original Japanese ones had.

[@hallucy2215]

@@Spectre-xj7lx stop being a weaboo

[@Spectre-xj7lx]

hearthymeal I’m not though. I don’t even watch a lot of Japanese media. But it’s undeniable that Hollywood has a lot to do with what happened to Japanese horror.

[@fazsfaraz5]

@@Spectre-xj7lx how does Hollywood making "shitty" remakes of JHorror. stop the Japanese cinema from making more?

[@rhabdoviridae]

This was an excellent summary! There is also an inverse to this in that if you laugh at a horror story (film) from another culture, you simply don’t share that culture’s fears and anxieties. It is a fascinating subject. Applause for the work and effort! 👏‼️

[@dragonhkss]

Totally agreed. I grew up watching Hongkong, Japan movies as a Korean kid. They still make some good romance, action, thrillers, etc but where did Horror movies go?

[@Dirkschneider]

Thank you very much for including the name of the movies from which the clips were taken.

[@AkemiLiyanage]

Love this video! As a huge fan of J-horror, it's something I think many of us were already wondering about. I'd also add that there appears to be a greater censorship of horror content within Japan itself, which limits the types of movies that are made and released. However, despite all of this, there is SO much more to draw upon within Japanese mythology and lore - the trope of the girl in white is just the tip of the iceberg. It might take a few years but I think J-horror will come back in full swing once it realizes that it needs to go back to its roots in old folk tales and beliefs.

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@brunorossibonin788]

Great analysis

[@janevivian24]

I love audition and dark water. Perfect blue is probably my favorite if it counts.

[@katieener8171]

I was traumatized after watching Perfect Blue. That movie messes one's mind haha

[@artuuube]

Feel like just watched a video thesis! Awesome work, thank you!! 👍

[@llongone2]

"Audition" is a very underrated film.

[@SakuraInOctober]

Not sure a movie that is included in almost every single best of list (not only for movies but also for fiction where the book is concerned) can really be called "underrated"

[@ftwjohnv882]

thank you bro for sharing your knowledge :D stay awesome hope to watch more of your videos :D

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@ftwjohnv882]

@@Screened i do thanks bro i'd recommend your youtube to my colleagues and family.

[@DirEnGay]

The same thing that happened to the Spanish and Italian horrors in the decades before. There's still a couple of good asian horror movies, but it was definitely oversaturated after the success of Ring, and there's only so many of the dozens of other long hair girl horror movies from Asia I could put up with. Wig and EXTE were the final nail in the coffin for me. There were a few other ones such as Thailand's Body #19 and Art of the Devil 2 that I enjoyed. Netflix has a bunch of Indonesian horror movies and they're pretty goofy.

[@grayfire49]

Kuroneko is one of my favorites, love the feel of that movie, so eerie. Happy I managed to get the Criterion Collection version.

[@MrEd8846]

I think a lot of it has to do with..... the trend in Hollywood right now is "what will make money" and lately its nostalgia. So they aren't really taking risks like they used to or they aren't taking things they see as risks until afterwards when they find out they made a huge mistake. When something is popular people want to see more and they are afraid to let it go.

[@lexb1728]

Can this man get a round of applause! That was magnificent work. Subbed ☺️

[@Screened]

Thank you very much 👍

[@hantze]

am i the only one whos too scared to watch the video & is hiding in the comments

[@cocorru4501]

me too doskdkafksk

[@topshelfmike]

I've been working on an horror screenplay and needed some motivation. Thank you.

[@Screened]

I'm glad it was helpful 👍

[@maryabruxinhaartista4045]

Im seeing a lot of videos about horror, to be able to create a good rpg storyline. And yeah, this is help m to think not only about what i want to show to my players, but also what they should be thinking while playing and how i can create a good horror story.

[@Screened]

Glad it was helpful 👍

[@VoidedFilms]

First vid I've found of yours and really really enjoyed it! Thanks a lot of the bit of film and filter history, it was informative and fun to look at! Hope to enjoy more of your vids!

[@Screened]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@bliiblaablue]

"No spoilers in this essee"... Umm.. riiight.. sure

[@SkyreeXScalabar]

Yeah was wondering the same

[@classyclays6759]

This one is full of spoilers. Nice of him to lie to his audience

[@mapthesouls]

This was so well written!

[@Screened]

Thanks 👍

[@Scarshadow666]

Something that I think would be a possibility for j-horror and/or most other Asian Horror to address the next themes of social anxiety would be that characters have to deal with both Western and Eastern supernatural elements somehow combined in a movie (such as a movie involving a girl killed for witchcraft in medieval Europe goes after descendents of the prosecutors, who have mixed race families in Japan and have to deal with a vengeful Onryō/witch's ghost combo). It could address some of the fears of globalization becoming more and more commonplace, and/or fears of some inevitability to it as technology gets better at connecting across different countries and cultures. (This is just my speculation though, the social anxiety elements might deal with other elements instead such as how Parasite approached classism).

[@MaxV11]

Simply wonderful. Thank you so much.

[@mayukh9536]

_House_ is one of the best horror comedies ever made.

[@Screened]

Very fun👍

[@mayukh9536]

@@Screened Oh yes,....and i forgot about _One Cut of the Dead_ . One of the best pay-offs in recent memory. BTW, great video....i have subscribed.

[@isabelaoliveira9270]

Wow, amazing essay. I already made a list of some of the movies mentioned. Thank you 👍

[@lowlanz]

Same thing happening to Japanese game, anime, movie, drama, music. They have gotten worse and worse ever since mid 2000s. They used to be deep enough but now have gotten very shallow in general. It's because Japanese public are not recognizing or rewarding the better products. They rely on easy going pleasant stuffs these days. I was shocked that Japanese director who won palme d'or was criticized for depicting Japan as poor and dirty. I do think the Japanese creators are also responsible. When they wanna go light, they just go lightest. They don't even try to mix some hints of the depth when they still can do that with fun casual stuffs.

[@Trattato68]

I don't know, Attack on Titan and Persona 5 are really deep in the topics covered (the first part as a violent Shonen, but after the great revelation it becomes a seinen that does not go very light)

[@CaseNumber00]

Japanese anime, games, movie does have a fair bit good works but, for some reason, most everyone but Japan has increased their numbers of quality media. In most of their current works theres this fascination with manufactured people you see in actresses, idols, and in anime with moe' and they try to shove those aspects into their works. For foreigners its unpalatable with odd themes and culture clashes and thus cant sell all to well with mainstream western audiences. While J-horror has taken a back seat, games and anime are the top exports of Japanese media now and those are a growing money making industry and probably wont change. However, as for me personally, I am looking forward to the anime adaption of the horror manga of Chainsaw Man even while there is a lot of criticism of the studio, MAPPA, of over working its employees where many have quit and one has allegedly died.

[@bernardheathaway9146]

Nice stuff guys!

[@facugabirondo1723]

Am I going to watch Japanese horror movies tonight? You can bet on it

[@rkbrkb2975]

you guys are great. thank you.

[@Screened]

Thank you very much!