Her Circle of Friends

Hideo Nakata's "Ring" became a phenomenal hit after its release on January 31, 1998. It spawned several sequels in Japan and a Hollywood remake and sequel. Sadako Yamamura became the latest icon of horror, joining the ranks of Freddie Kruger and Michael Myers. (But not Godzilla.) Sadako was a tall woman, whose long, black hair covered her face. Viewers would notice the way she walked, her shoulders slouched and her movement slow. It seemed like something was holding her back. Upon closer view, they were startled when they noticed her hands. No fingernails. Then the hair would part in the middle to reveal a bulbous eye. Someone died from cardiac arrest after looking at her.

Some were quite surprised that the movie was an adaptation of Koji Suzuki's novel (of the same name). You must be familiar with the Horror genre in able to find out the fuss behind the book.

X-Files

Japanese literature have its share of uncanny works. Ueda Akinari's "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1776) was a collection of short tales concerning eerie incidents that took place during the medieval era. Those who only knew the celluloid version would recall the hair-raising scenes in "Asaji ga Yado" and "Jasei no In", where a peasant met and then fell in love with a noblewoman. They lived happily in her palatial mansion, unaware that the place was burned down a month ago. It may be a case of illusion.

Junji Ito's "Uzumaki", a horror manga series that ran from 1998 to 1999, was about the town of Kurôzu-cho, where the inhabitants were cursed to turn into spirals. There don't seemed to be any rational explanation, unless you're a believer in psychopathy.

"Ring" was urban legend, revenge, and psychopathy, all in one. It would probe into unfamiliar territory, which could be frightening. It began with the mysterious death of four teenagers in Tokyo, and how Kazuyuki Asakawa wanted to know the reasons. He was the uncle of one of the deceased. He was also a reporter, which enabled him to get hold of an unmarked videotape. It was nothing more than a series of abstract images, with a mysterious woman appearing near the end. Something jolted within him after viewing, as the tape seemed like an ominous sign. He learned later that he was about to die within a week unless he would find out the source of the tape.

Suzuki's tale became more fascinating as the plot progressed. Imagine Asakawa enlisting the help of a psychopath, then discovered that Sadako was capable of technopathic feats. There were too many scientific information, which might be too much to readers. Some fans of the Horror genre might interpreted it differently. They would be engrossed, even entertained. Then they would get a shock near the end. Everyone who encountered Sadako became part of her circle. As for what happened to them, it would better not to look.