Japanese Horror

Before we studied Japanese horror in class, I had never really been introduced to it in the past. Now seeing it and understanding the components of a Japanese horror film, I can see very clearly the differences it has compared to American horror films. I’ve only seen a couple of American horror movies such as, The Haunting of Connecticut, Sleepy Hollow, and the Chernobyl diaries. During class when watching the Kwaidan Snow, it really interested me how much of a story was included in the movie. I enjoyed how in the beginning you see this creepy snow creature and you experience her power and what she can do to her victims. Then throughout the rest of the movie you see this soft side of her and you question whether or not she is completely evil or if she just has trust issues with men. I say she just doesn’t trust men I can respect that completely. Japanese horror really focuses on legends and stories that help the viewer connect to the characters and It also builds suspense throughout the film so the creature becomes scarier. This especially can be seen in Kwaidan, you see the snow creature in the beginning, question what she is, why she does this to people, why does she save the guy etc. Then later you meet this girl and she is beautiful, kind, and a strong mother, finally the plot twist hits and you find out she is the monster from the beginning and your view on her completely changes. Is this character truly evil?

If we compare Japanese horror to American horror it is a very different ball game. With American horror we don’t get a lot of backstory on the monster and American horror usually steals from Japanese stuff anyway so the story disappears. American horror films consist of gore, graphic violence, jump scares, torture, and lots of blood. That’s really all you need in America to get your movie into a theater. Overall I found the Japanese very interesting because I enjoyed the legends and folk stories that they come from.