Brilliant

Now, I personally haven't watched anything in the Ju On franchise, so this is the first piece of content that I have seen. It is also one of the very first J-horror shows that I have watched, and so far I love it. I understand where people are coming from when they say it is confusing, but as I watched more into the show, it made sense to me. This is definitely a drama you have to think about to really understand what is happening, not one where you can just sit and watch.

I can't speak on how good it is compared to other movies in the Ju On series (like I stated earlier), so I can't comment on why some fans might be disappointed. But I thought that it was brilliant how the writers slowly wove all of these different stories together to create a looped timeline of sorts. There are little hints you have to listen to, remember, and recognize for the show to really make sense. Like for example, when Odajima (i think that's his name) said that his sister was supposedly 'kidnapped' in the house because there was a broken window the night she was taken, you then have to remember that because Kiyomi then later breaks that same window in her timeline, and that's the reason why the window is broken in Odajima's timeline.

If that didn't really make sense to you, I don't blame you. The show actually has a very complex story and timeline, and one could easily get confused. But if you pay attention and remember the small details, then the story starts to become more and more clear.

And some people talk about how they wished some stories were elaborated on, and I agree. Especially if it makes the plot clearer. But overall, I think it was really good. Like the ending?? It really did tie everything together and it truly showed how reality is not everything it seems. That brings me back to the looped like timeline thing that I thought they portrayed perfectly. I agree with some reviews that say they wished they knew WHY the house was haunted in the first place, but if you take the time to really think about all the stories and how they are intertwined, it became perfect.

(SPOILER: this is why I think it is a looped timeline, other than the fact that all the stories weave in with each other. the first story (where the son had taken a woman and impregnated and imprisoned her) ties back to when Haruka is taken at the end. I think that now that the story was figured out by the characters, the houses timeline repeats again, and this time Haruka is the one taken and imprisoned and impregnated. And then it all repeats again and again. Or that's how I see it)

But yeah, the acting and music they used portrayed the right creepy atmosphere and made the show more enjoyable. But if you are someone who can't handle very gory scenes, domestic and child abuse, or graphic scenes of rape, please do not watch this. I personally think the show should be rated higher than it is so do with that info as you will.
But I recommend if you want to watch a short drama heavy in plot but also creepy to keep you on your toes.

Read More