Ju-On: Origins (2020) - Asian Horror T.V. Review

 

Welcome to Sensei Sensibility! You are the hungry mind, yearning to devour Asian horror themed media; I am the (questionably) knowledgeable Sensei, more than happy to satiate your televisual appetite.

Much like yourself, I’m a fanatical connoisseur of Asian horror. In particular, the Ju-On franchise to me was not just the gateway into horrific Asiatic obsessions, but the whole haunted house and backyard to boot.

Despite spawning three noughties American remakes as The Grudge - (yes, the Buffy Grudges – which were a decent effort) and one absolutely appalling reimagining in January 2020 (more like a generic Insidious universe spin-off than anything remotely Grudge related) 

- as far as western modern mainstream cinema was concerned: Ju-On, was nothing more than a nostalgic relic from the golden era of J-Horror. A relic, and franchise, that stayed by and large in its original era.

Those in the know, however, knew that from 1998 right up to 2016, Kayako and her merry band of ghosts were still crawling and croaking across Japanese screens. But only on Japanese screens.

Imagine then my absolute surprise, delight and trepidation at the news that the loathed 2020 would be bringing a fresh new horror to our lives… in the form of Ju-On: Origins - a six part Netflix series set in the Ju-On universe.

My aforementioned trepidation came from disappointment at the franchise’s most recent lack-lustre attempts at carrying on Kayako’s tradition of terror in Japan. And then, of course, the flat, un-Grudge-like American offering earlier that year. (The less we speak of Koji Shiraishi’s Sadako Vs. Kayako, the better!)

While Ju-On creator Takashi Shimizu would not be taking the wheel on this latest project, the fact it was a Japanese show, subtitled, and set in the 1980s gave me a flicker of cautious optimism.

Viewers expecting an updated copy-paste Grudge storyline with a new wave of foolish teens entering the Grudge House only to be spectacularly haunted afterwards by matriarch Kayako, her son Toshio, husband Takeo and their cat Mar respectively were in for a serious let-down.

Written by Hiroshi Takahashi and J-Horror notable Takashige Ichise (Dark Water, The Grudge, Shutter), Ju-On: Origins manages to successfully reimagine, reinvent and rejuvenate the world built by Shimizu; while still retaining and honouring the authentic, unique Grudgeiness that fans have come to love - and fear.

Starting off in 1988 and ending in 1997, Origins follows three primary (and also secondary) characters, whose separate storylines of supernatural sorrows ultimately intermingle, with the centre of their Hellish Venn diagram being The Grudge House.

(Okay, in hindsight, that’s a fairly familiar device for this franchise, but I assure you that they do approach it somewhat differently this time. Or maybe not at all, now I think of it. Either way, just enjoy the ride!)

Kiyomi Kawai (portrayed as chic-ly as she is unhinged by Ririka) is a long-suffering schoolgirl trapped in a highly toxic relationship with her disturbed, husbandless mother. While Kiyomi’s mother doesn’t overtly abuse her in the traditional sense, the bile that comes out of that woman’s mouth towards her daughter is just as unhealthy and damaging as any physical violence.

Kiyomi is once again changing schools, the reasons for leaving her last one are mired in salacious sexual rumours regarding a teacher. Whether it was Kiyomi or in fact her mother involved inappropriately with the teacher is never made clear, its lack of clarity adding to the distasteful atmosphere around the pair.

Lured under false pretences to a local deserted (obviously haunted) house by two of her new school peers, Kiyomi is about to become victim to a callous act of senseless violence that will have brutal, far-reaching consequences.

Small-time actress Haruka Honjo is currently seeking assistance from paranormal investigator Yasuo Odajima (played by the ever endearing and warm Yoshiyoshi Arakawa). Haruka’s boyfriend Tetsuya has been experiencing disturbing, spectral visions while nocturnal supernatural contact with Haruka has been attempted by entities unknown.

Can Yasuo help unravel the mystery for them, or just make things worse?

Despite Tetsuya’s mother being a psychic conduit for spirits, neither he, nor Haruka, had any otherworldly problems before. Could this be anything to do with a recent visit to a certain dilapidated house, conspicuously up for sale?

Considering the eerie Woman in White – first spotted inside the old house - whose bodiless footsteps now follow Tetsuya everywhere: it’s safe to say that he should have done his homework when looking up estate agents.

And what about the paranormal investigator himself, Yasuo Odajima? Yasuo has dedicated his life to literally chasing ghosts and consorting with murderers (in a professional capacity) for his series of spooky books. Yasuo is an immensely likeable and sympathetic person – so what horrors of the past is he himself attempting to exorcise with the written word?

The Holy Grail of horror that Yasuo has been looking for his entire career is the house mentioned in a notorious local urban legend. This house is purported to be so haunted, with such an abundance of grisly murders and ghoulish apparitions attributed to it, it may be the most haunted house in Tokyo.

As a documenter of all things true-life terror, it makes sense for Yasuo to have a particular interest in such an infamous property. Or perhaps his interests go beyond merely professional?

Needless to say, it’s heavily alluded to that this is the very same Grudge House that Tetsuya recently viewed and also the site of Kiyomi’s savage attack.

Here’s an extra chill factor and fun fact for you: both The Grudge House in the original wave of movies and also Origins is modelled after what is considered the real world Grudge House in Japan, “The Nagoya Yellow House”.

Not only that, but the real life murders that took place there and the ghosts that allegedly followed are widely considered to have been Takashi Shimizu’s original inspiration for the entire Ju-On concept. The urban legends surrounding The Nagoya Yellow House are exceptionally weird, I heartily recommend that you research further on this topic.

From there events unfold and escalate for our motley crew in a bizarre, frightening and oftentimes grotesque manner. Origins spans almost ten years with an array of flashbacks, flash forwards, dream sequences and melded, interweaving timelines to keep the viewer on their toes. Much like the Ju-On curse itself, time loops and skips endlessly on grim repeat.

Origins, believe it or not, is not “scary” in the traditional sense. It doesn’t rely on the classic ghost story formula. The true terror of Origins lies in the human element. While there are supernatural undercurrents to events that transpire - ghostly school girls, spectral tape recordings and so on - the emphasis is not on the typical “boo!” style hauntings, but rather the real-world violent reactions of those who have come in contact with, and thus been affected by, the Grudge House.

Driving home this human horror are the true-life crime references peppered throughout the series. Genuine Japanese murders, kidnappings and terrorist attacks from the 80s and 90s are the backdrop to which the fictitious plot takes place. Think the gory plot’s farfetched? Well just look at the news, it’s more real than you'd dare think.

One thing I’ve noticed in J-Horror is that a majority of the ghosts and their backstories have origins in domestic abuse, sexual violence, bullying and mental illness. (Sadako? Pushed down a well by a horny uncle who was upset she didn’t have a perfect vagina - she was a hermaphrodite. Kayako? Had her child murdered while she was battered and pushed down the stairs by a cuckholded husband. I could go on. I really could.)

Origins explores a wide range of social issues and is, in essence, an impartial study in the cycle of such abuse. How violence propagates violence, the fragility of the human psyche, the impotence of the services designed to protect those who need it, the poverty trap and the stark realisation that people at their core are truly, truly horrible.

A mixture of naturalistic and dim lighting (typical of the J-Horror genre) with a minimalistic score are effectively used to induce a creeping unease in the viewer. Special shout out to the stunning acapella closing theme that kept me watching the credits to the end instead of skipping straight to “next episode”.

The 80s and 90s aesthetics are wonderfully authentic and believable, truly transporting those who watch to a whole other time. Great use of neons in the final episodes highlight the seedy, nightmarish underworld certain characters have now found themselves.

Stomach churning body horror rampages across the screen with delightfully fiendish effects bringing to mind the notorious Japanese extremity flicks “Guinea Piggu”.

The ending is gleefully sadistic and open-ended enough for (hopefully, one day) a follow-up series. The characters are well formed and equal parts relatable and repulsive, drawing forth a range of emotions from genuine sadness and pity to delight at their demise.

I like to think that the series ended right at the time that Kayako’s tragic timeline was about to begin. They don’t necessarily say that the abode in Origins is actually anything to do with the original Saeki family, or will be, but if the Grudge as we know it begins from 1998 onwards, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that this was an indirect prequel.

Considering that the only person seemingly immune to the evil of the House is in fact the real estate agent, who is more than keen to keep a steady flow of paying homeowners traipsing through the blood-soaked halls, it’s safe to say that the future of any grisly murders committed within the House is secured.

I found it interesting that the evil forces of the House were sentient enough to know not to bite the hand that feeds in terms of who to possess and who not to possess. Without the estate agent inadvertently supplying fresh victims on a regular basis (almost in the style of Burnt Offerings) its malevolent will wouldn’t have extended much further than the 70s.

And, as the powers of the House can attach itself to external bodies and therefore “travel” beyond the perimeter of its grounds, who’s to say that even razing the House to the ground would do anything to stop the Grudge from propagating further afield, thus carrying on its menacing legacy?

“It never forgives, it never forgets…”

“Never” is a long time.

Ju-On: Origins will not suit the palates of those seeking tastes that terrify, but as a gruesome, quirky slice of ghoulish escapism, this will certainly be a refreshing, yet familiar, flavour.

Let's keep our spooky debate going on:

Insta: @senseisensibility

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SenseiSensibility