Sadako & The Ring | Origins & History of a Japanese Horror Classic
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- #ringu #sadako
Exploring the symbolism and history of Sadako and The Ring, or Ringu.
Learn more about Terrorbytes: www.creatorvc.com/terrorbytes
The book quoted in the economics section is the Enigma of Japanese Power, which has a lot of background info that will help you understand Japanese media, especially in the era it was written.
Terrorbytes 0:00
Intro 1:47
Japanese History 6:25
The Book 16:09
The Movie 35:00
Ghosts in Japan 42:16
Sadako Fever 49:50
TGM is a horror game analysis channel with a heavy focus on Silent Hill, & other Japanese horror games.
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Thank you to patrons and supporters! I'm sorry Sadako ate the end credits
Also, she fucked up the audio, which is why it is so weirdly quietly. Sorry again.
I said it during stream but I need to reiterate: You can't just casually mention something was printed exclusively on toilet paper and then just move on like that wasn't the most insane thing anyone has heard today
Control over real info still happens today in many countries...
Exactly what I said to myself just now
I know it's silly because she's literally fictional, but there's something kind of sweet about the fact that Sadako's character literally knew nothing but hardship in life and wanted to make a name for herself as an actress, only to become one of the biggest horror icons in the world with seas of adoring fans.
idk how to explain it but it's just cool I guess :p
I know I love Sadako😂..
I just love how the Sadako cosplayer is greeting kids and kids are so happy to see her and have their pictures taken with her!! I already knew Sadako was a big thing in Japan but didn't realise she was THAT big up to the point kids love her!!!
If anyone hasn't seen it, I highly suggest Ring 0 Birthday. It has some scary and creepy moments, but what I remember the most from it was the tragedy. Sadako isn't presented as some evil monster. She was just a sad, shy girl who wanted to be accepted. Then events transpired that led her down her dark path. The final shot of the movie is utterly chilling and heartbreaking.
Yeah Zero is my favorite of the franchise, it is just very wholesome on a creepy way 😂 i just overall love horror origin prequels of movies and games (ejem, Silent hill origins) but birthday hit me hard.
The scene at the end were she thinks she's safe and then realises where she actually is still gets to me
@@paulaburrows8660 Yeah, exactly. That scene was an emotional gutpunch in multiple ways.
@@AlyxiaLidell I think Ring 0 did the horror tragedy thing better than pretty much any movie I've ever seen.
Yeah, like the whole movie you just want things to go better for her but at every turn everything goes downhill, it pretty much became my favorite horror movie.@@fattiger6957
I always feel like I learn so much from each of your videos. At first I'm like "Oooh, Muse is talking about Sadako!" Then suddenly I feel like I unexpectedly took a brief Japanese history course, and I love it! Thank you for all that you do and the work you put into it.
I think the characterization that you give, that ring is a story of revenge on society, is juxtaposed with how influential the story has been, and how much people "accept" her as a character, and her horror/story in general. Kind of a positive spin on it, in the end.
I was expecting this to address the films (and then only the Nakata one) and ignore the books, as most Ring analysis does. I am SO excited that you talked so much about the novels, which is my favourite.
Without Nakata there’d n3 no US version the one that made me discover Ringu….
The novels are some of my favorite books, ever! I was so excited to find this video and actually hear someone who has READ THEM talk about them!
@@ilessthan3cats Yay! It's great to hear I'm not the only one who loves them.
Ringu is such a fascinating series, I love it. Sadako needs a hug personally
Don’t listen to the naysayers, this was a really informative and well put together video. I appreciate you giving us context surrounding the societal climate during which this novel was written. Even afterwards explaining the history of ghosts and how they have changed with the times. I hear what people say about the audio but unless you are wearing headphones or earbuds it wasn’t an issue.
I'm wearing headphones and I have no idea what anyone's talking about. Guess I lucked out?
My only issue with the video was her pronunciation of Sadako.
@@lainiwakura1776shocker, people speaking a language that’s not their native one will have an accent. Most of my immigrant friends say my name somewhat wrong and I don’t bother to correct them because it’s the content of what they’re saying that matters
Thank you for going into the cultural background of your subjects.
There are a million channels who talk about Japanese pop culture, but very few of them even try to research or understand the cultural context behind that pop culture. Too many westerners (usually Americans) just apply their own experiences to other cultures without looking much deeper. I appreciate creators like you who expand their viewers' horizons by teaching them about other cultures while covering pop culture subjects.
I remember being so engrossed and almost obsessed with Japanese Culture as a teenager. It wasn't until years later that I realized what a Sad and deeper Evil lurks in the Country. Behind closed doors there is a ton of really messed up stuff that goes on. In both the past and present...🤔😦😯
@@evan937 Every prosperous and powerful countries has plenty of skeletons in their closet. Japan is no better or worse than most other countries at its level.
Based on everything I have heard about Japan, there are some things that are better about the country (like lack crime) and some things that are worse (like the social pressures) But like the same could be said about any country.
People just need to let go of this fantasy they have of Japan based on watching their pop culture.
I didn’t watch Ringu until I was an adult, but The Ring was one of my favorite movies growing up based solely on aesthetics. It’s filmed with this blue filter that makes the movie a pretty relaxing watch. The closest comparison I can make is the first Twilight movie.
I feel so bad for folks who see the Ring first. It's so much more of a punchy and startling movie. Ringu feels like a slow episode of the X-files if you approach it blind, right up to the point where it scares the used food from you. But, I feel like knowing the story as told by Gore Verbinski with the help of effects legend Tom Savini would make the original feel... dull? That's a shame, because as amazing of a job as the USs remake is, some of the scenes in the Japanese version - the well-draining scene in particular, are just better in terms of setting up and knocking down expectations.
@@bearnaff9387 The Ring got me into the Ringu series. I ended up reading the original first four books and I thought the whole think was interesting, considering the path they go, so RIngu didn't seem dull to me. I've avoided the later movies because they just look bad but mean to get the last two books in the series. But, in the end, Sadako got her wish in some capacity.
@@bearnaff9387it’s subjective. I dont feel bad for ppl who’ve seen the Ring first. Like you said BOTH films have their strengths. It’s up to personal preference. Back in 02 there was no CZcams yet. The Ring helped me and many others discover Ringu. Plus the movies “Smile” and “it follows” obviously took inspiration from The Ring not Ringu. Not that Ringu is bad but it getting remade is what brought it over to the west and helped inflict other future Western horror films. You can’t deny that. Plus# that “I saw her face” scene is pretty popular in the remake. I hate when ppl compare and wish they’d respect EACH film for doing its own thing ..
The Ring completely changed how I viewed horror films and nothing has quite lived up to my first watch of the movie. I watched as a kid, right as the ring 2 came out, so was exited as can be for it. I got my hands on the special edition with all the extra features which included the Rings short film. I stalked the rings website and searched for every last bit of related media.
The Rings short film wad AWESOME! Should’ve been a sequel..
Oh wow, I _kinda thought_ I'd heard and understood a lot about the tough conditions in Japan that have paradoxically inspired a lot this excellent J-horror and more gruesome entertainment, but the controlled media thing was a whole new gut punch.
Polluted cities, cramped living conditions, downright deadly overworking, social isolation and then the "free" press pulling people by the nose to their benefactor's chosen and pre-approved conclusions...
Really paints a picture of what's the real humane horror behind all the fiction. 😬
Excellent video, thank you.
Couldn't stop watching once I started. Which is fitting for the topic. 😅
Funny synergy here, I just finished playing Yakuza 0 (set in 1988) a few days ago, so it was nice hearing more about the financial background to it. Not to mention that it included an homage to Ring, because of course it did, haha.
I dont know that you could do anything about it, but the audio is very low. :(
I love the genre shifts that the Books took.
I regret not buying the 3rd and 4th book on Hardcover when I had the chance.
You always find the coolest bits of history and trivia behind this stuff.
amazing video, i specially liked how you tied everything to japan's old folktales and culture at large. Really neat
My ultimate favorite series. I have read all the novels both in English and Japanese- love it that much!
Fantastic video! I read the book and really enjoyed it along with the Ringu adaptation afterwards. Watching you video gave me not only a deeper understanding of this franchise, but a deeper appreciation of it as well.
Wow, it is interesting that Japan loves Sadako so much. 😄
not sure if it's just me, but there's something so.. ghoulish? about Sadako's original story, being that of a working class intersex woman who was victimized her entire life by societal influences, becoming something so marketable and widely disseminated. there's even a sexy Sadako dance troupe.
that dissonance just struck me the wrong way.
I guess that is how Japanese (and most of society in general) deals with the subject: instead of realize and face the problem exists, we just pretend nothing is really serious and pay attention for the "funny woman in white". All while we work ourselves to death, of course.
Don't worry the irony is very much lost on everyone at this point, you will come to find that this is very common in media of any type.
I find the duality of it kind of fitting. Ghost Sadako, an entity that doesn't even exist in the books, becomes the most widely recognized aspect of the Ring franchise, and is fetishised to the point where there is a sexy Sadako dance troop. As one idea filters through society it mutates into something else when that proves the path of least resistance to its spreading. Just like in the books.
Not a gamer, so I’ve missed this channel, but this video blew my mind with its presentation. I’ve always appreciated the Ring, but now I wanna revisit all of it again.
Amazing video!
"The Bubble Economy and its consequences has been a disaster for all Yamato kind"
Sadako Yamamura
Like many in the US, I'd never read the novels. When you mentioned Sadako being intersex and how that *unnerved* the man who assaulted her, and how being intersex was tied up with duality and life/death--my heart and stomach both dropped. I didn't expect that, and the themes are completely different (I'm not surprised.) I'm wondering if there's an english translation of the novels and if the translation is any good. Thank you for the history lesson, as it provided an amazing amount of context that was very much needed.
Hi there! There is a translation for the first five of the six novels, and they've been reprinted in recent years, so you can often still find them on bookshelves at your B&N or BAM.
@@thegamingmuse ty for the info! I’ve put them on my list for my next book haul, I look forward to reading them!
@@thegamingmuse Yeah, but the English translation (and by proxy, all the translations that are translated from it) leaves a lot to be desired (they even messed up some names - Tadahiko Nomi is supposed to be Takehiko Nomi, Haruko Tsuji is supposed to be Youko Tsuji, Asakawa's wife is supposed to be Shizuka, not Shizu, etc., and the lines of Sadako's grandma on the video are rendered in a very lazy way*). At this point, someone should re-translate all the novels properly.
* It doesn't help that the one line which also appears in the 1998 movie (where it's spoken by the slowed down voice), was then translated in an even more stupid way there as well ("Frolic in brine, goblins be thine"), obscuring the fact the line comes from the novel.
is just me or the volume went down after the ad read?
Not just you
Great doc! Sadako has long been a favorite of mine and I'm amazed you made such a complete video on her and kept it under an hour!
Absolutely fabulous essay!! Thank you for your dedication to the world of horror! (And beyond!!) It’s always a pleasure. Sadako is my Halloween costume for the first time this year, so I couldn’t ask for a better-timed release!!! Keep being awesome! 🖤 📼
Thank you so much for this deep dive. It was so well researched and fascinating. Ringu is my favorite movie, and Sadako is my favorite character to play in Dead by Daylight, and has been since I started playing. This video does a great job capturing what it is about her and her story that captures people’s attention. Amazing work as usual, TGM!
Your video essays is always so well crafted, thank you 🙏
Phenomenal video. I love Sadako, and I've always wanted to learn more about the origin material and cultural influence. Got everything and more from this. Great job 👏
Another high quality video essay ❤
so i just discovered your channel and am immediately subscribing, lol. I love how you talk about the historical context in such detail, it really helps me understand the piece of media you're describing. The Ghosts in Japan segment was especially awesome!!
This is astoundingly well made. Some MINOR parts were read into a tad bit too much in the analysis imo, but holy shit this is some A+ quality youtube content.
Honestly, I think Samara is one of the greatest horror characters in any iteration of media on a contemporary cents, or on a moore understandable sense within our own interactions with it, and just you know, by means of CCTV, we’re all kept as a ghost or spirit within a collective unknown, potential part of XYNZ that is our unknown self that is within the hands of a much bigger process of our spirit to some extent. Her spirit exists on a magnetic level now and who knows what that means in a cosmic sense, ever it’s hard for me to describe
I hope her spirit one day on a cosmic level, would be able to enter a total sense of rebirth indoor destruction within that if every component of it, so that her spirit could be free
How am I JUST NOW discovering this channel?! I love your in-depth style, instant sub from me!
Awesome video, as always!📼
You work so hard and your content is so interesting, thank you! You're great ☺️☺️
I just started re-reading the original novel yesterday! Great timing.
I just re-read it too over the summer! I read Spiral back when I read the Ring for the first time in 2017 and finally got to read Birthday this year
If you've read Loop. ..what are your thoughts? Worth it?
This is such an amazing video, I had a blast. Thank you!
Are you going to talk about Alan Wake 2? The developers have commented that there is a lot of duality in the game.
I have noticed some of them, mainly that the story is divided between two protagonists and it is even more interesting that it is a man and a woman, it gives a lot to talk about from the symbolism of the orientation of the triangles, it can also be analyzed from an alchemical point of view
The dragon will be defeated by the opposites.
I would love to! It'll probably be a while though, since I doubt my PC can handle the game and I don't think it's coming out on older consoles.
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed it - love the Ringu films, but might need to read the books now
Thank you for another amazing video! It surely took a long time lot to research!
You are a CZcams god 🙏💀❤️ thanks for all the hard work you put into these videos!
I put the video to hear while working but ended up watching the whole thing, not I'm a bit behind on my work lol
Quite happy you not only gave a context of the time and place the movie was made, but also talked about the book author was quite a nice watch.
Two M R James ghost stories are worth finding, 'The Mezzotint' and 'Martin's Close', which have extremely similar ideas to Ringu.
Also, many magazines and books on the occult or 'the unexplained' from the 1970s into the 1990s will mention a Japanese woman who could perform 'spirit photography', and did so on stage in the early 20th century.
The kind of book that used to cover things like this are rare today, but the internet may still remember.
I first read the book when I was in my early 20's, always wanted to ever since being scared as a kid watching the movie. It was so good that I remember reading it again right after finishing it. Its one of those books that is hard to put down from all the suspense! 💯🙈👀 Great Video and job Well done! 👍
On the real, Sadako-san and Sadako-chan is super cute and comfy read lol. Also the Tawawa version of Sadako is also pretty hilarious whenever her arc comes around.
I've never seen a review on Ringu detailed as this. Amazing!
Found this channel today instantly subbed. Fascinating video!
What a great video. Got me to subscribe, nice job!
I love that TGM is sharing her expertise in researching and the occult in other horror franchises!
Congrats on another video! Keep em coming 🎉
Just in time! I love ringu and ringu 0! very good video muse! this has been really interesting. Ive been curious about sadako's birth and how she got her power and what not. So this video came out right on time.
Incredible video!! I love your channel!
Thank you for the video! Hope to see more videos like this :)
An excellent piece. I would love to see a similar video essay on Ju On
Amazing work on this muse! 👏
Absolutely brilliant work as always!! Your videos are always so amazingly informative; even as someone who's loved Ring since I was probably too young to be consuming it, your video taught me so much especially re: the socioeconomic and cultural landscape that the original novel was released into! That information is so fascinating and really adds onto my already existing enjoyment of the series!
A small clarification though: while the "Dream Cruise" episode was helmed by a Japanese director and crew, "Masters of Horror" was not a Japanese production! It was a US-Canadian series created for Showtime in the mid-aughts. Absolutely amazing video all around though! I would love to see more videos analyzing the later books in the series if that would be at all fun or feasible to do, and I can't wait to watch whatever else you have in store!
I'm glad you liked the video! Thanks for the clarification - the only info I had on the show was in Japanese, so I translated the one episode info not realizing the full series was originally western. I'll have to check it out!
@thegamingmuse Of course! It's a really good series, though the quality definitely wavers from episode to episode haha! I hope you like it if you do check it out! ❤️
Thank you for another stunning delivery; phew, I have commented just in time, and I am safe from Sadako's attack... right!? 👀
Great video, I learned so much! Thank you. Now do a follow up covering the fan content of this. Lol
I'm enjoying this video, totally awesome!
This is a great video! I just wish the audio was more consistent.
really cool video, enjoyed it a lot
Fantastic video really enjoyable sadako has been my favourite
So nice video on her 😍
This Ring series are very nice love it 😊
Incredible video, super informative 👌
Incredibly well researched video. You leave no stone unturned.
There's a lot of horror games that I would like to know more about. Like Moonlight and Twilight Syndrome for example, but recently, I found an old game that belongs to the visual novel genre, called: Ballade for Maria ( Maria ni Sasageru Ballade), which came out for the NEC PC-98 and later for FM Towns just in Japan, as always, and I think its premise it's very interesting, to say the least. Also, we all know that the first Castlevania was inspired by Hammer and Universal monsters movies with a little bit of Lupin the Third anime movie: Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro), but what about Castlevania 2? I know some of the inspirations, like the cover art been almost exactly the same that the one used in Ravenloft or that the Mansions theme, Dwelling of Doom sounds a lot like Yngwie Malmsteen's Far Beyond the Sun. But there's too many things that I would like to know more about, little things that I can't find anywhere like the inspiration or origin of the idea to give Simon the red armor that he wears in game or what kind of superstition the game alludes when you use garlic in the cemetery and some "person" or ghost, spirit or whatever appears.
Having loved the movie Ringu trilogy and a lesser degree Spiral I sort out the novels they were based on there were certainly some interesting differences especially with characters. This video is a great exploration of the material.
I need to reread the book and I have a huge respect for this. I love the story and I also do a panel back in 2017 which was on Japanese horror. ❤
I love all the work and care you put on your videos 👌🏻
Amazing video and research. Thanks muse.
amazing video, thank you
glad you mentioned Kimi ni todoke, I can't recommend this Manga/Anime enough but I have to warn everyone that there might be some onions getting cut! beyond that this was a very very interesting video!
One thing that Ringu did the best is the scene when Sadako comes out of TV. It looks so insanely, ridiculously realistic. The CGI is almost done perfectly, and even the most famous American remake did not make it as creepy as the original. It's not over the top, with an eerie blue filter on top of that. It looks exactly how it would look if it happened in real life. And now I learned the actor had to have their lashes removed??? Nope. nope. nope. nope. Terrifying.
I felt the opposite, while Ringu benefits from that iconic scene of the "mother of all stares", the Sadako's transition from VHS to Reality looks beyond casual to me, like there is no real transition from the two planes and you just saw a girl come out of a cardboard cut, plus her appearance was way to clean for something that came out of a wheel after been drowned.
While in The Ring with the entire TV sweating buckets of water and Samara been so entangled with the medium she used to spread her curse (the VHS tape) that when the screen flickers forward she mimics that jump, presents a nice transition from the tape into the environment, not to mention the obvious, her clothes and body look exactly how a corpse would rot in water (which is also forced into her victims).
Of course, to each their own, so I do understand why some people do prefer Ringu over The Ring. I just like what they did with the "Samara Curse" a bit more since it is consistent but with enough open questions to be like one of those X-Files episodes where you didn't get to see them solve the case.
That’s your opinion. The remake is filmed in SEATTLE which is always rainy and dreary. The remake color is not unrealistic at all. I like BOTH versions..
I did some research from the first two films of sadako’s father. The old man said Shizuko spoke a strange language at the sea to Ryuji and Reiko before they died then he brought Mai the student to a cave where Shizuko gave birth to Sadako.
Obviously Shizuko was lured by the Ocean entity which is its name on the wiki impregnated her and when she went to the cave to give birth and let Sadako drown she came back with baby Sadako.
One sunday night, alone I switch on the TV and this movie is showing. It gave me trauma and put it on my no.1 spot for horror movies. That eye, that stare while sadako is at the stare was the most horrifying look in my life.
I love your essays and insights into Japanese culture and the focus on the supernatural, specially the one you did on Fatal Frame, my favorite JHorror game. Have you thought about looking into Noroi and making a deep dive into that movie's background and context? I'd love to hear your views on that!❤
Thank you! I've not seen Noroi yet, but it's been on my radar for a while. Right now, my focus is Fatal Frame, Kuon, and in the book world, Ringu and maybe eventually Grudge. But I'll definitely spread out in the future as I finish covering my immediate projects. :D
@@thegamingmuse thank you for replying 🙏 ☺️ I think you already covered the bases in your video on the religious practices and beliefs behind Fatal Frame, as Noroi is actually quite similar in its settings and story. I look forward to your coming videos with enthusiasm! Thanks for making them!
amazing work!
Truly fantastic as always. Had to share with my family. I guess it's their problem now lol
Lol
i think i just found my new favorite CZcams channel ❤
I love the Ringu and Ju-On the Grudge, best Japanese horror media. Still dread over the Grudge…
Haters would anyway find to say something like “too long, blablabla”
The trilogy of books is incredible! I didn't expect it to go in the direction it did... very well written. I'd only seen the US remake prior to reading.
The Ring series by Koji Suzuki blew me away!!! Loved it. Right up there with TLOTR.
This was eye-opening!
I set a reminder for the premiere and still missed it😢
The syllables stressed in "Sadako" are the 'a's. Her name sounds like "Saah Daah Ko".
In the year of our lord, current year- and weebs STILL do this nonsense? Gotdamn
there are no long vowels in her name
@@KaoticVibespronunciation is nonsense? Isn’t it language?
Putting emPHAsis on THE wrong syllAbles
I have seen them all including Kansenban and all were very good.
Please cover House the film or Sweet Home the game. I like hearing about the creator’s inspiration and challenges putting things into production. Thank you.
You're in luck, I've already covered Sweet Home! czcams.com/video/EJ1x_qvgR9g/video.html
I find it funny that I just finished reading Spiral when I saw this being recommended. Kind of eerie, but whatever. Enjoyed seeing an analysis while the first two novels are still fresh.
Damn. I learned a lot today.
This is an excellent video.
Is this Tokyo land rush mentioned near the start what is depicted in Pom Poko?
Yes
Excellent job
I watched every single Ring movie and show and every Grudge movie and show back in October 2022. I just can't get enough of them, but the newer movies in each franchise just aren't the same as the originals.
I was 13 years old when I first watched this in 2001. Lol. Scared me so much I cant sleeo for days. The ring becomes so huge here in the Philippines back then.
Great inside on such an iconic franchise.
i have been suffering with Sadako fever since childhood, i am 19 now and got my first tattoo in tribute to her.
"Sadako just can't catch a break, but she also likes the attention so its fair. I guess. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐