J-Horror=too cliched?

Japanese horror is based on old ghost stories, many of which were made famous in kabuki plays, kyougen and noh theatre. The long black hair is prevalent because it harkens back to a time when women didn't cut their hair short, and when they were prepared for cremation, their hair was unbound. At that time, women didn't bleach their hair. It is common practice now to dye the hair black again for funeral and cremation.

Few ghosts in Japanese horror make gurgling noises, but the film may have sounds which are designed to get under your skin. The ghosts don't float all the time but they may skate. Sadako doesn't do either. Many will crawl or just warp closer when the victims turns away and back again. Are you sure you're not lumping in other Asian horror with Japan?

Because Japanese culture doesn't have a tradition of demons or ghouls, nor zombies or vampires. It has kappa, oni, tengu, and so on. All of which aren't very suited to this kind of horror film. There is Kuchisake Onna, whose mouth is split from ear to ear. There's Hanako San too. And there are period drama horror films out there which use old ghost stories directly.

Ghosts are a big part of Japanese culture. This month was Obon festival, in which the souls of the ancestors return to earth to receive offerings. That's Buddhism, but in the native Shinto religion, the dead are spirits which need to be treated with respect or they may turn angry (goryou). In my job I talk to Japanese people all day, and I have met so many people who know somebody who can see ghosts. They say it so sincerely too.


People walking around in a daze is to signify being pulled out of this world. THus speaking in a trance will result in droning.

Cell phones as part of the plot is not usual, but there are many rip off movies and one parody series (One Missed Call). Are you telling me you don't notice the countless rip offs of Poltergeist, Jason and Leatherface in your own video rental store? COme on, seriously.

In Japan there are many folk characters and ghost stories which get remade and referenced regularly. They are part of the culture, not owned by a studio. You are looking at J-horror through a Western view and what you call cliche is actually tradition and culture. Western business has made you fearful of idea reuse, because you've grown up with IP and copyright litigation and people telling you to 'be original'. And you're from a people who have a thousands of years of continued culture and who place tradition and culture very highly.

You've created a problem simply by applying demands which were not vital to Japanese audiences to begin with. When I'm in the video store and kids are browsing the horror section, you can see how it is. And btw, if you're only going to watch the films branded as J-Horror, brought to you by your favourite Western studio, you're missing a great deal of film which ISN'T ghosts and traditional fare.

But bear in mind, that just like in your country, Japan has a thriving straight to video market, and just because businesses in your country buy up that crap to sell to you, doesn't mean that that's all Japan has to offer.

I don't exactly agree with some of your so called cliches, for me, Japanese horror has a certain aesthetic that's refreshingly different from Western horror that I find particularly unsettling. You could easily make a list of so called cliches in Western horror which seem to be ever so present in the latest releases, even the good ones which ending up being spoilt by tacky garbage moments being added, The Conjuring comes to mind...

I like Japanese horror films because they're generally more... atmospheric? I guess that's the word. American horror movies are so in-your-face. Especially this gore trend that's been going on for a while now, which is really more gross than scary. I feel like a horror movie should unsettle you, gradually, pull you into the atmosphere of the movie, get under your skin. Japanese movies are better for that than American movies.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
- Goethe

The only thing i'd like to point out is that most Japanese films have smaller budgets in general because Japanese films have a much, much smaller audience, therefore they make a lot less money. The most expensive (unadjusted) film worldwide, Pirates of the Carribean: At World's, end had a budget of $300 million. That's almost 10x the budget of Ponyo, the most expensive Japanese film's $34 million budget

Yeah because horror movies that come out of Hollywood are sooo original and don't rely on cliches at all [eyeroll]

I agree. This must be one of the reasons why J-Horror tends to bore me, as I don't find ghosts scary. Ironically, my favorite movie, House (1977), is a Japanese horror movie about ghosts.