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sashaanauo's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
i think i enjoyed the plot concept more than I enjoyed actually engaging with this book. the pacing towards the midpoint slowed down a bit too much for my liking, and the unprompted misogyny and transphobic themes really threw me off. the main two characters also being bad people (a rapist and a friend of a rapist) made it really hard to connect with the story as well. i wouldnt mind the two main characters being bad people if it felt like the narrative framed them in a negative manor, but i didnt feel they were at all. i know this is a translated story from 90s japan, but I felt the story would have benefited for a better exploration of its female characters. regardless of all my negative thoughts on the novel, i genuinely enjoyed the explorative mystery element of this novel. the way the it played out was very natural and enjoyable to discover along with the characters. also I know it's a series but the ending happened a lot faster than I was expecting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Death, Misogyny, and Rape
akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I saw the film (Ringu) recently and really enjoyed it, so I decided to finally get around to reading this.
Much like the film it’s a slow burn that gradually speeds up towards the end. I prefer the book purely because it goes more in depth about Sadako and her reasons for becoming an Onryo, but I prefer the movies version of Asakawa.
That being said This Asakawa is a really compelling protagonist. Despite everything he really cares about his family.
There were various elements that made me uncomfy, such as Asakawa’s attitude towards intersexuality, and generally the way women are portrayed, however I wonder if (for the time) it may have been considered progressive? I don’t know, I think it’d be interesting to research and I like how the story has evolved over the time.
A solid read!
Much like the film it’s a slow burn that gradually speeds up towards the end. I prefer the book purely because it goes more in depth about Sadako and her reasons for becoming an Onryo, but I prefer the movies version of Asakawa.
That being said This Asakawa is a really compelling protagonist. Despite everything he really cares about his family.
There were various elements that made me uncomfy, such as Asakawa’s attitude towards intersexuality, and generally the way women are portrayed, however I wonder if (for the time) it may have been considered progressive? I don’t know, I think it’d be interesting to research and I like how the story has evolved over the time.
A solid read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Transphobia, Death, Body horror, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Grief, and Body shaming
Minor: Vomit, Violence, and Sexism
siritheowlcat's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My CAWPILE rating may have been a bit fluffed because **\\~Ｎｏｓｔａｌｇｉａ~//** (I was 13 when i first dove into this series for christs sake, throw me a bone... or skull from a well in rural Japan). I legitimately love this series and some of the paranormal elements in this really stuck with me and influenced my art over the years.
Full on trigger warnings for rape, trans rage, and light body horror.
Peoples arguments over Ryuji's potential rapes (potential since ****SPOILER**** Mai admits at the end that he said he was a virgin to her and there's no proof, it's just hearsay) are well founded, but definitely mean more critically if this was a contemporary work. Many of these reviews fail to mention that this book is almost 30 years old and written by a Japanese author. I strongly encourage readers to be mindful and view this work through a lens understanding how the Japanese have viewed rape and rapists over the years as its quite different than how western countries have handled it, ESPECIALLY within the last decade. This issue does not stop me from recommending it to others, but I do bring it up for everyone's comfort in case someone does choose to read it.
Full on trigger warnings for rape, trans rage, and light body horror.
Peoples arguments over Ryuji's potential rapes (potential since ****SPOILER**** Mai admits at the end that he said he was a virgin to her and there's no proof, it's just hearsay) are well founded, but definitely mean more critically if this was a contemporary work. Many of these reviews fail to mention that this book is almost 30 years old and written by a Japanese author. I strongly encourage readers to be mindful and view this work through a lens understanding how the Japanese have viewed rape and rapists over the years as its quite different than how western countries have handled it, ESPECIALLY within the last decade. This issue does not stop me from recommending it to others, but I do bring it up for everyone's comfort in case someone does choose to read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Rape, and Transphobia
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