Ju-on: Orígenes

This series was a solid, albeit unnecessary revamp of the Grudge origin story. It's nothing we haven't seen before in terms of story, but its execution feels more authentic here, and gruesome enough to easily warrant its TV-MA rating. I'm glad they decided to keep this origin series within its original Japanese roots instead of Americanizing it once again, as we've all seen how those have turned out... Overall a solid series, though it would've probably worked better as a 2 hour Japanese film instead.

If you wanna know more about the backstory of Ju-on it's okay to watch. But if you're here for a good horror series or some good scares you better skip this.

As a fan of horror, especially J-horror, I noticed more Japanese touches in the series over all like 4 (Shi = death ) pairs of shoes in some frames for tension and the use of a newborn in a horror context. There was even mention of a real Japanese crime in background news reports that happened in that same time period ( the girl incased in concrete).

It's a rewrite from the traditional groaning and crab walking of the original but it more than makes up for it in little touches of Japanese culture that you can't really get in something like the American film remake.

Its target audience is most likely Japanese natives or at least someone who prefers traditional J-horror folklore that can take the time to look up some of the cultural nuances. Especially with the added mystery element.

This will fall flat for someone who wants to tune out and watch something scary for a thrill. But I love it for all the above reasons. It's only sin is misaimed marketing.

I watched the first episode and was not impressed...then I read a bunch of user reviews claiming the show goes nowhere and nothing makes sense. So that convinced me the show sucks so I dropped it....then a few hours later I was suddenly compelled to watch another episode and I am glad I gave it another shot. Pretty sure the majority of those negative reviewers are teens with no attention span who half watch everything. Everything makes sense and comes together if you just pay attention for geez sake. Good show.

I was actually looking forward to this show being a fan of horror movies and the franchise, but found myself loosing interest pretty quickly. I was trying to keep up with all the timelines, but the jumping back and forth with flashback and years in each episode got a bit confusing. I didn't find it that scary either and would say it's more of a crime show with some horror in it.

If you would like to watch it I recommend you really pay attention when watching this show.