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Writing or creating as a whole is an incredibly tough job. There is the pressure to create something unique, and also the tension that it needs to be popular. This debilitating pressure often leads to a creator simply giving up on the process. But the creators of One Punch Man and Dandadan have tackled such problems like pros.

As it turns out, the key to creating the best stories is to approach them with an unbothered perspective. Dandadan, One Punch Man, and even Spy x Family were products of their authors’ nonchalance, and they turned out to be some of the best that the Shonen world has seen in a long time.

One Punch Man was created just for the author to have fun with it

One Punch Man is an anime unlike any other, and fans might wonder how exactly the author came upon such a bizarre plot. The...

Dandadan‘s recent anime adaptation has taken the community by storm with its blend of comedy, action, and supernatural chaos. Apart from the theme, what truly sets it apart is its masterful storytelling of Yukinobu Tatsu, which seamlessly incorporates humor into bone-chilling scenarios — a formula that resonates deeply with fans of both horror and comedy. But of course, without Science Saru, the visual feast that we’re witnessing wouldn’t have been possible.

Okarun from Dandadan | Credit: Science Saru

Similarly, an example of Science Saru’s creative genius shines through how they crafted the opening and ending sequences of Dandadan. The opening theme of Dandadan, titled “Otonoke“, displays the series’ identity, packing in countless references to occult lore and horror media. For fans who thrive on decoding hidden messages and diving into urban legends, the opening is nothing but a goldmine.

Dandadan‘s Opening Song: A Tribute to Yukinobu Tatsu...

Dandadan‘s popularity is soaring high with each passing episode and the anime has undeniably become the highlight of this fall anime season. Yukinobu Tatsu’s million-selling oddball manga may have only just begun its anime adaptation, but it’s already making a major splash.

Acrobatic Silky’s final dance before death in Dandadan. [Credit: Science Saru]

Each new episode of the anime raises the bar, with the latest episode leaving viewers questioning their previous disdain for the yokai creatures initially presented as villains. Not to mention, Episode 7 dealt with disturbing themes of graphic violence, prostitution, and even suicide, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. Dandadan‘s massive success might surprise fans unaware that the author faced significant struggles, drawing unexpected inspiration from a classic horror movie.

How a Horror Classic Sparked Dandadan‘s Breakthrough

With the release of Episode 7, Studio Science Saru delivers an unapologetically weird, stylish, and anarchic...

Dan Da Dan has become one of the most popular animes of Fall 2024 thanks to its chaotic and vibrant atmosphere blended with a slow-burn romance and strange phenomena. While the combination of these topics may sound bizarre, Yukinobu Tatsu's story has a creative way of tackling occult themes that is different from any other shnen anime. The reason behind this was that Dan Da Dan's inspiration was a niche horror movie.

Although it's apparent in the series character design, it was confirmed that one of the biggest influences of Dan Da Dan is Ultra Man, the classic Japanese hero. However, an interview with the author revealed the shocking true inspiration behind Dan Da Dan's excitingly weird premise: an absurdly amusing yet scary movie featuring a clash between two of the greatest representatives of Japanese horror and two of the most iconic mangas of all time.

Dan Da Dans Author...

The Fantasia International Film Festival kicks off its 28th edition this week, running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. That means multiple weeks of dense genre programming, buzzy premieres, and more.

The festival is set to debut Chuck Russell’s Witchboard remake, the Mike Flanagan-presented found footage Shelby Oaks, the latest from La Llorona filmmaker Jayro Bustamante, Steven Kostanski’s Frankie Freako, and more, but there’s a wealth of titles beyond the high profile titles worth seeking out.

Here are five horror movies to keep an eye out for at this year’s fest, from festival darlings to fresh debuts.

The Beast Within

The narrative debut of filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell explores the duality of werewolves with a Grimm fairy tale-like twist. Stopmotion’s Caoilinn Springall stars as Willow,...

Koji Suzuki's novel "Ring" was first published in 1991, and no one could have guessed that the simple, tech-based ghost story would spawn a decades-long, worldwide media franchise that incorporates multiple movies, crossovers, comics, audio dramas, and video games. If one does a deep dive into the entire "Ring" series, one will uncover a massively complicated mythos that repeatedly peels back layers of reality to reveal an onion-like media metafiction that Marshall McLuhan would be proud of.

The premise of "Ring" is wicked and fun, and would have been all the more terrifying in 1991 when VHS was still in vogue. In the book, an investigative reporter named Asakawa finds a cursed video cassette of a surreal, 20-minute short film. At the end of the video, a captain informs him that he has seven days to live. Asakawa takes the threat seriously, as several teenage girls who watched the video have already died.

Last month, it was announced that Hi Score Girl creator Rensuke Oshikiri's horror manga Sayuri would be getting a live-action film adaptation. Today, we get a proper first look at the upcoming film: a main cast list, as well as the first teaser and a new poster. The poster gives us a chilling, shadowy view of the story's vengeful spirit: Related: Rensuke Oshikiri's Horror Manga Sayuri to Get Live-Action Film Adaptation This Summer Ryoka Minamide was previously announced to be starring as Norio Kamiki, the story's main character. Joining him to fill out the family are Zen Kajihara, Fusako Urabe, Kokoro Morita, Ray Inomata, Kitaro and Toshie Negishi. Hana Kondo will appear as Norio's classmate. Check out the cast in the film's latest teaser: Sayuri is being directed by Koji Shiraishi, the director of the 2016 film Sadako vs. Kayako . The story follows the strange phenomena haunting a family...

This summer, a new horror film will be shaking things up in theaters. Koji Shiraishi, the director of the 2016 film Sadako vs. Kayako , will be helming a live-action movie adaptation of Rensuke Oshikiri's manga series Sayuri . Oshikiri, known for his manga series Hi Score Girl , penned Sayuri from 2010-2011 in Gentosha Comics' Comic Birz magazine. The horror series, which was published in two volumes, follows the strange phenomena haunting a family after moving into their dream home. Related: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Anime Film Announces New Voice Cast Members Oshikiri says Sayuri will be a must-see for horror viewers who are tired of protagonists fighting losing battles against the paranormal. Shiraishi also expressed his excitement about the project, adding that he believes it will "shake up the stagnant J-horror genre." Sayuri is scheduled to premiere in Japanese cinemas in Summer 2024. Keep an eye out for further news and updates!

Ringu and Ju-On: The Grudge led the Japanese horror craze of the late 1990s and revolutionized the horror genre. Ringu and Ju-On updated horror movie clichés surrounding ghosts and haunted houses, effectively cementing Sadako Yamamura and Kayako Saeki as iconic horror movie monsters. Both Sadako and Kayako have impressive kill counts, but only one of these vengeful ghosts has the widest reach, effectively making her the deadliest ghost.

The J-horror craze of the late 1990s changed the face of the genre as profoundly as contemporaries like The Blair Witch Project. It was led by a pair of films centered around vengeful ghosts: 1998's Ringu and 2002's Ju-On: The Grudge. Both films introduced Japanese horror to a larger international audience, opening the doors for horror movies from other Asian countries, notably South Korea. Both films resulted in popular American adaptations -- 2002's The Ring and 2004's The Grudge -- that...

“Who would win in a fight between…” is the opening of countless considerations over the might and merits of pop culture icons squaring off against one another, with the likes of Alien vs. Predator, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Sadako vs. Kayako and Godzilla vs. Kong exploring how monsters and horror villains react upon meeting for the first time.

The permutations are almost endless, and another possibility put forward is how a battle might shape up between Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare On Elm Street and Pinhead from Hellraiser.

The fan trailer above splices together scenes from the two movies, merging into a single tale of people being inexplicably stalked by forces beyond their ken, aided by the distinctly ‘80s aesthetic of both preventing the transitions from seeming too obvious. As with many such works, it takes a while for the combatants to encounter each other, but they eventually do...

Back in 1998, Takashi Shimizu unwittingly created a monster when he debuted a couple of short films about a haunted house. Little did he know, a lingering horror franchise was about to be born. In 2000, a first feature film about the story, Ju-On: The Curse, arrived – and the rest is history. There are now thirteen Ju-On movies in the bank, including an initial 2004 Us remake, that run all the way up to this year’s Sam Raimi-produced ‘sidequel’ – it’s a perfectly cromulent word – which unfortunately debuted to a weary critical reception and a mere wisp of a western audience.

Now, Netflix has jumped on on the Ju-On bandwagon – the streaming service has just set a July release date for its foreign language TV series based on the ongoing myths surrounding the iconic Grudge house.

The show seeks to rejuvenate the franchise on the small screen, but objectively, the most...

A new chapter in The Ring franchise is on the way as the first posters and teaser for Sadako are here. The title of this latest movie refers to the franchise's iconic, long-haired creepy well-dwelling figure, Sadako Yamamura. This marks her return following 2016's Sadako vs. Kayako, which saw The Ring and The Grudge franchises crossing over. This time around, it looks like she's going to be back up to her old tricks.

The teaser is very brief, but effectively creepy. It takes the found footage approach and sees someone with a handheld camera walking around in a dark, dank and spooky cave. They eventually come upon a small pocket of water and then the footage cuts to some familiar imagery to those who have dabbled with either the American or the Japanese version of the franchise. Viewers are then directed to a Japanese website for the movie before an...

Japanese sales and distribution firm Gaga Corporation is launching sales of Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda’s starry new project “The Truth” in Berlin, one of six Japanese titles the company is bringing to the European Film Market.

Kore-eda won the top prize at Cannes for “Shoplifters” last year. “The Truth” stars Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche in an uneasy mother and daughter reunion, that takes place under the eyes of Ethan Hawke. The film is now in post-production and is being jointly sold with France’s MK2 International.

Kore-eda’s production company is also behind Gaga title “His Lost Name,” a drama by first-time director Hirose Nanako. The story involves a young man who opens up his heart to an older friend after running away from his past. The film stars Yagira Yuya, winner of the best actor award at Cannes for Kore-eda’s “Nobody Knows,” and acclaimed actor...

You've seen her enter The Further in the Insidious film series, and now Lin Shaye will enter another horror franchise, one that's known for making meowing a seriously scary sound.

Variety reports that Shaye (all four of the Insidious films, 1982's Alone in the Dark) is set to join the cast of the new reimagining of The Grudge (2004), which is itself a remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge. Details on Shaye's character have yet to be revealed, but she joins a growing cast that includes Andrea Riseborough, Demian Bichir, and John Cho.

The latest film in The Grudge franchise is being directed from a new screenplay draft by Nicolas Pesce, the filmmaker behind 2016's The Eyes of My Mother, a big hit on the festival circuit and a film that our own Heather Wixson called "a hauntingly provocative slice of gothic cinema" in her review. A previous screenplay...

Horror fans have seen their favorite monsters and killers face off to varying results over the years, in movies like King Kong vs. Godzilla, Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator and Sadako vs. Kayako. Matchmaking between two established horror franchises is always a possibility; some would even say an inevitability. A crossover between Insidious and Sinister could be the next horror collision on the horizon. Insidious (2010; pictured above) and Sinister (2012) were two of the earliest releases from Blumhouse Productions, a film and television company founded by Jason Blum that specializes in low-budget horror. Insidious took audiences to "The Further," a purgatory realm where human souls are trapped and tortured. Meanwhile, Sinister introduced us to...

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Meowing might become a scary sound again, as a reboot of The Grudge, itself a remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge, now has a director.

According to Deadline, the latest film in The Grudge franchise is set to be directed and rewritten by Nicolas Pesce, the filmmaker behind 2016's The Eyes of My Mother, a big hit on the festival circuit and a film that our own Heather Wixson called "a hauntingly provocative slice of gothic cinema" in her review.

Pesce is expected to provide additional work to a previous screenplay written by Jeff Buhler, who adapted Clive Barker's The Midnight Meat Train for the screen and also co-wrote the upcoming Jacob's Ladder remake.

A Ghost House Pictures film, The Grudge reboot will be executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise. Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Joe Drake, and Nathan Kahane.

The American Grudge franchise...

Director: Kôji Shiraishi. Writers: Takashi Shimizu, Kôji Suzuki. Cast: Mizuki Yamamoto, Tina Tamashiro and Aimi Satsukawa. There have been a combined total of twenty plus films, set in the Ringu and Ju-on film universes. Spanning eighteen years, these villains have killed untold numbers victims. Now, both cursed spirits face each other in Sadako v Kayako! Shot in Japan, the film was put together after an April Fool's Joke went viral. And, this outing is lighter in tone, compared to the earlier, more horrifying titles. This film fan was reminded of Hong-jin Na's The Wailing (2015), while watching this title. In both films, shamans are powerless to fight the supernatural. Still, the outcome of Sadako v Kayako can be predicted from a mile away. There is no way these iconic, money-making characters can take a final sleep. Sadako v Kayako is a bit predictable, but it is also an entertaining film.

Wolfman Vs. Frankenstein. Freddy Vs. Jason. Alien Vs. Predator. Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys. And now we can add Sadako V Kayako (the monsters from The Ring and The Grudge, respectively) to the pantheon of horror movie beat-em-ups. Not only that, but we now have a new trailer that shows these two J-horror icons duking it out: Holy shit does that look as goofy as it does awesome. Honestly, that crappy pop-rock... Read More...

New release Therapy marks an exciting upwards trend for horror streaming service Shudder not only because it’s exclusive to them, but because the committee in charge of sniffing out new content is putting just as much care into Shudder exclusives as they are established genre necessities.

How else are you going to hear about a *worthwhile* French found footage indie from a 17-year-old director (Nathan Ambrosioni)? Studios don’t have to balls to back such lofty ambitions, which is where Shudder comes in, fast-forwarding the whole cult-classic process by purchasing rights to films you otherwise wouldn’t discover until two years from now based on a buddy’s recommendation. First Sadako V Kayako, now Therapy – horror friends, if you’re not on Shudder, we need to talk.

Ambrosioni’s criminal horror flick begins much like any found footage slasher would, as a group of vacationing friends stumble upon imminent danger.

Cover artwork by Mark Reusch for Wolfmen of Mars' new album, Warp Suburbium, aims to depict the album's theme: liven up a suburban neighborhood with fun Halloween mayhem. Also in today's Highlights: program details for the 8th Annual Knoxville Horror Film Fest 2016, the Satanic Panic Room at Fantastic Fest, and the HellsGate Haunted House opening.

Wolfmen of Mars' Warp Suburbium Release Details: From Wolfmen of Mars: "We wanted the album to have a Twilight Zone / Halloween vibe. Artist Mark Reusch (http://misterreusch.com) took the concept of skeletons causing gremlin-esque chaos in an old suburban neighborhood on Halloween night, and came up with the album art."

To learn more about Warp Suburbium, visit:

http://wolfmenofmars.bandcamp.com/album/warp-suburbium

The latest album from Wolfmen of Mars, Warp Suburbium will be released on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and more on Friday, September 16th, and it is now available on Bandcamp.

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Knoxville...

Not only are superheroes duking it out, the year of the Vs has extended to the J-Horror universe with Sadako from the Ring series doing battle with Kayako from the Grudge, whoever wins Japan's tourism industry will suffer!

A girl, Yūri Kurahashi, after watching a cursed videotape together with her friend in a haunted house, becomes trapped in a conflict between the two murderous ghosts: Sadako Yamamura and Kayako Saeki. Talk about bad luck!

Kōji Shiraishi is the director, with Mizuki Yamamoto (Ghost Hunt) playing Yūri, caught between two ghouls. 'Sadako Vs. Kayako' will be released on June 18, 2016, no word on a world wide date.

Turn Off Your Phone PSA's...

In the early 2000s, "versus" movies were quite popular, with Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs Predator and several other movies hitting theaters, pitting two cinematic icons against each other. Earlier this year, the "versus" format was pushed to a whole new level with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, although that wasn't really a true "versus" movie, since it helped set up Warner Bros.' Justice League universe. The format will go back to its horror roots this summer with the Japanese movie Sadako vs. Kayako, which pits the evil spirits from The Ring and The Grudge against each other. Today we have a new trailer and photos which showcases the horror battle of the year.

Ironically enough, Sadako vs Kayako was actually birthed through an April Fool's Day joke which quickly went viral. Japanese studio Kadokawa and NBCUniversal Japan realized the cinematic potential of this joke, and Sadako vs. Kayako was born.

This is the movie we've all been waiting for! Japanese production company Kadokawa has released the first teaser trailer for The Ring vs. The Grudge, a.k.a Sadako Vs. Kayako. That's right, the two classic Japanese horror franchises featuring creepy grey ghost children, Sadako and Kayako, will be facing off with each other.

In case you need a refresher, Sadako from The Ring was murdered and thrown down a well. She started killing people through a haunted videotape. Kayako from Ju-On/The Grudge was also murdered as a child and is a vengeful spirit that crawls around ceilings and rattles at people in the house where she resides.

The Ring Vs. The Grudge movie was actually inspired by a fan-made mashup trailer that was released online last year. The studio thought it was such a good idea that they decided to actually go ahead and turn into a film.