Ringu

After having watched some YouTube videos on the Ringu movies and having watched the original "trilogy" (if one can call it that) I realized that Ringu from 1998 was not the beginning, but rather a book which was turned into a made for TV movie in 1995 - later released for home video - Ring Kanzenban.

Ring Kanzenban is available on YouTube in all its glory!

This movie is amazing! The way to describe it is somewhere in between an episode of the X Files and an FMV video game like Phantasmagoria.

The music is amazing, as well are the camera angles and cheesy "movie effects". The practical effects are so much fun to watch.

The story follows the book and therefore the Ringu movie concept. Some of the characters are swapped and there's no child involved (other than that the main character's wife - Asakawa - is pregnant).

If you've seen Ringu or the American remake the Ring you know what this is all about and I don't need to explain it.

Ring Kanzenban is, however, the movie with most sex and boobs. There's tons, already from the start, and even one of the plot points of the movie involves sex.

The acting from the two main actors is great, but I really don't want to spoil anything.

Just watch this movie for what it is. A TV version of Ringu made before Ringu. Kind of like the made for TV Titanic in 1996 before the epic Titanic in 1997 - long forgotten, standing in the shadow of franchise juggernaut.

I will say that this movie is definitely better and tons more charming than any of the post-American movies, like Sadako vs Kayako.

Maybe I was just in a good mood watching this, but I think it's wonderful for what it is and recommend it for Ring enthusiasts. It's definitely not the movie to start with, but rather come back to after having watched the original trilogy.

This is the original version of Ring, which played as a TV movie in the mid 90's. It compares reasonably closely to the film adaption but also includes elements of Ring 0. It is seemingly the most faithful to the original novel (yeah, there was a book that led to this franchise!). Oddly, given the success of the theatrical movies, it has never been released on home video since 1996. Given the subject matter, perhaps this is strangely apt...

Its an all round good movie, that should definitely be of interest of those who like the later films. It does explain more and Sadako is more humanised, like she was in Ring 0. Sensibly, this was reigned back for the first movie adaption, ensuring that there was much more mystery to proceedings. Also, the method of Sadako's revenge hasn't quite been perfected in this one and is a bit different here. Still, this is a fascinating early entry in the J-horror sub-genre and makes for a fine addition to this series.

I recently watched the first adaptation of The Ring (1995), which was a Japanese television series 🇯🇵. This series is currently available on YouTube. The storyline follows a reporter investigating the mysterious deaths of four individuals in Tokyo, all of whom die simultaneously from apparent heart issues. As the reporter delves deeper into the case, he discovers a videotape that may unravel the mystery of their deaths-and possibly his own.

Directed by Chisui Takigawa (Takes of the Bizarre), the series stars Katsunori Takahashi (From the End of the World), Ayane Miura, Tomorô Taguchi (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), Mai Tachihara (Sister), and Maha Hamada (Kamen Rider W).

While I found this series to be a fun watch and an interesting take on The Ring storyline, the overall quality was mixed. The version I watched still included the original commercials, which added a fun touch. However, the acting was just average, and some of the content, such as the nudity and unexpected sex scenes, were surprising. The horror effects were low-budget and less intense compared to the film adaptations, though the scenes at the well were particularly well executed. The unexpected twist involving one of the characters at the well was the highlight for me. The ending was effective, but mainly because of the presence of the girl in the well.

In conclusion, The Ring television series isn't as impactful as Ringu, but it's still worth a watch for diehard fans of the franchise. I'd give it a 5.5-6/10 and recommend it to horror enthusiasts.

The first film adaptation of the Ring... years before Hideo Nakata's Ring. For a TV adaptation, it has a very successful atmosphere, although it sticks closer to the novel than Hideo Nakata. The presentation of the cursed video turned out pretty well, an attempt was made to present this scene 1:1 from the book, which was also great.

This film was produced by and originally shown on Fuji TV in Japan. Nevertheless, expect a bit of nudity (five scenes in all) and an attempted rape.

For a TV movie, this is surprisingly well filmed. People who are familiar with the 1998 theatrical film will follow the plot just fine. It's essentially the same, with some minor differences (Sadako's back story is different and the reporter is a male, for example).

I live in Japan, and this is the first "Ring" movie that most of my Japanese friends saw. Many of them claim it is scarier than the theatrical remake, but I cannot concur. The warped photos, videotape, ending, and generally eerie feel of the Japanese theatrical version make it far superior.