Ju-On: The Grudge is one of the scariest Asian horror movies of the past 2 decades.
The urban legend about Kayako is somewhat different from the movie.
One day, Kayako’s husband found his wife’s diary hidden in the bedroom.
Kayako struggled to escape, her body was covered in blood, so she slipped and broke her ankle.
Kayako was still alive at that time, but she could not move, she could only make scary sounds coming from her throat.
Kayako’s ghost could not forget her pain and anger when she died, so she became a ghost.
In Japanese culture, Kayako is the embodiment of an onryo – spirit of resentment – when a person dies but has too much resentment, so he comes back to take revenge on the living.
The spirit of resentment is a popular myth in Japan, not just Kayako in Ju-on.
Tamiya, after seeing Oiwa’s face, was disgusted with her, plotting to have her raped and forced to divorce.
Japanese legends also say that those who tell Oiwa’s story may become seriously ill and later die.
Readers can discuss and discuss more about the film as well as other horror works HERE.
