Ju-On: Video Side [Paperback]

Miki Rinno (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: Ju-On | Publication Date: April 18, 2006

Ju-On - video side - is the manga adaptation of the Japanese horror movie that spawned an enormous franchise in Japan... and inspired a blockbuster Hollywood remake! This chilling tale of murder, secrets and revenge centers on a home and the ugly events that transpired there. The place now has new owners, but there is a vile presence that permeates the building and pollutes every surface. What wickedness set off this unstoppable angry spirit? Why has its bloody grudge infected the home and its inhabitants? In the spirit of The Ring, Ju-On delivers a dark warning of a cursed spirit and the corrupting influence it has on the living.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–This is the manga adaptation of the Japanese horror movie Ju-On, which was later remade for American audiences as The Grudge. Although fans of the movies will recognize some similarities–the house is haunted by the spirits of a mother and son who were murdered–the rest of the plot is different. The films focus on the house, while most of the action of the novel takes place at the local school. Much more attention is given to the new family here. The book opens with the murder of a woman and her son. Their house is soon sold to a new family. Each of the family members sees a creepy little boy and, soon after, each is attacked by a multitude of cats. The tale doesnt follow a linear time line, which lets readers learn more about the house and the grudge. The real-estate agent tries to sell the house, despite warnings about the evil there, and the prospective buyer dismisses the incidents as nothing more than childish pranks. The black-and-white artwork perfectly conveys the sense of foreboding. The eeriness and horror are conveyed in bold strokes, especially in the scenes at the school, where the mothers ghost is encountered.–Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (April 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593074816
• ISBN-13: 978-1593074814
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAINTAINS THE CREEPY FILM ATMOSPHERE, May 22, 2006

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ju-On: Video Side (Paperback)

"Ju-On: Video Side" is the Dark Horse Comics Manga adaptation of the original Japanese film "Ju-On" which was remade for American audiences as "The Grudge". While there are some similarities in the stories such as the house haunted by the spirits of a mother and son that were murdered, the Japanese version differs with respect to most of the rest of the plot. Like the original film, this adaptation jumps around in time which can serve to disorient the reader a little bit. The general gist is that a new family has moved into this house and strange things begin to happen. They start seeing the creepy little boy at various turns...and the action is less centered on the house than it is in "The Grudge".

Here the oldest son disappears while at school, prompting his girlfriend to go in looking for him. The daughter has a savage encounter with some cats and returns home missing a rather important part of her face. If you saw the Grudge then you probably know what I am referring to, and even in comic format it is still an effective, terrifying scene. As we shuttle back and forth in time we'll see the real estate agent trying to sell the house, even after his sister, a psychic, warns them about the evil in the home. When the new owner comes home from work one day he finds his wife cooking a rather grisly soup!

I found Ju-On to be pretty remarkable in its ability to convey the terror from the film into comic format. The palpable feeling of evil is there, especially in the scenes at the school where the mother's ghost is encountered. This isn't easy to do, especially without the sound effects which played such a vital, unsettling role in the film. It's extremely well done although you may find yourself re-reading sections when the story jumps back and forth in time.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing, But Not As Good As the Movie, January 23, 2007

By 

Dean S. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ju-On: Video Side (Paperback)

"Ju-On: Video Side" tells the story of a family who moves into a cursed house. In the beginning, we learn a woman is killed by her husband (no reason why) and afterwards her son disappears.

The art in this story is acceptable. It's not the best you're ever gonna see, but it has a nice clean and simple look. It seems a little out of place in such a dark and eerie story, though.

The plot is not the same as the movie, so some material will be a pleasant surprise. Everything is spelled out for you, so there's no confusion, but that can be good and bad. You will understand what happens, but you'll be going "Well, that's not very surprising."

I thought their wasn't enough character development; we learn literally nothing about Toshio and Kayako. I thought we didn't get to see them enough.

"Ju-On: Video Side" wasn't my favorite book, but it wasn't that bad. If you're a Ju-On fan, I would pick it up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly Boring, October 27, 2006

By 

Ayami Yamakita "Ayami" (Tokyo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ju-On: Video Side (Paperback)

Ju-On: Video Side is the graphic novel based on Takashi Shimuzu's horror film Ju-On:The Curse. The manga, conveyed to the page by Miki Rinno, maintains the shockingly bloody scenes from Shimizu's original play, but lacks the subtle suspense and gentle sympathy.
The book itself focuses less on the original plot of the house and focuses more on the Grudge's unfortunate victims instead. The book's opeing starts out with the brutal murder of Kayoko Saeki as her husband stabs her to death. Toshio, the son, is seen to have witnessed the murder and is said to have vanished soon after. The death of the husband is never discussed or shown.
The central character is seen as Mizuho, the daughter of the real estate agent who sold the Saeki house. Mizuho enters the house which has been sold to a friend of hers and his famiy. The movie alternatievly traces back and forth between the original converstaion that Mizuho's father had with the new owners of the house, and then back again to the grisly fates of the new victims.
The book lacks the subtle flavors of horror, trajedy, and sympathetic sadness that the movie so well portrayed. Kayako in the book is Kayoko in the manga, and is seen as a vegeful ghost. In the movie, Kayako is a battered corpse whom you feel sympathy for. While the manga does a good job of terrifying and grossing out the reader with graphic artistry and gory deaths, the book is unable to convey the sheer terror and quiet sadness of the movie. While the book itself is a good read, you'll be finished in around twenty minutes or less. There is no real mystery to the manga and no real secrets or confusion or mystery to unravel or any real sort of page turner. After you're done, Ju-On:Video Side becomes another dust-gathering manga on the shelf.