Customer Reviews

Love Ghost

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Love Ghost is a film that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed it for the fact that it's a horror film that actually had a well developed story, and since it's a ghost story, it didn't fall into the many clichés that encompass the realm of ghost films. There are many original concepts presented in Love Ghost, as well as a story that doesn't suffocate itself by bringing with it tons of blood and gore (even though there is a little).

Love Ghost is based off the Manga by Junji Ito (Uzumaki, Tomie). The film tells the story of Midori (Risa Goto) and her mother, who have recently moved back to the town where Midori lived as a child. It is here that Midori begins to make new friends at her school, as well as rekindle past feelings for a boy she had a crush on when she was little. The boy is Ryuuhei (Ryuhei Matsuda), and as she soon discovers, not all is what it seems regarding Ryuuhei and his past. There is something very strange about Ryuuhei, and when some of Midori's classmates begin to commit suicide, Midori is determined to figure how and why all these horrible incidents occurred.

The acting in the film great considering the majority of the actors were quite young. Risa Goto (Midori) was great in her portrayal as the protagonist, but as for the part Ryuhei Matsuda (Ryuuhei) played, there could have been little more enthusiasm from him. He literally only says around three sentences throughout the whole film, hardly displays any emotion, and most of his screen time is filled with gazes and stares. For such a vital character as Ryuuhei, you would expect a little more, and the little we get from him is good but could've been better.

The cinematography was actually pretty good for a film like this, and director Kazuyuki Shibuya shoots the film using many techniques that heighten the atmosphere for the audience. From the use of effective lighting, to the great compositional shots, the film is great to look at. The film is based of a manga, and I thought Shibuya was able to transfer some of the likeliness of the manga (eerie backdrops, strange hallucinations) quite successfully.

The music was great and I enjoyed it. It used a lot of classical compositions as well as many ambient effects to give the film a great mood.

As for my final words on Love Ghost, I have to say that it was a ghost film that was thrilling for me to watch and I was eagerly anticipating what was going to happen next. The unpredictable nature of the plot is what made the film enjoyable; it was original and I was kept guessing all the way through. It's more of a psychological film (something you would never arrive at by looking at the cover), and I like I stated above, don't expect tons of blood and gore. So if you're a fan of ghost films, and are looking for something a little different, I definitely recommend Love Ghost, it is one of the better ghost film I've seen in awhile.

After reading many of reviews concerning this movie, I was more than intrigued to check out myself. I'm glad that I did. I don't usually watch movies with a romantic paranormal twist to it, but this one held my attention from start to finish. What makes it different from the rest is that you have no idea what is real and what isn't. I love how the writers did the storyline; instead of going into the two main characters past to deeply, they leave the viewer guessing throughout. It isn't until the end that you are able to figure out what really happened and why.

Amazing throughout. If you like paranormal movies with a slight touch of romanticism, then you'll enjoy this.

"Love Ghost," is an excellent film. The film itself, directed by Kazuyuki Shibuya, is based on the Manga by Junji Ito [Uzumaki, Tomie]. More importantly, as the reviewer below noted in his review, it is refreshing in that there are not tons of blood and gore in the film: That gets old real fast. [Although it does have its share of violence]. But not enough to nauseate one. Moreover, I found the film to be very good. I purchased this film some years back on a whim, and had not seen the film in a few years, until I decided to take it out of my storage, along with some other DVDs and Videos, to view it again recently; and I found that it had held up to my previous liking of the film. This is both a drama and a ghost story.

The film has a very well developed storyline, which is a plus in any film. The films narrative centers on the main protagonist Fukada Midori (Risa Goto) and her mother who have just moved back to the place where Midori lived as a child. Moreover, she begins to rekindle her friendship with a boy she once had a crush on: The films main antagonist Shibayama Ryusuke (Ryuhei Matsuda). However, there is something strange and different about her childhood friend. As Midori's classmates begin to commit suicide, Midori is perplexed and tries to understand why.

The films narrative is able to keep the viewer in suspense as to what, and why these events are happening. For one thing, the other teenage girls at Midori's school are a little jealous of her beauty [she catches the looking glances of the boys]. But it is the game the girls play to amuse themselves that is a bit more ominous in tone. These girls are into fortune telling, tarot cards, and reading horoscopes. Yet not content to dabble in this fun, they decide to play a new game called Tsujiura. In his game [which is an old fortune telling method] a person covers their eyes while asking a passing stranger a question. And the answer is given to be the truth. However, not every passing person is 'normal,' especially if he wears black clothes.

Furthermore, his answers may not be what you want to hear, and more importantly, he may just be a ghost. I would not really say that the film is a horror story, per se, at least not in the usual cliched way that most horror films are done. There is an emotional depth to the film, with tragedy, death and above all guilt--which is explored to the hilt. And I especially liked the psychological twists the film employs in its narrative, which for me is always a plus. This is a very well done film, the cinematography is very good [especially considering the low budget the film boasted] and more importantly, the camera use that first time director Kazuyuki Shibuya employed in the film was maximized to the fullest affect in creating a terrific atmosphere. I recommend the film highly.

Manga (Japanese comic) to anime to live-action film has been one of the formulas being done in Japan. "Love Ghost" is based on the manga titled "Shibito No Koiwazurai" (Translates to "Lovesick Dead") by Junji Ito; responsible for successful horror manga hits such as "Tomie" and "Uzumaki". The comic book had huge success in Japan, and as expected (as in any other place) comic book adaptations have become the trend in movies. Re-titled "Love Ghost" for reasons unknown, I rather thought "Lovesick Dead" would sound more intimidating; the film explores the premise of the spirit world mixed in with teenage girls looking for romance in odd places. Now, I haven't read the comic and I have only seen the film directed by Kazuyuki Shibuya so I cannot really say how faithful the film is to its source material.

The tale revolves around a pretty, young schoolgirl named Midori (Risa Goto), who returns to her hometown. When she arrives in school, she crosses paths with an old childhood friend, Ryusuke (Ryuhei Matsuda) who also happens to be her new classmate. There are whispers and rumors that there is a trend in the school that school girls are asking for their future in romance from a mysterious ghost boy, who is said to be able to predict if one will find their true love or not. However, this trend becomes bitter when a girl's misfortune encourages her to take her own life. Soon after, Midori finds herself entangled right in the middle of this paranormal activity and the web of different "love triangles" at school. Suzue (Asumi Miwa, Ju-on) and Tamayo (Yuki Inomata, Ringu TV series) both has eyes for Kotaro (Shinji Takahashi), who likes Midori. Midori in turn likes her childhood friend; Ryusuke...Usual teenage complications? Hardly.

The film's premise does seem your routine teen flick, much in the tradition of South Korea's "haunted school" (Whispering Corridors, Memento Mori, Wishing Stairs) trilogy and seems to borrow some elements from R. Avery's "Rules of Attraction". The film's story plays much like an Asian version in which the characters set off a chain of events that affect each other's lives through interaction and reactions. "Love Ghost" is actually more a teen drama/thriller than your run-of-the- mill horror film. The film is quite plot driven and it seemed like each character has more or less a link to someone else. Love triangles are aplenty which are actually put in center stage than its supernatural premise. The film is a drama with horror elements so viewers will have to embrace this as such rather than as a horror thriller it has been billed as. This is a Japanese film, so expect the usual twists about curses and sad backstory, but thankfully, the film has a more intuitive plot and Shibuya's direction is more focused and reserved for its main purpose.

When I said Shibuya's direction is focused, it is because the style, cinematography and set designs have all the feelings of a comic book. Junji Ito's other writings have always explored obsessive and disturbing behavior and the direction complements this in the way he represents the effects of the supernatural on everyday teenagers (and people). The film is more a character study of the Japanese teen, the first half plays like a teen drama and then it goes to overdrive in the last 40 minutes. Shibuya's direction is quite adventurous and open for exploration, as he is obviously going for more than the usual thrills and tries an understanding of psychology on camera. The cinematography definitely has the manga-inspired style as the shots and camera positioning further emphasizes the comic book feel.

Now, the film does have its faults, some twists can be seen from a mile away and some revelations do require a suspension of disbelief. I don't want to spoil anything, but some characters just fade in the proceedings that I wondered what else might have happened. Also, the film does lack the usual thrills and chills in the beginning, that people looking for a fast-paced thriller may be a bit disappointed. The way to appreciate "Love Ghost" is to look beyond the usual horror gimmicks and pay attention to the development of the characters and the elements that work well.

Ultimately, I did enjoy "Love Ghost"(this was recommended to me by fellow amazon reviewer; Ernest Jagger). The main focus of the film is interesting enough to keep me entertained, that it successfully explores the psychological effects of the supernatural (and other folks) on regular everyday people. It opted to become a successful drama/thriller than an average gorefest with a vengeful ghost on the rampage. It will definitely not get the attention it deserves in the U.S. but it is worth the time to watch.

Recommended. [3 ½ + Stars]

Other recommeded manga-to-film adaptation: Death Note & Death Note: The Last Name.

Over recent years I've learned that repeat viewings of movies are really important. Most of the time my first impression is the most reliable, but it's not uncommon that I change my opinion of a film after watching it twice. Sometimes the circumstances surrounding the first viewing were not ideal (e.g., illness, drowsiness, etc.) or perhaps more experience with a particular subgenre (e.g., exploitation, cyberpunk, etc.) or director results in a greater appreciation at a later time. My revised ratings are usually slight to moderate upgrades with a few rare downgrades.

"Lovesick Dead" is about a girl who returns to her home town, but recognizes that something is amiss when her highschool classmates commit suicide near a local shrine. My first impression of this film was that it was simply a decent attempt at blending horror and romance. Well, I was wrong. It's actually a very good attempt at blending horror and romance with a tight, well-written script and strong storytelling. The horror sequences are connected with a fortunetelling ritual and are actually more beautiful than frightening, which is consistent with the romanticized mood of the film in general. The final 20 minutes are really good and will reward viewers who have been paying close attention. "Lovesick Dead" almost plays out like a Japanese version of "Whispering Corridors" (1998, South Korea) - a film that also required multiple viewings for me to truly appreciate.

Non-fans of Asian horror will be pleased to know that there is no Onryo ghost here, so you won't have to put up with those ghost girls and their long black hair. However, the slower pacing of Asian horror movies is used so it's not a good idea to watch this if you're tired (which is likely the problem I had the first time around). The characters get some development and the premise is more original and executed better than most "ritual-based" horrors (which typically involve ouiga boards or seances), but the most interesting aspect involves the relationships between the characters that are clarified near the end. You'll need to think a little because they are communicated indirectly, but this is quality stuff.

Very enjoyable and worth seeking out.

I don't know really what to make of this. Is it a ghost movie? A love story? You decide.

It is a shame that Toyko Shock once again releases a movie they list as widescreen in a 4/3 letteredboxed version. What this means is that if you have a widescreen TV , you will have black bars on all 4 sides. If you zoom it to fill the screen, the subtitles will go off the bottom of the screen. Don't bother calling or emailing them because they don't answer. Any movie released after 2004 should be anamorphic widescreen or enhanced for 16/9 tv's. Most responsible companies have always released widescreen in the correct version. I guess they feel if they just say widescreen then they can package anything the the box and customer beware.

If you like having a small picture on a big screen this is the version for you.