Motherhood and Fear: The Influence of Traditional Religion on American and Japanese Horror

With the sensation generated by the 2002 release of The Ring, the American take on the classic Japanese horror film Ringu, a new trend in American horror was born. Shifting its attention away from more common Western themes, Hollywood focused on emulating the Japanese psychological viewpoint by shyi1ig away.from demented murderers and turning instead to vengeful ghosts and cursed apparitions.

Aside from these backbone elements, however, the emergence of Japanese horror remakes highlighted another distinct, fundamental difference between the traditional American and Japanese takes on horror: the portrayal of powerful, villainous women. Why does American horror suggest contempt for such female antagonists, whereas Japanese horror conveys the opposite: fearful respect? What factors influence these portrayals? These are the questions I aim to answer.