History Film / Juon

''Ju-on'' is a Japanese horror film series, directed by TakashiShimizu. There are currently six films in the series, as well as two short films (''Katasumi''/''In A Corner'' and ''4444444444''), which were released prior to the first film (and are featured on the Director's Cut DVD release of the first [[TheGrudge remake]] as special features).

A fifth film in the series, ''Ju-on: The Grudge 3'', was rumoured to be in the works, but it currently seems to be on hold, according to [[WordOfGod Shimizu himself]].

In 2009, two new ''Ju-on'' films were released simultaneously, to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary. These are ''Ju-on: Shiroi Roujo'' and ''Ju-on: Kuroi Shoujo''. These films are not connected to the main series of movies - they are spin-offs, instead focusing on different ju-on curses.

* WomanInWhite: Kayako, of course.

There is also a novel adaption of the movies, as well as two manga volumes based on the series. [[AlternateContinuity These adaptations are merely that - adaptations, and do not fit in with the movie canon]].

* LicensedGame: ''Ju-on: The Grudge Haunted House Simulator'', out now for the {{Wii}}, and for only thirty clams, too.

* CuteKitten: Averted ''hard'' in the case of Mar.

** In the manga, [[BloodierAndGorier her death and the events surrounding her]] are even ''worse'' - not only do we see her [[spoiler:face start to rip]], after she appears to her mother [[spoiler:sans jaw]], her mother becomes possessed. Later, when her husband returns home, he discovers that his now very-possessed wife is cooking a meal - made out of [[spoiler:[[ImAHumanitarian Kanna's now-dismembered body]], with her jawless head lying on the table]]. [[ItGotWorse To make matters even worse]], Kanna's mother then starts [[spoiler:chopping up her ''own arm'']] while being completely and utterly nonchalant about the whole thing.

** [[ItGotWorse To make matters worse]], the curse is ''spread'' when those who have entered the house come into contact with those who have nothing ''whatsoever'' to do with the house. This is made explicit when the [[RedShirt security guard]] from Hitomi's workplace is consumed by the curse.

* [[spoiler:ApocalypseHow]]: Heavily implied to be happening at the end of the third movie... although, since only shots of Tokyo are shown, [[MindScrew it is unknown]] [[spoiler:if the curse has spread further or not]]. Also, given the AnachronicOrder of the series, it is unknown just how far into the future this scene is.

** A much more disturbing version of this trope occurs in the fourth movie. At the beginning of the film, Kyoko and Masashi are involved in a car crash (thanks to Toshio's little visit) which causes Kyoko to miscarry their child. Later on, however, her doctor assures her of a healthy pregnancy, which understandably causes her some confusion. [[spoiler:Congratulations, Kyoko... it's a gir-ARGHGODWHATISTHATRUNORYOURLIIIIIVES.]]

* TheOtherDarrin: Toshio has been played by three actors in total throughout the entire ''Ju-on'' saga, including the short film ''4444444444''. In the aforementioned short, he was portrayed by Daiki Sawada. In the two V-Cinema films, he was portrayed by Ryōta Koyama, and in the two theatrical films, he was portrayed by Yuya Ozeki (who would then go on to reprise the role for the first enstallment of the remake series, as well as in flashbacks for the sequels).

* ShoutOut: The ending to the fourth movie (Where [[spoiler: Kayako comes out of Kyoko's birth canal and slaughters the doctors]]), might be a homage to It'sAlive.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The fourth film continues the story of Izumi's friend Chiharu (a minor character in the third film). However, what happened Izumi's other friend, Miyuki, is a mystery.

* StylisticSuck: Kyoko of the fourth movie is an actress famed for her appearances in horror films (and known as "the Horror Queen" to the media). A few scenes in the film depict her in the process of filming some movie or TV series in which she plays a teacher being menaced by the ghost of a dead student, and her acting is... [[BadBadActing not good]]. This is purely Kyoko's in-character acting, though - Noriko Sakai, who plays Kyoko, is extremely good throughout the film as a whole.

* BreakTheCutie: ''Most'' of the characters, but particularly Rika, Izumi and Chihiro.

** In-universe, the curse itself ''loves'' to screw with the minds of its victims, both before ''and'' after killing them. (The case of [[spoiler:Chihiro]] is a notable example.)

* POVCam: The above-mentioned ImpendingDoomPOV shots, a few non-deadly variants from Kayako's POV, and a few from Chihiro's POV in the fourth movie.

!! This franchise contains examples of:

* InfantImmortality: Brutally averted with Toshio, and arguably even ''more'' brutally with [[spoiler:Manami and Kobayashi's unborn child]]. That's right, not even [[spoiler:a ''foetus'']] survives this series.

* BedmateReveal: Played with (well, sort of) in the [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel freakiest way possible]].

** A much more disturbing version of this trope occurs in the fourth movie. At the beginning of the film, Kyoko and Masashi are involved in a car crash (thanks to Toshio's little visit) which causes Kyoko to miscarry their child. Later on, however, her doctor assures her of a healthy pregnancy, which understandably causes her some confusion. [[spoiler:Congratulations, Kyoko... it's a gir-[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel ARGHGODWHATISTHATRUNORYOURLIIIIIVES]].]]

In 2009, feelplus developed a {{Wii}} game based on the franchise known in the US as ''Ju-on: The Grudge Haunted House Simulator''. Storyline-wise, it is unconnected to any of the films or shorts, and it tells an original story about a family of four who find themselves facing Kayako and Toshio's curse in an episodic fashion. Reactions to it have been... [[YourMileageMayVary mixed]], to say the least.

* CuteMonsterGirl: [[YourMileageMayVary Your mileage will vary]], but some see Kayako as this.

* PaleSkinnedBrunette: Kayako and Toshio, obviously. Add that to most other dark-haired characters who are seen after becoming curse victims (such as [[spoiler:Rika]] and [[spoiler:Kanna]]).

* ORingOrifice: Averted ''hard'' in the manga adaptation of the first movie.

* KillItWithFire: Toyama attempts to burn down the house in the third movie, but it doesn't work. Namely because he gets distracted by the curse's [[TimeTravel time distortion]] and then [[HeroicBSOD freaks the hell out]] when he sees Kayako coming for him.

* CuteKitten: Averted so hard.

* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: Averted so hard.

* JawBreaker: One of the later victims suffers this.

* {{Yandere}}: Kayako towards Kobayashi.