Love Ghost

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.