Journal Entry 1 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, November 22, 2009

A Japanese ghost story, this concerns TV scriptwriter Harada who is a man without any family. His parents were killed in a hit and run when he was a boy and he spent the rest of his life with his elderly grandfather (now dead) and uncle (now also dead). He is recently divorced, and estranged from his only son. As he is penurious following his divorce, he is living in his office, meaning that at night he is often the only person in his building, next to a noisy express way.

In this empty life, he one day runs into a man who looks uncannily like his father, at the same age he was when he died. He goes back to this man's house and meets his wife, who is also a dead ringer for his mother.

Have his parents come back to him? Why? How?

In the midst of this intriguing story, there is also a second plot revolving around a young woman who also lives in the office block. This second story doesn't resolve nearly as well as the first, unfortunately, and since it ends after the story of Harada's "parents", it did mean that the entire ending felt disappointing.

I was expecting something with a bit more "BOO!" in it, in the style of Japanese horror cinema like "The Ring" or "Dark Water". It's not that sort of ghost story for the most part, being mainly about family and missed opportunities. It was more hit than miss, but an interesting story overall, with a fascinating premise.

This is on offer at the Oz VBB.

UPDATE 26 NOV 2009: And selected by trystja! I'll get it in the mail asap. 

Journal Entry 2 by tqd at Balmain, New South Wales Australia on Monday, November 30, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (11/30/2009 UTC) at Balmain, New South Wales Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

And it's winging its way to trystja now.

Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 3 by trystja on Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Received today as part of the Oz VBB :) Thanks TQD :)