Ring, The Recommended

Publisher
Dark Horse
Writer
Hiroshi Takahashi, Koji Suzuki
Artist
Meimu
Country of origin
Japan
Year
1999

Spiral (The Ring)

By David Rasmussen
4th Nov 04

Publisher - Dark Horse
Age - No Rating (Mature Reader most likely)
Published in Japan (1999)
By Sakura Mizuki
Based on the Original Novel Rasen by Koji Suzuki
Dark Horse Staff
Translator - Naomi Kokubo and Steven Hoffman
Lettering - Wilbert Lacuna
Editor - Tim-Ervin Gore and Fred Lui

Spiral
Ok. So far you know quite abit about The Ring, the video tape that kills after you watch it (one week later), and the person at the center of the deaths... Sadako. Now learn it all over again from a different looking glass... through the looking glass of... CSI?!?

Believe it or not there may be a totally scientific explanation for the whole thing, and all this death!
Explanation? How about a virus? A "Ring Virus" if you will?
So is that it? Is all this death nothing more than the works of a virus and nothing more?
Yeah, if you believe that I can also solve every problem with this year's batch of electronic voter machines using episodes of McGyver as a guide!

Uh... right. Now if this wasn't based on the novel from the person who wrote all The Ring novels I'd have thought there was something off about it, and have written this whole series off from my reading list, but there is more to it and that's a good thing.

Despite the fact they seem to have a scientific slant on the whole video tape "curse" there's more depth to it and in the end... well, I can't tell you. But let's just say for now that science can't solve everything, and in the end the Scully side of things just can't hold a candle to the Mulder side.

In other words it's safe to get the next volume and read on, at least for me at any rate.

Oh, and if you haven't gotten your 4-1-1 on Sadako and the curse yet? Here's your chance!

Spiral Breakdown
What's Hot? - Well here's a far better explanation of the whole origin of The Ring that I didn't get from The Ring GN 2! Now I know abit more, and knowing is half the problem.

Seriously though, while I know I will never become a convert to watching The Ringu series I know that at least I can read these. For someone like me who is NOT into the horror genre I can at least take these books which is quite an accomplishment for myself. And it's more interesting than The Ring GN 2 which is another plus.

It's somehow engaging, and for me it shouldn't be engaging because at times it has the interest drawing power of a train wreck... I can't stop looking despite the fact you should turn away from it.
Is it weird to say that? Probably, but it's true.

Maybe it's just me. Being I'm not a horror genre fan it's all different for me so maybe that's why it has that strange attraction, but I have a feeling it'll do the same for others.

It's engaging and a page turner, something you should give a shot to yourself! After all you don't need to be a fan of the movies to read this, because I'm not a fan of the movies yet I can read this... so you can read this too if your willing to read something with intense imagery and dark storytelling.
If you're open to it? Give it a read.

What's Not? - Uh...nothing. Everything works in the ends and I don't have a problem with anything.

Moments to Remember?
Uh... you'll have to discover that yourself. Maybe finally getting the 4-1-1 on Sadako (yeah, I didn't watch the movies so this is all "New to Me" stuff here).

What to Ignore?
Nothing. Pay attention here, now, it's important.

Overall?
For someone like me to admit there's a few titles of the horror genre that I can get into? That is some kind of revelation. And, for me at least, the titles in question is The Ring, Hellsing and Blood the Last Vampire 2000... For now at any rate, I might find something new down the road review-wise.

As for The Ring? Once again while I will never become a convert towards The Ringu movies (and most definitely will never become a convert to Hollywood's The Ring movies) I am warming towards the manga version (which is adapted from the novel version from what I can see of it) so at least I can get my fix of The Ring without having to watch the movies or learn Japanese to read the novels.

How convenient!

-- David Rasmussen 4th Nov 04