A review by emmiebee
Ring by Kōji Suzuki

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

To hit on some of the questions asked. It's lack of diversity being a Japanese book is more or less to be expected it's more that every single person who played a real role in helping move the plot forward was a guy. The women were few and far between and were either character development, obstacles, or motivation. 
Very early on in the story we're introduced to MC#2 or main support and he's introduced to us as the guy who broke into a girl's house and raped her. Wtf!? Our MC doesn't like this about him but chooses to remain his friend for decades later. Ok. (It's so the author can justify him seeing the tape) how dark he is is brought up multiple times and supposedly the key to realizing what actually happened to our dead girl. (The use of the word supposedly is explained in the spoiler section). The MC isn't a great person either the only time he expressed any positive emotions for his family was when their lives were at risk. I read this having not read the reviews because a "friend" said it was so good, hah. Seriously don't read the spoiler if you plan on reading the book. There's nothing interesting about this once the why of it all is revealed. It doesn't even do the suspense thing well. I would've been *slightly* more invested if they had added a little something to it like the closer they came to the day the more they were feeling watched, or seeing shadows out of the corner of their eyes, or really anything other than the MC reminding us how many days are between him and a week.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, and Rape

Minor: Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Spoiler

at the end of everything the author tries to walk back everything he set up about the friends dark personality. Again it was a plot device to give his MC a reason to show the tape to him, because his MC is a "good guy" and would never willingly risk someone's life. It mostly follows along with the movie version (US, I don't remember the Japanese version) with the exception of the male MC being married with a kid, and they get wrapped up in the plot halfway through so he sends them to the country while he figures it out, and there's a lot more focus on parapsychology and how the video was made. The most important, infuriating part of this book that made me rant about what a waste of time it was was that instead of going with an ok villain arc of this viral video as an answer to the countrywide cruelty her mother faced and she feared as people with telekinetic powers, the cruelty that led to her mother's ultimate suicide, all powered by the rage of being killed by the man who just raped her. The author decided, no she's intersex and so can't have kids and was a virgin (because of the shame of her testicles) and the video is making her a mother to millions. Fuck you, kuji, jfc.

Spoiler