Follow up to "Ringu" has a pathologist, Mitsuo Andô(Kôichi Satô), who was colleagues with Professor Takayama(Hiroyuki Sanada) from the first film, watching the dreaded tape and hoping to destroy all methods of travel for Sadako(Hinako Saeki), not realizing that a diary(..containing elaborate details from the videotape, penned by the hand of Yakayama's ex-wife) continues to spread the "virus" to those who read it. Mai Takano(Miki Nakatani), Yakayama's girlfriend, befriends Andô, and their relationship develops sexually, a night of passion yielding a horrifying sequence of events neither could've ever imagined. Jôji Iida's "Rasen" is more of a melodrama than the spook show "Ringu" gave us, with the tormented Andô and Mai haunted, as other characters previously and in future installments of the series, by the deaths of loved ones. "Rasen" follows Andô as he pursues the truth behind Yakayama's unusual demise, and how his journey leads down a dark path where he's possibly willing to endanger society in exchange for the return of his deceased son who perished under terrible circumstances. Sadako is more ordinary and less frightening, human and removed of her creepy aura. I think the main problem with "Rasen" is that it is devoid of any real moments of terror, and the slow pace only adds to this. The core of the story is definitely emotional as Andô yearns for his son, and is shown on the verge of his slitting his wrist with a scalpel, but as death looms, we see how he starts dreading the idea of dying. I will say, though, that the finale, as it pertains to Sadako's "release" and her threat as a "global epidemic", is pretty grim indeed, even if it's a result of lost loves being reunited. Science and genetics play a heavily important part in the overall story of "Rasen". I think "Ringu" fans will be disappointed with this one, as it doesn't really adhere to the same kind of scare tactics, toying with the established mythos of the ghoul who strikes fear on all who eyeball the videotape.
Review of Spiral
