Extrasensory Perception or ESP is the ability an individual has of noticing something unusual on some place or someone, or simply have a more depth, extrasensory vision on things, places and other people. A more common example is many passersby that walk by the cursed Saeki house and are able to sense that something there is not right, while other people (usually the house's newest owners) step inside normally. In some occasions, sensitivity is a consequent symptom on someone who gets cursed. The carriers of this gift are coined as sensitives by fans.
Several main Ju-on characters share of this ability.
Occurrences[]
Ju-on series[]
Real estate agent Kyoko Suzuki was disturbed by the house when she stepped inside in order to examine the place and put it on sale. After the cursed woman became possessed, her father Taiji revealed to his wife Fumi and his son Tatsuya that Kyoko inherited ESP from him. Izumi felt uncorfortable before and after stepping inside the Saeki household and ran off, leaving her curious schoolmates there. When Rika first saw the house, she immediately had a bad feeling from it, only to discover that it was actually inhabited by something evil. While shooting a TV show in the house, hairstylist Megumi did not feel anything about the house, but was able to feel actress and guest-star Kyoko's early pregnancy. Keisuke knew about her sensitive nature and asked Megumi what she felt about the place since it did not seem scary, to which she only walked away annoyed.
The Grudge series[]
Sensitivity has no prominence in the western film series, except for Karen's instant bad feeling of the house, making her the only sensitive of the American films.
Notes and trivia[]
- When Miyuki and Chiharu visit a disturbed Izumi, Chiharu asks if she has ESP, to which Izumi denies. However, Izumi reprotedly felt something strange at the Saeki household before stepping inside, thus implying she was born a sensitive.
- Apart from the supernatural antagonist, sensitivity is a very common element in similarly themed japanese horror films such as Ringu. In this film, Yoichi Asakawa shares a sensitive ability with his father Ryuji Takayama.
- Apart from Karen, in The Grudge films there are no occurrences of ordinary people noticing something supernatural (or supernaturally noticing something) up until they get cursed. Nakagawa was able to feel Kayako's presence following Aubrey because of her Itako nature. Naoko also feels something on the apartment building, but presumably due to her link to her sister Kayako.
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