"A Wild Sheep Chase" feels like a spiritual journey we are on with the unnamed narrator in which we learn that his life in in shambles. he works for an advertising agency in Tokyo lives a miserable lonely life. he is divorced, but has a girlfriend that works as a prostitute by night. The narrator is the victim of unfortunate events that led him to where he is in the start of the story which includes the unplanned death of his college girlfriend, and the process of splitting up with his wife which was not specified on.

    The visitor that sends the narrator on the sheep chase was a very mysterious character. He is a well groomed man with an emotionless demeanor. He threatens the narrator with shutting down his ad agency and ruining his life if he does not track down this sheep. I interpreted the sheep hunt as a multi layered allegory. The sheep could signify post-war Japan because on one hand because of the many references to Japan's history. The sheep chase could also be the narrator's way of searching for his own identity. the ending of the story felt open ended. What did the narrator gain or lose from his journey? It seemed like the narrator's journey was what made the story compelling. He reflects on his life through this spiritual and physical journey.


Short History of Japanese Horror

In Japanese horror, there were major influencers that stories were based off of. Kaidan refers to ghost stories and "weird stories." they often revolve around irony, karmic punishments, vengeful ghosts, and morals. Kabuki and Noh also cover stories involving ghosts, demons, and monsters. there are definitely ideas of the sublime used in Japanese horror.

Early Japanese horror focused on supernatural drama. Edo gothic films lasted through the 50's and 60's. the themes of these films often revolved around the relationship with the spirit world and ours. vengeful spirits, especially women with black hair, was trending during this period. I found it really interesting that these films were a reflection of the fears that people were facing, fears of a country transitioning from an imperil feudal past, to a democratic form of government. The nuclear bomb was a huge fear that had a drastic impact on Japan's horror genre. Nuclear horror films expressed fear aroused by nuclear energy and the disruption of harmony as well.

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