Translating a Monster: Motherhood and Horror Criteria in Ringu and The Ring.

This article examines the cultural and gendered meanings lost in the Western remake of the Japanese horror film *Ringu* (1998) as *The Ring* (2002). It focuses on the onryō, a female vengeful spirit rooted in Japanese folklore, whose portrayal in *Ringu* embodies feminist critiques of patriarchal society and motherhood, while *The Ring* recasts the female monster and mother figure through a Western lens that demonizes and "others" them. The analysis highlights how *Ringu* presents motherhood as a source of strength and social commentary, whereas *The Ring* depicts the mother as emotionally weak and the monster as pure evil, reflecting differing cultural attitudes toward family and gender roles. The article argues that these changes illustrate the challenges of transnational adaptation, where significant symbolic and feminist elements are obscured or altered to fit Western cinematic conventions and societal norms.