
Having seen through the eyes of Sadako, we can now definitively say: Yes, the hair is a huge nuisance.
The video demo comes from Twitter user @tatsunoru who makes a variety of unique smartphone and VR games along with other digital artistry.
▼ “I got into the Sadako vs Kayako movie, so I made a Sadako VR prototype. It’s a game to experience the toils from Sadako’s side of things. Parting through the long hair, phoning people who watched the cursed video tape, and then coming out of the TV to kill the cursed person.”
映画「貞子vs伽椰子」が面白かったので、つい「貞子VR」を試作してしました。貞子側の苦労体験ゲームです。長い髪をかき分け、呪いのビデオを見た人が現れたら電話をかけて、テレビから飛び出して呪い殺します。 pic.twitter.com/qVoycSsJvN
— tatsunoru@DOFI (@tatsunoru) June 21, 2016
Indeed Tatsunoru’s take on the Ring franchise is very eye-opening. Sure we’ve all assumed it wasn’t great to be Sadako since she was a murderous and moldy rotting corpse, but she was also magic and immortal – and those are some really big pluses.
In her downtime, I always figured Sadako could kick it on a beach or finally finish that novel she’s been working on, but no. Being her simply sucks 24-7 and even comes with a set of rules. Upon starting Sadako VR you are presented with a list of them.
Sadako Rules
1 People who watch the cursed video appear and then the connecting TV lights up.
2 Creep up to the place where the TV is.
Argh…this hair can f**k right off already!
3 Call the cursed person on the telephone.
4 Enter the TV.
And that pretty much sums up what it’s like to be Sadako…day in and day out…forever. Sure you got your magically postmodern well equipped with supernatural rotary phones and CRT television sets but I imagine that gets old real quick.
Off to work we go! Climbing up the well allows gravity to give us a brief respite from the hair. Then it’s time to make a phone call and enter the TV portal.
Immediately you’re face-to-hair with your victim who is experiencing a terror unlike any they have ever felt. Meanwhile you, as Sadako, couldn’t be more bored by the tedious endeavor. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition of emotions.
After the job is done, it’s right back in the TV we go. No raiding the victim’s fridge or using their phone to make calls to psychic hotlines; being Sadako is all business.
It’s unlikely we’ll be seeing a final release of Sadako VR for obvious reasons, but conceptually it is an awesome game and as rough as it is, it was very nicely executed by the off-beat genius of Tatsunoru.
Tatsunoru has been getting attention from some of his other VR projects as well, such as his game aptly titled VR Futile Effort, which is more eerily similar to my dreams than I’d care to admit.
▼ “I made VR Futile Effort in a rush. You have to stack stones in a dry riverbed at a constant height, but you also have to fend off demons coming to knock over your stones by throwing the stones at them. I wonder if it’s OK to apply for the Unity VR Expo Akiba.”
突貫で「VR賽の河原」作った。河原に転がってる石を積み重ねて一定の高さにしないといけないんだけど、鬼が崩しにやってくるから石を投げて撃退するゲーム。Unity VR EXPO AKIBAに応募しても大丈夫ですかな… pic.twitter.com/oTJLXlqer1
— tatsunoru@DOFI (@tatsunoru) June 17, 2016
And then there’s the game in which you spin kimono-clad women like tops by yanking on their obi belts. It’s exactly as bizarre as you might imagine.
Again, these games all merely concepts, but if there are more creative minds like Tatsunoru out there providing unique and intriguing content, then VR may enjoy a long and prosperous future in the home entertainment market.
Source: Twitter/@tatsunoru, Kai-you (Japanese)
Images: Twitter/@tatsunoru






Horror icon Sadako gets update in new movie! See the creepy first trailer【Video】
Ready to be scared? It’s the clash of the curses in Sadako vs Kayako!【Review】
Virtual reality game will let you turn kimono-clad girls into spinning, battling tops【Video】
YouTuber takes horror to the next level by recreating Sadako’s spooky TV screen exit in AR【Video】
Experience Doraemon’s Anywhere Door in virtual reality【 Video】
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Teen girl in Japan refuses to be victim, personally escorts train pervert to police for arrest
The Japanese city where ordering grilled chicken doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually get chicken
Google’s first Google Store outside the U.S. is now open in Tokyo
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Ride a tram that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a new limited-time history tour
Delta Airlines adds first nonstop flight between Japan’s Narita Airport and U.S. in seven years
Watch a sumo bout inside Tokyo Tower, at a new restaurant endorsed by two yokozuna
Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meals are coming to McDonald’s, but not in Japan [Video]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
Beautiful off-the-beaten-path spot near samurai castle in rural Japan looks like a Monet painting
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Bandai Namco announces plans to open virtual reality experience center
Trying Virtual Reality for the first time at Bandai Namco’s VR Experience in Odaiba, Tokyo
Evangelion virtual reality game in Tokyo will let fans live the dream of piloting an Eva Unit
Remember: virtual reality will make horror games way, way scarier【Video】
Virtual girlfriend adult game developer switches gears with super-customizable VR boyfriend game