Terrifying decorations make clinic look more like a site for human sacrifices than medical treatment.

A visit to the doctor’s office can be pretty scary for little kids. They may already be feeling uneasy or confused because of the symptoms they’re suffering from, and the sudden presence of a grown-up they don’t know using medical vocabulary they may not understand can make the situation even harder for them to emotionally cope with.

So you have to applaud the core sentiment of the pediatrician who Japanese Twitter user @moni9999 took his eldest son to for treatment for a fever. Rather than leaving the waiting room a stark chamber of cold filing cabinets and stern health posters, the doctor decided to put up some seasonal decorations for Halloween. She didn’t just stick a jack-‘o-lantern on the receptionist’s desk and call it a day, either. No, she went all out in creating a Halloween mood, with many of the decorations appearing to be hand-made.

But while the doctor gets full marks for enthusiasm, we’re not quite so sure about her specific decoration choices.

“The Halloween decorations are way too hard-core,” tweeted @moni9999, “and it’s totally creepy to be sitting here.” He’s got a point, because not only are those masks pretty disturbing, the way the creatures are surrounding the waiting patients, with their ghoulish arms reaching out, makes it look like they’re hungering for the souls of everyone in the waiting area.

Oh, and the horror continues in the examination rooms.

Online reactions have included:

“This is awesome! But it’s totally not a smart choice for kids.”
“Adults would get a kick out of this, but it’s probably making kids cry.”
“Even adults would get freaked out.”
“It looks like a black magic ritual. Makes me think they’re going to sacrifice the kids who come in.”
“I think someone is getting a little too into the spirit of the season.”

@moni9999 went on to mention that as the date gets closer to October 31, the pediatrician even dresses like a witch during her patient examinations, so it seems she really does enjoy celebrating Halloween. Considering how many cuter, less threatening decoration options there are, it seems like she’s going a little overboard, though.

But then again, we have to admit that a murderous clown in the corner definitely makes getting a shot seem like, by comparison, hardly anything worth getting scared about.

Source: Hamster Sokuho, Twitter/@moni9999

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s hoping he’s not the only one in his apartment building to put up Halloween decorations this year.