Ring 0: Birthday

In the present, a girl confesses to her friend that she watched the cursed videotape. She also recounts having nightmares, including seeing Sadako's murder by Dr. Ikuma.

30 years prior, Miyaji, the fiancé of a fellow reporter who was killed during Shizuko's infamous ESP demonstration, interviews Shizuko's daughter Sadako's former elementary school teacher Sudo, about Sadako's nensha powers. Sudo recounts how Sadako was withdrawn as a child and predicted her classmates drowning in the ocean during a field trip. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Sadako joins an acting troupe as an understudy. Her natural charisma infuriates lead actor, Aiko, whose relationship with the troupe director, Shigemori, sours due to the latter's newfound favor for Sadako. Aiko is later found dead having been haunted by a figure in white, so Sadako takes her place. Sadako and troupe sound director Hiroshi Toyama are attracted to each other, much to the disappointment of costume designer Etsuko Tachihara, who harbours feelings for Toyama. While praised by Shigemori and Toyama, the other troupe members grow to distrust and fear Sadako, as they suspect that she is the one who caused Aiko's death and other supernatural occurrences, including an apparition of a girl in white with long hair similar to Sadako.

Miyaji is told by Sudo that Shizuko descended to madness before her suicide ever since moving to live with Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma and that Sudo heard strange childlike noises in the attic. Etsuko, wanting to discover Sadako's origins, contacts Sadako's psychiatrist, but he refuses to answer and throws away Sadako's troupe's poster; the poster is taken by Miyaji's assistant, allowing he and Miyaji to locate Sadako in the troupe. When they start photographing her, she telekinetically breaks the camera; the two discover that all the photographs contain ghostly faces and a girl with long hair, confirming Miyaji's suspicion of the existence of "two" Sadakos. Shigemori, obsessed with Sadako, says he will kill her if she tries to kill him. Toyama interrupts and Shigemori is killed through a blow that also wounds Toyama. Sadako heals him just by touching him; later, she helps a disabled man regain his ability to walk. After finishing their last play, the two confess their love and promise to leave the troupe and live together.

The play is a disaster as Sadako, influenced by recordings of her mother's demonstration played by Etsuko, sees visions of her mother during the demonstration and kills her psychiatrist. The troupe members, discovering Shigemori's body, corner her and beat her to death. Pursuing the "second" Sadako, they visit Ikuma at his home, who tells them that Sadako split into two beings resembling each of her parents; the malevolent one, who resembled her unknown father, is kept from growing by Ikuma in the attic. Before they can kill it, both Sadakos merge with each other and escape with Toyama. Sadako stalks and kills all the troupe members in her merged form, including Toyama. Miyaji and Etsuko hide in an empty cabin in the woods. Rather than face Sadako's wrath, Miyaji shoots Etsuko and herself.

Sadako is found by Ikuma, recovered and tearfully mourning her own actions. Ikuma drugs her and chases her outside to the well. Despite her pleas, he brains her with an axe and throws her down the well before breaking down in tears. Sadako dreams of meeting Toyama again before waking, and screams as the stone lid of the well is slid into place, trapping her inside.

{{castlist|

• Yukie Nakama as Sadako Yamamura
• Yoshiko Tanaka as Akiko Miyaji
• Seiichi Tanabe as Hiroshi Toyama
• Kumiko Asō as Etsuko Tachihara
• Takeshi Wakamatsu as Yusaku Shigemori
• Ryushi Mizukami as Wataru Kuno
• Kaoru Okunuki as Aiko Hazuki
• Atsuko Takahata as Kaoru Arima
• Yasuji Kimura as Togashi
• Daisuke Ban as Heihachiro Ikuma
• Masako as Shizuko Yamamura
• Mahito Ōba as Takashi Yamamura
• Kazue Tsunogae as Mrs. Sudo}}

In 1999, Koji Suzuki concluded the Ring series by including a fourth entry titled Birthday, which collected three short stories that filled in details of the story.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=43}} Asmik Ace decided to hire Ring and Ring 2 screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi to adapt the short stories of Birthday,{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=43}} Takahashi decided to only adapt the story Lemonheart from Birthday due to the complex nature of the Short story collection. Lemonheart captured the life of the character of Sadako just before she was consigned to the fate seen in the later Ring series. {{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=43}} Hideo Nakata was offered to direct Ring 0, while Kenji Kawai was offered the chance to compose the music of the film by Takasige Ichise, the producer of Ring and Ring 2; however, both Nakata and Kawai turned down the offer.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=43}}

Once Ring 0 went into production, numerous changes were made to the film production staff. The director for the film was the first change, as Nakata was replaced by Norio Tsuruta.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=43}} Tsuruta had previously worked on direct-to-video horror scripts such as Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories) in 1991, and wrote and directed the sequel.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=45}} After working on two Pachinko-themed feature films in between 1993 and 1994 and eight direct-to-video horror works between 1991 and 1996, Tsuruta subsequently took a hiatus for nearly three years. Tsuruta's first work after his hiatus was "Tatari", the second episode of the Kansai TV Tanpatsu drama Haunted School: Spring Haunting Special in March 1999, which Tsuruta directed while Takahashi took responsibility for the screenplay.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=45}} Tsuruta was offered the chance to direct by Takahashi, due to their having previously collaborated on "Tatari".{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=45}} Tsuruta referred to the film as "a tragedy" with a theme about "a young woman who is oppressed because she is different from everyone else. In Japan, there is great pressure not to stray too far from the norm".{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=47}} The Assistant director for Tsuruta would be Shozo Katashima.{{efn|Katashima was previously collaborated with Yukihiko Tsutsumi in ai-ou and Shusuke Kaneko in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.}} The second change was the cinematographer, which would now be handled by Takahide Shibanushi.{{efn|Shibanushi work as a cinematographer prior to the film, including the live-action movie adaption of Cat's Eye and Love & Pop.}} The third change was the Sound recording and reproduction director, which was previously handled by Kiyoshi Kakizawa in Ring 2; he was replaced by Tetsuo Segawa, a veteran sound recording director who started his sound recording career during the late Japanese New Wave era.{{efn|Segawa work as the sound recording director prior to the film, including Tokyo Blackout, Akira, Heaven and Earth and Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald.}} The fourth change was the sound effects director, which was handled by Kenji Shibazaki in Ring and Ring 2; however, Shibazaki was replaced by Shizuo Kurahashi, a veteran sound effects editor/designer when the film went into production.{{efn|Kurahashi work as the sound effects director prior to the film, including Akira, Armitage III, The Vision of Escaflowne, Perfect Blue, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and Cardcaptor Sakura.}} The fifth change was the Script supervisor, which was handled by Kumiko Yoshida in Ring 2; however, Yoshida was replaced by Yoshimi Amaike when the film went into production.{{efn|Amaike work as the script supervisor prior to the film, including Pro Golfer Oribe Kinjiro film series and Owls' Castle.}} The last change for the film production staff was the Art director, which was handled by Iwao Saito on Ring, Rasen and Ring 2; however, Sato was replaced by Osamu Yamaguchi when the film went into production.{{efn|Yamaguchi work as the art director prior to the film, including Summer Vacation 1999, Tasmania Story, Graduation Journey: I Came from Japan and Osaka Story.}} Genre-wise, Ring 0 retained the J-Horror trappings found in Ring and Ring 2. However, the techno-horror genre that made Ring famous was now abandoned in favor of psychological thriller,[https://collider.com/best-techno-horror-movies-genre-history-explained/ From Cryptic Calls to Cursed Computers, The Evolution of Techno-Horror in 10 Movies|Collider] a genre that many Hollywood directors as well as some East Asian filmmakers had already explored, such as David Fincher, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan, Satoshi Kon and Kiyoshi Kurosawa,{{Cite web|date=2021-01-02|title=The 25 Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time|url=https://collider.com/best-psychological-thrillers/|access-date=2024-06-28|website=Collider|language=en-US}}{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/2006/12/01/catching-david-lynch/|title=David Lynch wants to get in your bloodstream|last=Jensen|first=Jeff|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=2006-12-01|access-date=2024-06-28}}{{Cite web|title=Martin Scorsese|url=https://www.psychologicalthrillers.net/director/martin-scorsese/|access-date=2024-06-28|website=Psychological Thrillers|language=en-US}} but many other East Asian filmmakers and screenwriters, including Tsuruta and Takahashi themselves, were not familiar with.

Yukie Nakama was cast in the role of Sadako.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=46}} After Nakama's friends had seen Ring, they teased her about her resemblance to Sadako.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=46}} Nakama was later contacted by her agent, who mentioned they were looking for actresses for the role of Sadako and tried out for the role.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=46}} She received confirmation of her having been cast in the role two weeks later.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=46}}

{{multiple image

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| footer = Rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel (pictured in 2012 at Madison Square Garden) sang finale the film's theme song, which performed for the first time on the "RESET>>LIVE *000" Concerts at the Tokyo Big Sight (pictured in 2007) on December 31, 1999.

| image1 = L'arc En Ciel @ MSG - 3-25-12 - 040.jpg

| alt1 = L'Arc-en-Ciel (pictured in 2012 at Madison Square Garden)

| image2 = Tokyo Big Sight at Night.jpg

| alt2 = Tokyo Big Sight (pictured in 2007)

}}

"finale" by Japanese rock group L'Arc-en-Ciel, was used as the film official theme song, and it was released as Double A-side single, three days before the film's release.{{cite web |url=https://larc-en-ciel.com/s/n137/discography/KSC2-330?ima=4534 |language=ja |title=L'Arc-en-ciel Official Website (Discography Section - NEO UNIVERSE/finale) |access-date=October 14, 2023}} The band performed "finale" for the first time on the "RESET>>LIVE *000" Concerts at the Tokyo Big Sight on December 31, 1999.{{cite book|title=Rolling Stone Japan L'Arc-en-Ciel 30th L'Anniversary Special Collectors Edition|language=ja|date=2021|publisher=CCC Music Labotories|page=58}} The music video of "finale" was directed by Wataru Takeishi.{{efn|Takeishi previously directed L'Arc-en-Ciel music video including Winter Fall, Dive to Blue and Driver's High. Takeishi also directed music video for J-Pop artists such as SPEED, Yaen, Morning Musume ("Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)", "Sōda! We're Alive", "Do It! Now"), Aya Matsuura and Hikaru Utada.}} Unlike many music videos from the songs that were a part of a film soundtrack or featured in a film at that time (such as "I Disappear" by Metallica and "Take a Look Around" by Limp Bizkit, both from Mission: Impossible 2), the music video of "finale" doesn't incorporate any film footage into it.{{cite video | title = L'Arc～en～Ciel「finale」 -Music Clip- | medium = YouTube | publisher = L'Arc-en-Ciel |date = December 10, 2019 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3okxKLNFVI}} Despite the video not featuring any clips from the movie, it could not be included on any of the DVD releases of the film, although it was included in the band's second video compilation Chronicle 2 in 2001.{{cite web |url=https://larc-en-ciel.com/s/n137/discography/KSB5-5726?ima=5826 |language=ja |title=L'Arc-en-ciel Official Website (Discography Section - Chronicle 2: DVD Edition) |access-date=March 7, 2024}} the full track version of "finale" was appeared on the band's eighth studio album, "Real".{{cite web |url=https://larc-en-ciel.com/s/n137/discography/KSC2-333?ima=1104 |language=ja |title=L'Arc-en-ciel Official Website (Discography Section - REAL) |access-date=April 3, 2024}} while the four minute long theatrical cut version of "finale" would only appear in the Closing credits of Ring 0: Birthday, as well as a live performance on music TV shows, such as Music Station and Count Down TV; it was not included in the film's official soundtrack CD released by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. Furthermore, the name of the theme song was kept secret on all print advertisements, posters, television commercials and press material for Ring 0: Birthday, except the theatrical pamphlet and the double feature trailers, as a part of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's decision to use several marketing tactics for "Neo Universe/Finale" to increase sales.

Ring 0: Birthday was released in Japan on January 22, 2000, where it was distributed by Toho.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=413}} It was released on a double bill with Isola.{{sfn|Kalat|2007|p=279}} The film was theatrically released in Malaysia as Ring 0: The Origin on December 19, 2002, where it was distributed by Buena Vista-Columbia TriStar Distribution Joint Venture.{{cite web|url=http://www.gsc.com.my/movies/movies.asp?search=ringo|website=Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd|date=December 26, 2002|title=Ring 0: The Origin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021226164815/http://www.gsc.com.my/movies/movies.asp?search=ringo |access-date=October 13, 2023|archive-date=2002-12-26 }} In the Philippines, the film was theatrically released as Ring-0: The Birthday on May 21, 2003.{{cite news|title=Opens Today!|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1o1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZCUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2761%2C43596821|access-date=12 September 2022|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|publisher=The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.|date=21 May 2003|page=A30|quote=The 'Ring' phenomenon goes back to its roots to find your worst nightmare... Sadako!}}

Ring 0: Birthday was released on VHS and DVD format shortly after its theatrical run in Japan, with a NTSC-J region VHS released first on July 21, 2000,[http://www.iijnet.or.jp/ASMIK/Video/index.html 今月の"オススメ"ビデオ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000623022835/http://www.iijnet.or.jp/ASMIK/Video/index.html |date=June, 2000 |language=ja}} June, 2000 followed by the Region 2-locked DVD released on October 27, 2000,[http://www.digital-voice.net:80/cgi/search/search_direct.cgi?tin=13 リング0 ～バースデイ～] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010423144919/http://www.digital-voice.net:80/cgi/search/search_direct.cgi?tin=13 |date=April, 2001 |language=ja}} April, 2001 both from Kadokawa Video. The 2000 Kadokawa Video DVD release presented the film in its original 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen format with Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and included the extra features that were unavailable on the VHS released, including the cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Deleted scenes, theatrical trailers and TV commercial/teasers for the film.

The film was released in United Kingdom as a straight-to-video release by Tartan Video (under their Asia Extreme Label) on February 25, 2002, in both VHS and Region 0-DVD format.{{cite web |title=Ring 0 DVD (2002 Tartan Asia Extreme Released) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Ring-0-DVD/40101/ |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=Blu-ray.com}} The 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme release presented the film in its original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format, though it carried no special features apart from filmographies, photo galleries and trailers for other Tartan Asia Extreme releases.{{Cite web |title=Ring 0: Birthday AKA Ringu 0: Baasudei |url=http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=1925 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=DVDCompare.net}}

On April 28, 2003 Madman Entertainment and The AV Channel co-announced that Ring 0: Birthday would release in Australia through the Eastern Eye Label as a straight-to-video release in June 11 of that same year on both VHS and Region 0-DVD format.{{cite web |date=April 28, 2003 |title=April 28, 2003, RING 0 - The prequel to the terrifying Ring and Ring 2 films, out June. |url=http://www.avchannel.com.au/NewsMain.php?NewsID=105 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |website=The AV Channel Australia |archive-date=May 17, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030517194523fw_/http://www.avchannel.com.au/NewsMain.php?NewsID=105/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |date=June 11, 2003 |title=RING 0 - BIRTHDAY DVD |url=http://www.avchannel.com.au/CatIndex.php?LoadPage=CatItem.php?CatNo=MMA2090 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |website=The AV Channel Australia |archive-date=June 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050619174146fw_/http://www.avchannel.com.au/CatIndex.php?LoadPage=CatItem.php?CatNo=MMA2090 |url-status=dead }} The 2003 Madman/Eastern Eye release presented the film in the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format instead of the original 1.85:1 anamorphic format found in the Kadokawa Video and the Tartan Asia Extreme release, and carried no special features apart from filmographies, photo galleries and trailers for Hellsing, Samsara, Spirited Away, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Wendigo.{{Cite web |title=Ring 0: Birthday |url=https://dvdloc8.com/viewdvd_15046.html |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=dvdloc8.com}} There is an easter egg located in the extras features menu. When the Madman Propaganda is highlighted, the viewer can press the left directional button to highlight a Kanji character on the girl's tongue, then press the Enter button. By doing this, the cursed video used in the previous films will play.{{Cite web |title=Ring 0: Birthday - Easter Eggs |url=https://dvdloc8.com/view_egg.php?dvdid=15046 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=dvdloc8.com}}

Tartan later released the film as a part of The Ring Trilogy DVD boxset on October 25, 2004, in both 3-Disc Keep case Standard Edition (the Ring and Ring 2 discs are region-free, while the Ring 0: Birthday disc is region 2-locked; all discs include the same special features found on the 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme release){{cite web |title=The Ring Trilogy DVD (Standard Edition) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/The-Ring-Trilogy-DVD/163440/ |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=Blu-ray.com}} and 4-Disc Region 2-locked DVD Digipak Remastered-Collector's Edition (including the additional disc which contains Sleeping Bride and the inclusion of the DTS 5.1 soundtrack option in all discs (the DTS 5.1 soundtrack are recorded at a bitrate of 768 kbit/s), both of which are unavailable in the Standard Edition).{{cite web |title=The Ring Trilogy DVD (Collector's Edition DigiPack) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/The-Ring-Trilogy-DVD/173668/ |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=Blu-ray.com}} The 2004 The Ring Trilogy Collector's Edition Released of Ring 0: Birthday presented the film in the 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen format found in the Madman/Eastern Eye release, and contain special features including film notes by Kim Newman and three extra features found in the 2000 Kadokawa Video DVD release: behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes and theatrical trailers. The 2004 The Ring Trilogy Collector's Edition release of the film also included the Dolby Digital 5.1 (recorded at a bitrate of 384 kbit/s) and DTS 5.1 soundtrack option (Both in Japanese), in addition to the Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack (recorded at a bitrate of 192 kbit/s) found in the 2002 Tartan Asia Extreme release.{{Cite web |title=Ring Trilogy, The |url=https://dvdloc8.com/viewdvd_15028.html |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=dvdloc8.com}} The film was released direct-to-video in the United States under the title Ringu 0 on August 23, 2005, by DreamWorks/Universal Home Video.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=413}}

The online film database AllMovie gave the film two stars out of five, referring to it as a "mediocre Carrie rip" and that it "can only be truly reviled as a desecration of the original Ringu's uniquely persuasive and subtle horror". The review noted that the "film's effort to explain exactly who Sadako (Yukie Nakama) is and how she became a powerful evil force, the film heaps contrivance upon contrivance, mixing clichés from backstage melodramas with those from Carrie and all its imitators, and leaving the viewer with little beyond the strength of Nakama's appealing performance and a few mild scares to hang on to".{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/ringu-0-basudei-v250540/review|publisher=AllMovie|title=Ringu 0: Basudei|access-date=February 4, 2016}}

The film opened in third place at the Japanese box office.{{cite magazine|magazine=Screen International|date=4 February 2000|page=39|title=Asian trio beats US product in Japan|last=Schilling|first=Mark}}

• List of horror films of 2000
• List of Japanese films of 2000

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last=Galbraith IV | first=Stuart | title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography | year=2008 | publisher=Scarecrow Press | isbn=978-1461673743}}
• {{cite book | last=Kalat | first=David | title=J-horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond | publisher=Vertical | date=2007 | isbn=978-1932234084}}

{{refend}}

• {{IMDb title|0235712}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|ringu-0|Ringu 0}}

{{The Ring}}

{{Norio Tsuruta}}

Category:2000 films

Category:2000 horror films

Category:2000 psychological thriller films

Category:2000s Japanese-language films

Category:2000s ghost films

Category:Japanese horror films

Category:Japanese psychological thriller films

Category:Films about bullying

Category:Films about telekinesis

Category:Films based on short fiction

Category:Films directed by Norio Tsuruta

Category:Films set in 1968

Category:Japanese films about revenge

Category:Japanese ghost films

Category:The Ring (franchise)

Category:Toho films

Category:Buena Vista International films

Category:2000s Japanese films

Category:Fiction about well-related accidents