An anthology of short horor tales by various directors offers mild thrills and creative takes on the traditional ghost story. This collaboration consists of segments by Mari Asato, Hiroki Iwasawa, Eisuke Naito, Yoshihiro Nakamura, Hajime Ohata, and Koji Shiraishi. The short films are unconnected save by theme, with the framing device of a narrator who has heard these tales from anonymous individuals. There are several featuring children, school pupils or teachers, but there are no overlapping characters. While the stories each have a unique take on hauntings, they struggle with a lack of characterisation and deeper exploration of themes due to their restricted length, most around the ten minute mark. The best stories are those that tie everyday fears to their supernatural antagonists; for example a later tale about a mysterious pregnancy, and one concerning a group of primary school children playing in a graveyard who are injured one-by-one. Others, such as the early tales of the shadow man, or the red woman, appear far more superficial in their narratives.
Overall, the film is an interesting experiment by the directors to put together an anthology, and you get the sense that some used the opportunity to try out new ideas. The direction is solid throughout, as might be expected from such a talented group, particularly in the use of framing and editing to evoke a feeling of unease. The sudden appearance of a bloodied figure before the film cuts to black is a perfect example of an effective way to shock the audience while leaving them questioning exactly what they just witnessed. There are several themed around suicide, relationships, and children, all common tropes in this genre. “Kidan Piece of Darkness” offers an easy watch and it moves along at a good pace. Unfortunately, the abundance of ghosts has a pernicious effect: rather than increasing tension it feels more like flicking through an encyclopedia of ghosts without spending time to really feel any kind of emotional attachment to the characters, or terror of the ghouls themselves. A good introduction to Japanese horror, but perhaps too tame for long-term fans.
