Ju-On: Origins – Copyright. Entertainment Japan and NBCUniversal
If you’re still reeling from the events of Ju-On: Origins, suffice to say you aren’t the only one! After an incredibly brutal, and sometimes confusing season of horror, Ju-On: Origins was certainly a brand new experience to take in. But will Netflix be renewing the Japanese horror for a second season? Let’s find out!
JU-ON: Origins is an Original Japanese horror series based on the famous JU-ON franchise. The series was directed by Shō Miyake, with the story written by Yō Takahashi and Takashige Ichise.
Has Netflix renewed Ju-On: Origins for a second season?
Netflix Renewal Status: Pending (Last Updated: 14/07/2020)
At the time of writing Ju-On: Origins has been available to stream on Netflix for a little under two weeks, and we’re yet to hear any news for the series renewal.
Netflix can take a significant amount of time to renew a series, and Ju-On: Origins won’t be an exception to that. In a few month’s time, Netflix will have the analytical data it needs to make a decision on the future of the series.
We can expect to learn more in the coming months.
Will Netflix renew Ju-On: Origins for a second season?
Despite the name, Ju-On: Origins, the horror hasn’t been acknowledged as a limited series, which means there are grounds to further explore the story. But we’re not sure renewal will happen.
Whether or not Netflix renews the series for a second season relies heavily upon the number of subscribers tuning in to watch it.
Unfortunately, we’re not sure just how many subscribers are actually tuning in to stream Ju-On: Origins, and our indicators on whether or not a series is performing well or popular, like the top ten lists, would heavily suggest that Ju-On: Origins has been a dud so far.
Where has Ju-On: Origins gone wrong?
A lot of the issues facing Ju-On: Origins may be due to the way the series was marketed at western audience members.
Ju-On is a modern Japanese horror classic but is more commonly known by its westernized name of The Grudge.
To help generate interest for its western audience, Netflix would have been better off naming the series The Grudge: Origins.
Lastly, we didn’t see Netflix pouring much effort into the marketing of the series, and its arrival wasn’t met with much fanfare.
Time will tell just how well Ju-On: Origins has performed on Netflix. A potential slow burner, there will be many Ju-On fans hoping to see more from Takashi Shimizu in the future.
What did Ju-On: Origins do right?
Unshackling itself from the story of Kayako, Ju-On: Origins used something far more terrifying, real-life events. Some of the murders, and the most grizzly parts of Ju-On: Origins are based on real-life events that took place in Japan.
They further expanded upon the horror of real-life with the news stories ongoing in the background, referencing the horrific Otaku Murderer, torture and murder Junko Furuta, the great Hanshin earthquake, and finally the Tokyo subway sarin attack by Aum Shinrikyo.
Incorporating the events happening in the background into the lives of the characters was a great touch of storytelling. Proving that sometimes the worst horrors committed aren’t committed because of a cursed house.
In the end Ju-On: Origins was a refreshing take on the franchise, and certainly offered new elements of horror compared to previous installments.
Did Netflix subscribers enjoy the series?
Opinions were divided, but there were still plenty of subscribers that enjoyed Ju-On: Origins.
Notably, the jump in timelines confused quite a lot of the audience.
me trying to figure out wtf is going on in ju-on: origins pic.twitter.com/nBuNtHHxWj
— (@_daniredd) July 5, 2020
Others took to twitter to help audiences better understand what part of the story was “based on true events.”
True crime stories the Ju-on: Origins series was based on
/a thread/
*SPOILERS AHEAD*#JuonOrigins pic.twitter.com/ogGDf1EtC4
— Shed Giron (@TheWaitingShed) July 12, 2020
Others were less than impressed…
I watched the entirety of Netflix’s Ju-On: Origins and I genuinely mean it when I say I don’t understand a single thing that happened. A whole lot of confounding nonsense, at least for my brain. I’m hoping Netflix profiles it on the next season of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries.
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) July 9, 2020
When could we expect to see the second season of Ju-On: Origins on Netflix?
Compared to the rest of the world, Japan has handled the COVID-19 Pandemic incredibly well. This means its film and TV industry won’t be as heavily impacted as the rest of the world
Assuming the series receives its renewal for a second season, we could see the series return as early as Summer 2021.
Would you like to see a second of Ju-On: Origins on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
