Movies - Towel-Headed Man

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	Movies - Towel-Headed Man

The Towel-Headed Man (THM) is a fictional character in the Ringu series of J-Horror movies. Although the character appears very infrequently, and has one line, his appearance each time in the films is to point out a significant clue to either the other characters or the viewers. He is also affectionately referred to as "Pointy-kun" by fans of the series.

Appearances

The THM appears in both the Ringu films and manga.

Film appearances

Initial appearance

The first appearance of the THM is during the Cursed Videotape that is prominent throughout the film. His scene comes between the crawling people in pain, and the eye with the kanji for "Sada" in it. In this scene, he is pointing to something offscreen, and the background, most likely water, is moving in an odd pattern. His appearance is accompanied by an eerie metallic squeak, as well as a barely audible message, "Shoumon bakkari shiteru to, boukon ga kuru zo". This line is important in solving the mystery of the video tape, and is said by Sadako's grandmother in the novel, manga, and the TV movie "Ringu: Kanzeban". This phrase is translated slightly different by different translators, but basically, it means "Play in the water too much, and the monster will get you." In the film, it is (somewhat incorrectly) stated as "Frolic in brine, goblins be thine."

Second appearance

While staying at her father's house, Reiko Asakawa witnesses the appearance of the THM, who seems to be pointing at something at another room. Following the mysterious messenger's advice, she finds her son, Yoichi watching the Cursed Videotape. She is too late to save her son from the tape instilling its fateful curse, however.

Third appearance

Near the end of Ringu, it is assumed that the malicious Sadako Yamamura's spirit has been put to rest by Reiko and her ex-husband, Ryuuji Takayama. However, just when everything seems to be wrapped up, Sadako appears from Ryuuji's television set and claims him as her latest victim. Reiko struggles to figure out what she did that saved her from the same fate, when she notices a reflection in her own television; a man standing in her apartment with a white towel over his head, pointing at the bag in which she has the copy of the Cursed Videotape. Spinning around, Asakawa gasps "Ryuuji?", and actually sees him with her own two eyes. Moments later, he is gone, but the lasting impression that he was giving her a clue remains; she lived because she copied the videotape, thus allowing Sadako's curse to spread.

Seeing as how the THM in this instance is wearing the same clothes that Ryuuji wore at his death, as well as the fact that Reiko should be able to identify her ex-husband rather well, towel on the head or not, this most likely is indeed Ryuuji himself.

Fourth appearance

While Ryuuji's student (and girlfriend) Mai Takano is researching the strange events surrounding the videotape in Ringu 2, she visits the psychiatric ward where Masami Kurahashi, a friend of Reiko's niece who had been killed by Sadako, had been staying since becoming psychologically scarred from witnessing Sadako's attack. Mai is shown photos of Masami, where her face is partially obscured by something white. As she is shown more photos of Masami, where they are progressively zoomed out, we can see that the object covering her face is the cloth of the THM. This appearance of the messenger seems to only exist to point out that she carries some of Sadako's curse within her.

Prequel appearance

Ringu 0, as a prequel to the previous films, deals with the origins of how Sadako Yamamura came to be the devillish antagonist viewers had become familiar with. At one point, there is a slow pan over the sea, with Sadako asking "Mother... whose child am I?" In the corner, the THM points off in the distance.

Manga appearances

Ringu (movie tie-in)

In the Ringu movie tie-in manga (released in the U.S. as "the Ring" volume 1), the THM appears again in the videotape, but does not repeat his famous "Shoumon bakkari shiteru to, boukon ga kuru zo" line; this phrase is given to Sadako's grandmother, the originator of the line, who appears immediately after the THM. He again appears at the end of the story, as Ryuuji, to point out the Cursed Videotape to Reiko, as he did in the movie.

Ringu 2

Released in the U.S. as "the Ring" volume 2, Ringu 2 begins with a short recap of the movie. The THM appears in the video as he does in the movie, between the shambling lost souls, and the blinking "Sada" eye. Despite the fact that the "Shoumon bakkari shiteru to, boukon ga kuru zo" line is not used in this adaption, Ryuuji does allude to it later on. Also, Ryuuji appears, as he did in the movie and the previous manga, with the towel on his head to point Reiko toward the Cursed Videotape.

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