The Silent Hill writer says he’s “always afraid” of women, and that’s why the game takes them seriously: “Working on themes based on women is, for me, the greatest act of respect. »
Freud offers several options to explain why men are so afraid. Castration is a major problem. Lacan then poses a little nervously that “Woman does not exist” – since her existence is encompassed in humanity, right? But the philosophy of Silent Hill screenwriter and creator of the When They Cry manga, Ryukishi07, is simpler. For horror legend, men are afraid, women are afraid, and that is simply a beautiful thing.
“These are my personal opinions, so let me apologize in advance if my answers seem off,” Ryukishi07 told GamesRadar+ when I asked him, “How important are female characters in Japanese horror?”
But what Ryukishi07 himself feels is labyrinthine. Silent Hill f is a good example: set in strict 1960s Japan, the psychological horror game treats disturbing expectations of good girls and good wives as legitimate cosmic horrors. The game’s enemies include pregnant tumors that burp murderous babies, a bride in white who spreads a fog like disease, and the most useful thing Hinako, Ryukishi07’s sweet protagonist, can do is kill everyone. With a pipe.
“For me personally, the opposite sex (women) is something I respect, revere, befriend, and fear – something I’m in love with, always afraid of, but fascinated by,” Ryukishi07 explains. “To date, I have written cut stories that are horror, but I could not have completed a single one without the existence of the women.”
That said, telling stories hasn’t necessarily helped Ryukishi07 demystify women – who are also adorable cosmic beings for him. The horror he writes to them is like a prayer. He told me: “None of us will ever truly understand the opposite sex. To pretend to do so would be extremely presumptuous. We must properly revere, respect, love and understand that we will misunderstand each other.”
“Working on themes around women is for me the greatest act of respect that I can devote to them,” concludes Ryukishi07.
The Silent Hill writer knows you don’t really want to see “a happy ending,” and the game’s gruesome portrayal of the young woman makes it my GOTY.
