This reading chooses the difference between Eastern and Western ghosts as an entry point. Western ghosts focus more on horror itself. In contrast, in Asian films, ghosts are often used to mirror the socio-cultural background, and this reading specifically focuses on ghosts in Asian cities. What impressed me was that the reading illustrated the slight difference in ghosts in the different regions of Asia. Chinese ghost stories depict the cohabitation of humans and ghosts, and the haunted scenes in these movies often appear in apartments, which are an inevitable compromise to rapid urbanization. Though the Confucian Value System highlights the

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Katarzyna Ancuta-Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City

This article explores the relationship between the presence of ghosts in Asian cities and urban residents. The author argues that in Asian cultures, because of their roots in animistic beliefs, ghosts and humans have always existed in the same world. Therefore, if the city is to be seen as a symbol of normalcy, Asian cities must accommodate ghosts to coexist with their inhabitants. Houses haunted by ghosts are characterized by neglect, strange habits, and failed rituals of order and maintenance, while apartments haunted by ghosts represent the mundane and ordinary aspects of city life. Unlike houses, apartments often lack a

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City by Katarzyna Ancuta