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One Missed Call 2

One Missed Call 2 (: 着信アリ2, Hepburn: Chakushin ari 2) is a 2005 directed by Renpei Tsukamoto, serving as a sequel to the 2003 One Missed Call directed by . The story follows a group of friends and a who investigate a spreading triggered by mysterious phone calls featuring a distinctive , which predict the recipients' gruesome deaths, with the events tracing back to a tragic incident in . The screenplay by Minako Daira is based on a by , expanding the original 's cell phone-based supernatural horror by introducing international elements and deeper mythological lore involving vengeful spirits. Produced by , , and Kadokawa Pictures, the film stars Rie Mimura as the protagonist Kyoko Okudera, alongside Hisashi Yoshizawa as Naoto Sakurai, Chisun as Madoka Uchiyama, Asaka Seto as Takako Nozoe, and as Yu-Ting Chen. It premiered in on February 5, 2005, with a runtime of 106 minutes, and received mixed reviews.

Background and development

Franchise origins

The One Missed Call franchise originated with the 2003 Japanese horror film One Missed Call, directed by and based on the novel Chakushin Ari by . The original film's central premise revolves around a transmitted via missed cell phone calls, where victims receive voicemails containing audio snippets from their own impending deaths, accompanied by a haunting signature ringtone. This concept draws from surrounding cursed media and technology, blending psychological dread with visceral to capitalize on early fears of mobile communication. One Missed Call 2 (2005), directed by Renpei Tsukamoto, functions as a direct sequel set one year after the events of the original, expanding the curse's mythology by exploring its potential for redirection and communal spread rather than solely individual transmissions. Co-written by Minako Daira and franchise creator , the film introduces new layers to the curse's origins, including elements tied to cultural and historical contexts that allow it to infect groups, such as friends or bystanders who intercept calls. This shift broadens the from personal to collective panic, while retaining core motifs like the eerie and inevitable, gruesome demises foretold by the calls. The trilogy concludes with One Missed Call: Final (2006), directed by Manabu Aso with screenplay by Minako Daira and Shiro Kuroi, based on the novel by , which further evolves the narrative by incorporating chain-letter mechanics to propagate the curse. Across all entries, Akimoto's influence unifies the series through its rooted framework, emphasizing themes of inescapable fate and the perils of modern connectivity inspired by enduring .

Pre-production and writing

Following the commercial success of the 2003 film One Missed Call, which grossed ¥1.5 billion at the box office, Toho and Kadokawa Pictures announced plans for a in 2004 to capitalize on the franchise's popularity in the J-horror genre. The screenplay for One Missed Call 2 was credited to Minako Daira, with —the creator of the original novel Chakushin Ari—contributing to the adaptation and story development. Akimoto played a key role in reimagining the curse's mechanics, shifting from the isolated, personal phone calls foretelling individual deaths in the first film to a contagious phenomenon that spreads through group interactions, akin to a outbreak among affected parties. To distinguish the from the original's strictly urban setting, the writers decided to internationalize the narrative by incorporating Taiwanese elements, including a rooted in an abandoned town where the curse originated from a tragic incident involving exploited workers and a vengeful spirit. This expansion aimed to broaden the story's scope while tying into themes of transmission of . Development progressed rapidly, drawing influences from contemporary real-world urban legends surrounding chain messages and curses that propagate misfortune or death if not passed on, reflecting anxieties about digital connectivity in early Japan.

Production

Casting

The principal cast of One Missed Call 2 features Rie Mimura in the lead role of Kyoko Okudera, a teacher who becomes central to investigating and attempting to stop the spread of the deadly curse. Hisashi Yoshizawa plays Naoto Sakurai, Kyoko's colleague and key ally in uncovering the curse's origins. Chisun portrays Madoka Uchiyama, an initial victim whose death sets the story in motion. Supporting roles include Asaka Seto as Takako Nozoe, a determined investigator who joins the protagonists after her sister's involvement in the curse. appears as Chen Yuting, a local who guides the group during the film's subplot set in . Additional cast members comprise as Detective Yusaka Motomiya, Karen Oshima as Mimiko Mizunuma, Shadow Liu as Wang Mei-Feng, and Haruko Wanibuchi in a recurring role. The film incorporates archive footage from the original One Missed Call (2003), featuring appearances by as Yumi Nakamura and other survivors from the first installment to establish franchise continuity and explain the curse's . Notable casting choices emphasize relatable, everyday characters, with director Renpei Tsukamoto selecting performers like Mimura and Yoshizawa for their ability to convey ordinary professionals thrust into . The inclusion of international talent, such as Hong Kong-born for the Taiwan sequences, underscores the story's cross-border elements involving the curse's spread from .

Filming

Principal photography for One Missed Call 2 was directed by Renpei Tsukamoto, who took over from , the helmer of the original . The production utilized urban settings in for the Japanese portions of the story, while most scenes depicting the Taiwanese village were filmed in Yubari, , to stand in for the rural Taiwanese locations. Cinematographer Tokusho Kikumura handled the visual style, contributing to the film's atmospheric elements through his lensing. Editor Soichi Ueno managed the cutting, emphasizing a fast-paced that incorporated flashbacks and tense sequences. Takayuki Arita oversaw the set design, including practical constructions for key death scenes. The film operated on a reported budget of approximately $3 million, which supported a reliance on practical effects for manifestations of the curse, though some sequences, such as a character's twisting death, received criticism for their execution. Coordinating the recreation of Taiwanese environments in helped contain costs, avoiding extensive international shoots.

Synopsis

Plot summary

The film opens with the death of Mr. Wang, the owner of a in , who receives a cursed cell phone call from his deceased daughter's phone, causing his face to be set on fire and leading to his death; this incident is connected to the of Mimiko Mizunuma from the previous film. Shortly after, kindergarten teacher Okudera joins her friend Madoka Uchiyama and boyfriend Naoto Sakurai for dinner at the restaurant, where they receive an incoming group call with the ominous ringtone associated with . Later that night, Madoka discovers a from her own phone and listens to a containing her future screams of agony, leading to her gruesome death in her bathtub, where her body is found twisted unnaturally with black coal dust emerging from her mouth. Kyoko, Naoto, and journalist Takako Nozoe, who is investigating the resurgent curse, begin probing the incidents and notice the absence of Mimiko's signature red candy among the victims, along with the presence of coal dust in their lungs and stomachs during autopsies. Their research uncovers that the curse originated in Taiwan and has spread to Japan, tracing back to Li Li, a young girl from a poor mining family whose father, a desperate miner, killed her during a family dispute and buried her alive in a coal mine with her mouth sewn shut to silence her cries, thereby birthing a vengeful spirit that manifests through phone calls foretelling death. Visions plague the protagonists, revealing glimpses of their impending deaths—such as Kyoko seeing herself impaled by giant needles—and the ringtone serves as the harbinger, with the calls now allowing the curse to transfer if answered on behalf of the victim. The group travels to to confront the source at the abandoned , where they learn Mimiko's has been manipulated by Li Li's curse, using the as a residue that marks the afflicted. In the climax, Naoto sacrifices himself by answering Kyoko's death call, taking her doom upon himself and dying after being dragged into the by the . Takako deeper into the tunnels for a final confrontation with the , but the curse manipulates her by revealing visions of her own past actions, leading to her by Li Li's needles and death; as she perishes, she becomes another ghostly figure in the curse's thrall. The film ends with possessed and killed by Mimiko's , as the curse persists.

Themes

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Release

Theatrical release

One Missed Call 2 premiered in on February 5, 2005, distributed by Company across 246 screens nationwide. The film was produced by Co., Kadokawa Pictures, Network, and , with these companies handling promotion to build on the popularity of the original One Missed Call. The rollout began shortly after, with a theatrical release in on March 4, 2005. It screened at Italy's Udine Far East Film Festival in April 2005, followed by a release in on April 29, 2005, and on May 12, 2005. Kadokawa managed sales for the film. Marketing efforts included trailers that highlighted the franchise's signature cursed ringtone, along with taglines evoking the returning supernatural threat. The campaign capitalized on the original film's success as a J-horror phenomenon.

Home media

The initial home media release of One Missed Call 2 in occurred on DVD on August 5, 2005, distributed by Kadokawa Entertainment as both a standard edition and a DTS Special Edition limited two-disc set. The special edition included a bonus disc with a , theatrical trailer, and an track titled "Scream! 'One Missed Call 2'" by storyteller Junji Inagawa. Internationally, a Region 2 DVD edition with English subtitles was released in Europe on January 18, 2007. In the United States, a limited double-disc special edition DVD was issued by Tokyo Shock (an imprint of Media Blasters, a distributor specializing in Asian cinema) on May 16, 2006, featuring Japanese 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo audio tracks alongside English dubs, subtitles, trailers, and promotional clips. Later reissues included a 2010 six-disc DVD trilogy collection in the United States from Tokyo Shock, bundling One Missed Call 2 with the first and third films in the series. High-definition releases arrived with Arrow Video's 2020 Blu-ray trilogy set for Region A/B markets, presenting the film in with lossless Japanese 5.1 and optional English , accompanied by a half-hour making-of documentary. Streaming availability has been intermittent, with the film accessible on in as of November 2025, and included in various Asian horror collections on platforms like in select regions.

Reception

Critical response

One Missed Call 2 received mixed reviews from critics, with limited professional coverage reflecting its niche appeal in the J-horror genre. On , the film holds an audience score of 48% based on over 2,500 ratings, while the Tomatometer lacks a consensus due to only three critic reviews. On , it has a user rating of 5.4 out of 10 from 3,892 votes. Critics praised the film's expansion of the original's mythology, particularly through its international elements that deepen the curse's origins. The atmospheric tension in the sequences was highlighted for their moody and subtle buildup, creating effective unease without relying on excessive gore. Director Renpei Tsukamoto's approach was noted for prioritizing psychological scares and over , appealing to fans of atmospheric J-horror. However, the sequel faced criticism for retreading familiar tropes from films like , such as cursed media and inevitable doom, which diminished its originality. Reviewers pointed to weaker character development compared to , with protagonists often feeling shallow and unbelievable in their motivations. The pacing was uneven, especially in the international subplot, leading to a plodding narrative that failed to sustain momentum. Notable reviews included Moria Reviews, which described it as an unexceptional and forgettable sequel that mimics other staples without innovation. Japanese critics, such as those from Asian Movie Pulse, appreciated the film's loyalty to the franchise's formula while noting its formulaic structure and lower quality relative to the original.

Commercial performance

One Missed Call 2 was produced on a budget of approximately $3 million USD, primarily funded by and its production partners. In , the film opened on February 5, 2005, earning ¥216 million (about $2.08 million USD) in its first weekend across 246 screens. Its domestic total gross reached $9.06 million USD, contributing the majority of its revenue. Internationally, performance was modest, with generating $2.01 million USD overall and an opening of $556 thousand USD on April 29, 2005; earned $522 thousand USD, opening at $171 thousand USD on April 7, 2006; and other Asian markets including ($469 thousand USD) and ($132 thousand USD) added under $5 million USD combined. The film benefited from the ongoing J-horror boom, sparked by successes like Ringu (1998) and the original One Missed Call (2003), which grossed $17.6 million USD worldwide, but it underperformed relative to sequel expectations with a global total of $12.3 million USD.

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