Silent Hill f writer discusses fear of women and respect behind the game’s female-focused horror

Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 has spoken about his approach to portraying women in horror, explaining that his personal fear of women is central to why the game takes its themes seriously.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Ryukishi07, who is also known for the When They Cry manga series, addressed the role of female characters in Japanese horror. He prefaced his remarks by saying: “These are my personal opinions, so allow me to apologize in advance if my answers seem off.”

Discussing audience dynamics, Ryukishi07 said his understanding is that horror fans tend to be predominantly male, and that women can evoke complex emotional responses.

“My understanding is that the horror fanbase tends to skew towards men, and in the eyes of men, the opposite sex can be something that conjures in them a variety of contrasting emotions, from endearing to terrifying,” he said.

He added that women often appear in Japanese horror because “the emotions that surface as a result of their existence becomes the sources of intricate drama.”

Silent Hill f is set in 1960s Japan and explores social expectations placed on women through psychological horror. The game’s imagery draws on domestic roles, marriage, and motherhood, presenting them as sources of fear within its narrative world.

Ryukishi07 described his personal relationship with the subject matter in more direct terms. “For me personally, the opposite sex (women) is something that I respect, revere, befriend, and fear – something that I am enamored with, forever scared of, yet fascinated by,” he said. He added that none of his horror stories would exist without women at their centre.

He also stated that storytelling has not resolved that sense of distance. “None of us will ever truly understand the opposite sex. Claiming to do so would be direly presumptuous,” Ryukishi07 said, adding that mutual misunderstanding is unavoidable.

Concluding his remarks, he said: “Working on themes based around women is, to me, the greatest act of respect that I can dedicate to them.”