The Ghosts of Empire: Asian Horror and Postcolonial Pastiche in the Filipino Visual Novel The Letter (2017)

Abstract

This essay analyzes the horror visual novel The Letter (2017) developed by the Filipino video game company Yangyang Mobile. Using theories of postmodernism and postmodernism, the essay proposes to use the concept of postcolonial pastiche to describe the ability of The Letter to mimic the form of the visual novel and reuse the tropes of Asian horror to depict the personal anxieties and social inequalities experienced by the seven main characters of the game as perennial problems inherent in the modern global capitalist society. By using familiar and popular genres, The Letter provides a sincere portrayal of social marginalization of migrants, minorities, and other marginalized groups.