Her past alters in the film series. Sadako is not the biological child of Dr. Ikuma and Shizuko but is heavily implied to be the result of sexual intercourse between Shizuko and an enigmatic sea demon after Shizuko spent hours staring at the ocean, which is confirmed by her brother Takashi who spied on her from behind. Takashi later learns of Shizuko's psychic prediction of Mount Mihara's eruption and tells everyone about it, making her an instant celebrity. Dr. Ikuma, eager to prove the existence of ESP, encouraged her to participate in a demonstration at Tokyo. During the demonstration, Shizuko was successfully able to prove her psychic abilities but a spiteful journalist, Miyaji, accused Shizuko of being a fraud, inciting other journalists to join in the slanderous uproar. Sadako, who watched from backstage, snapped and killed Miyaji, to stand up for her mother.