reveals that he fathered Akane Maruyama with Masako, the Sadako clone born to Mai Takano, making her Akane's maternal grandmother. Mai is played by Miki Nakatani in the films. Her character role differs between the sequels. Rasen sticks with the plot of Spiral, with Mai helping Ando investigate what truly killed Ryuji and learns of the tape and Sadako. The two end up sleeping together, leading to Sadako's resurrection, Mai used as an incubator for Sadako in her fertile stage and is killed. In Ring 2, Mai investigates Ryuji's death and becomes attached to Reiko and Yoichi. She helps them flee the police, but Reiko is hit by a truck and dies. Mai becomes Yoichi's guardian and looks after him. At the end, Mai and Yoichi are involved in an experiment by Dr. Kawajiri to remove Sadako's powers from the boy. The experiment goes awry and everyone present save Mai and Yoichi die, who end up in the well but escape thanks to Ryuji and Sadako allowing them to leave. Hiroshi Toyama is Sadako's lover, introduced in the short story Lemon Heart. Years ago, as the sound operator of Theater Group Soaring, Toyama learnt of Sadako's thoughtography but accepted them, promising to run away with her, but an early form of Sadako's curse started killing troupe members and Sadako fled to avoid killing Toyama. Toyama eventually married and had kids, but he never moves on from Sadako. He recites the story to Kenzo Yoshino, who informs him of Sadako's death as well as a potential fate that befalls him and all other troupe members involved with Sadako. A week later, Toyama suffers a heart attack and sees Sadako, reborn from the womb of Mai Takano, approach and caress him as he dies. In the film prequel Ring 0: Birthday, Toyama is dating Etsuko Tachihara but leaves her for Sadako. He is killed by the reunited forms of Sadako, who is unable to recognise friend from foe. He is played by Seiichi Tanabe. Shizuko Yamamura is Sadako's mother. A psychic who had the power to burn images onto paper, it is implied that she gained her powers after hauling the statue of En no Ozunu off the coast of Izu Oshima. Shizuko had an affair with a married professor from the mainland, Heihachiro Ikuma, and gave birth to his daughter, Sadako, as well as a stillborn boy. Ikuma displayed Shizuko's powers