Ghosts, ghouls and goblins don’t generally march across TV screens after October, but that’s about to change thanks to the second half of FUNimation Entertainment’s R1 DVD release of the 2006/2007 series Ghost Hunt.

This review covers Part 2 of the FUNimation DVD set, which includes episodes 14 through 25 of the 25-episode series. (A review of Part 1, which was released in October, is available here.)

SERIES DESCRIPTION

The following blurb appears on the back of the slipcase:

The appeal of the unknown is undeniable and freshman Mai Taniyama is hooked. This fact, coupled with her burgeoning psychic powers, leads Mai to join the ranks of the Shibuya Psychic Research team. Led by the enigmatic Kazuya “Naru” Shibuya, together they daily confront the unseen. But their work comes with its own heavy toll. While Mai’s dreams herald priceless insight, nightmares and reality clash in the haze of pain encountered with every case. Only one thing is certain – Death has many shades, all of which are vividly gruesome.

From the top of a church’s tallest spire to the bloodstained walls of a legendary torture chamber, the quest to save the possessed gives way to a battle for the ghost hunters’ very survival.

PACKAGING

The two discs in Part 2 are packaged in thinpak cases with jackets depicting some of Ghost Hunt’s main characters (above). Disc 3 features the Shinto priestess Matsuzaki Ayako on the front and Naru’s loyal assistant Lin Koujo inside, while Disc 4 has the spirit medium Hara Masako on the front and Naru inside.

The set doesn’t come with an artbox, although it does have a great-looking slipcase for the two discs (above) with Naru and Mai on the front panel and Mai alone on the back.

CONTENTS

Part 2’s two discs contain a total of twelve episodes, divided into four “files” or story arcs with each file representing a separate case.

The extras (on Disc 4) include the following:

The usual language options are provided: English or Japanese, with optional English subtitles.

IMPRESSION

I don’t see Ghost Hunt ever winning accolades in the technical department. The animation quality is solid, but unremarkable; the voice acting is competent, but not outstanding; and the score isn’t particularly impressive. It just goes to show that one’s judgement shouldn’t be based on isolated technical merits alone, because this series really does exceed the sum of its parts.

For one thing, it’s genuinely scary. Reactions will of course vary greatly, and I admit to having a somewhat jittery nature to begin with; nevertheless I think it’s fair to say that not many animated series can generate the sort of fear and trembling that this one induced when I first saw it a year ago. Having each arc start on a light, even cheerful slice-of-life note only serves to ramp up the terror when the plot inevitably takes a much darker turn along the way. The methodical process by which each riddle is unravelled – highlighted by Naru’s cold rationality in the face of the unknown – contrasts well with the supernatural aspects of the story and to some extent echoes the mentally engaging true-crime television dramas that have become extremely popular in recent years.

In addition to the effective plotting, the very likeable characters make a valuable contribution to Ghost Hunt’s appeal. The wonderful interpersonal dynamics that developed in Part 1 are carried over seamlessly into Part 2, with even more of the rivalries, friendships, and love-hate interactions that make this series such a refreshing watch in spite of its dark subject matter. It’s a real pleasure to witness the courteous – and often not-so-courteous – cut-and-thrust that takes place between the members of Shibuya Psychic Research, where trading thinly veiled insults and bare criticism is all part of a day’s work. The addition of a new face to the team (along with some important revelations) keeps the human tossed salad of the SPR team tasting fresh and crunchy all the way to the last episode.

The series ends on a fairly satisfying note, although it does leave a good number of loose ends particularly with Mai and Naru. (If you’re not afraid of massive spoilers, read this Wikipedia article at your own risk.) There may be enough material left in the original light novel series for another season, but the manga adaptation – on which the animated series is based – has been mostly covered, so unless one dives straight into the source materials there’s little chance of these hanging threads being resolved in the near future.

As far as bells and whistles go, this is a pretty bare-bones release: no artbox, no substantial DVD extras, no bonus items. Nonetheless, I approve. Extras would have only given the manufacturers more wiggle room to inflate the price tag, and there’s really nothing you can hold out to the fanbase for this particular series anyway. For one thing, no character CDs were ever produced (and I’d be laughing my socks off if they tried that, especially with Lin). At US$49.98 list for twelve episodes – and with actual shelf prices even lower on some retail websites – Ghost Hunt Part 2 offers good value for money.

Final verdict: solid, effective mystery/suspense story enlivened with generous dashes of humour; appealing, credible characters; good fundamentals (animation, voice acting, character design and music); reasonable price.

LINKS (beware of spoilers!)
Amazon – product page
Anime News Network – encyclopedia article / review of Part 1 / another review of Part 1 / links to retailers
Wikipedia – encyclopedia article

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 6:03 am and is filed under Anime, Reviews.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.