Ghost Hunt

When looking at the different genres Ghost Hunt takes on I could only think it was doomed on arrival, taking on the supernatural horror mystery genre as well as the Shoujo Romance genre? How can it possibly present both of those properly and simultaneously? The answer is it couldn't. Story (3): The premise revolves around a group of paranormal investigators who investigate reports of spiritual activity and as such the series is divided into 7 cases as opposed to having one overarching story. Sounds like it could be interesting however what lets the plot-lines down for pretty much all of these cases are the poorly written mysteries. If you like mystery stories that leave clues for you to pick up and try and piece them together to work out the conclusion then this one is not for you, all the focus goes towards telling you the back story of the ghost which is hardly exciting when you know it's all going to be disregarded as soon as the next mystery rolls along and isn't all that memorable anyway. On top of that every case resolves by the main detective revealing information that was never there for the audience or the other characters for that matter to be able to solve the case before. This essentially gives the rest of the characters no real purpose to the story unless the ghost goes berserk and they need to get blasted by one of the other characters... magic powers. Yes there are magic powers in this show and it pretty much ruins everything good the show DID have going for it in the first place. In the first case there was a very nice balance of scientific and computer based ghost catching methods in harmony with increments of supernatural abilities coming into play which made it feel like a show such as Most Haunted if there actually were any ghosts to catch. However as the cases go on the scientific methods of catching ghosts gets less and less and the magic powers become more and more relevant until it gets downright ridiculous. By the last case the cast are basically DBZ fighting zombies and there's no sense of mystery and using logic which is what the show set up it would be about originally so it just becomes a train-wreck of shark jumps. Fans of long running shows will probably not enjoy the structure of the series. The fact each arc is 3-5 episodes long and have no effect on any future events pretty much means your watching an episodic show where the episodes are dragged out ridiculously, so essentially to all non-episodic fans, you will probably find the pacing to be tortuously slow. The romance between the two main characters is awful, it's all done in this dream sequence where the female protagonist Mai sees her love interest Naru in a different light to what he's like in real life and she starts to fall in love with him through that? Are we're expected to believe that this is enough to build a romance from? No, just no, you need to show characters getting closer through common ground, mutual respect and care for one another, not through contrived dream sequences. On top of that the series ends openly with no catharsis to the characters or any conclusion to this retarded excuse for a romance, probably to leave the romantic mystery open for a second season which thank god never happened. It would have been much better for it to have been self contained and offering some sort of conclusion but given how little there was building up to anything I guess there's no reason to be terribly disappointed. Characters (2): The characters don't seem too bad at first but there are major problems. First of all the main character Mai is handled very badly, too idealistic all the time which gets very annoying and essentially sounds like she's preaching morals to the audience. She is also completely insignificant to every mystery except for maybe the last two and the only reason she's involved with the Shibuya Psychic Research Center in the first place is because of an accident that caused her to owe the main detective guy money, so she has no motivation at all besides paying off her debt, it's on the same level as Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club where she broke the vase except that was satirical, this is meant to be taken seriously! Also what's this, a backdrop attempt where we find out Mai has no parents, oh wait, only mentioned once and never referred to again, doesn't do her character any justice, not important to any event. One of the worst main characters EVER! The main detective in the show Naru is way too calm no matter how threatening the supernatural situation is, all decision making is too easy for him and there's never any conflict. It doesn't help that Mai's insignificance makes you think he should be the main character since he's the man solving the mysteries, an indication of bad writing but it doesn't matter anyway because his attitude towards everything just leaves him as a one dimensional and boring character except for when that lame dream sequence bullshit happens. Every other character has their moments of being enjoyable and sometimes funny which is the only reason the character score isn't at rock bottom but they still suffer through having no character development throughout the show. By its conclusion there's no change to them as people as to what you see in episode 1. The only thing that changes is that they get along better with each other as the series goes on but that doesn't make them any more interesting as individuals. They did attempt to develop the cold harsh guy Lin but it was ridiculous. He explains to Mai the reason he hates her is because of a deep seeded hatred he has towards the Japanese because of the conflict they've had with China and then he gets one friendship speech from Mai and he immediately 180 degrees mood swings to being alight with her, that's not character development, that's forced bullshit writing. The funny monk character gets revealed to be a rock star on the side at the beginning of one of the episodes (because monk and rock star go hand in hand right?) but then IT'S NEVER REFERRED TO AGAIN! What was the point in revealing that information if it doesn't serve his character any purpose in the story? Art and Animation (6): Despite being technically better than the story and the characters this is where the mix of horror mystery and shoujo falling flat on its face shows best. You take one look at the way these characters are drawn and try and imagine how you can get any scary looking ghosts or other creatures out of this style? It's impossible, even with a ton of blood over their faces that still doesn't make their Shoujo eyes and generic faces any more threatening on screen. I will admit though that the background art can be very unsettling at times due to the great use of lighting and colour, the case involving the bloody labyrinth in particular was the only case that had me on edge just because of how unpleasant it was to be in that room so kudos to that much at least. The animation is hit and miss, some scenes had good animation like the shattering glass from the second one and the action scenes were actually very fluid for the most part despite being shark jumping but then there's others where the characters move in key frames and is very choppy. The use of transitions was also very cheap and there's too many scenes where boxes pop up with the characters faces talking as if the animators didn't want to have to draw another angle from whatever the first shot was and keep to the scene. Also what was up with the animation for the opening for the first half of the show? A bunch of balls flying around fading out to a fog effect after a while? Was that the best you could do? Apparently not! In the second half of the show they actually came up with something more creative, nothing special but more interesting than orbs flying around which basically proves that they knew they'd fucked up the previous animation for the opening, which leads us nicely into- Sound (8): Probably the …

Story: The story for Ghost Hunt is a very fun and interesting one. And at least for me, unique. It takes on an unusual way of telling about ghost hunting, giving you a look into the more scientific and realistic ways ghost hunting actually works.(Ar rather would work if it was real) It is also told well, the episodes, or cases, are all full of twists that keep you guessing and wondering what's going to happen next. And it never fails to give you a complete and satisfying ending. Not to mention that each case is very different from the others, so there is a lot of variety in what happens in the end. A 10 on story from me. Art: Some might say the art is rather plain. While I'll not deny this, I must say for me I thought it worked very well with the series. The simpleness of the art in general makes it easy for them to pick something and have it stand out. So it's very effective in a horror story. And I must say, I did very much like the way they did characters. And the shading on the art also caught my attention for being nice and comfortable. A 9 on art from me. Sound/Music: As a suspense/horror anime sound is extremely important. I cannot stress this point enough. Having the proper sound effects and score can make or break a series like this. And I must say I thought that Ghost Hunt had both an excellent soundtrack(I listen to my copy of it often)and did an excellent job with the sound effects. Both were well chosen and put into use wonderfully. A 10 on sound/music from me. Character: I fell in love with almost all the characters in this show for one reason or another. The funny and sweet Bou-san, and proud and somewhat rude Ayako. They all were well used and their was a large variety f personalities in the show. I will say that I wish they had given some more background on some of the characters. But it could also be said that not giving away to much information could be a good thing. Especially in Naru's case. The fact we have so little information about him makes his character more interesting and mysterious. (However more information then in the anime is given in the manga) A 9 on character form me. Enjoyment: I loved this series the first time I watched it. And then I went back and watched it again not to long later, and loved it even more that time. Then a third time I watched and yet again loved it more, to the point of starting the manga. For me, that is the mark of a true masterpiece. Especially considering that this show was a mystery, yet I loved it still more every time I watched it despite knowing the ending. This series is truly the result of genius on the production team's part. A huge 10 on enjoyment from me. Overall: I highly recommend this series to anyone. Any anime viewer, wither they liked mysteries or horror previously or not. This anime is a must see. A 10 overall.

Tl;dr: Any possible potential this show had is ruined by the lack of scary scenes, cliched characters, utter dearth of character development and inconclusive ending. If you’re even remotely the critical thinker type, this will not be an enjoyable experience. 4 out of 10 stars. This show was something that a friend used to really be into circa 2007. I recently remembered it out of nowhere and decided to check it out -- figured a MAL rating of close to 8 couldn’t be that bad, could it. Boy, was I wrong, and HOW. Let’s start off with the horror aspect. There is none. Out of 25 episodes I was scared for a grand total of two minutes in one episode. Even setting aside the facts that the spooks were intended for a younger audience, the stories themselves weren’t creepy or scary or even absorbing. The only reason things could be considered spooky is cheap jump scares, with the exception of the two minutes I mentioned. The music builds up to scary moments, but is let down by the mediocre visuals. The arcs (cases) last for 4-5 episodes, which is something I don’t mind since it prevents binging. This is a typical shoujo anime, which means a romance between the lead pair is inevitable. My issue here is that there is no real indicator that the guy even likes the girl or favours her. She has slight ESP and her subconscious chooses to send messages to her in the form of the guy - but that’s in her head. So to be clear, she falls for the guy (pretty quickly, I might add) for no discernible reason, doesn’t bother to differentiate her idea of the guy from the person himself (again, they have little interaction except when she’s ordered around by him) and thinks that because she is attracted to him, it gives her some kind of claim on him. FYI, it doesn’t. Mutual consent is important, girls. The guy is very pretty and very smart, but I don’t know enough of him beyond that to say anything. He’s seventeen, runs a psychic detective agency, does his own thing, whatever. He’s so unimpressive that I don’t miss his presence at all. It has been hinted at that he is the Quiet Boy with Unfathomable Emotional Depths, but that is never elaborated upon. As for the protagonist herself, I have to say this - she’s just plain dumb. When you’ve been handling paranormal cases for a while now, hearing a child say they’re sad someone is alive is a pretty good indicator that they’re possessed. She’s supposed to be the “heart” of the team (because girls are emotional, of course!) but that’s not the issue - it’s that she feels bad for everything and everyone and refuses to be practical. She leaves people alone when told not to leave them alone. She does things she’s told not to because of her feelings. At the same time, the guy (who’s her boss in a way) refuses to divulge plans with her for no reason and then expects her to not question him, which puts them at odds. So not only is every outburst of hers irritating to watch, it’s also invalidated by the guy in the end, and she ends up apologizing even though it’s partly his fault. I hate their dynamic; can you tell? Leaving aside the protagonists, the side characters are likeable enough but it’s pathetic how they don’t develop through two cours. There’s an older (20s) lady who seems somewhat flirtatious (we know she’s a vamp because she wears lipstick) and there’s a younger girl the protagonists’ age who also helps with their cases. I’m happy to add that the protag and this girl don’t hesitate to help each other even though they’re rivals for the main guy’s lurrve, so that’s nice. The character I most like is the monk (who moonlights as a rock star? But leave that aside) since he acts like a responsible adult and looks out for the protagonist. But none of the characters are elaborated on beyond mentioning things in passing and never returning to them. It’s frustrating and disappointing, because the side cast have decent interactions and are fairly likeable. The worst part of the series, though, is its callous handling of death. The crew don’t seem terribly upset even when the paranormal incidences lead to deaths of their clients; they don’t seem fearful or nervous at the risk to their lives. Along the with open ending of the series (which leads to stuff in the last arc being unexplained), it makes for a very disappointing watch. My chief emotion when it finished was regret at wasting ten hours of my life on this show. That should tell you enough.

Ghost hunt. Pretty attractive name for those looking for some horror anime. Well, you might not completely be in the blood/gore/heart attacks section but you'll definitely regret if you choose to leave it. It is quite a unique anime. The series is not a typical fantasy/thriller horror. It infact, shows 'ghost hunting' by means of technology and modern day equipment and ofcourse, the old purification and chanting ways are included too. The series does not have a main plot. There are small arcs which usually don't last for more than 3-4 episodes thus not dragging the anime and neither taking away the viewer's attention. Every arc is beautifully executed and more haunting than its predecessor. Ofcourse, most of the time, you'll be hearing the handsome and narcisstic Naru's theories and calculations, but the anime does have its moments. At the begining, you may not be impressed, but then you'll find that you can hardly watch the horror parts with the lights switched off and no one around. I'd started having hallucination when I did that. Every mystery has a back story and side characters and the occasional history of ghost huntings/vampires/curses explained is quite a wonderful addition. Every arc is sure to keep you guessing and hanging at the edge of your seats. The art was a little problematic. The animation was a little choppy, probably due to budget. But nevertheless, you'll be so thoroughly engrossed in the story that you won't notice it much. The characters are designed well though. The sounds department takes all the glory for the goosebumps. Those rantings and bashings and screams and wails, the closing doors, the breaking glass, they never failed to give me a cardiac arrest. Excellent job on the sound effects. I'd have given it a 10 had the opening and closing themes been more than just instrumentals but, nevertheless, they suit the mood perfectly. Characters are another major highlight of the series. There are around 6 main psychics who're on the mystery jobs. Each has their own personality, tastes and fields of profession. The most notable ones being Mai and Naru, you'll love the other characters too. The comical scenes, their interactions with each other and the parts where you go 'wow, they're so cool' are all worth it. Though sometimes you'll wish Mai would just shut up or Naru should stop being an ass. In my opinion, some characters like Lin and Naru as well, should have had a more detailed exploration of their pasts and personalities shown. However, realistic, well designed and extemely likeable characters is a win point for Ghost HUnt. Enjoyment Every moment is worth it. Every funny scene will not fail to make you laugh out loud. Every horror part will instill you with chills and speed up your heart rate. The chemistry between Naru and Mai will keep you wanting more and more. Overall An excellent series which I happened to pick randomly and am very glad I did. The ending could have answered a few more questions and relationships could have progressed further, but it's a job well done. Highly recommended if you adore the horror genre as well as some good and serious fun. Just make sure you don't turn off the lights!

Ghost Hunt's backstory and setups of how the various supernatural forces operate are well done, as well as the actual mysteries they are involved in. However, what distracted its best qualities are the forced relationships and relying on predictable tropes to advance plot elements. My impression is that Ghost Hunter may have been altered to cater to target audiences by dumbing down the plot and dialog at some points, but when the actual investigation storyline calls for complex explanations and logic, the characters inexplicably gains 200 points in IQ to figure everything out. Case in point: after almost a year working for ghost hunter experts, the main protagonist was told they there were two children of the family being investigated were behaving strangely, and when she meets them, they are constantly repeating about they wish how their relatives would die. While it's obvious to the audience they are possessed, the protagonist is completely oblivious to this possibility until the plot conveniently calls for that moment later on for dramatic effect. Better options would have been to make their possessed personalities less black and white or simply not mention these kids beforehand. Throughout the series contain very poorly implemented scenarios of a) main characters become oblivious to obvious clues, b) withholding key information (i.e., the girl has ESP, gets a vision but doesn't tell anyone about it until the 3rd act) c) unconvincing situations forcing characters to become alone or in danger and d) overtly reliant in chibi style comedy to excuse logic gaps. The culmination of these effects ultimately makes the main protagonist Mai a every unpleasant character. She's supposed to be the everyday girl, but is stupid while the story needs other plot elements to take shape, super-talented and powerful when when the story calls for a solution, overdramatic to force tension between her and her friends, and is somehow excused from her ignorance because she's supposed to be 'just like us'. But this is somewhat bearable, since the actual cases they are investigating are truly well fascinating. What made them great was that we cared about the people involved in the cases, we were sympathetic to their plight. Unfortunately, the series gradually moved away into 2-dimensional antagonists and threats in order 'power-up' the main characters. I was interested enough about the case to bypass the faults in order to find out the resolutions. But really, I just wish they were confident enough in their core story to not have to throw in these cliches to appeal to young kids. I wish the main characters were competent, mature, present their relationships with subtlety, so that I don't have scream at my laptop at that the main culprit is the teacher and not the girl while the characters are wasting my time.

Ghost Hunt is another anime that I randomly picked just for the sake of it. Ghost Hunt is a 2006 anime adapted from a series of novels that started back in 1989. Unlike most adaptations, Ghost Hunt is not a direct one. While both of them keep the same characters and the same background, the novels were actually oriented towards young girl (shoujo) while the anime tends itself toward young male audience or perhaps a mix audience. Ghost Hunt was actually a nice find at first. The anime started fluidly and was very interesting at first. However, almost everything that made it enjoyable was lost in the second half of the show. What started as a mystery/supernatural anime slowly became action-oriented. What is really the right choice? Ghost Hunt, in a nutshell, tells the story of our main character Mai and her everyday life in her new job of ghost hunter. The anime is actually couples of short stories that aren’t necessarily attached together or directly follows one after another. Looking at the story arcs, if you forget about the silly and forgettable characters relations and their everyday life, these ghost stories are actually quite interesting in the first half. I find it quite interesting that Ghost Hunt actually bases itself on historic event to make these stories more credible. Even if some of those historic even are fictionally, one can actually draw a parallel between other works of fictions or even popular urban legends. Now, I have to say that the first half of the show is what you would actually expect from a supernatural anime involving ghosts. Poltergeists, unexplainable phenomena and a slow pace story is what Ghost Hunt offered at first. Sadly, after the Christmas Arc, which is the best arc of the series, everything went downhill. Somehow, Ghost Hunt thought it would be better if it went into more of an action anime and overly-cliché melodramatic moments. It doesn`t get any better actually. The more you advance, the less mysterious Ghost Hunt feels and it is right at the end that Ghost Hunt killed it for me. Even though the second half was bad, it does not mean the enjoyment is completely gone and one might actually still enjoy the second half as much. All in all, the story started slightly predictable and became something very predictable. Ghost Hunt does not offer a memorable cast; in fact it is probably the worst aspect of the show. Don`t get me wrong, the characters aren`t actually bad and they pretty much fit the enjoyment of the show. However, these characters aren`t well written are even less original. How often can you see Shibuya`s personality in anime? Quite a few actually, and this goes to the others as well. Beside the lack of being unique, these characters don`t have a complex personality and are often feels empty. The anime tends to develop characters relation, but in the end goes to nothing more than the starting case. That was a bit irritating for me. The art is actually very fluid and very good. From old shrines, to an abandoned building and passing by to a mansion, the settings and art reminds the viewer that ghost hunt is or wants to be a supernatural anime. Also, while Ghost Hunt is not scary at all, nor that it is very gory, it can actually be very bloody when the moments arrive (even though it is most of the time cheesy). The character design is quite distinct and well made. There is nothing much more to say about it. The music of Ghost Hunt is the best aspect of the show. Composed by Toshio Masuda who is popular for having composed the music of Naruto (even though his best work remains with Mushishi), the music is a perfect blend of effectiveness and simplicity that never goes over the top. Ghost Hunt Opening Song is one of the few songs that I wouldn`t mind listening to, probably because it is not another irritating j-pop song. Voice acting is very good. I’m not someone who can critics voice acting very well, but I know when they`re bad. To conclude, Ghost Hunt is one of those anime that is a nice find and that you actually watch just for the sake of it. I have to say that while being fairly good, Ghost Hunt does not live itself as one of the greatest anime I have seen and is still very far away from very good. I’d recommend this anime for everyone who is looking for a mystery anime that isn’t complex or very dark.

An anime mixed with two Hs, horror and humour. When i started watching this anime, my first impression was "it doesnt look as promising as the title", as i didnt find it scary at all. With that, I was quite tempted to hold it. But anyway, i cont'ed and much thanks to that, the stories behind just grow on me. Though it is abit draggy at the front, but as the anime progresses, each hunt is more dangerous than the others, with increasing suspense and scary factor.Characters wise, it is quite funny to see them attacking each other verbally, and how they bond togther, not forgetting the little romance in the show. =D A great show for ppl who are in for horror/scary/ghost genre. PS: try watching it in the middle of the night, with no lights on. I tried it and nearly scared myself to 'death' at some eps.

I love this anime, reasons: 1) Each episode is full of mystery, i have no idea whats going to happen next, and it's fun to try and unravel the mystery. 2) Some of the scenes are really tense, my heart was pounding so fast- some of it was really scary. 3) I liked how Mai's powers grew throughout the series. 4) Hmmmm...I liked Naru-chan although he was annoying in some episodes. 5) If ya like supernatural, mystery, horror, etc...u will love this. 6) Some parts in episodes are super scary ( well thats what i think) i actually screamed and nearly fell off my chair, but then after the fright i actually find it quite funny. What I didn't find so hot about the anime: 1) The ending was kind of a let down, mainly because i thought the anime should of carried on for longer as there were still some mysteries left unsolved. 2) Damn it...i really wanted to see Naru and Mai get together :( 3) Mai...she should really try harder...sometimes she lets herself down Ghost Hunt: The characters are great and the storyline are imaginative, scary and funny. Overall i would recommend this to everyone accept from the faint hearted T.T lol. If you like magical powers, ghosts, fight scenes, mysteries, and a dash of fun humour you would lurrrrrrv this

The story started out well for me, but to be honest it wasn't good enough to keep me interested for long. The problem with an anime like this is that there are hardly any common threads throughout each episode block. Every 3 or so episodes features its own storyline and while that may work for a title such as Jigoku Shoujo there is no balance between character development and plot to really engage the viewer. We hardly learn anything about the characters besides there occupation outside "ghost busting". And the female lead seemed too naive, which is pretty ironic seeing as that was the only thing that kept her character remotely interesting. In the end, I watched 15 episodes and then skipped around a bit to see if things were getting interesting…they didn’t. After that I skipped right to the final episode just to see what happens in the final scene, that was about the extend of my interest. The art work was reasonably good all the character models were well drawn and diverse. However, outside the ghost scenes the scenery was a little bland, nothing remarkable here. The intro song was what initially grabbed me, it was haunting yet enchanting at the same time, but also made the anime way more appealing then it actually was. As for the BGM... to be honest I can't really recall much, but that goes to show you how much of an impression it made on me... very little. The characters were actually quite appealing with the exception of the female lead and the male lead's sibling. The rest of the cast had very colorful personalities and made you wish that the female lead would just die and be replaced by one of the other female cast members. The female lead's personality could be characterized as foolish, bland, and naive. The male lead's brother could have just as easily been written out. He served no real purpose and was just there to prevent this series from becoming a harem anime. I guess the enjoyment factor was there for the first 15 episodes then it became a complete bore. The characters weren't engaging enough, and the plot simply wasn't good enough to support the lack of character development. Overall I would say this is a C grade anime that just isn’t fascinating enough to keep the viewer enthralled.

If you wanna get scared, entertained and learn at the same time, this anime is definitely a must-see! Ghost Hunt lives up to its name, delivering an effective plot that will leave you glued to your seat. It has that perfect mix of scariness and humor, with characters that makes the story come alive. Some parts where they explain psychic phenomenons are interesting, as well as an insight on japanese occult. There are several humorous situations as well, the episodes are well-written, making you scream at one time and laugh at the next. The opening theme is pretty cool too, kinda reminds you of that classic opening in twilight zone. Too bad it was never completed. Hopefully there'll be a sequel to Ghost Hunt, since there are a lot of questions left to be answered particularly naru's identity and mai's feeling for him.

Okay, everyone has seen that T.V Series called Ghoster Hunter right?? Well, let's just say that "Ghost Hunt" is just about the same thing, but 10X's cooler and freakier. I'm so wrapped up just from watching it. >< I wished I didn't see it at night. FRIKIN DOLLS!!! Argh, this is a great series filled with suspense and drama and just watching the first episode you have to now what will happen next. The cast of characters are all so colorful and I enjoy them very much. MOSTLY NARU THE NARCISSIST!!! <3 I love that nickname Mai gave him. ^^ You got to watch this,and when you are done check out the manga.

Ghost Hunt is a supernatural mystery series from Fuyumi Ono, the creator of Twelve Kingdoms and Shiki. Like most of its genre, show that plays on people's fascination with the eerie and unknown: haunted houses, poltergeists, possessions, etc. to draw its audience in and spook them. What sets it apart as better than a lot of its kin is mostly in its execution, but also Ono's knack of using myths and superstitions to build strong mythos in her stories. The show consists of loosely connected supernatural cases follows Mai Taniyama, a high school girl who works part time for paranormal investigator Kazuya Shibuya, better known as "Naru" (telling you why would ruin some of the fun), and several associates of theirs in the paranormal investigation business. Every story arc starts simply enough: Naru, Mai, and the others have a case brought to them; they begin to investigate and speculate the circumstances of the case. The real fun starts when strange, and often dangerous supernatural occurrences begin to happen. And it is not just because weird things are happening, although that certainly is a big factor. Much of the fun comes from watching the characters try to make sense of what is happening. Each of the characters comes with their own theories steeped in mythology and paranormal studies. This gives the show certain unpredictability, and a quality reminiscent to a who-done-it mystery; only involving supernatural forces rather than people. The person watching is trying just as hard to figure out what is going on as the characters in the show. Ghost Hunt also has a nice balance of the comical and the macabre. The show's comedy is mostly dependent on character gags: Naru's aloof personality and narcissism are often played for laughs, Mai's crush on him and her somewhat air-headed personality are played for laughs, and all the characters have silly quirks to giggle at. It is a simple but effective approach; executed with spunk, enthusiasm, and some solid comedic timing. The comedy is mostly there to fill up the show's downtime between all the creepy and mysterious stuff, but it is entertaining all on its own. The creepier parts of the show are done just as competently. Wrathful spirits, ominous prophetic dreams, and deadly curses are a plenty; though admittedly they are more spooky than terrifying. However, there are some genuinely air-raising moments especially in the latter episodes. The "Bloodstained Labyrinth" in particular has a horrifying sequence in which it seems a central character is about to be killed, and an equally as scarey sequence in its finale. The characters are a fun bunch, but kind of lax in their characterization. They all certainly have distinct character traits, but their personalities fall into a similar pattern to many other anime, and don't feel completely developed.Unfortunately, this is especially true for Naru, a character so surrounded by mystery that he should be more interesting than he is. The problem is that he isn't developed to his full potential, you get the feeling that there is a lot under his cold exterior, but you never see as much of it as you want. There is a warmer, friendlier version of him that appears in Mai's prophetic dreams, but this isn't as explored as it needs to be either. Majority of the cast lacks in complexity, falling into archetypes such as the laid-back monk Houshou Takigawa being the big brother figure of the group, and Masako being a love rival to Mai for Naru; though they are all quite likeable. The characters do work quite well as an ensemble connected by their relationships with Mai, who is a deserving lead, being the most developed and likeable of the cast. Ghost Hunt was produced by J.C. Staff, and is a respectable effort from the studio. Character designs are a bit on the generic side, but that isn't too much of a detriment as they prove to be just fine for the show and stay on model. The background is similarly good, perhaps even better because they often support the show's spooky atmosphere very well. The soundtrack is suitable in both the light comedic moments and the more intriguing scenes as the mystery unfolds. However, it is the most effective during the show's creepy moments, especially the screeching violins that play when things are at their most intense. There isn't really unconventional in the show's technical execution, but its tried-and-true method is done very well. Ghost Hunt's story arcs connect together sort of like an overarching story, but never get that kind of cohesion. As a result it feels somewhat incomplete, although it ends on a fairly satisfying note. That and the simple characterizations does harm the show a little. However, these flaws are easily overshadowed because that show is just so much spooky fun. The story arcs are generally well constructed, and the show does a remarkable job juggling tonally between creepy and funny. All in all, this is one of the better, and doubtless one of the most fun, supernatural mystery shows out there.

Congratulations to Ghost Hunt, for being the first show to score less than a 5 with me. Actually to be fair, my rating for it was originally a 5. But then I saw Nekopara, and it became my new standard for as middle of the road as you can get. After reviewing that, I realized (I think I always knew, but I don't like being overly harsh with my reviews) that this show deserved a lower rating. Because while I saw it awhile ago, it sticks out in my mind for all the wrong reasons. To the show's credit, it definitely has some neat ideas and settings, and I enjoyed the haunted backstories for the ghosts. That is literally the only reason this show is not a 3 or lower. It's the characters man.... It's the ****ing characters. I can't recall an anime whose writing irritated me more. It's laziness at it's finest. The main male character is without a doubt a Mary Sue, and completely unlikable. He is a pompous, arrogant, snide little **** that is magically good at everything. They write the story around him. He literally breaks the rules of the world that have been pre-established because they need a convenient excuse to make him more perfect. Despite all this, the main female character somehow likes him. It absolutely blows my mind. So instead of actually having consistent writing, they use his "awesomeness" to write whatever's convenient at the time. It's the show's get out of jail free card for actually committing to a steady set of writing restrictions. Those restrictions exist so the audience can get sucked into the fantasy. Screw it, I'm gonna spoil the end because it's just too damn stupid. Despite saying he has no supernatural powers throughout the course of the entire series, apparently "Oh, just kidding! I am actually the most powerful being in the universe, and I make Goku look like a b***h!" I am being generous with a 4.

=-= Story =-= When I started watching Ghost Hunt, I really didn't know what to expect. Up until then, I hadn't seen a series that could literally "scare" me. Other so-called horror series like Elfen Lied or Hellsing never even made me budge. I'm not saying those aren't good series ( Elfen is one of my favorites), but they didn't really live up to the horror part. The characters very pretty good. John was really funny at times, Monk was the cool guy, and Mai was kind of annoying; but they did their job at keeping the show really entertaining. Favorite character is Monk. I remember the lady with the broom-like spiritual incantation-stuff really bored / annoyed me. She was way too cocky, and while her silly prayers never seemed to do anything, she was still acting all high and mighty. I really hate that kind of characters in anime, as they bore me to death. They're more dull and annoying than the I Rate Gamer. Well, maybe not really that annoying, but still... My only complaint (and a big one) would be that the series ended like utter crap. No real solid ending, just a funny picture of the group waiting for Kazuya to get better.Pretty inconclusive if you'd ask me. I've been waiting for a sequel for years, hoping they'd make the ending clearer with it, but it's not really coming out, is it... =-= Art =-= I don't remember much about the art, the drawing style, effects and the likes because I've seen Ghost Hunt more than two years ago. But, seeing how the series is pretty recent, I don't think there are major issues to be addressed here. It wasn't bad and it wasn't outstanding. It just was. If there were any major flaws in the "art department" I'm sure I would've remembered them. I loved the eerie backgrounds in the episode with the creepy, bloody hallway. That was the one that really scared me. I also liked it when there was a scary moment, and they'd show up each character's face in picture-in-picture -like squares. That was pretty cool. But the fact that there are almost no scans of Ghost Hunt on the web doesn't really help either. Sadly, It's one of those series that there are zero to five wallpapers, and one to twenty scans. You can't really find many Ghost Hunt resources and stuff on the internet. :-L =-= Sound =-= The intro...one of the best intros I've ever seen. It didn't show any of the characters, as most series do in their openings. The music in it was freaky as sh*t, the weird floating lights, the faceless hooded silhouette that was gradually approaching the screen, with a fiery background and GHOSTS FLOATING EVERYWHERE, THE DARK AND WEIRD RUINS, THE WHITE FLASHES, THE CREVASSE, THE SCARY ORCHESTRA-LIKE MUSIC AND EVERYTHING ! How can it get more awesome and freaky than that? When I was watching the tenth episode or so ( don't really remember that well. it was about halfway in the series anyway), the opening started and, my cousin, was in the same room with me and she said : "what's with the freaky music?". John's accent owned, by the way. The japanese voicing was generally good, except for Kazuya sounding like a smart a** know-it-all. He was a tad annoying at times; reminded me of Rei from NGE; the difference being that Rei isn't annoying. I can't say anything about the english dub, though; I don't watch any dubbed anime. Also, just because of the awesome opening, I'm gonna ignore the fact that the ending sucked :d =-= Overall =-= It may be because horror series (and generally horror stuff) are my favorites, or because of the simple, to the point name of it, but Ghost Hunt was one of the most enjoyable and appealing series to me. I watched it on the dvd-player so I there was plenty of space for me to get under the blanket, close my eyes and sing some Mika with my ears plugged when I got scared. Just kidding :)) it wasn't that scary. OR...was it? O.O I appreciated the fact that there were no "classic-sucky-style ghosts". You know, those white silhouettes that looked like my grandma with a white sheet covering her. They portrayed poltergeists, ghost-dogs, restless spirits, a possessed doll and all that stuff in a way that you could tell was fantasy, but wasn't that far from reality either. Something like those documentaries you see on Discovery about "the other world". And I have to say I enjoy those a lot. Anyway, great series,great soundtrack, good characters and crappy ending.

This is one of those rare anime you've never heard of, and wish you had. What it is on the surface: school kids and random weirdos fighting and hunting ghosts. What it really is: interesting, creepy, charming character driven work that slowly builds up tension to the last few episodes. Mai is a girl who accidentally breaks the camera equipment of Kazuya--a ghost hunting mystic. Kazuya uses this as an opportunity to hire her as a gopher for his paranormal research agency who consults various mystics and spiritual mediums (from a monk who's hardly ascetic to a priestess who seems a total fraud). The story takes an interesting revisionist view of the paranormal--attempting to debunk the existence of ghosts by scientific means to the existence real, and scary paranormal occurences (usually inspired by true events in Japanese and European history) which is also where the show gets its mixed spirituality from. It starts out mundane and harmless enough and keeps raising the stakes as the threat and ghosts become real and honestly the atmosphere and audio actually make the show have a very nervous and scary feel to it--without ever having to rely on gore or violence. There's a good blend of comedy and clashing personalities and Mai and Kazuya are good characters--even if the supporting cast is not that original, although they are all given a chance to shine and a human element in the final few episodes. A few filler episodes and stumbles here and there take away from a perfect score, but this is still worth watching.

There was a time, when i thought the only way for an anime to spook me, was to make my skin crawl from watching grotesque scenes, like in When They Cry; or see gruteous amounts of blood and body parts sent flying like in Elfen Lied. However this series, when you get down to it, can make you stand on the edge of your seat. This is probaly one of the few series i have seen where after watching a few couple of episodes, i wanted to turn some lights on. Story: The story is rather simplitic enough, focusing on a group of rather diverse people who hunt ghosts, and the plot of the story is put into mostly arcs which takes 3 to 4 episodes to finish. After each arc, the cases gets more dangerous than the last. The advantage of the tool of using 3 to 4 episode arcs, is that it doesn't become a rather overabundace of monster of the week epiodes. Sure it probably would've been great to see more cases of the SPR, but it probably would've taken out what makes the series so unique, its charactorization, supsense as well as its humor. The biggest drawback this series has against it, is that they hardly go into main characters backstories, and also there isn't really a conclusion. For that, i give the story an 8. Art: Art is above average, main characters are not so detailed yet very simple designs, however even simple designs can be effective as i can see the shading of these characters making them stand out. I also commemorate the art on the ghost designs especially one of the designs in episode 21 where it gave me very good chills. So i give art a good 9 Sound: Now this is what makes a series or breaks it, if you don't have the right sounds or music for the right scenes or moments, then simply its not good. But this is where this series shines the most and i give it a well deserve 10, as it more than surpasses my expectation of good timing of music, and the right mood of music. This series does a great job executing the suspecful music and the eerie music that makes you more alert. The Opening gives you the sense of what is to come and what to expect and the Ending is also worth a listen due that its rather unusual way to end as series. Listening to the Ending for the first time i thought it didn't fit, but after watching more episodes and learning chemistry of characters and plot development it dawns that it really fits than first thought. Characters: The characters are rather unique to the show, and the chemistry they have is just so...right. You'll see what I mean when I start doing a listing off their psychological profile heres. First up to bat is Kazuya Shibuya the main male lead, very self confident and a self consious boy who is known by a nickname as Naru, which in short for Narsccistic, which certainly fits his character as time and time again he is proven to be right. We have a rockstar buddish monk, who has a large fanbase of girls. A priest who is Austrailian, and you have a shinto priestess who many people in the group make fun of her for bragging that she can cleans spirits, but fails to do so. Last and certainly not least, a young high school girl who because of circumstances is force to help the team. Bring all these aspects together, you got a very unique humor to pave for some lightheartness. For the originality of the characters i give it a 9 Enjoyment: This series is certainly going to give you the run of your money and is one of the few series that i love to watch again, and again, and again despite knowing what will happen and why. Replay value is priceless, however, i felt some things could've been done better, sorta wish the series had a slight longer run if only to have as I will say again, a slight conclusive ending, however the way it ended isnt bad, leaves it open ended. I award enjoyment with a nine. Overall: Overall this series is something people should at least watch for four episodes before deciding to quiet it. So when you people decide to watch it, i will dare you to watch it at night with the lights off, and the sound not cranck up all the way but enough so you can hear the slightest whisper, especially from episode 18- 21. Rating for Overall i award a 9

First off what annoyed me of the series. Really it wasn't much other than with how the mini arc were set up it just didn't feel like you really knew any of the characters much better at the end of the series compared to when you first had them all dropped in your lap. I craved to know more so badly while watching and perhaps that was the hook that keeps you watching. It seemed like in each arc you got one more tid bit about a character. For example in this arc you learn the monk is also in a band and that was pretty much all the character development you got for the next 3-4 episodes. What I loved about the series is that it kept me interested throughout and while I don't feel cheated by the ending it leaves me wanting more. The art and character designs were both good. The seiyuu choices were very fitting. As a final and probably most telling part. I will be adding this one to the collection.

Ghost Hunt is not treated with the respect it deserves I think.It has great suspense and mystery, fun characters, and knows when to be serious and when to have a laugh. A friend recommended it to me and just by looking at it, I wasn't impressed. After watching it, I changed my tune. Though our main lead can be annoying, I find the other characters fascinating. They aren't the most fleshed out, but a lot of the little subtleties I find very endearing. The music is nice, haunting at times, and the show knows that silence is golden during certain scenes. From what I have heard the story was even more complex in the original books, it's a shame there won't be a second season.

This show is pretty interesting, and has a rather creepy, hunting feeling. It’s like Case Closed was mixed with supernatural horror. It’s really interesting and sometimes the logic out ways supernatural things and the other way around. It keeps you on your toes because they will give you a reason, then fall back from it when something else happens. The characters do seem a bit like the normal stereotypes but yet they do surprise you. You don’t get much from the people early on but as the story keeps going, you learn much more. Mai Taniyama is rather smart, but she has a rather odd personality sometimes. She sometimes gets a bit annoying but always has a good heart. She cares a lot for those that she works with even if she fights with them. Shibuya is a rather interesting character in that he doesn’t normally let people see what he is thinking until the very end. Though he never shows his emotions, he does care for people. John Brown is an interesting priest that is actually rather young. He shows his emotions pretty well but you don’t see much of him in that aspect. Takigawa is the Buddhist monk who is a bit of a smart ass but he does bring up a lot of valuable points. Matsuzaki is the Shinto miko who wasn’t taught in a shrine. Almost all the times she has actually done her things, it seems to not work. Hara is a spirit medium though she never really shows much of anything. All of these characters give very valuable insight on each of the different ways in exercising and figuring out things. It’s also very interesting to see how all of them get along. One of my favorite characters in the show actually showed up near the end of the show sadly, Osamu Yasuhara. I love his unorthodox sense of humor and he is a great counterpart to Shibuya’s quiet demeanor. He even stands in for Shibuya in at least one case and I can tell there is a love triangle is forming with Mai between the two. It’s really hard to talk about the show because a lot of things that I say could be considered spoilers. The show has many different arcs that span about 3 or 4 episodes long revolving a case. Now episode 12 and 13 are a very special heartwarming arc so warning, it may make you cry. Other then that, the show is rather gory and can become intensely horrific in both story line and images. The animation is rather nice, bright when it needs to be and then it turns a bit dark whenever ghosts are around. It’s like the ‘ghosts’ place a filter over the show. Other then that, there isn’t really much difference from all the other animations. It’s pretty good and I didn’t really see anything that really stands out as a mishap in the artwork. I love how the characters clothing does change. The opening feels like we are going into the twilight zone or Doctor Who of anime, giving me a couple chills up my spine. It doesn’t have the pop voice, only the instrumental and a women going ahhhh every once in a while. That’s what sets it apart from any other anime opening. The ending is also rather different, mostly sweet and sad but again with no voices. The English voices are rather good, setting a nice mood between the characters. Shibuya is knowledgeable and has a rather good mono tone to him. Mai on the other hand has a rather good narrator voice and has a lot of emotion when she speaks. It’s not like the high pitch voices most women get in anime but more of a normal tone.

I was recommended this anime by a friend but had only recently gotten around to watching the series myself within the last couple of days of writing this review. I managed to watch all 25 episodes within this time frame and so they are all very fresh in my mind. The series is split into a series of story arcs, or "case files", which makes it interesting in itself. Each of these files is between 1 and 4 episodes long, which alows plenty of time to develop the plot of that story, the charactrers involved and the atmosphere. This means that by the final episode the characters are very well developed, with new aspects of their beings revealed in almost every episode. I have found both the characters themselves and the stories within the episodes very easy to relate to and believable. We follow Mai on her journey from mere observer to active participant in this strange new world and along the way are introduced to a veriety of colourful personalities that are both engaging and endearing. The fact that each comes from a different walk of life is also a point of interest; we have an Australian Catholic Father who is ony 19, a Shinto Priestess from a wealthy family, a Buddhist monk who gave up his vocation for music, a celebrity medium, an onmyoji, a paranormal researcher and two highschool students, one of whom is a psychic with a broad spectrum of talents. It seems like a recipie for either disaster or humour, and the latter can most certainly be true, but rather than disaster it is nice to see all these different beliefs pull together and work through their differences rather than be at odds with one another as can often be the case. The stories themselves are likewise as engaging as the characters who act them out. All are typical ghost stories that you might read about, such as the spirits of murder victims returning to haunt the place in which they died, but because almost every "file" takes up multiple episodes the individual stories are allowed time to fully develop. We are given the full story as opposed to an edited version and follow the team from S.P.R. as they investigate each case as though we are also a member of that team. Given this time to develop, the atmosphere also takes a life of its own, becoming suitably creepy or sad as required. This is helped by the soundtrack, the characters' reactions and the flashbacks we witness as the audience. The stories range from tragic and sad to shocking and sometimes downright horrifying, though there are also one or two more amusing ghostly antics too such as episode 11, a one-episode case file, and you fully empathise with the characters involved. I didn't once feel bored as i have with other series. The animation is also very well done and presented and the English dub (which i watched) doesn't sound as bad as other dubbed series i have also seen; in fact i'd say it's one of the best ones i have watched. The information within the series itself i have found to be accurate so far as the studies of parapsychology and their terminology, and you feel as though you yourself are a part of the investigations conducted by Shibuya Psychic Research (S.P.R.), the group the series revolves around. As with anything there is always room for improvement, and with only 25 episodes so far i would very much like to see these developments continue with further case files, but it is a very enjoyable series as it already stands and the feeling of it being unfinished does not spoil it. All in all this is a terrific series that i would recommend to anybody, particularly if someone has an interest in this sort of genre or in the supernatural at all.