Anime DVD Review - Ghost Hunt: The Complete Series Box Set

If you hate horror movies, kindly raise your hand. They’re plotless, pointless and poorly produced. Hollywood has created a cookie-cutter machine out of mindless horror and “thriller” flicks that are made for $5 million, and open up at the box-office for $20 million. Profit made. Rehash the story. Move on to the next film. It’s a sad business. So, when I first popped in Ghost Hunt, all I could think is, “Urgh, I really hope this doesn’t suck.” 600 minutes later, after surgically removing my eyes from the TV screen, I had an epiphany. Ghost Hunt is more frightening, surreal and chilling than anything that’s come out of Hollywood in nearly two decades.

Ghost Hunt stars Kazuya Shibuya (aka Naru the Narcissist) head of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center. Shibuya is joined by Mai, a high school student with latent psychic abilities, and Lin, his assistant and bodyguard. The first few episodes are focused on character introduction, which is done very well. We get immediate incite into Kazuya and Mai’s characters as well as their Ghost Hunting affiliates Hara Masako (celebrity medium), John Brown (Australian priest), Ayako Matsuzaki (self made shrine maiden) and Houshou Takigawa (an Ex-Monk and Musician). Though the first episode arc isn’t nearly as amazing as some of the later arcs, the story is overwhelmingly engaging. This is a character driven story that does an amazing job of pulling you into their world.

The stories arcs are broken up into case files. By “File 3: The After School Hexer Part 1,” Ghost Hunt will take control of your heart and never let go. The series’ nerve-racking exploits enter the eerie arena of spine chilling and never leaves. “File 7: The Blood-stained Labyrinth Part 4″ is one of the most gruesome adventures I’ve seen since the glory days of horror. It really is amazing how an Anime series can instill a feeling of horror that can’t be replicated by Hollywood’s Green Screen fetish. No matter what you’re doing, you’ll jump out of your seats when spirits start painting anime Kanji characters on the walls and characters die in more shocking ways each time.

Not all of the stories are gruesome. Some of the tales are overwhelmingly sad. For instance, “File 4: Ghost Story in the Park!? and “File 5: Silent Christmas Part 1” have a way of touching even the coldest of hearts. These stories about spirits with unfulfilled wishes will quickly resonate with audiences. By the time you watch the final story arc, you will have fallen in love with each member of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center. The story’s progression is well paced, so each new character revelation is earned.

Ghost Hunt is one of the best Anime series I have watched in a long time. The stories are exceptionally well laid out and I’m proud to say they have made me remember what it feels like to be shocked - even if it’s just good-old fashioned entertainment. I only wished Funimation would have included some additional Bonus Features on this DVD set besides the usual text and character art. I feel this series should have benefited with similar treatment to the Claymore Collection, which came with 2 additional books, or the Burst Angel Blu-ray release, which had several Bonus featurettes.