Ghost Hound is a refreshing break from the mainstream. It can, at times, be a bit confusing; but it is overall a very interesting anime. This is one of the very few anime I have seen that deals with psychological issues in a serious way. While it may not always be realistic (it is fantasy, after all) it does discuss real psychological issues (particularly PTSD) and you might just learn a thing or two while watching. The calm yet serious atmosphere it presents can be surprisingly eerie and it leaves you thinking.
7 Reviews
Excellent departure from mainstream anime
db21527 June 2010
Story 8/10 Only on the penultimate episode did I discover this series was penned by Masamune Shirow. It doesn't really show, although as it originated in 1987 it isn't so surprising. Why it took 20 years to make such a great anime is anyone's guess.
Anyway, the story is very good. A dark and moody tale at heart, this anime mulls through the lives of its protagonists and a semi-real world of astral projection and spirits. It does so in a way immediately attributable to Nakamura Ryuutarou's (Serial Experiments Lain) direction. I enjoyed SEL's rasping static sensory deprivation, and I love it here too. The bassy atmosphere death rattles the viewer through several inter-connected disturbing backstories, and brings the plot round to booming shadows hanging heavily from it's lead characters.
The subject matter is part mystery, part science, and comes together in the lives of juniour high school students. This is perhaps one of the small blemishes on the series. While the "difficult past and large responsibility on young shoulders" plot element is powerful despite it's regular use in anime, I think the children retained a little too much of their childish appearance during the progression of this series.
Animation 8.5/10 Simulteneously beautiful and slightly wrong. The quality is very high, as you would expect from Production I.G. But perhaps the tones and designs of the children, again, bring the show down slightly. The atmosphere created by the backdrops, creatures and settings throughout was exceptional, but the flat-coloured characters distracted slightly from that and just felt a little out of place. A few bad choices were also made during astral projection. The initial "baby" characters look a little too silly, as do some of the later apperitions.
Overall, though, the designs and smoothness need some applause for their left-of-mainstream quality. Very well put together; sometimes even creepy.
Sound 8/10 Like SEL, one of the things that brings the atmosphere and animation and script together is the sound used to bind them. The fuzz, the buzz, the scrapes, the dinks - all work fantastically with the mood and direction. Although you could argue that the general impression is almost too similar to SEL, it works very well regardless. OP is also well suited. Japanese VAs are good, and mild-mannered enough to pull off the roles very professioanlly and convincingly.
Characters 8.5/10 Excellent, though perhaps more so in personality than design. The very believable story behind what is something of a fantastical show in exposed beautifully through the main cast. Common personality types crop up but remain under-done to perfection, easily escaping the horrible tendency in anime to ham-up emotions. The leads are well defined and maturely designed. There could be a little more conflict in there, and some things perhaps shouldn't go quite as smoothly as they tend to do for those characters, but I was very satisfied with the way things turned out. All but one or two characters are important in their own way, and most hold themselves together well and deserve their screen time.
Overall 8.5/10 With such a good all round score it's tempting to go even higher with the overall mark, but all I'll do is recommend this to anyone who enjoys a more mature anime. Though the series runs for 22 episodes there were no points when I felt cheated because of that. There's no filler in here. The fascinating story unfolds generously, without recourse to distraction. Although I felt a couple of things could have been explained a little more, the ending was a satisfactory finish for what is literally a one-in-a-thousand anime.
Now to hunt out the next classic hidden within swathes of soggy cardboard and freaky pillows.
Anyway, the story is very good. A dark and moody tale at heart, this anime mulls through the lives of its protagonists and a semi-real world of astral projection and spirits. It does so in a way immediately attributable to Nakamura Ryuutarou's (Serial Experiments Lain) direction. I enjoyed SEL's rasping static sensory deprivation, and I love it here too. The bassy atmosphere death rattles the viewer through several inter-connected disturbing backstories, and brings the plot round to booming shadows hanging heavily from it's lead characters.
The subject matter is part mystery, part science, and comes together in the lives of juniour high school students. This is perhaps one of the small blemishes on the series. While the "difficult past and large responsibility on young shoulders" plot element is powerful despite it's regular use in anime, I think the children retained a little too much of their childish appearance during the progression of this series.
Animation 8.5/10 Simulteneously beautiful and slightly wrong. The quality is very high, as you would expect from Production I.G. But perhaps the tones and designs of the children, again, bring the show down slightly. The atmosphere created by the backdrops, creatures and settings throughout was exceptional, but the flat-coloured characters distracted slightly from that and just felt a little out of place. A few bad choices were also made during astral projection. The initial "baby" characters look a little too silly, as do some of the later apperitions.
Overall, though, the designs and smoothness need some applause for their left-of-mainstream quality. Very well put together; sometimes even creepy.
Sound 8/10 Like SEL, one of the things that brings the atmosphere and animation and script together is the sound used to bind them. The fuzz, the buzz, the scrapes, the dinks - all work fantastically with the mood and direction. Although you could argue that the general impression is almost too similar to SEL, it works very well regardless. OP is also well suited. Japanese VAs are good, and mild-mannered enough to pull off the roles very professioanlly and convincingly.
Characters 8.5/10 Excellent, though perhaps more so in personality than design. The very believable story behind what is something of a fantastical show in exposed beautifully through the main cast. Common personality types crop up but remain under-done to perfection, easily escaping the horrible tendency in anime to ham-up emotions. The leads are well defined and maturely designed. There could be a little more conflict in there, and some things perhaps shouldn't go quite as smoothly as they tend to do for those characters, but I was very satisfied with the way things turned out. All but one or two characters are important in their own way, and most hold themselves together well and deserve their screen time.
Overall 8.5/10 With such a good all round score it's tempting to go even higher with the overall mark, but all I'll do is recommend this to anyone who enjoys a more mature anime. Though the series runs for 22 episodes there were no points when I felt cheated because of that. There's no filler in here. The fascinating story unfolds generously, without recourse to distraction. Although I felt a couple of things could have been explained a little more, the ending was a satisfactory finish for what is literally a one-in-a-thousand anime.
Now to hunt out the next classic hidden within swathes of soggy cardboard and freaky pillows.
Incredible Anime
Engage_With_Zorp15 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I want to keep this as brief as possible, because to explain too much of the often complex plot of this wonderful anime would be criminal. Suffice it to say, Ghost Hound features wonderful, complex character, and an intricate plot line that ties together beautifully at the end.
The basic plot involves three teenage boys with traumatic pasts, including our main character, Taro, whose little sister was killed when the two of them were kidnapped in their childhood. They begin "soul traveling" in the "unseen realm," and the story only gets more interesting from there.
True, it is a series that may require more than one viewing, as it incorporates elements from biology, mathematics, physics, and philosophy, but if you're like me, you'll want to start the series over again the instant you finish it.
Finally, a note on the voice acting. The English dub hasn't been released yet, which might make some of you wary of purchasing the set. As someone who almost always watches dubs, I know I was. But Ghost Hound has converted me; the voice acting is top-notch, and I can't imagine ever listening to another dub of this show. Trust me, you'll get used to reading subtitles after an episode or two, and then you'll be as in awe of the voice talent as I was.
I cannot recommend this anime enough. It is thought-provoking and deliberately paced, but also highly engrossing; I devoured the episodes five or six at a time, and was sad when it ended. All in all, there isn't really anything quite like Ghost Hound out there, and if you're in the mood for something different, interesting, intriguing, and thought-provoking, with well-drawn and entertaining characters, then Ghost Hound is your show.
The basic plot involves three teenage boys with traumatic pasts, including our main character, Taro, whose little sister was killed when the two of them were kidnapped in their childhood. They begin "soul traveling" in the "unseen realm," and the story only gets more interesting from there.
True, it is a series that may require more than one viewing, as it incorporates elements from biology, mathematics, physics, and philosophy, but if you're like me, you'll want to start the series over again the instant you finish it.
Finally, a note on the voice acting. The English dub hasn't been released yet, which might make some of you wary of purchasing the set. As someone who almost always watches dubs, I know I was. But Ghost Hound has converted me; the voice acting is top-notch, and I can't imagine ever listening to another dub of this show. Trust me, you'll get used to reading subtitles after an episode or two, and then you'll be as in awe of the voice talent as I was.
I cannot recommend this anime enough. It is thought-provoking and deliberately paced, but also highly engrossing; I devoured the episodes five or six at a time, and was sad when it ended. All in all, there isn't really anything quite like Ghost Hound out there, and if you're in the mood for something different, interesting, intriguing, and thought-provoking, with well-drawn and entertaining characters, then Ghost Hound is your show.
What a brilliant anime! Like none i've seen before!
ben-722-26083325 April 2010
Well, this is my first review on IMDb.
What can I say! Ghost Hound is a brilliant anime to watch, it has a good plot which is easy to keep to, but its very quirky at the same time!
The music is of good quality, which is crucial because it adds to the suspense perfectly at parts. I'd rate it 8.5/10
The animation is perfect, but with a slight variation from the normal "Anime" Stereotype, I'd rate it 9/10
The story is a bit hard to follow in some bits, but thats because its meant to be quite quirky and horror'ish. But if you pay attention it will all make sense! I'd rate it 7/10
The anime is made up from 23 episodes, this is good, except I think it could do with a 24th to wrap things up, as it ends quite quickly.
Over all, I'd rate it 8.5-9/10
What can I say! Ghost Hound is a brilliant anime to watch, it has a good plot which is easy to keep to, but its very quirky at the same time!
The music is of good quality, which is crucial because it adds to the suspense perfectly at parts. I'd rate it 8.5/10
The animation is perfect, but with a slight variation from the normal "Anime" Stereotype, I'd rate it 9/10
The story is a bit hard to follow in some bits, but thats because its meant to be quite quirky and horror'ish. But if you pay attention it will all make sense! I'd rate it 7/10
The anime is made up from 23 episodes, this is good, except I think it could do with a 24th to wrap things up, as it ends quite quickly.
Over all, I'd rate it 8.5-9/10
Intriguing, mature and sophisticated. Not for your usual Boruto fan.
alexandresobreira-12-5093117 August 2020
Ghost Hound is one of the best anime I've ever watched. People say the story is all over the place, but that's only if you have a very short attention span. It's sophisticated, mixing horror, political thriller, medical thriller, folklore and mythology, and quantum mechanics with a very healthy dose of interpersonal relationships and their problems. The character design is original and interesting, again, not for those who only like the current kawaii trend, but all very expressive. They are deep and well-developed, they all grow during the series, including several of the side characters. The soundtrack is amazing, music used more to create mood than as a background to the action. The opening and ending songs are great, too.
If you like thought-provoking series and can connect the dots along several storylines that take their time converging into a cohesive whole, you will certainly like this series.
"what is human?" science without conscience?
pushthenpull6916 February 2010
I looked for this series because of its pedigree - check out the wiki of the director and writer... associated with ghost in the shell, Appleseed, etc. The series leads to some amazing resolutions that you don't expect. You may wind up wondering just what is the soul? The amazing surprise for me was the music... the opening music is hot, and the composer/singer is very popular for creating this kind of music... definitely check it out. Plot is 3 students discover they have a common reason for checking out an abandoned hospital that is usually submerged when a new dam was put in. Now partially accessible in the mud, spiritual experiences and the personal histories of the three combine to create a great mystery.
Very Boring and bland
Irishchatter26 August 2019
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