Teizokurei Daydream

Note: the following comes from a video review, links on my profile page.

This daydream's story is told in a sensitive way; can be comedic, but also substantial enough that goes beyond the typical slice of life thresholds that usually consist of most of the story being about a specific objective. The animation is precise about characters' expressions - contrasting hues, and yet subdued, can be bright and yet dark - as it sort of reflects the chaotic narrative that somehow blends well.

It shows the archetypes of beauty, alongside with what is typically considered to be its opposite - not just architecturally, but with regards to ... the characters' personalities too - the comedy, along with the more sombre issues. The horizon of the sunset, parallel to the psychological implications of what a past and trauma may bring to the present. It does not have a long runtime but what it does and how it happens is expressed through a variety of ways. It cycles from a detective point of view, when facts are discovered, to then reach the crux of understanding - even if quickly, it does this with a certain verve.

Besides the comedy, and part of which is the aforementioned element of mystery, added in is a softer approach to storytelling, a direction taken which would have been even stronger had it been a longer-term series, an attempt similar to what Natsume's book often comes up with (in this case, a vulgar version of it, which teizoku means). One wonders whether the serious issues are meant to be reflective of how far the comedy itself does go, or perhaps they only do so to counteract each other. It is a mixture that, despite seemingly incongruous, results in a ratio that seems to meld well. A bit of city life, somewhat of a thriller, and one third tragedy, all of which surprisingly balance each other out. In the end it turns out interesting, and one might desire for more.

I mean perhaps if you're just casually a paedophile you'd enjoy this. I do not even see any of this 'investigation/mystery' aspect supposedly featured as I read in the description, it's really just a poor excuse to present sexual and physical abuse on minors. I mean what did I expect from an 18+ rated, 4 episode anime. The only reason I've given it a 3 is due to the potential it had, but I can't even really complain because I guess it was created for those into sadomasochistic ecchi, the portrayal of BDSM was realistic however and the concept of uncovering the cases was somewhat ... there. So if you're looking for a crappy, short anime with no clear storyline and just filled with boderline inhumane sexual acts, this is for you!

I watch Ghost Talker's Daydream knowing nothing about it and was still somehow disappointed by it

The story was boring and badly written. Ghost Talker's tries to handle serious topics but always falls flat. The writers aren’t trying to say anything by putting in scenes like the flashbacks, SA, and all the “dominatrix” scenes. There was no discussion to be had. The story just feels edgy for the sake of being edgy.
(story: 4)

Somehow the story was not the worst part for me, it was the characters. Characters like Mitsuru and Detective Anzai served no importance to the plot, and if they were removed very little would ... change. Then there's Souichiro who was annoying, unfunny, and gross. His main purpose was to make fan service scenes happen. There's little to say about Ai. She was just kind of boring. If I had to have a favorite character it would be Misaki. The few scenes I thought were ok were the scenes with just her in it. She could be a little compelling at times. Like with her side job as a dominatrix. I wish we could have learned more about it.
(characters: 3)

The one upside to Ghost Talker's would be the art. The backgrounds look nice. Maybe a somewhat plane, but nice. At times the animation could be really smooth. The art style was somewhat charming. I really liked the outfits designed for Misaki. Her outfit in the second episode looked cool. The belt was a good detail, and all her dominatrix outfits were pretty.
(art: 6)

Overall I could not recommend Ghost Talker's Daydream. It wasn’t well written, characters were boring at best, and the visuals were just fine. I couldn’t recommend it as a fun, trashy time to watch with your friends.