Ranked #171

Ghost Hunt

Ghost Hunt is one of those rare gems that I accidentally stumbled across, and I'm so thankful that I did.

The greatest asset of this series is the characters. Their personalities are rich and engaging, and their memorable interactions with one another is one of the greatest selling points of this series. It is one of the main aspects that makes you want to keep watching episode to episode.

Yes, the storyline is superb, and the arcs are usually kept to 3 to 4 episodes. This keeps the series watchable without frustrating the viewer, waiting for an arc or storyline to end.

This series is not scary at all, but can be quite suspenseful at times. It keeps the "creepiness" to a minimum, but at times, you still find yourself walking around the house to turn on all the lights. It's purpose is not to scare you, but to keep you glued to your screen, which it does beautifully.

For me, the humor in this series is also one of the most enjoyable aspects. There are moments when my family would literally bust out laughing, to the point of cackling. The relationship between Naru-chan and Mai, or Bou-san and Ayako will keep you in stitches.

I cannot recommend this series enough, and I'm attempting to get as many Ghost Hunt converts as I can!

Watch this series!! You will not be disappointed! read more

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. read more

=-= 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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

Story (8.3) - Shibuya is a ghost hunter.He and a group of people are responsible to solve the cases that people think are created by spirits. It starts when a girl, taniyama mai, decides to look at an old building near her school. She is stopped by Lin, shibuya assistant, who got injured while stopping her from damage some equipment.Then, Mai is called to replace the assistant and gets involved with the group, learning more from the spirits in the process.
In fact, the story is not sequenced from the first to the last episode...but is organized in groups, i mean, each case has its own story. The cases get darker and darker has the anime progresses..my opinion is that story is good and more than enough to give an 8.

Art (9.2) - Not much to say here, i liked the design, i didnt find much to criticise in this aspect, maybe some envyronment details coulde be better, but not serious at all. 9 here means that it looks good indeed.

Sound (9.0) - It gives atmosphere in my opinion..i think it matches perfectly, each type of moments have an apropiatte song/sounds. It is a good contribution to make this anime really good.

Character (9.6) - Well develloped, i liked some of them a lot, especially the main character, i admire his emotional stability while inside he really does care with the others and worries a lot with his patners. I have nothing to point here from negative aspects, except the fact the mai sometimes is a bit anoying, but nothing that makes the characther bad, since she also has a nice influence in the group spirit.

Enjoyment (9.6) - Really great ambience, really great cases, great moments where dark aspects mix up with some funny moments and theories about the supernatural, from spirits to curses..as i like this kind of stuff i could onle give a 10 in here.

overall (9.3) - I believe i have nothing more to explain, basically this overall is based in what i said in each aspect. If you like this kind of things involving spirits, curses, supernatural things, then this is a great choice wich i recommend!

read more

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. read more

Story - 10/10
Taniyama Mai is your everyday high school student, who has the pastime of telling ghost stories with her friends. Much to her surprise, she meets a mysterious ghost hunter, Shibuya Kazuya, the 17 year old head of Shibuya Psychic Research, sent out to investigate strange phenomenon occurring in Mai's school. Accidentally interfering with their investigations, Mai unintentionally causes the injury of Shibuya's assistant, resulting in Shibuya demanding Mai herself to aid him in his investigations. Based on the novel by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada

I love horror anime. Love them. I really wasn't expecting this one to be that scary, not spine tingling like it was! There are 8 files, and they slowly start to get creepier and creepier. each "File" lasted around 3/4 episodes, each one an investigation, and somewhat dangerous.

The weren't THAT scary, but File 7 scared the piss outta me. That's not a bad thing though, they pulled it off with perfect detailing. This anime is, if you are faint of heart, do not watch it alone or in the dark. The stories more so smoothly, but I think the ending was rushed, and the relationship between the characters went no where fast. I really was hoping for more couple developments, but got nothing.

Art - 10/10
The art was pretty good for a horror shoujo anime. Being shoujo, it has good looking characters and pretty backgrounds. Then they bring in the horror. The blood was great, especially in file 7 where blood was the main point. The ghosts were well done too, along with the zombies, and spirits. The opening sequence was awesome too, just watching it gave me the chills.

Sound - 10/10
This is were the story ties together. The music. Like Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, Ghost Hunt has a very eerie OST, which adds to the horror theme, and without it it probably would not be that creepy. The voice actors did a GREAT job, especially Mai's VA Nazuka Kaori. When she screamed, it didn't sound forced and stupid, unlike in some anime. And the laughter that came from some of the evil characters was just down right chilling. The lack of vocals in the op/en themes was perfect, and I think WITH vocals it may ruin the feel of the series.

Character - 8/10
This is were I got kinda disappointed. In the series, there are SO many characters, its hard to keep track of them all. Their's Naru the Ghost Hunter, Mai the human with "potential Spiritualistic powers', Masako the medium (The character I hated), John the priest (Who spoke in a hilarious kansai-ben), Hosho the Monk (and full time bassist), Ayako the Miko, Osamu the person dragged into stuff, & Lin the Chinese onmyoji. Then theirs all the side characters who you might have to pay a lot of attention to to figure out each case. Sometime I paid so much attention to them that I figured out the perpetrator before Naru did. (That's a shock, seeing as Naru is the smartest one there.)

Another disappointment with the characters is the little relationship forming throughout. Their is OBVIOUS crushes going on that you can see with Mai & Masako, but both relationships they want go no where, and I was really expecting something to happen. But seeing as the manga goes farther than the anime, looks like I'll be reading that for a while!

Overall Enjoyment - 10/10
As I said before, I love horror/mystery type anime, but shoujo will forever be my favorite. Seeing all three genre mixed into one series was the thing that made me jump into watching it. I'm really glad I found this anime. It gave me the creeps, and thats exactly what I wanted. I watched it at night, alone for that very reason. (And even after watching File 7 I had nightmares all night.) But that didnt stop me from continuing it!

If you like creepy tales with a ton of comedic relief, this anime is for you! :) read more

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. read more

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.

read more