Ghost Hunt

I, who have attention span, can't watch boring anime for very long, however, this anime kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Some parts can be a little bit scary (even though it's just an anime), so I DON'T reccomend watching it in a dark room or late at night.
The plot is expanded perfectly and it explains quite often throughout(that way you won't be confused). Also, those that only watch anime that have good looking people. . .

This anime is outstanding, I personally believe this is one of the best anime I've seen.

Everything about this anime is outstanding, at least IMO XD

Story 10/10 - I didn't think that I'd enjoy this much but from the moment I've seen that creepy opening I knew that this anime will bring a new experience as a viewer for me. I wouldn't go too deep with the story because I'm a person that hates spoilers XD
Basically the story is about a party that specializes in exorcism and their adventures.
What I like the most about the story is that it's separated into files, so it's like you have a ghost detective mystery solving cases. It's quite fun and enjoyable if you ... a person that enjoys mysteries and likes scary things. Not everything in the anime was scary but everything had a great story. If you try it, you'll see what I mean ;)

Art 10/10 - the art was spectacular. I just loved the special effects and how everything was made.

Sound 10/10 - The sound effects were also great and the soundtrack amazing. The op song is kinda creepy and the ending has kinda sad feeling attached to it, but they both are great themes that fit this anime perfect. I can say that I'm officially hooked on the beautiful music from this anime.

Character 10/10 - Usually in every anime there'll be a few characters that piss me off, I can't say that there's someone like that in this one. They are all so different and hilarious. The interactions between them are very enjoyable and will keep the tension down even in the scariest moments.

Enjoyment 10/10 - well like I said before, this anime surprised me. I found it accidentally and it ended being one of my favorite so far. It was very enjoyable. You have adventure, comedy, horror, mystery all rolled into one ;) I think that I could rewatch this one all over and over again without getting bored.

Overall (clear 10 lol) I recommend this to every person that enjoys in good mystery, great humor, awesome adventure that is spiced with horror. If there are people that don't enjoy these genders I think they will after seeing this show.

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.

Do you like ghost stories or you've experienced ghost terror ? I suggest you watch this anime because you'll be chill and add your experience about ghost stories.

When you see this anime will be reminded by the Ghost Buster movie but the packaging is different in this anime where the story is more sinister and more interesting ways to eradicate ghost

Story:
Unique story like a detective story, confusing, and you will continue to be curious that in the end you have to keep watching this series. Not only is it also strong elements of comedy. A great increase of this anime is the completion of each ... problem case.

Art:
When viewed from the character designs look so plain and not far from the other anime character designs, but his greatness lies not there but the ghost character design in which the author makes it look so horrible.

Sound:
In matters of sound, a horror story must have its own characteristics in which the instrument must be presented to shiver and make surprise and it's all there in this anime from the soundtrack to the sound effect.

Character:
Here we will see so many characters from different backgrounds and are all played well and seems the chemistry of each character. Not only that the characters in this anime has its own characteristics, so we do not feel bored and disappointed when watching this anime.

Enjoyment:
As an obvious fan of ghost stories I really enjoyed this anime I was even inspired by this anime.

Overall:
I suggest to you who like ghost stories to see this anime because you will not be disappointed. Anime is pretty creepy better find a friend to accompany you while watching

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.

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.

art: the art is fine not my personal favorite but that is up to yoyu if you like it or not. same thing goes for the animation. i didn't come across any annoying bugs. the animation is the avrage level for 2007.

sound:
mostly classical music. it is very easy to like one good point for this anime.

characters:
the 2 main chracters had so mach potintial to grow and change. the sidecharacters were nice too. so far so good but the charcters hardly made a minor change in all the 25 episodes. no romance, not a chnge in relations no change of noting.

story:
the story was nice ... in the 3 first chapters. it had a nice main idea- logic+ghosts. this is one of the animes that have a different story for every few chapters and it was very disappointing. the story had so much potential yet didn't go anywhere.

if you like somthing light to wach this will fit just dont expect too much from it

16 year old Mai Taniyama is a happy-go-lucky orphan who loves to hang out with her friends in creepy places and trade ghost stories with them. One evening, as they’re doing this in an empty classroom, they’re interrupted by Kazuya Shibuya, a paranormal researcher who’s been hired to investigate the old, abandoned school house next door. Well, prompted by this, Mai decides to explore the building herself, upon which she accidentily damages both Kazuya’s camera as well as his camera-man. In lieu of a proper monetary compensation, Mai agrees to work with Kazuya as his assistant, and after one case, she gets ... hired full time! Now, as a member of Shibuya Psychic Research, she’ll have to face off against cruel curses, petty poultergeists, and dastardly demons for the sake of her handsome... But extremely difficult... New employer.

For the most part, Ghost Hunt looks like it was animated on a bare bones budget. There are static images, key frames, and stiff, jerky movement. This is nothing new from JC Staff, a production company who normally only “makes it rain” on a few select titles, like Index, Railgun and Toradora. Ghost Hunt is not one of these titles, but luckily, where JC Staff normally shines is using the art direction to cover up the blandness of their animation. In Ghost Hunt’s case, this is achieved with clever and well-thought out camera angles, distortions wherever they’re needed, and a series of perfectly timed panning shots. The character designs are also very memorable, despite being a little on the generic side.

Remember, I said “For the most part.” In addition to the cheap looking human side of the coin, you also have the hauntings themselves, most of which will take your breath away with their flawless CG design. Their are moments in this show that look like they could have been taken right out of Mushishi, and that’s one of the many comparisons I don’t make lightly. In a lot of cases, it would bother me when a series was this inconsistent with it’s animation quality, but in Ghost Hunt, it kind of works... Rather than a difference in budget sizes, it seems to represent a difference in plains of reality, and while that may or may not have been intentional, it’s exactly how the difference between the human world and the spiritual world SHOULD feel.

The characters, despite their somewhat bland design, are distinct and very likeable. Mai is a normal girl... And I mean normal by actual human standards, not normal by Nami Hito standards. There’s nothing moe or Mary-Suish about her, and that’s a pretty easy pit to sink into. She’s brave, but also naive and prone to making mistakes. She’s aware of when she’s in danger, but often needs help getting out of it, and never seems to make any head-slappingly stupid decisions. She never makes a habit of denying her feelings, either... Which is another unfortunate pit that a lot of anime heroines inhabit.

Kazuya, on the other hand, can be a bit of a problem sometimes. I won’t say he’s a poorly written character... Not completely, anyway... But his flaws seem to overshadow his more positive attributes. He’s silent, he’s cold, and while he needs help dealing with any situation that’s out of the range of his particular skill set, he’s remarkably competent. On his own, he’s not very interesting, and as such, his likeability stems almost exclusively from his interactions with other characters. His prideful and prickly demeanor are only ever palatable when he’s bouncing off of the more charming and open people he associates with, particularly in his reactions with Mai and the famous medium Masako. I mean, would he be nearly as enjoyable a character if Mai hadn’t decided to start calling him Naru the Narcissist?

Oh, and while we’re at it, I should probably address this... Yes, I took my name from this anime. I was originally calling myself Narcy as a quick nickname, but my friends/video producers said it was too girly, so I decided to adopt the infamous moniker from this anime instead. Moving on.

If you’ve seen this show in English, then you may be asking “Wait, if Kazuya isn’t that great of a character, then why did I love him so much?” The answer is simple; Todd Haberkorn. The dub was produced by Funimation, and the staff somehow made the far-left-field decision to put a grumpy, mono-toned character in the hands of one of the loudest, most over the top performers in their stable. The result is nothing short of pure gold. Todd’s rubber voice is famous for such ridiculous yet still perfectly pegged roles such as Death the Kidd, Italy, Natsu Dragnheel and Sergeant Frog, but he’s also able to go very low and serious with it, as he did with Ling Yao from FMA Brotherhood. But even in THAT performance, he never went AS low and serious as he did in this one. He sounds every bit the socially inept genius with a chip on his shoulder, and he manages to outshine the original seiyuu by adding an air of superiority and some great sarcastic wit without ever breaking character or changing pitch.

Cherami Leigh is also quite a bit better than her seiyuu, thanks to a set of acting chops that have carried her very far in her career since this show. She has complete control over Mai’s voice, and hits every single note... Whether dramatic, comedic, upbeat or downbeat... Perfectly. It’s a very sincere performance, and while it may not have been the one that made her a star, it makes it very clear why she became one. The rest of the main cast is also spot-on, with Travis Willingham as the laid back, reliable Monk, Colleen Clinkenbeard as the hoity toity yet somewhat maternal Ayako, and J Michael Tatum getting surprisingly scarce lines as Naru’s even more silent bodyguard, Lin, yet still knocking each line out of the park. Cherami’s fellow Strike Witches alumnus Jad Saxton joins her here, and once again, they’re rivals for love!

The only real sour note in the dub is Jason Leibricht’s phony sounding australian accent, but give it a few episodes, and you’ll get used to it. Several other well known names are sprinkled around the cast, including recurring roles from Caitlin Glass, Brina Palencia, and Eric Vale. The writing in the dub is very naturalistic and straightforward, which is odd when you consider the fact that the credited writer keeps changing... Sonny Straight’s episodes can sound a little off, but everybody else did a fine job, especially when Luci Christian and Monica Rial are at the helm. The subbed version is great on it’s own, and perfectly listenable, but in my opinion, the dub is still quite a bit better, and has my easy recommendation.

Unfortunately, the writing is a bit of a mixed bag. The characters do gradually develop from a group of bickering strangers into a tightly-knit family by the end of the series, but the only one who gets any good individual development is Mai. The other researchers, representing the spiritual perspectives of three different religions, seem like they’re only present in every single arc so they can pad out the run time and occasionally become useful to the plot... Which, to be fair, every single one of them does, at least at some point or another. But for the most part, it’s really hard to justify their presence beyond their assorted talents. There are a lot of interactions between them that serve to develop their family dynamic, and while most of them are executed nicely, there are a few that do feel forced or out of place, with one example being a highly emotional discussion of Hong Kong history between Mai and Lin.

As far as the development of the two central characters goes, Mai and Naru go through an interesting parallel... Throughout the series, we slowly become exposed to the true nature of each character, as well as to the supernatural powers that each one possesses. This works very well in Mai’s case, because she’s learning everything while we’re learning it... Her new discoveries and developments are shared with us on the same level. But unlike Mai, Naru already knows what he’s capable of, and yet his abilities develop at a slower pace. Yes, there’s an excuse made for it at the end, but even with that given, it still feels like a deus ex machina whenever he pulls a spell or piece of information out of his ass at just the right time.

Yes, there are issues with the writing and character development, and while they’re not serious issues, they are very noticeable. Luckily, there are two specific things this show does so brilliantly that all other transgressions can be all but ignored. The first one, as you may notice early on, is the music. Toshio Masuda’s compositions are by far the best aspect of this series, as he matches the tone of any given situation with not only tense orchestral tunes, with stings and percussions blazing, but with an electronic track that, in it’s creepiest moments, seems to have been heavily inspired by the undisputed king of horror music, the theremin. Toshio’s the same man who composed Mushishi, and to say it shows would be an understatement. I could honestly say that Ghost Hunt wouldn’t be even half as creepy or heartpounding in it’s terror if it wasn’t for his work.

The other saving grace is the pacing of the series, and there are two sides to this. The first is with the individual story arcs, which are built up very well from beginning to end, if not a little repetitive. You’ll start off with a light hearted summary of where the cast is in their development, and it won’t take too long for a new case to be introduced. You’ll get a brief summary of what the case is, but the devil is in the details, which will be revealed piece by piece throughout. The tension builds, as do the stakes, and Masuda’s music keeps perfectly in tune with this, right up until the climactic conclusion... Which fails to be climactic only once or twice due to Naru’s exposition dumps. There’s foreshadowing throughout each arc, and it can take the form of anything... An odd piece of dialogue, a suspicious camera angle, or even a cleverly placed set piece. The astute viewer will have no problem noticing these, and while it does bring an element of predictability to the show, it never gives away more than it wants to.

The other side is with the structure of the series itself, and the order of the story arcs resting within it. Yes, there are a few arcs in the first half that feel tame compared to what comes later, but that’s the beauty of it... Every single arc, with the exception of one filler episode, just gets better and better. They progressively become more creepy, more tense, less predictable, more disturbing, and with ever-increasing stakes, leading up to what most viewers consider the crowning jewel of the series... the penultimate arc, The Bloodstained Labyrinth, which takes a lot of acknowledged inspiration from the real life legends of Vlad Tepesh, Countess Bathory and the Winchester manor. It’s easy to see why this arc is as popular as it is, considering how hardcore and well-established the enemy is, but I’d have to confess a strong preference to the final arc, The Cursed House. The consequences are similar, but the stakes are much higher, and it carries a much heavy lean towards Japanese folklore than it’s predecessor.

Unfortunately, this arc has the bad luck of being the final one, so it carries a substantial amount of the blame for one of Ghost Hunt’s biggest problems, which would be it’s lack of a satisfying conclusion. Or, you know, any kind of conclusion. Several plot threads are just left dangling there, with the relationship between Mai and Naru... as well as the true nature of their respective powers... being no small part of it. It doesn’t necessarily end on a bad note, but it leaves you hungry for a sequel that hasn’t yet been confirmed after seven years of waiting. It’s a ‘read the manga’ type of ending, but since the translated manga’s out of print and I hate streaming them, that’s a problem for me.

Ghost Hunt offers a very unique experience for horror fans... It contains all the thrill and suspense of a normal paranormal investigation show, but since it actually ADMITS that it’s scripted, it’s able to offer solid scares and a solid story without ever feeling like it’s wasting your time. It has several weak points, particularly in it’s writing and character development, but the execution and art direction are strong enough to make up for it many times over. It’s positive aspects far outweigh the negative ones, but for the most part, you can watch this series with your brain on or off and still have a great time with it. I give Ghost Hunt an 8/10, and a strong recommendation to pick it up if you’re looking for an outstanding horror title to entertain you throughout the spookiest time of year.

Ghost Hunt is one of those animes where I was just looking for a cool anime to watch just for the heck of it,and I can say that I will never regret choosing to watch it ^_^

I personally loved the anime,because the music was amazing and set the stage for the exciting/mysterious mood the anime has.

The characters are very memorable and are one of the main things that kept me watching.
The anime develops the characters really well and made me care more when something happened to them during an investigation.

The plot is probably my favorite thing about the show besides the characters,because it took a ... very interesting and fun spin on ghost hunting,and the story arcs(or"Files")are pretty well spread out,usually covering 3-4 episodes.

The episodes are full of a bunch of suspenseful and shocking moments that will keep making you wonder what's going to happen next.

The anime is definitely creepy,not exactly scary(though there are some slight jumpscares throughout),but there'll still be those moments where you'll find yourself turning on all the lights in your house.

Overall,this is an anime that I would definitely recommend for anyone to watch :)

The art of ghost hunting is always beautiful if the story goes right. Ghost Hunt proved that statement and showed me the feelings I have lost ever since I began watching Dusk Maiden of Amnesia.

Story : 10/10

The story's very simple! Ghost hunting, and that's about it!

But one may question why such simplicity could become 10/10. Well. I can't really explain it. But it just is. It's like how any dish could taste better if it was put in a more luxury plate.

Art : 10/10

I hesitated to watch this anime because the thumbnail looks like some kind of oldschool crap from ... the 90s. After watching the anime, I am now proud to say that I was wrong. In fact, I was surprised that the art, animation and quality for this anime was actually very good for an anime from 2006.

Sound : 10/10

Oh the sound's one of the best thing about this show. It adds even more tense into scenes, making them become more thrilling, and most importantly, the opening is fucking awesome. I never skipped it because listening to it sounds like I'm about to enter a realm of awesomeness that could never be forgotten.

Character : 10/10

Some characters are qualified to be retarded because they've been plagued by the salt and toxicity of this genre so-called "drama". However, the majority of them are likable and I don't really mind the retarded ones that much since the story makes up for it.

Enjoyment : 10/10

Probably nearly as comparable or as comparable to Dusk Maiden of Amnesia on its prime. Very fun.

Overall : 10/10

You must read the manga after watching this show to get the full experience. If you don't then you'd probably give this show at least a 9 at best since it was left as a cliffhanger.

Overall, the show was fun and I enjoyed watching it. It's very nice to have something like this once in a while.

Ghost Hunt, in a short sentence, is Scooby Doo for teenagers. A flawed but watchable show, I came away from Ghost Hunt glad that I watched it, thinking it was decent but not blown away by any stretch of the imagination.

Art-

The show itself looks fine- probably well above average for when it came out- and has a few standout moments. Some of the ghostly entities themselves- particularly an evil spirit rising up from a well in the second arc and a frail, blood-covered ghost emerging from the darkness in the seventh arc- were really well done and were memorable. There are also multiple scenes throughout ... the show in which a large number of spirits are all on the screen at once and those are typically visually appealing. Mai, the female lead, also has dream sequences relating to the current case throughout the show and those often have nice visuals as well.

With all that said, both the opening and ending sequence are among the lamest, most boring and generic I've ever seen. With so much material and so many characters to work with it is unbelievable to me they couldn't find something better than, quite literally, a bunch of spheres changing colors. The opening sequence seriously reminds me of my desktop screensaver in which a random generic shape bounces across my screen, changes colors and then keeps doing it as it changes to a different color. I think they could have done a lot better.

Sound-

For the most part the voice acting was quite good, but I've got to call out the character of John Brown, who in the anime is from Australia. The fake Australian accent we get in the dub is god awful and not remotely believable. Half the time he sounds more Scottish than Australian. I can understand wanting to hire someone you know and trust- and they did indeed hire industry veteran Jason Liebrecht for the part- but he's literally from Texas and the fake Australian accent is rough to listen to. Hiring an actual Australian wasn't necessarily the play either, as it's entirely possible their accent would be too thick for Western audiences to properly understand at all times, but I think they could have done better than this.

The soundtrack was good. I know "good" is a lame and generic word for something, but that's just what it was. It was better than "okay", never bad and it wasn't quite "very good" or "great". Good is the right word. In particular, the music during the scenes in which the characters confront the main baddie of the arc, which is almost always some kind of ghost/spirit/apparition as opposed to a human, stood out to me. That said, there wasn't any track I felt compelled to add to my playlist after the fact. The music did what it needed to do and was respectable and that's the long and short of it.

Character/Story-

This area is likely where I had the most complaints, but it's a mixed bag as opposed to all bad. Starting out with the positive, almost all the self-contained arcs were enjoyable little short stories in and of themselves, felt different from one another and had different kinds of resolutions. For the most part each character among the fairly large main cast actually mattered and contributed and it didn't feel at any point like it was a one man show or like any character was utterly useless. Everyone always did something, or multiple things, to help solve the problem.

The thing is, the anime chose to focus so much on the individual case by case arc by arc situation that was occurring that nothing else ever developed beyond the absolute bare minimum. There simply is no overarching plot, period. There just isn't. At the end of the anime there really aren't any bigger picture longstanding questions to be answered because, well, those questions simply were not asked in the first place. Character relationships do not progress in a remotely believable way. By the end of the show the main cast has worked together for over a full year and yet their relationships have not progressed whatsoever. They all still talk to each other, know about each other and feel about each other exactly as they did in the first or second arc. It's to the point where you could watch the arcs, other than the first which sets everything up, in a completely random order and it would not change anything.

There are countless small examples of this that individually are eye-rollers and not a big deal, but together, adding up over time, really begin to detract from the show. For example, nine months into working together main character Mai makes it clear in a conversation with Monk she has no idea how old he is. Not believable. Likewise, Mai has a crush on the male lead, Naru, pretty much from the start though she constantly notes he's a self-centered, arrogant jerk. How does she feel a year later? She has a crush on him and thinks he's a self-centered, arrogant jerk. Her crush has not grown nor faded. She's not gotten over it and moved on with time nor has she fallen even more in love. It's simply exactly the same as it was a year ago with zero progression or development for better or worse. Again, not believable.

The arcs as a whole do not feel connected. We're largely watching a number of self-contained short stories- each having its own mystery- and that's the whole show.

Addressing the arcs themselves, I have a more positive than negative opinion of them to be sure, but they were not without flaws. Many of them are extremely predictable, with the most egregious offender being the third arc in which they hint extremely strongly who the villain is by the second episode and then drag it out for two more episodes only to confirm yes, the one we made it clear as day is the bad guy is in fact the bad guy, much to the surprise of all the characters.

As an in general the arcs that were four episodes felt a touch too long and could have been wrapped up in three episodes. Two would have been too few but a lot of the time with four there was too much talking both at the beginning and the end with overly drawn out explanations. Three would have been the sweet spot. Mysteriously, there was one single episode in a show that was otherwise filled with multiple episode long arcs, that was completely self contained that began and solved its mystery all within one episode. That episode in particular felt completely unnecessary and super rushed and was a low point of the show. That episode simply did not need to exist and it added absolutely nothing to the show as a whole.

And, finally, there are a plethora of conveniences and too many instances of characters being outright stupid. A main character says in a conversation SHE FORGOT SHE WAS PSYCHIC. Come on man... Is that remotely believable? Likewise, in one of the mysteries a child character who is unable to speak is playing a game of hide and seek and he chooses to hide on a rooftop when bad weather hits and the adults can not find him. Zero explanation is given as to how he got up there in the first place, but there's visibly a ladder leading up to where he is so we can assume he climbed it to get up there. Fine. Why then could he not use that exact same ladder to get down? Likewise, with adults directly below him calling for him and looking for him, even though he cannot speak could he not do ANYTHING- push the ladder down, throw his shoe down at them, smack his shoe against the side of the building to make noise- ANYTHING- to get their attention? He doesn't, and instead the character literally dies up there and is never found. Because, you know, even after the fact no one would think to climb the ladder and check. There were too many times where characters were that level of stupid for the sake of the plot needing them to be. A lot of events shown in this anime would not be possible if characters with common sense were involved.

Enjoyment-

This anime can be enjoyable if you come into it with the right expectations. I came in blind and this anime didn't have a couple things I expected it to have- namely an overarching plot whatsoever and moments that were actually scary- so I was a bit underwhelmed. The show doesn't even have jump scares and I can't imagine any adult would be truly frightened by anything shown here. It approaches atmospherically creepy once in a while but that's as far as it will ever go. There isn't anything that happens in this show that will leave you sleeping with one eye open. Basically, to enjoy this show you need to come into it with the understanding you'll be watching eight different self-contained short stories that happen to revolve around the same group of characters solving the case, much like Scooby Doo and the gang, but nothing more.

Overall-

Ghost Hunt is one of those shows in which the viewer must have the right expectations in order to enjoy. If you're someone who needs depth and character development you'll find more frustration than enjoyment here, as it simply does not have those things. However, if you can enjoy self-contained short stories and just take things for what they are with no expectation of anything grander Ghost Hunt might be worth a watch. The stories themselves are fairly interesting, the characters are likable and it's not a dark or nightmare-inducing show 99% of the time. A decent watch for the horror or mythology anime fan but nowhere near an all time hidden gem.

+Large cast of likable characters that all contribute
+Eight different mysteries that feel unique from one another and are interesting to watch
+Solid voice acting, minus John Brown

-Non-developed, non-progressing interpersonal relationships
-Plethora of conveniences/characters being dumb for the sake of the plot
-Frequently predictable

OBJECTIVE RATING- Strong 6 Weak 7
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 6.5

(I try to keep my reviews short and sweet and straight to the point without giving away spoilers with that said lets get this show on the road)

This anime had potential to be something more however I felt like they took short cuts.
Character development was zero but overall enjoyable.

This show has

1. Supernatural (They fight/slay ghost,spirits and monster)
2. No gore/blood (A little here and there both nothing special)
3. No romance (Nothing heavy except for crushes)
... 4. Action ( They fight the supernatural)
5. Comedy (Little jokes nothing to take over the main reason of the anime)

Overall 14+ should watch this anime. Anime is good if you are now starting to break through in the anime world. There is nothing special about this anime it is decent.

Story: I found the story of Ghost Hunt to great. The synopsis of this Anime doesn't do it any justice. A unique thing about Ghost Hunt, is it focuses more on the scientific search for ghosts. Also, the series does have different cases. Each case is unique, and the series hardly gets boring.

One of the more negative things to the series is the romantic side story. The pure drama presented by the romantic side story, in my opinion, is annoying. Oddly enough, this drama later becomes hilarious in a few of the episodes. Whether it was done on purpose, I'm not sure.

Art: The ... art in this Anime really surprised me. It was well done, and I never found myself asking, "Why is that even there?" One troublesome thing however, is that the characters tend to look similar. I would have preferred more variety.

Also, this Anime does tend to use darker themed art. It enhances the more dramatic scenes for viewers. At times though, there's a great contrast between locations in the series. Some are lighter, and some are darker. It can often be easier to predict the storyline this way.

Sound: The sound in this Anime is actually quite good. The theme really does capture the viewer right away. I had the theme in my head for days though, all through watching this Anime. The music is quite good throughout the whole series, and the sound effects are fantastic.

It might be annoying to some though, that the amount of dialogue changes. There will be scenes of complete dialogue, and then scenes of nothing but silence or static sounds. This is done on purpose, but it can still catch the viewer off guard. The plot does pull the viewer in, and the sound may not even be noticed that much.

Character: I found the characters to be the best part of this Anime. There are so many complex levels to each character. At first, we tend to hate Shibuya Kazuya, because he comes across as cold. As the series progresses however, more is revealed about why that's so. Luckily, there aren't many characters though.

The contrast between each character is amazing, and works rather well. Each character does tend to lean toward another though, and we often see the group off in pairs. This can be extremely annoying, because there is always side drama from this. Each characters unique value to the team though, makes it rather believable.

Enjoyment: I think people will enjoy this Anime, especially if they watch it in the dark. I certainly was never bored with this Anime, and the different cases kept me guessing quite often. If viewers have a high paranormal type interest, this Anime is probably for them.

Overall: Ghost Hunt was a great Anime to watch. For not knowing much about it at first, I'm definitely glad I gave it a shot. The characters are fantastic, the music is great, and the plot stays pretty fresh. I definitely think many viewers will enjoy this Anime.

Anime has fictional characters soo in anime i find one emotion hard to come by... FEAR. I highly recommend you watch GHOST HUNT! in one investigation i truly felt fear, not because i was scared something was gonna pop up and get me and not because something sick, twisted, and or disturbing happened, its because everyone thinks this at least once in there life and when someone says these taboo words aloud with frantic, needy eyes, you too will remember how you felt or feel now. it leaves you with a cold chill. that is why ... i love ghost hunt soo much.

i love how music plays in the background while they talk creating tension or how they stop all sound and create a echo sound that feels like its echoing through your tv/computer and into your room. it keeps you on your toes.

i love how they shadow parts of scenes or people and leave other things bold or soft to make a tense, scared, or innocent look.

i dont like people who take credit for others hard work...is mai really the one who helps in investigations or is it the one she see's when she closes her eye's. can't she figure it out herself ...not a fan of useless people who only rely on others. thats the only thing i dislike about this show.

Main
This is a great anime. The word “underdog” doesn't even seem to justify the level of neglect or oversight this series has received or is it better said, the degree of attention this series has NOT received from the anime mass media outlets....and partly this is understandable because there ARE bigger and better animes out there, BUT STILL! I mean, I subscribe to a lot of the anime magazines, not to mention, I visit many of the anime news sites and I don't remember this show getting too much coverage.....if any at all. Which is a shame because this a very cool ... show that's not only funny and intriguing but has a very cute cast of characters and puts considerably unique spin on it's take on both the Horror and Mystery genres.

Art-Style
Standard....which is fine. I don't expect to be 'WOW'ed by every anime I watch, nor to I want to be 'WOW'ed visually by an anime only to find out later that the story lacked any depth, substance and/or integrity....or it was just completely and totally benign intellectually.

Sound
I really don't remember the various music throughout the series.... I just liked the fact that both the OP and ED were not your standard run-of-the-mill J-POP/ballads and kind of reminded me of The X-Files. This series was watched in Japanese, and the Japanese Voice cast did a great job.

Story
Ghost Hunt is told in a unique way by having each case [story] broken down into chapters, some of the chapters are long [3-4 episodes] and others are short [1 episode]....for some reason I'm impressed by this. Who knows why. Ghost Hunt falls into three main anime categories: School, Mystery and Horror. I am really liking this Mystery and Horror aspect of the show, It is a welcome sight to see a relatively clean[non-sexually tinged] yet still entertaining anime that's able to hold the viewer's attention with it's solid narration and intriguing mysteries. I think the last really really REALLY good anime mystery I saw were Monster and then Gantz! ....And well, about the scary part, it's not scary as in the Western [US/UK] sense of the word where it's all about how gory a show can get, but in the Japanese sense....just like how The Ring or The Grudge [the originals Japanese versions] were scary, in that creepy, goosebumps kind of way.........and I'm not the type to get scared or unnerved very easily. So that says A LOT!!!

Cast/Characters
There are a lot of interesting and very likable characters introduced throughout the series. All the main characters are very attractive and have very nice personalities which kept the show light-hearted, despite it being a Horror/Mystery. I especially like the two main characters of the show: Mai—with her spunky can-do attitude she reminds me of Sakura from Card Captors, I also like her haircut which is very cute. I also liked Naru, frankly because I thought he looked AMAZINGLY HOT!! I love the Black hair/Blue eyes combo He is the epitome of bishounen. I liked his cool demeanor and even the way he was drawn. But the chemistry between all the main characters were nice.

Worth it or NOT?
This a very admirable show. It has a lot of creepy moments but it was also very entertaining and fun to watch. I was never bored with it nor did I roll my eyes in disgust at it's “sheer predictability”—like I do with so many shows—nope, no eye-rolling because there was never a predictable moment with this series. This is worth buying and re-watching, especially around Halloween Season....or if you are an insomniac like me, then late at night [around 2 AM] in your very dark bedroom.

I really liked how the moment you whatch it you can't really stop. It's one of though shows that I saw by accident and hate when it ends. I really do hope their will be a 2 season.

I heard that the anime and the manga is based off a novle but I ccna't seem to find it though......

This is an amazing anime. You know how when someone's reading a really good book and they describe the book as "unputdownable" well the same concept goes to Ghost Hunt. You just can't stop watching it once you've started.

Story: 10/10
I actually thought it was quite a unique anime. It was the first horror/thriller anime that I watched and it got me hooked on that genre. I really liked the whole ESP references and they way they solved the cases. It makes the whole series almost realistic to the point where you think; "What if something like this really does exist" and it creeps ... you out a bit or even scares you. Which is the whole point and I believe this anime deserves a pat on the back for a job well done! It can also spark your interest with the whole psychic concept which is really quite interesting. AND not only is Ghost Hunt thrilling and scary it's also quite funny! So a round of applause for merging those two together!

Art: 10/10
The art is also unique in it's own way. The art is a bit more the realistic side than to the animated side which is good for a horror/thriller genre anime since it's main purpose is to seem real enough to creep out the viewers or even frighten them a bit. I think the artist did a good job with art in this anime and deserves a pat on the back! :)

Sound: 10/10
I gave the sound aspect a 10. Why? BECAUSE THE SOUND EFFECTS ARE JUST TOO SCARY. Plus I really liked the opening song as well as the ending song. The music used for them were beautiful! The sound effects used for the thrilling parts of the anime honestly made me jump or hide under my blanket. Sometimes I even had to pause it for a while to calm down. Lol, maybe that's just me being a total scaredy-cat but ah well.

Character: 10/10
The characters fit in together so perfectly. So there's the brains/leader (Naru), the medium (Masako), the priest (John), the fail priestess (Ayako (Although there is a running gag that Ayako is a failure at being a priestess so she does nothing but run errands)), the monk (Bou-san), the onmyouji (Lin) and the psychic (Mai). They're the perfect ghost hunting team.

Enjoyment: 10/10
VERY VERY ENJOYABLE, INDEED! It's a really awesome anime that just really kind of blows your mind! Most of the cases are really scary and it keeps you hooked on til the end. And when you reach the end, you're left wanting more. It's not hard to re-watch the series cos it's extremely enjoyable!

Therefore an overall of 10/10 is given to this anime and it deserves it! :D

Just another anime ghost series you wouldn't want to miss to check out, at least even just once, in your lifetime. Overall I am glad I picked up this series even if it gets a 9 out of 10 only for me...which I will explain more below.

Story (9 out of 10):

The overall plot centers around a group of supernatural psychics and the different supernatural cases/mysteries that they are asked/hired to solve together. Now, each episodes are titled as files with their own given number. And each files sometimes has one, two or the maximum of four parts (e.g we'd call them as 'arcs' in other ... animes). Although there are several different file cases in which the mystery answers as to why or who is behind that particular supernatural event that they're trying to solve are painstakingly clear--and is the major reason why I'm giving this show a 9 out of 10-- that even I could figure the answerd out right from the first part of that specific supernatural case file, this series still offers its audience a refreshingly original variety of bone-chilling ghost stories that you will definitely still be able to appreciate as a one-time watch. On a personal note, I will probably watch this series for another round, sometime in the future (but with other people, instead of by myself, in a SUPER dark room, in the middle of the DAY.)

Art (8 out of 10):

The series was aired back in 2006-2007 so it is understandable that the art isn't as vibrantly colorful and smooth like most shows you can find today, but I don't think those are even needed for this ghost series, because the way the art itself was executed in this series hits the nail on the head really good, that if you were watching this alone, by yourself, in a dark room, even if it's during the middle of the day, you will still be pausing the show every now and then, and slowly turning around and peeking behind your shoulders if there would be any shadows or figure stalkig you from behind....No kidding, regretfully, I got a lot of goosebumps and heart-stopping moments watching this show alone, in a dark room, in the middle of the day, even. That's how good the execution of those scary ghost scenes are in this show for you.

Sound (9 out of 10):

The sound are overall actually really really good --But I'm still giving it a 9 only out of 10 because they're used effectively throughout each episode they just effortlessly made the show even creepier, spookier and damn scarier watching the show alone, in a dark room, in the middle of the day! Jokes aside, the execution of the background music are well-done, and truly brings the scary or intense atmosphere/scenes double the scarier/intense-er.

The OP and ED perfectly fits this series, in my opinion. And halfway throughout watching this series, I even came to liking the ending so much because of how sad but mysteriously melancholy and enchanting feeling it makes me feel listening to it. The OP is good too, but perhaps it's kind of too spooky for me (I can't handle too much spookiness) that I just can't say I like it too much haha, and that's why I giving the sound a 9 out of 10.

Character (7 out of 10):

I think all the characters are not fleshed out and wasn't given deeper details in this show because it largely wants to focus on the different stories of the supernatural cases that the group of friends are trying to solve instead of the characters that are solving them. But this somewhat irks me--a lot. I actually would have loved to actually be able to get to know more about some of the characters background stories and of how they came to be (for some of them) part-time monk, priestess, or excorcist.

So, in the beginning of the series, we first are introduced to the 17 year old Shibuya Naru who is his own manager for his own Supernatural Research Agency; Mai the 1st year of high schooler, and Lin the mysterious Chinese assistant of Naru.

And then the rest of the cast came in and became permanent side-characters after the first supernatural case file was completed. The rest of them were the Monk dude, the Priestess lady, that TV well-known Medium-psychic girl, and John Brown, the blonde-blue-eyes christian Exorcist. Sorry, but I can only remember the exorcist's name easily because well, his name was simple to remember. Don't get me wrong, the other characters actually grew on me more than John himself actually. But I just find it hard to remember japanese names. But with that said I think all the characters are poorly fleshed out and not given much depth, but in overall their own distinct individual quirks will/will not perhaps grow on you too.

Overall (9 out of 10):

In overall, again, like I said, if you're looking for some good ghostly scares slash detective-cracking-mysteries style of shows to pass some time, this show is definitely within the radar of those you wouldn't want to miss watching. It's definitely a rare gem with it's own sparks, amongst the ghost genre of animes today.

Ghost Hunt is, in my opinion, a little under-appreciated. In fact, I never knew or heard anything about it before watching, but when I saw it, it caught my attention. And I am glad that it did!

Story 8/10: I will admit, the story is a little slow in the beginning but it definitely gets better as you go along. It is a really intriguing and different show, kind of like a better version of those ghost hunting shows on TV, hence the name Ghost Hunt. The story is divided into case files with each case file having a total of two to three episodes. ... So, there isn't really a continuous story-line but as you progress through the series the case files get more intense/suspenseful (***Bloodstained-Labyrinth***).

Art 7/10: I can't really complain about the art, nothing all that odd or bothersome comes to mind right now.

Sound 9/10: The sound for this series is really amazing. The opening and ending song are not what you would expect of an anime; there are no lyrics in either one but the ending song is so beautiful that it really doesn't need any. However, the background music is what really makes this anime great; it provides the perfect atmosphere for a suspenseful/creepy moment and yet is also able to transition into a more peaceful moment.

Character 7/10: I was pleasantly surprised to figure out at the end of the series that I actually never hated a single one of the characters. Liking the characters in a show is pretty important, because even one annoying character could ruin a show for someone. I personally liked everyone in the show, but then again, not a whole lot of time was devoted to getting to know each of the characters. The show mainly focuses on Mai and Kazuya. Oh but the characters do add to the mysteriousness of the show, they each have some special abilities that you get to learn more about as the show goes on which is interesting.

Enjoyment 10/10 : I definitely enjoyed this show, so much so that I was sad to see it end. One night I even watched seven episodes in a row! I really wish there was a second season.

Overall 8/10: I love this show and hope this review encourages more people to watch this. Overall this puts a :) on my face and I hope it does the same for you!

**My personal overall score is a 10 but I just took the average of the other scores***

I started watching this anime manly do to the fact that I was bored and I'm glad I was, So this anime is all about ghost if you couldn't tell by the name but its not the same as other anime's out there about ghost. Its main focus is spirits, religion, and Japanese history folk tale. this sounds a bit weird but they pull it off in such a way that its great. The story is kinda slow in the first episode but makes you want more and I must say the last three cases (last 9 episode or so) are griping and a must ... watch, I'm not saying don't watch the other episodes, you must watch the other episodes because the grow on you in a way that you fell for each person and care for one another and its important to the main characters and story line . If you skip them you wont feel as much for the characters.

Over all its a much watch if you haven't seen it already. Yes it is a old anime but it still stands strong.

The only problem i have with this anime is that they never tell you what happens to the characters, all I wanted to see was a love relationship to start in the end even if it was just a still photo of 2 characters of the kissing or just holding hands. Other then that its a great anime.