This was something I had been looking for ever since I started watching a play through of the PSP game. Now I have always loved horror, I've just never mixed that with my obsession with anime, and when I did, I started with Attack on Titan, and I was hooked.
I searched high and low for a good anime that I wanted to be one of my first gory and gut-wrenching show. I finally came across this 4 episode OVA and was ecstatic! It looked rather good after having read the summery and a few reviews, and I decided what the hell, I'll give it a go.
I just finished it about twenty minutes ago and I'm still trying to process some of the things I had seen. Indeed it stuck well with what I had seen of the game, and I liked that, but for me it wasn't gory enough. Yes there were moments when eyes were stabbed and hands punched not only through doors but through peoples stomachs that got me gagging and little yet also laughing at how great it was. I think I may be a bit of a psycho, oh well.
I had been expecting a sort of mindless-blood bath sort of thing, but this actually had a decent plot line with it. Friendship, survival, revenge, and death. Those are the words that come to mind when I think about this. And that is basically what it is, you start with friends who always want to be together( sweet right ? ), then you mix in a charm gone wrong and a hell of dead bodies, dash some insanity in there, and you get suicide, murder, and death by splat. Its a mess for a while there, one after another people dying and blood flying until finally we settle down to finding out what the hell is going on. I didn't really enjoy the flash back as much as I did in the game, it was very void of detail and very quickly put together. I was looking forward to that scene, excited to see how they would write it. Sadly I was quite disappointed.
After that we come to ending the horrid string of deaths, and even having someone fight an 'inner demon', I think they called it, and then bang we have a happy ending solving a few of our questions and with that said and done we head back home. Only to have a major shock in the end. The shock well I was almost crying...
Anyway, there are a few blank spots that I would have loved to have filled in, the principles son as well as that end scene, but over all I think it wrapped things up well leaving you guessing and wondering just enough.
Story:: 7
It did not live up to what I had expected sadly, and the story wasn't the most original thing I'd seen, but it was still good.
Now for the art, I would say its fairly decent a bit more of the generic art style, or that was how it seemed to me. The fluency of the scenes where pretty good. I only had a few slight problems (only something I would think of I'm sure) with the blood, such as the way it pooled and how it would spray out, it made it all seem to fake-like in a sense, but like I said its nothing that would bother a normal person. As for the many expressions of the characters, they were pretty typical as well. But nonetheless I enjoyed it, simplicity can be good from time to time.
Art:: 8
It was okay, as I said I am picky on somethings so the reused type of blood circular pooling was a bit hard to believe.
Sound, I thought was great for the most part. Both the opening and ending are amazing and I think fit the theme well ( they are going to my favorites vault ), and the background music was fit perfectly. I had a few problems with the voices though, while for the most part, they were good, very fitting for the characters and such, I felt that some of the screaming just wasn't right. I could imagine it being a little hard to get a scream of agony or terror right without experiencing those situations yourself, but still some didn't even feel like the VA was trying. On the flip side, gurgling, crying, and such sounds were good, adding tension when needed. I had some problems with the laughter of some characters, it didn't sit right with me, but I am picky person as I said. I love to hear a good insanely crazy like laugh ever now and again.
Sound:: 8
A few things missing here and there, but overall not to bad.
I enjoyed most of the characters; they were diverse, fun, and exciting, making each killing more and more enjoyable as it fit with its victim. I however did not enjoy Yuka's adorable little sister act. She is fourteen, she doesn't need to be child like which I think caused a lot of issues for her in the end. I was very upset with that end, I love both Satoshi and Naomi, but sadly they didn't end with a great big kiss like most horror movies these days. Some characters added enough light heartedness while some balanced that out with there bleaker perspective, then you also have the person who went insane ( okay theres two and i love them both), he was fun while he lasted. I love a good psychopathic freak so I defiantly found a few new favorites! ( Even if one did have a little sister complex... )
Character:: 7
Like I said they were diverse and made things even more exciting.
I enjoyed my experience with Corpse Party even if it meant I only got 2 hours of sleep. It was different from what I'm use to and it wasn't like the movies we see so often on TV. It actually had a story. There was a reason for the killings and it told you them in a good amount of detail. I've always been a bit picky about what I watch and if I finish it and such, and I was surprised at how I finished this in just one night, I rarely ever do that. Sure it wasn't the best, I'm sure there is better, but I liked it for what I was looking for.
Enjoyment:: 8
Over all I will have to rate this an 8! Thanks for reading! I hope this an okay review... >_>
