Story:
I was completely wrong about Corpse Party. The trailer & every comment on here seems to only focus on the gore. Is there gore? Yes, but it's not just an open chop fest without meaning. There's an actual really good story line that builds up and explain every situation that is occurring and why the murders are happening. The undertone of Corpse Party gives off a strong sense of mystery, which is then overlayed with horror. This is the best horror anime/ova I have seen so far. I've searched really hard for new horror anime and nothing comes close to Corpse Party. You'll hear people screaming out titles like Gantz, but Gantz is more Sci-Fi genre or Elfen Lied, which is more dramatic/suspense/gore.
Sound:
When it comes to sound, many just comment on the soundtrack. But I've went to school for Audio Engineering, so I'm going to be very detailed as possible. The foley work of the sound design team was phenomenal!!!! More phenomenal then actual live action movies. The grisly ooze of guts and the screeches of knife shanks actually made Corpse Party really creepy. The sound is what made this anime horror, not the gore. It puts you in a mood of Alford Hitchcock flick vibe. The re-recorder mixer did a perfect job at panning at each footstep and breathe gasp to build dissonance of the disturbed characters.
Character:
At times I got angry at the characters, because it seem that the actions they decided to take, they deserved to die i.e ( splitting up after seeing your friend get killed, what?!?!) But the characters had their unique sense of personality and played their roles very well. I found myself at times screaming at my tv and saying " What are you doing!!!!!" But hey if horror movie has you talking at loud, then it's really good horror flick.
Art:
The art work actually fits the anime and genre. I have watched animes in the past where the art is to flashy and poppy for the story. The artwork was done very cinematic looking, but not where harmonics of the characters over-powered the movement and the feel.
Overall:
Just go and watch it. I was reluctant to watch it at first because I dislike programs that has so much gore but no meaning. Corpse Party is about extreme gore, but the story is worthwhile for a 4 video OVA, You get the both of best worlds.
