As I said, the narrative of the story is confusing - very confusing actually, at least in the first half of the series.
During the first half ( the line can be pulled anywhere between Episodes 6 - 8 ) we are presented with all the data and events pertaining to the mystery ( or rather, mysteries ) that are then solved during the second half. Apart from the main events and aspects of the cases in hand, we are also shown some important backstories and seemingly unrelated side-stories that are later revealed to play a crucial part in the unfolding chain of events and are essential in understanding the causes and motivations of the perpetrators of the crimes, as well as the actions of some of the investigators.
The relatively large cast of characters is also introduced during this first half, but not all at once over the course of an episode or two, but very gradually ( it's not until Episode 7 that we've met all of the protagonists ), and there really isn't a central character, a single protagonist. Rather, the focus of the story switches between several different characters; some of them are the investigators, some suspects and some future victims.
This two-halves format of storytelling is very effective in a murder mystery, as it first fully introduces us to the characters and the mystery before proceeding to gradually solve it through investigation and deduction. However, the way the first half is executed is what turns most people away from this show.
The events of the first half are not told in a linear fashion. Instead, bits and pieces of the story are thrown around practically randomly. The first episode is relatively straightforward, but after that, the narrative dissolves in a series of backstories, flash-backs and flash-forwards ( the latter two often in a sequence ), as well as many surreal and seemingly inexplicable scenes. This completely destroys the feel for passage of time, making it extremely hard to grasp the true sequence of time and events in the story. The second half is almost completely linear and straightforward, with only a couple of short scenes that feel surreal or non-linear.
Because of this, I strongly recommend re-watching the first 6-7 episodes once you've watched them for the first time - it will help you to better grasp the things that happened and give you extra time to put the events in order.
Needless to say, Mouryou no Hako requires your full attention and at least some thinking ( you don't have to be a genius or a super-computer to understand the story ) in order to properly enjoy and comprehend it.
Apart from the non-linear storytelling in the first half, there's another reason why many people might be alienated by the story, and it's also the main reason why this show wasn't localised in America - Japanese spiritual mythology ( and there's A LOT of it, it plays the central role in the story ).
The show's title - "Mouryou no Hako" ( roughly translated as "Box of Goblins", or "A demon's box" ) is a direct reference to a particular branch of Shinto/Buddhist/Tao(?) mythology; Mouryou is a kind of an evil spirit that possesses the mentally distraught and psychologically disturbed people, finally pushing them over the edge. The show dedicates quite a lot of time to explaining, in fine detail, the history and nature of the Mouryou and some other mythological spirits and priests that fight those beings.
Some may find the explanations tedious and the scenes in which they take place not that well visually conceived/executed, resulting in them being boring.
Also, I feel important to mention that this "supernatural aspect" of the mystery might seem a bit like "cheating"; I mean, if it's the evil spirits that make people commit crime, then it completely takes away from the moral, emotional and psychological implications of the murders, right?
Well, that would be correct, but the spirits in the story aren't "exactly" the real perpetrators, and they are never directly confirmed to even really exist. It's not easy to explain, but essentially, you can easily interpret these "Mouryou" as nothing more than metaphors. Several characters in the show are clearly mentally unstable or even downright demented, and many others, including several protagonists, do not believe in evil spirits - indeed, the show takes a very realistic and empirical approach to the cases at hand, and the spiritualism involved is often criticized as being a hoax or trickery.
Hence the spirits that supposedly possess already disturbed people, Mouryou, can be seen as nothing more than a superstitious explanation of genuine psychological disorders and mental breakdowns of these people.
On the other hand, one of the main investigators is definitely confirmed to be clairvoyant, so the supernatural forces clearly do exist in the story's universe.
Still, even if they *do* exist, Mouryou aren't active forces of evil. They do not force otherwise normal people to commit heinous crimes out of the blue; they only seem to possess those that are already under severe emotional and mental strain, and only give them that final push that makes them commit murder/suicide/etc. Due to this limited nature of supernatural interference, the story manages to keep its sense of realism despite a heavy amount of spiritual elements.
However, I haven't said anything yet about the most important issue of the story: is the mystery any good? Well, I can't prove it to you without major spoilers, so you'll have to trust me when I say: yes, it's pretty good. The story gives you enough information to form some solid theories by the half-way point, but non-linear presentation of this data means you'll find it hard to be confident in your theories. During the second half some extra info is given and new events put the previously ( relatively ) passive investigators into action. The ultimate resolution of the case is given in the last two episodes, and it is a bit confusing, especially if you aren't paying your full attention ( again, this is not something you can watch casually and still get it ). I do have some minor issues regarding the time frame; couple of events and plot points happen a little too shortly after each other for it to be feel 100% natural and believable.
[ MAJOR SPOILER ALERT] Kubo meets Amemiya on the train on September 1st, a day after Kanako's kidnapping, and only a couple of days later he has already recruited his father for his serial killings AND made all those boxes custom-made to hold their limbs and fit perfectly between buildings ( measurements and construction of these boxes alone would take at least a couple of days ) AND tracked down at least one girl, abducted and dismembered her...
[ END OF SPOILER]
So, all in all, the mystery is well conceived and executed, and ultimately adds up, which is the single most important thing in such stories.
Now, what about the characters? Sadly, but not unexpectedly ( seeing as this is a short and complicated murder mystery that rightly puts the focus on the plot ), the characters are mostly not very developed and forgettable.
Yoriko and Kanako, two teenage girls and classmates, who are introduced in Episode 1 and play a key role in the story, are probably the best developed characters in the show, especially Yoriko, whose relationships with her mother and Kanako not only develop her character a lot, but are also crucial in unraveling the mystery.
Other relatively developed characters include Kanako's relative Yoko Yuzuki, another key character, and one of the investigators, Tatsumi Sekiguchi, a freelance novelist and the closest thing this show has to a protagonist.
While I stated that they are underdeveloped, there are only a few who can be classified as nothing more than plot-devices disguised as characters. They are only as developed as the plot necessitates, meaning that we only get to see one or two traits or quirks in each character, but that's OK and each character has a purpose and role in the story.
Overall, while they aren't thoroughly developed as persons, the cast of characters is satisfying and the characterisation and casting mostly manage to stay away from cliches or caricatures.
As for the visuals, the series was produced by Studio Madhouse, so the high quality and consistency are a given. Of course, the backgrounds are all detailed, and the colours used well, blah blah blah, but the best way to describe the visuals, and the series in general, really, is with one word: atmospheric.
Indeed, be it mundane street scenes, or emotional dialogues between Yoriko and Kanako in the moonlight, or discussions on the nature of Mouryou in the secluded village in the countryside, or even the strange dream-like sequences in the beginning of most episodes, the audio-visual experience is consistently atmospheric and very surreal. However, although I say surreal, and this show really leaves that impression on the viewer a number of times, making it feel more like a dream or fantastic experience rather than a dark murder mystery, and even though the first half is extremely confusing, I cannot describe any part of the story as "mindfuck". Mindfuck would mean that the scene, episode, or the entire story is just randomly thrown in, makes little to no sense whatsoever regarding the past or future events, and leaves you feeling violated. Here, no matter how strange or surreal or confusing the scene might seem, in the end they can be perfectly justified, either by virtue of hindsight or as bizarre behaviour of mentally deranged people.
Despite the occasional painfully obvious CGI vehicle thrown in and atypical character designs for a Studio Madhouse show ( they were actually designed by CLAMP ), the visuals are very beautiful and enhance the feeling of the story. The animation itself, even though scarce seeing as this is a mystery thriller ala Death Note ( meaning lots of talking and little action ), is pretty good, keeping the characters in model and preventing the show from feeling like a slideshow.
The music only has a supporting role to enhance the mood and atmosphere set by the visuals, and is therefore largely unnoticeable and forgettable. The soundtrack is minimalistic, relying heavily on soft piano pieces and violin solos.
OP and ED are also nothing spectacular, but they fit the series well.
The opening is bright and upbeat, showing most of the cast and offering some nicely animated and even artistic shots of the setting and characters, all to the tune of a somewhat generic yet appropriate J-pop song.
The ending is much darker with more simplistic visuals, as is the case with most endings. The song featured is very distorted both in an instrumental, vocal and lyrical sense. Both the ED and OP are representative of the series, as it switches its mood from bright and relaxed scenes of tranquility to disturbing insights into the morbid killings and dismembering of young girls.
There's really no point in discussing the voice-acting; since the series was never localised in the US, there's no dub to talk about and the Japanese voice actors are well cast and fit their characters' personalities, as is expected of seiyuu.
To conclude, Mouryou no Hako is not a show for everyone and even the fans of the mystery genre will not universally like this. The distinctly Japanese spiritualism that underlines the story might alienate the more casual anime fans, and the confusing non-linear narrative of the first half of the series can also put you off the entire story.
Nevertheless, the show remains a rewarding experience for those persistent and keen enough to see it through to the end. It's a heavily atmospheric and even surreal story about insanity and obsession, and ultimately, a well-constructed mystery that delivers on its premise. The setting of the story in post-war Japan is an extra plus for the fans of historical settings.
All in all, a somewhat flawed ( lack of character development ) and quite confusing, but still a very good show. 7.8/10
