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Ghost Hunt (TV).


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Animefreak6969



Joined: 18 Aug 2006
Posts: 587
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:44 am Reply with quote
omar235 wrote:
selenta wrote:
[/sarcasm]


Oh, I see...sorry about that it's so hard to tell on the internet. Twisted Evil


not really.........unless someones purposely trying to decieve you, its quite easy to tell the difference.sarcasm
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v1cious



Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6227
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:47 am Reply with quote
is this show actually about ghosts? cause episode 3 was really disappointing. i can't believe they had all that buildup for such a lame conclusion. granted they tried to do something different, but spoiler[psychic powers?] come on, that's just ridiculous.
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Animefreak6969



Joined: 18 Aug 2006
Posts: 587
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:57 am Reply with quote
v1cious wrote:
is this show actually about ghosts? cause episode 3 was really disappointing. i can't believe they had all that buildup for such a lame conclusion. granted they tried to do something different, but spoiler[psychic powers?] come on, that's just ridiculous.


ridiculous just because of spoiler[psychic powers]? or ridiculous becasue the way they ended it. because i agree the way they ended that was like......."Okay then."
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blind_assassin



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 755
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:16 pm Reply with quote
I bet this show is going to move like Getbackers. It'll start off with a few pointless missions to establish character and whatnot and then it'll go into some long Ghost Hunt thing. Anyone who has read the manga is free to correct me if I'm wrong but thats how the show seems so far.
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selenta
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Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 1774
Location: Seattle, WA
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:34 pm Reply with quote
Personally, I really liked how the first arc ended. spoiler[The fact that it wasn't a ghost all along set a very good mood for the rest of the series. Think about it, you can never be completely sure what they cause of the disturbance is. Is it a human? A ghost? A natural phenomena? The first arc sets a great mood by showing you that everything is not always how it seems at first, demonstrates that the show will not be one repetitive and predictable ghost hunt after ghost hunt, and by showing us that the show is not limited to typical ghosts, it keeps you guessing at what exactly are the bounds to the world in the show. Personally, I thought the first arc was awesome in a lot of ways. Just think, if it was that dramatic and it wasn't even a real ghost... imagine what could happen when they encounter a real powerful one Smile ]
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d.yaro



Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 528
PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:59 pm Reply with quote
My two bits worth on poltergeists and this series' first story arc: I was with a woman who stated that she was a poltergeist agent during her early teens. She gave me a decent explanation of what a poltergeist is thought to be, along with her own personal experiences, as opposed to what they're popularised as. There were several other "extraordinary" charateristics about her, amongst them the following: As an adult she was much more sensitive to the presence of ghosts/spirits. I remember the one time when we stayed at a B&B where she claimed to have seen an apparition standing next to a shed across the road. When she went to the washroom at night she had me wait in the hallway outside the door. Another one: she could never wear a digital watch because her body's electrical patterns would mess them up.

Anyways, back to the series on hand: For me the poltergeist explanation wasn't a let down. If anything, it made me want to follow this series and it also qualifed, for me, that the writers had done a good job. They presented the poltergeist factor with an explanation that matches up with the description I had been given through a reasonably credible source (an actual past agent). Plus, from what I've read, that explanation appears to be the accepted one even though it doesn't appear to have any basis in science. Furthermore, I didn't guess on the poltergeist factor at all thanks to the way the story was worked. The clues were there but they were worked over in a fashion (with each exorcist/expert mucking about) so that the obvious explanation wasn't obvious at all.

My last observation for now... I was a touch spooked each time the OP credits sequence rolled by. It was worth a brief tingle on the skin and down the spine. The music and images worked well in creating those few brief moments of mystery and darkness. This is in spite of the fact that I didn't feel that the narration in the opening sequences contributed much to the "spookiness" or fright factor. I certainly am going to keep tabs on this series.
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masuzoe1989



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:58 am Reply with quote
oh~i like this show very much..it's one of the many anime that i have watch that will make me stick my eyes to the screen when watching it...the first file's ending blew me away..i'm impressed with the conclusion.really..and i think the second file is great too..spoiler[ dolls]~i got a bit scared watching but ghost hunt is really a good entertainment..i love shibuya(naru-chan),he is darn confident..and mai is simply comical in her way..LOL~
good show...i'm waiting anxiously for episode 6!!can't wait for the ending cause spoiler[ this time,it is really about a GHOST~ Shocked]
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:48 pm Reply with quote
Just finished 4-6 (the Doll House arc), and I have to say it's a very rewarding series thus far.

Contrary to the first 3 eps. where spoiler[ the phenomenon was simply a case of psychic powers gone haywire,] here in the Doll House arc, spoiler[ you've got 100% bona fide ghosts and spirits].

Needless to say, a lot of the atmosphere is brought out extremely well by the technical aspects.

Currently, I've got this little Homedics iCush chair that has a couple of speakers built into the back. And as I've stated before, the best way to induce horror and scary-type atmospheres is through music and sound effects, something you just don't hear a lot of in anime.

But wow! This arc really creeped me out on a few occassions. BIG commendation on Toshio Masuda for his work up to this point. The score does an amazing job putting you on the edge of your seat with the way it incorporates a lot of the sound effects and instruments into a chilling soundtrack. The crescendo and decrescendo of strings, whistles, and chimes, the loud and spontaneous clapping of doors and floors; it just all flows together very well, so big ups to the sound director as well.

Another commendable aspect is the artwork. Great job drawing and animating spoiler[ the ghost lady and the spirits of the dead children]. The lighting and shading had just the right touch to create that horrifying, yet awesome imagery.

As for the writing, I'm liking it a lot. The stories aren't complex or anything, but it leaves you guessing a lot of the time and provides a lot of explanation right after they start to confuse you a bit. Also, it's nice how they somewhat developed the characters through the first arc, so as to give a feel for all of their quirks and such for future stories. They have a good chemistry, yet the atmosphere is still able to remain so serious even with the small vignettes of comedy here and there (it makes Mai's character a little cute Razz).

Overall, I'm just hoping the stories and writing can sustain the level of consistency that's seen throughout the Doll House arc. It's not going to heralded as the most poignant of plots, but it's darn entertaining to say the least. This most recent arc was so enjoyable, I've bumped up my rating from a Good to Very Good.

I highly recommend this if you're looking for a good mystery title with a supernatural twist!
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Shiroi Hane
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Joined: 25 Oct 2003
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Location: Wales
PostPosted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 7:29 pm Reply with quote
I've recently picked up the first couple of manga and the anime is a very faithful adaptation thus far as well.
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d.yaro



Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 528
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:30 am Reply with quote
For the second story arc I collected all three episodes and watched them all in one run. It goes without saying that I found the trio to be a compelling viewing. Personally I thought that the story lost a small fraction of its intensity once it was revealed what the cast were up against. And there seemed to be a few short exchanges in the dialogue place there more or less for the purpose of establishing heuristics in dealing with the situation. Though they didn't break the flow of the story narrative, for me they had a small tinge of "preachiness" to them. Having said that, for me this story arc still retained the "spookiness" factor that I so much enjoyed in the first one. There were several effective sequences in presenting unexpected events (sudden violent sounds from unknown sources, inanimate objects moving, etc) that managed to increase my pulse and heartrate. Also, it was a touch, shall I say, comforting to know that some of the cast who weren't as effective in the first story arc were not that way in this one. With the establishment of each character having strengths suited to different circumstances it'll be very interesting to see what happens in the next story arc.

The one technical aspect of the animation that struck me as not being totally effective (on account of repeated use) were the split screen montages of cast members faces used to add dramatic emphasis at crucial points in the action. I didn't keep count but I suspect that the device was used more than five times. I believe my personal annoyance with the device comes from my feeling that I've seen it elsewhere enough times that its become a sort of visual cliche. It simply doesn't convey that much impact anymore.

This point is just me wondering out loud in print: What are the odds that a Western style house would've been erected in the late 1930's Japan? I suspect in that period the military was getting the upper hand on the civilian government in a large number of policy areas and the amount of pro-Japanese propaganda would've been increasing. I'm just thinking that building a Western style house to replace a Japanese style house would've not been viewed as an appropriate choice under those conditions... Oh well. Never mind... Because for the purposes of the story, I'd say that a "doll house" would more appropriately be a Western style house.
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Anthony P



Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 227
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US
PostPosted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:56 pm Reply with quote
Tony K. wrote:
Needless to say, a lot of the atmosphere is brought out extremely well by the technical aspects.

Currently, I've got this little Homedics iCush chair that has a couple of speakers built into the back. And as I've stated before, the best way to induce horror and scary-type atmospheres is through music and sound effects, something you just don't hear a lot of in anime.

But wow! This arc really creeped me out on a few occassions. BIG commendation on Toshio Masuda for his work up to this point. The score does an amazing job putting you on the edge of your seat with the way it incorporates a lot of the sound effects and instruments into a chilling soundtrack. The crescendo and decrescendo of strings, whistles, and chimes, the loud and spontaneous clapping of doors and floors; it just all flows together very well, so big ups to the sound director as well.

I have a pair of AKG 240s headphones (bought for digital-audio-workstation monitoring, but they're exceptional for general audio playback as well) so I pick up alot of details as well, and I agree that this series utilizes the soundtrack very well.


Quote:
Another commendable aspect is the artwork. Great job drawing and animating spoiler[ the ghost lady and the spirits of the dead children]. The lighting and shading had just the right touch to create that horrifying, yet awesome imagery.

I also thought it was animated well, but spoiler[when the spirits started visually appearing in the Doll House episodes] the way they were drawn struck me as being kind of cheesy and a bit ridiculous, but I was laughing pretty hard the whole way through. And it's the entertainment that really counts, right? Smile

Anyways, I'm liking this series alot so far. Has there even been any other paranormal-investigation/mystery titles very similar to this one?
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:27 pm Reply with quote
Finished 7-9 last weekend and 10 yesterday to complete the Curse arc.

For some reason, I've always preferred my share of supernatural stories to have more a spoiler[ "spiritual entity" twist like in the Doll House arc, rather than what we get here with the crazy and oppressed lady taking advantage of latent Onmyoudo powers. While it can be argued that some of her abilities summoned a few random spirits, it loses some of the credibility of a real bona fide poltergeist or something of that nature.]

Needless to say, it's still a decent little course of events. The mystery and intrigue of getting clues that lead to nowhere, throwing in factual information to contradict some of the testimony and confuse the audience, then finally a conclusion, while a bit obvious by that point, still leaves you maybe a little surprised with the outcome.

spoiler[ And I was nearly had by Naru's psychic abilities. When he bent that spoon the first time, I thought his possessing those powers was part of the reason he decided to take that profession. But in the fashion of the series' style of comedy, they ultimately disprove it, which I got a chuckle out of anyway.]

It's been a fun and entertaining series through the first 6 episodes, but something about this most recent arc just felt a little digressing. But I suppose it's good to diversify with all sorts of different cases instead of just the one type all the time. I'm looking forward to more of the series.
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omar235



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 1572
Location: Florida, Jacksonvile
PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:01 pm Reply with quote
I also like my ghost stories to have a "spiritual entity" twist, it being aspoiler[ psychic ]is interesting to me but that really isn't what I would want with a series named Ghost Stories. Like Tony K. pointed out it had spoiler[ghost summoned by a psychic] but I don't like the fact it was her though it was still an interesting arc. Wink Was it me or did she swich from mean to nice to quickly..spoiler[.I mean first they have the talk where Naru says Ubusuna-sensei is the one behind all of the incidents and she goes into remembrance of the time she was bullied and labeled as a fake. Then she stands up and tries to put another curse on Naru, they catch her and she turns back into a nicer person again...]maybe she is in need of psycological counsling...just for a while. Laughing Anyways I am really liking this series since it has a nice combination of seriousness and comedy, and they make it flow pretty well. I would also like to ask why Hara (the girl...er lady who can see ghosts) is always getting hurt?

P.S. won't be on for about two days because I am taking a trip this weekend so if someone answers I wont be able to respond to your statements...for that matter any comments I made today...just thought I would say it.
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Youshou



Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 7
Location: Dallas, TX
PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:25 pm Reply with quote
Tony K. wrote:

spoiler[ And I was nearly had by Naru's psychic abilities. When he bent that spoon the first time, I thought his possessing those powers was part of the reason he decided to take that profession. But in the fashion of the series' style of comedy, they ultimately disprove it, which I got a chuckle out of anyway.]


I was struck with a bit of disappointment that it was all a sham when I saw the end of this arc as well, but something made me go back to rewatch the scene when he spoiler[demonstrates his spoon-bending ability for the first time. I took the time to look a bit more closely, and he's actually holding the spoon the wrong way for the 'bending-the-spoon-against-the-palm' trick to work. I wonder...]
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omar235



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 1572
Location: Florida, Jacksonvile
PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:28 pm Reply with quote
Episode 20 was pretty creepy, actually the bloodstained labyrinth arc has to be the scariest arc yet.

First before I get into the scary stuff...they have a character who actually speaks english who is english which surprised me (at least he sounded english) Very Happy They have mentions to spoiler[Vlad the Impailer and Erzebet Bathory.] I just have to say that Urado is one f*cked up guy he spoiler[actually copied Bathory and bathed in peoples blood, and possibly drank their blood]. Then once they spoiler[find one of the bodies missing for about 2 months], docter Davis spoiler[ends up to be a fake pretending to be the real docter Davis (a famous paranormal researcher).] Also spoiler[Naru throws in the towel] and the episode ends with out telling you why other then spoiler["the house can't be exorcised",] major cliff hanger as to why that is. I admit the show got a bit boring with the school arc but this has resparked my interest with the show.
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