Just watched the first episode on the Online Player.
Definitely a psychological series like Lain, Texhnolyze, Boogypop… has a very deliberate and slow pace on episode one. It was a set up episode and not the usual Production IG over the top drama and flare episode 1’s. But I certainly thought it was an interesting start. Lots of spooky foreshadowing and the production values, as to be expected are great. It is hard to see where this series is going based on this episode though. Seems like this is gonna be a thought provoking, creepy horror series.
The ED Theme was pretty excellent, though the bgm was as with the rest of episode 1 understated.
This anime is very cool. I just started watching it about 4 days ago. The storyline is great and the art is fantastic. The story is a little depressing, but hey alot of anime are. I plan on watching it more to see what happens next. If anyone here has watched or plans on watching it please reply and tell what you think of it.
My order for Ghost Hound Part 2 is showing “Reserved For Your Order” at Right Stuf, so it should be shipping soon. Can’t wait for it to get here, so I can finish this show. I loved the first 11 episodes, so I’m eagerly awaiting the rest.
For those of you that might be interested, both parts are in the Right Stuf Weekly Specials.
I’m really enjoying this series very much. Just saw episode 8 on VOD -
spoiler
The Doctor is also now working with Taro’s mother. He makes some comments explaining Taro’s condition in medical terms. He seems not to believe in the spiritual side of things as he has never had any experiences himself. A nice set up for later on.
Taro sees his mother laugh at one point; he is surprised and pleased. He is also no longer having the nightmares about his kidnapping.
In trying to contact his sister, he goes to her room and has an OBE. While flying around, he ends up at the shrine and sees Makoto talking about his father – trying to find out if he was involved in the kidnapping. Taro tries to talk to him, but can’t. And Makoto’s mother seems to be a touchy subject as well. Interesting that she lives elsewhere.
However he also sees Miyako and she sees him too. He speaks with her and she finally explains her gift. Nice!
Then in flying around some more, there is a nice scene of him making friends with a dog spirit. He follows the dog into the rift in the sky and sees the inside of his brain. Later on he realizes that they need some kind of teacher or mentor to help them.
The Doctor makes some more comments. He calls for a cab at 5:45. Then something happens. He has an experience!! When he checks the time again, it is 6:15. What happened during that half hour? Very interesting!! Can’t wait to see how he explains it.
Finally finished the 2nd set of dvd’s. An excellent show. Up there with Serial Experiment Lain and Kino’s Journey: all excellent shows that rely on atmosphere, pacing, and thoughtful storytelling.
What the hell, the one time I get a chance to view TAN VOD in like over a year, the series I want to actually watch doesn’t have episodes 1-4 up! And you guys recommended I check it out… v.v
[quote=shankajew]
What the hell, the one time I get a chance to view TAN VOD in like over a year, the series I want to actually watch doesn’t have episodes 1-4 up! And you guys recommended I check it out… v.v[/quote]
Online player should be free for registered users as of now. 1-9 is up on it.
Shak you’re 2 months late - they’ve added newer episodes to VOD. Like PP said, these are available on the Online Player where they don’t expire recent previous content.
Subscribe to the Online Player and + or buy the DVDs folks!
Very strange episode. Some teenagers are hanging out at the place where the kidnapper died and they see his ghost repeatedly running in front of the truck. When one of the girls yells “stop”, the ghost goes after them and enters one boy’s mouth, giving him what he says are “weird visions”. Very creepy!
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I like how the Dr. tries to explain his experience as a UFO abduction! Very funny that he would believe that, rather than in having a supernatural experience.
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Taro wants to prove that Makoto’s dad was not involved in the kidnapping and later the boys spirit travel to try to see the kidnapper’s ghost. I noticed this time that they were all connected to something electrical. I wonder if it has something to do with what the Dr. said about electrodes being used in experiments?
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Anyway, the boys see the ghost and Taro gets really angry and turns into something different. He tries to attack the ghost, fails, and the ghost goes after the boys. Being that Masayuki was connected to a video game when he left his body, he chooses “weapon select” and blows the ghost up. What???
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Then Masayuki’s dad sees things from the hidden realm near his wife. What is going on? I think the boys are right. It looks like the hidden and visible realms are overlapping somehow. But what does it have to do with the kidnapping? This show is so twisted – but it’s great!
While the Dr. is explaining yet another theory to Taro, Taro completely startles him by asking the Dr. if something scary happened to him. Ha! Nice reaction too!
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When Taro and Masayuki visit the shrine priest for information about the Hidden Realm, the priest says that he is really an anthropologist. It seems that he is another non-believer. But I liked Masayuki’s line that – “human civilization only thrives through the destruction of nature”. But I wonder if nature will fight back?
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Taro is thinking a lot about Miyako and blushes when he sees her; more so when she smiles at him. Cute!
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Interesting that the master brewer says that Taro may not be destined to take over the brewery after Taro makes an observation. And another interesting moment later with the TV announcements playing in the background – disaster, unusual weather patterns, and wild fires on the west coast of the U.S. Is this nature fighting back?
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And Mokoto turned into that thing that Taro did, only more complete. It seems that the strong emotion of hate can make this happen. Fascinating! And Mokoto wonders if his dad did the same thing.
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The shrine priest meets the old man in the forest and the “traveler” tells him that there is someone like him, but not like him coming and that something is going to happen. But I like how the scientist in the priest dismisses it, saying that there is nothing special about the area – it is just a mountain village. Interesting – first the Dr. and now the priest. Science vs. Belief. Visible Realm vs. Hidden Realm? Very intriguing.
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Finally, I love the funny moment at the end of the episode, when the spirit Masayuki waves at the kid that swallowed the ghost from the last episode. Elichi screams and falls back into the shelves. I don’t think he appreciates his new “gift”!:lol:
If Right Stuf doesn’t ship my damn Second set soon, you will guys will be passing me up…lol I guess I will have to be more careful as to how I place my preorders in the future, or pay for cheap shipping.
Taro is soul traveling as himself now – much better! They think they can take any form now, instead of just being “bubbleheads”. I liked the black and white cat he met this time. Very cool!
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The bullies show up with a friend this time and when Masayuki turns to face him, I love the reaction. It’s Elichi from the convenience store! He runs screaming into the crowd when he recognizes Masayuki. Hysterical!
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Mokoto sees his mother at the dam and so does the shrine priest. He tells the boys about the first group of teens that explored the abandoned hospital – they turned out to be himself, the mayor, and Makoto’s mother and father. But as he tells the story, Taro and Mokoto have an OBE and are there. They can travel to the past too? Or maybe they were just in the priest’s thoughts. Interesting.
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And what is going on in that lab? Something is. I think the dead man either worked there or had some connection to it. And Masayuki sees his father and Dr. Otori share a steamy kiss!
Dr. Otori sees the wolf thing on the read. Was it Makoto? And when Makoto later thinks of his mother, his eye turns red just like the spirit he becomes. He seems to be very angry lately.
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Masayuki catches the newsman by his house. He is supposed to be doing a story on the town, but I wonder if he is really investigating things that may be going on at the lab?
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Funny that Dr. Hirata tells Taro that the Hidden Realm isn’t real – it only exists in his dreams – and then says that is what he should say officially. Then he tells Taro what he really feels. Funny too that Taro thinks of Miyako while the Dr. is talking. And the Dr. has another experience! That little girl spirit was really creepy! I wonder how he will explain it this time?
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Taro comes across Miyako and she tells him that she is jealous of all three of the boy’s OBE experiences. And Taro sees something – the Lord of One Word? - possess Miyako first hand, but she falls into the water and he panics. He looks really cute later on, when he blushes in trying to talk to her, gives up and leaves. You’d think that after he carried the girl home on his back, he’d be able to talk to her!
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I think it’s interesting that the Dr. says that his conversations with Taro are confidential and yet he talks to the priest about him, in full hearing of the waitress too. And now the priest is happy that the Dr. wants to talk to his daughter as well. I like how the Dr. wonders if the town is the cause of everyone’s experiences. Again, I wonder if the lab has something to do with it.
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Mokoto confronts his grandmother about the death of his father and being abandoned by his mother. His grandmother mentions a dog spirit in the house – she knows! Mokoto is surprised and asks her about the kidnapping and she denies his father’s involvement. This answer really makes him angry again. I wonder why he seems to want his father to be involved in the kidnapping – is he trying to justify the suicide?
Am I wrong to remember that in Ramna 1/2 there was a character known as the Pantyhose Taro… which translates to pantyhose bastard… and the main character in this show is named Taro… ?
I haven’t seen Ramna 1/2, but that would be a pretty interesting name!
Episode 13 -
This was a weird episode. Taro seemed to be having a dream OBE and speaks with dead people. Then he ends up in the “Abstract Realm”. He meets Snark, which reminded me a little of a pink duck.
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Also in his travels, he sees that Miyako has a fever and goes to visit her after school with the other boys. By the time they get there, the priest says that she is fine but sleeping. Taro recounts what happened with her and the priest looks terrified when he mentions the Lord of One Word. I wonder why? Makoto later says that it is familiar to him as well.
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The priest tells them to leave, but as the boys descend the stairs, Makoto’s grandmother’s maid is waiting for them. Makoto runs off when he sees her and the other boys follow. But when Michio passes her, he sees something in her face. It looks like a blue demon. And since she doesn’t move, was she really there? Very creepy!
I just finished up the second half of Ghost Hound this weekend. It remained pretty strong throughout the remainder of the show. Some surprising revelations were made, but even more mysteries appeared.
My only complaint was the ending. The show just sort of ended. They rescue Miyako from the cult, and then the show just stops. It had a very open ending, and so many of the mysteries are left unanswered. You never learn what in Suiten is affecting everyone’s brains, or what happened with the bioids that were released. I think this show could have benefited from just a few more episodes.
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It was interesting to learn that Makoto had been kidnapped first, and his grandmother had brokered a deal for his release. This deal would later be the reason that Taro and his sister were kidnapped, and that she ultimately died. It’s quite unfortunate that the shame is what lead to his fathers suicide. It would also later contribute to his mothers attempted suicide and the death of her lover. It was all quite tragic.
In spite of the open ending, that so many anime suffer from, I still stand by my assertion that Ghost Hound was one of the best releases of 2009. It was stylish, smart, and even creepy at times. Very few series have ever sucked me in as quickly and fully as Ghost Hound. I highly recommend this show!
For me what makes this show work is how much attention to detail went into the background of it. Take it for what it’s worth, but soul-traveling, or whatever you want to call it, is a real thing. At least in my opinion. But it’s difficult and requires conditioning your mind and serious concentration. Also, if you go to a place you haven’t actually seen in person it can be hard to deciepher the images your mind recieves.
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They’ve been hinting there’s more than meets the eye with Makoto’s family maid, now they make it pretty obvious something’s up there.
