[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Ghost Hound 4-6: televisual Guinness
Production I.G.’s anniversary piece Ghost Hound is proving to be an enjoyable experience, if something of an acquired taste. One thing that counts in its favour is that the storyline is actually doing something now, as opposed to being a succession of cool looking sequences that remind us of the studio’s enviable CG department. The three lads intended to do a bit of exploring at the abandoned hospital but wound up on an exploration trip of an altogether more interesting nature; the one thing that counts against it is the appearance of those damn monkey butts.
This show is not unlike one of my favourite poisons: like the legendary pint of the black stuff it’s cool, dark, substantial and ultimately a pleasant alternative to its rivals. On the downside excessive quantities can make your head spin…
I guess I’m stretching the metaphor a bit in stating how the soundtrack is akin to those weird bubbles that drift downwards in an unnerving yet strangely hypnotic way. I daresay the show would lose some of its individuality if that humming, warbling and distorted percussion wasn’t going on in the background. Unfortunately, even the best-served glass is prone to a fly deciding to dive in, which ruins the experience a bit. The fly in this pint is this, the monkey butt.
I was really enjoying how the plot was progressing in that we see Taro, Masayuki and Makoto take their first O.B.E.s and see the Unseen World for themselves. The nebulous, unnerving appearance of their ‘other’ selves is unlike anything I’ve seen and generally looks really good on-screen…apart from the bizarre beige buttocks that the artists have tacked onto their backsides. I don’t want to dwell on this because the remainder of these episodes offers plenty of interesting stuff to highlight so I’ll give one final “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!” and leave it at that.
So, um, yeah. The O.B.E.s were great and literally add another dimension to what’s going on. More importantly I’m beginning to warm to the characters a bit more now too. Taro’s concern for his mother’s emotional well-being was touching and Makoto’s point of view regarding morality could warrant a post on its own; sadly my knowledge of sociology or whatever study “Why is killing someone wrong?” falls under is pretty scant, so I won’t. It does give an insight into his character though. Masayuki was more interesting still - up till now I’ve found his demeanour grating and artificial but the clincher here is how it’s the polar opposite to his more frightened state: when he’s scared by something it REALLY shows.
Taro is fairly easy to read I suppose, and Makoto is well-nigh impossible but Masayuki becomes a completely different personality when confronted by the likes of a large drop or the prospect of being stuck in an O.B.E.. The dramatic way in which his cocky self-confidence can fall away is so sudden it’s the nearest Ghost Hound gets to comic relief. Overall though, I found the contrasting ways in which the three of them react to the frightening and the unknown to be insightful in terms of their personalities; we’re even learning a bit about their families as well, which was a nice bonus I wasn’t necessarily expecting.
In addition to the fantastical parallel worlds thing the series is making an effort to include specialist terminology and bits of genuine scientific theory and research (Re: the episode titles). As much of a drain on my enthusiasm as my work is, I can’t deny that I’ve always had a strong affinity for science; conspiracy theories and the unexplained are still something I’m interested in so it’s really fun to hear terms I’ve read in journals and seen in documentaries taken in a different context. Unfortunately I still need to be convinced of their relevance to the story, which still seems to be a more straightforward tale of a parallel world than the numerous allusions to psychology indicate. That is to say, many of the questions could be answered with a simple supernatural “It’s just ghosts and other spirits, duh!”, which would be a bit of a let-down after being introduced to O.B.E.s, phobia exposure and lucid dreaming. I’m hoping it comes off as a convincing sci-fi piece by the end but the jury’s still out on that one as far as I’m concerned.
After all, good things come to those who wait. ^_^
Posted on December 12th, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
“…the bizarre beige buttocks that the artists have tacked onto their backsides.”
Oh wow, I didn’t even notice that until you pointed it out. Nooo, now the show is ruined for me!!
“Unfortunately I still need to be convinced of their relevance to the story, which still seems to be a more straightforward tale of a parallel world than the numerous allusions to psychology indicate.”
Have you seen past episode 6 yet? 7 - 8 were the episodes that really started to tie all these meandering themes together, IMO.
Edit: Also, I prefer a good pint of Tennent’s Stout and Strongbow myself. But I won’t hold that against you.
Posted on December 13th, 2007 @ 7:36 am
I think I’ve managed to get over the “beige buttocks,” for the time being.
The characters distinct personalities where noticeable. I should say that the way their implicit thoughts were portrayed was what struck me. There is a lot of, “I know what your thinking” going on when I watch the show. I like that.
I can’t handle Guinness in any substantial amount. It’s mostly the weight, a bit strong taste as well, and not related to alcohol. I never was much of a drinker, anyhow.
Posted on December 13th, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
My Goodness, My Ghost Hound!
Since I’m not watching it, I lack the capability to make an intelligent comment, so perhaps that will have to do. Still, this show begins to sound intriguing.
Posted on December 14th, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
@Orion: Strongbow’s good but it’s more of a summertime drink…I have ep #7 on my hard drive so I’ll give it a watch this weekend.
@j.valdez: yeah, the contrast between the three of them is great - it’s actually quite surprising that they are sticking together like they are. I guess we’ll see more of how they’re connected as the series progresses.
@IKnight: “My Goodness, My Ghost Hound!” I lol-ed. Good work sir.
Posted on December 26th, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
[...] in the mood that I didn’t even notice this minor detail until Martin at The End of the World went on a mini-rant about it… but now that I’ve seen it, I can no longer unsee. [...]
Posted on January 21st, 2008 @ 4:00 am
This show is really an acquired taste. It’s not the boom bam kablooey stuff we usually have. It’s actually a little refreshing to watch an anime where everyone speaks naturally and quietly. Personally I think the psychology they bring into it is fascinating, and though I always have to pause the video to actually understand and read what the subs describe, it just make the anime more interesting than “just another horror/ghost story”.
ps. I heard the monkey butts won’t be there forever