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Synopsis:
When Taro Komori was young he and his sister Mizuka were kidnapped for reasons unknown to him. But, only Taro was found alive and since this tragic experience he has been having an out-of-body experience every time he sleeps being able to see every thing that is going on in his homewtown but no one can see him. However, during his out-of-body experiences Taro also has flashbacks that portray his own kidnapping with odd sybolism that he doesn't quite understand and therefore records his nightly other worldly travels on audio cassette. However due to one kid, Masayuki Nakajima, who can't keep to himself and tries to make friends by prying into everyone's personal life Taro finds out that he is not the only person experiencing these out-of-body phenomenons. Along with Makoto Ogami who has also been experiencing the same thing the 3 boys decide team up, despite their differences, to confront thier past and find out what their own subconscious is trying to show them while they sleep.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 22
Review:
Now here is one creepy little show that doesn't need buckets of blood or some demon from beyond to set the mood. Ghost Hound is all about atmosphere through it's unique use of audio effects that can occasionally since a chill up and down your spine. This not only makes the overall story even more intriguing but it also sets Ghost Hound apart from most anime currently out there. Oddly enough, sometimes the audio alone keeps the show from becoming predictable as you'll be wondering what's going to happen next even though in the back of your mind you already know but you still want to see it with your own eyes. Another thing that you will notice is that the main characters are somewhat soft spoken individuals that never really go to one emotional extreme or another. Sure, there is the occasional argument but the thing is that they all seem to let life push them in any direction it wants and everyone just follows along. Other than Masayuki Nakajima's curiosity to pry into everyone's past no one really displays any kind of individuality which I liked. This made me think of everyone as a whole and not single out any one character as more intriguing than the next.
Ghost Hound is one anime that makes excellent use of atmospheric tension through the use of a remarkable audio presentation combined with a cast that's practically asleep-at-the-wheel making for one hell of a unique presentation. Ghost Hound is going to appeal to you on one level or another and you'll find that once you start watching that you can't stop. Is it because you find it interesting? Or is it simply because you don't want the head-trip to end?
Ghost Hound (opening)
Recommendation: |High|
Media type: DVD
From: Sentai Filmworks
Spoken Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
After a bizarre set of murders in New York City four girls, Kate, Rachel, Rose, and Claire, awake one morning to find themselves tired, dizzy, and no recollection of the previous night. Only related by attending the same class at school, they learn that one of their classmates, Lise Meyer's body was found in the woods but the authorities have deemed as a suicide. When school is cancelled for the day, instead of going home the four girls find themselves drawn to a park where they are approached by a strange man and woman. They explain to the girls that the reason they can't remember anything from the night before is because they were murdered. The girls are then given a choice, fight and kill monsters that appear in the dead of night to find out the truth and given a second chance at life, or do nothing and die... permanently. The choice is theirs.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 23
Review:
Fight and kill monsters in the afterlife or don't and die forever. Why does this sound really familiar? Oh yeah, it was called Gantz. Well, if you're not an anime junkie then that won't make any sense. Now, for Red Garden, this is one show that does just about everything wrong. To start with, the animation is horrid. Was this to give it some new look or try to present the show in a more realistic fashion? I couldn't tell you but it sure did give everyone a big-ass nose. But to make things worse is that this show starts out excruciatingly slow and it doesn't help that we have four very irritating girls that do nothing more than cry, whine, bitch, and complain for 3/4ths of the entire series. Every time these girls had to encounter a "monster" (which is really just some guy walking around on all fours and growling like a dog) they cry and get slapped around, then scream and get slapped around some more, then question the morality of what they are doing and get slapped around even more, then sort of fight back barely escaping a second death. This goes on for pretty much the entire series. At some point you're going to yell "Just shut the hell up and kill the damn thing!" at your screen. Oh but don't worry, our ladies aren't without the typical life-after-death superpowers. These girls have the mighty ability to jump... really high. No... I didn't get the point of it either.
Hideous animation, a plot as thin as tissue paper that plodded along for far too many episodes, and four main characters that do nothing more than grate on your nerves with their indecisiveness in the face of death, Red Garden is a horrendously bad anime. And in Gonzo's usual fashion, they try to tie up everything in the final episode that could have been presented and solved in parts throughout the show rather than trudging along then going for the final rush. Simply put, do not watch. FUNimation picked a real winner here folks.
Red Garden (closing)
*Note - The opening song blows
Recommendation: |None|
Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -
Red Garden (craptastic dub)
Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FAILimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Looking to cash in on a huge reward, bounty hunter Nadie is hired to accompany a mysterious young girl named Ellis in a journey to head... south. However, Nadie quickly learns that Ellis has a large bounty on her head and is the target of practically every hunter in the countryside. As Nadie escorts Ellis south she slowly starts to learn the truth why Ellis has such a large bounty on her head as she's an artificial life-form fused with the DNA of an ancient witch clan which is said to harvest great power. But Nadie and Ellis begin to form an inseparable bond which motivates Nadie to help Ellis reach her goal, the Winay Marka, no matter what the odds are.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26
Review:
There's nothing like a good ole anime action series to sit back and pass the time with. But from the moment I started watching El Cazador de la Bruja within the first episode I could tell that there was more to this show than what's on the surface. Although the plot was standard fare it was Ellis that captivated me as she has this odd, yet very open way of describing her feelings to the audience without any hesitation on her part. It's like everything that goes on in this girls mind is practically worn on her sleeve, so to speak, and this makes her a very intriguing yet laid back character as all this is accompanied by little to no emotion on Ellis's part. Nadie however is a different story as she portrays the tough as nails good looking heroine with a heart of gold which may seem almost commonplace in every anime but it accompanies Ellis's mysterious ways elegantly making these girls a magnificent pair.
But what about the story itself? Well, it's not all that intriguing as you'll be following Nadie and Ellis as they travel across the countryside through small towns usually encountering one unique character per episode. Then, Nadie and Ellis help that person overcome some personal hurdle and end up forming a small bond until everything is resolved and then they continue on with their journey. But, This anime never loses it's focus on the overall main plot of Ellis's self-discovery. This kept things fresh as I found myself going from episode to episode and when the I hit the last episode on the DVD it felt as if almost no time had passed.
Although this anime is portrayed as an action series, something you'll quickly notice is it's non-violent approach to violence. In other words, if someone is killed, all you'll see is a silhouette or the "camera" will cut to an outdoor scene and you'll here a gunshot in the distance only to return the viewer to a body laying on the ground. Luckily, this doesn't really detract from the series overall and it's still very enjoyable. El Cazador de la Bruja is a great action romp with a decent story to back it up that turns out to be a lot better than what you'd expect just from reading it's description.
El Cazador de la Bruja (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -
El Cazador de la Bruja (subbed and dubbed)
Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
*Note - I'm almost sad to see this didn't include a Spanish dubbed track considering the setting of the show.
Synopsis:
In a time that resembles the Victorian era, Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of a young 18 year old girl named Sophie that works in her late father's hat shop. On her way home from work she is harassed by some patrolling soldiers but is rescued by a mysterious wizard named Howl. But, her involvement with Howl has drawn the attention of the Witch of the Waste who is a rival of Howl's and she puts a curse on Sophie that turns her into a 90 year old woman and she is unable to tell anyone of the curse. In an attempt to find a way to lift the curse Sophie sets out into the Waste to locate Howl and beg for his assistance.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: Well, 1... it's a movie
Review:
I never thought I would enjoy a family movie like this however, I found myself captivated from the moment the movie began. It might have been the superb animation or maybe it's off-kilter fantasy setting that kept me planted in one spot with my eyes fixed to the screen. As the story unfolds you can't help but admire the movies originality that proves to you that some things are only possible in the animated world. But, your journey through this surreal animated world will be guided by an amazing cast that is so far removed from the typical cookie-cutter lot that you have come to predict that even a simple conversation will have you hanging on every word. Not only do you follow Sophie as she tries rid herself from her aging curse but you see that no matter what form she takes whether it be old or young her influence on the world and the people closest to her is the same. Through this Sophie also learns a little about herself and almost starts questioning in her mind if everyone will think of her the same once she reverts back to her 18-year-old self.
A remarkable film that can be enjoyed by any age group, Howl's Moving Castle is an animated work of art that should be watched at some point in your life. It lives up to the hype. For those prefer English voice overs, well you're getting an all-star cast such as Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Billy Crystal, and Lauren Bacall, so it's sure not to disappoint.
Howl's Moving Castle (trailer)
Recommendation: |High|
Media type: DVD
From: Walt Disney Pictures
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
As an officer of Division 11, Seras Victoria was assigned to investigate the mysterious happenings in Cheddar Village. Shortly upon arrival her team was overcome by ghouls and she alone remained the sole-survivor of the attack. After a few moments though her fallen comrades rose from thier deathbed as ghouls themselves and turned their blood-lust towards Seras. Unable to pull the trigger on her once former friends she turns and runs into the forest without looking where she is going as long as she can distance herself from the monstrosities that remind her of people she once knew. After running for a bit Seras comes to an opening in the forest with a cemetery and a church behind it. Looking for shelter she runs inside church only to find that the priest that resides within is actually a vampire that created the ghouls in the village. Seras is quickly overpowered but before she is killed a man dressed in red and wearing sunglasses appears from no where and attacks the vampiric priest but before he is bested in combat the priest takes Seras hostage and threatens to kill her. With only one option, Seras allows the man in red to shoot the priest having the bullet go through her and into her antagonist as she learns the bullets are actually created from blessed silver crucifixes that were melted down into ammunition. With this the priest is killed but Seras also feels her own life fading away as blood flows from the huge gaping wound in her, the man in red kneels down next to her and tells her his name is Alucard and she realizes he is also a vampire and he offers her a choice... die as she is or allow Alucard to mix his blood with hers and continue the fight against the undead. Not wanting to let her friends die in vein she makes her choice as Alucard bites her neck... Seras is then employed by the Hellsing corporation that Alucard works for and fights against vampire uprisings throughout the world.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13
Review:
I gotta tell you, I normally dislike vampire stories since I find that particular "monster" to be highly over-rated. But here we have a new spin on things, we have an extremely powerful vampire Alucard (spell it backwards) being kept by humans in a secret organization that is bent on exterminating vampires in general. But you find that Alucard loves his job because he can't stand "instant freaks" like teenage vampires that live for the moment as they only piss him off so he stays with the Hellsing family always looking for powerful opponents and will never betray his keepers for some unexplained reason. This made the show highly enjoyable and I was hanging on every episode as I wanted to know more about Alucard and why he is being kept by humans and the somewhat comic relief being supplied by Seras as she learns to deal with her new vampiric state helped lighten the mood at times. The integration of vampires among humans is portrayed extremely well and how you learn that the old school vampires dislike of the modern vampire and it's lack of disregard for the elders, this was probably my favorite aspect of the whole series.
Even though the animation was pretty average, the remarkable story and intriguing characters supersede that in every way. From the Hellsing families' leader Sir Integra (It's a woman, I never got why she is referred to as sir...) to Alucard and Seras you are given some extreme character depth which is done very well for a 13 episode run and you almost feel bad when the Hellsing organization is given a bad reputation for anything. You'll be cheering on Alucard and chuckling while Seras learns to accept her new life that was granted by Alucard, it's a fantastic series and I recommend it.
Hellsing (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Unlike most schools, Rikkyouin Academy has a different way of electing it's student council. Instead of the traditional voting process they use a lottery to determine what positions will be held and by whom. Once elected however, each student must complete a variety of tasks set before them but these tasks can range anywhere from the mundane up to dealing with robots, aliens, spies, and even terrorism. Failure, is not an option as it results in immediate expulsion. Chihiro Enomoto's lottery drawing, to become the next candidate for student council president has just brought his string of bad luck to an end... maybe.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12
Review:
Kujibiki Unbalance is an anime that tries to go a slightly different route in telling it's story by combining it's nonsensical story elements and confused characters and attempts to put everything into a comedy routine... but in the end it turns out to be less than humorous. When you put all this together, don't be surprised if you're asking yourself "What's the point of this show?" to which the answer would be, there is none. The only underlying plot-line that is even note worthy is seeing if Chihiro has what it takes to become the next student-council president or will he give up and fail in his endeavor. The thing is that when watching this show you see how these kids have to deal with some bizarre and practically life-threatening situations, but unfortunately, the characters that this anime drops into these half-baked scenarios are uninteresting and have no forceful screen presence. This leaves you feeling indifferent and not really caring if they will complete a task or fail and the end result isn't all that funny even though this anime really tries to lean more towards comedy in the overall scope of things.
The animation is typical but putting that with a lame group of school kids that are making their way through a hodge-podge of odd-ball tasks from episode to episode, the end result doesn't provide many laughs and the entire show is easily forgettable. Actually, I can't think of any worthwhile aspect of this show to even convince you to pick it up to begin with.
Kujibiki Unbalance (opening)
Recommendation: |Low|
Media type: DVD
From: Anime Works
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
A thousand years ago the God of Destruction, Enka, said that it's child would destroy the world. To prevent this the Great Japanese Empire Paranormal Phenomena Bureau of Measures assigns one man, Ouka Midarezaki, to protecting the Earth from this threat. However, instead of fighting against some powerful being the bureau decides to gather all the beings of the Earth thought to be the child of Enka and have them live together as a family in hopes of teaching them through love of family that the Earth should not be destroyed. Ouka is then forced to marry Kyouka Midarezaki... a god from the underground kingdom called Shangri-la and inherits a family consisting of Hyouka the biological weapon, Teika the lion, Yuuka the daughter of a demon family, Ginka the gay son of a Yakuza clan, and Gekka the... jellyfish. Later they are joined by Chika who is Yuuka's sister but doesn't carry any of Enka's DNA. This crazy mismatched family not only stays together to protect the world from themselves but also anyone else who threatens life on Earth.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Episodes watched: 26
Review:
Whoa! What a wild idea and it worked well in the beginning but as the series went on it seemed to lose some of it's flair. I thought this anime was going to go in the comedic direction but other than a few laughs every couple of episodes it wasn't all that funny and the series wanted to use more of a 'crazy anime' type of angle which worked out okay. It sort of felt like that the show was running out of ideas towards the end of the series leaving things kind of flat and predictable in a sense. A new enemy appears, Kyouka talks a mile a minute, the family goes into a 'frenzy' and overcomes all odds, lather, rinse, repeat. Where this anime really shines though is the character depth as it dedicates 2 episodes to each member of the Cozy Family explaining their past, present, and acceptance into modern society. Even the ending themes that were sung by each member of the family was a nice touch.
Look at it this way, it's a decent show and I still say watch it, but don't go into it expecting a whole lot because what you see in the first few episodes is pretty much what the entire series is like. Giving you standard fare animation and an off-the-wall plot, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki still falls into the 'one time viewing' category.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
