Review of Ghost Stories

First off let me say that I am a fan of Ghost Hunt which is in many ways very similar to Ghost Stories. However after having seen both series I have to say that Ghost Hunt is clearly the better of the two. Having said that Ghost Stories is a slightly underrated series that probably does deserve a bit more recognition. Story: Unlike Ghost Hunt, Ghost Stories is completely episodic and all but the first and last episodes can be watched in any order and still work. There is not anything really wrong with the story but it is predictable and prone to cliche use. There arehardly any twists and near the end it almost seemed like the writers were running out of ideas. However the stories are fairly enjoyable and some of them are genuinely creepy (I personally liked the Piano ghost episode). All in all, the story doesn't do anything more than it needs to. It doesn't leave any large plot holes and explains most things at some point or another. It does have one thing over Ghost Hunt in that Ghost Stories actually has a relatively satisfying ending.

Art:

This anime was made around the turn of the century so the art is a little old but its still fun to look at and most of the character designs are well done (particularly the female ones). The ghosts are also animated pretty well and some of them get really creative (like the broadcast ghost that is actually covered in tv static). The backgrounds were kind of bland and empty for the most part but I wont fault the series much for that since it does a good job of focusing the audience's attention where it needs to be.

Sound:

The opening and closing themes were forgettable, some of the sound effects seemed delayed or out of place (I swear at one point they use a star wars laser blast sound effect when a ghost is coming out of a TV). Mind you neither the music or the sound effects are actually bad, they just aren't good either. Voice acting is a mixed bag though all of the voice actors and actresses do at least a decent job. Of particular note is Nakao Ryusei who voices the demon/cat who is a reoccurring character, his voice is instantly recognizable to anyone who watches the japanese version of Bleach as he uses the Kurotsuchi Mayuri voice for this character as well. Nakao is easily the best voice actor in this show but the main character also does a fine job and really helps make Satsuki believable.

Character:

I have to give Ghost Stories credit, most of the main characters are reasonably believable. Its important to point out that they are all Elementary School kids (most in the 5th or 6th year). The characters are designed well and the main character, Satsuki is probably one of the most believable anime characters I have seen in a long time. She is moody but likable and doesn't act overly brave but isn't a coward either. She is a normal kid and the writing for her character does a good job presenting her that way. Unfortunately most of the characters are extremely shallow. We do get some decent backstory for Satsuki that works its way into the plot at various points, but we hardly learn anything about any of the other characters. I know the other characters are not really vital but without a backstory they come off kind shallow and at some times their behavior is inconsistent (the comic relief character switches from brave to cowardly in different episodes). The character of Momoko (while wonderful eyecandy) is also kind of bland.

Enjoyment:

When I started watching this show I thought it was for kids but now having finished it I am not sure. The blood and violence are a bit toned down but there is still a fair amount of blood and death (then again Japanese children are more advanced apparently). There is also a running gag where Hajime keeps seeing Satsuki's underwear but this is done more as a kid trying to tease a girl rather than with a sense of perversion (the gag also kind of disappears later on). I have to say that overall I did enjoy watching Ghost Stories. The series did manage to hold my interest all the way through which is more than can be said for other animes.

Overall:

If you like Ghost Hunt then I would recommend seeing this, its not nearly as good as Ghost Hunt but its not bad either. If you havn't seen Ghost Hunt then you need to watch it or I am calling Jigoku Shojo. Seriously though, Ghost Stories is a slightly underrated anime that at least deserves a look.

6 out of 10