stormtamer
"It's not really about ghosts or hounds...exactly"
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4 Stars: Come, journey into the dark reaches of the mind and see the world as I now see it
-
Sep 19, 2011
- by Lopez15
- posted in ASIANatomy
Rating:
Our world is nothing but a dream, a dark, bleak dream that is inhabited by horrid monsters and timid people who live out there peaceful live in the light fearing the dark and bleak dreams for which the monsters of the night inhabit. They lurk in the shadows of the night waiting for the perfect moment to strike, finally ready to reveal them to you to show you there true nature and when they do the whole foundation of your world trembles beneath you and start to crumble at your feet. As the nightmare that you so vigorously tried to avoid, tried to suppress comes back in full force to turn your world into a wilderness of horrors and darkness. For there is nothing more we fear than the darkness of our everlasting nightmares and the evil that lurks just right beneath the surface, waiting to strike, waiting for you to make a mistake so it may drag you down into the dark, cold abyss of nothingness and horror.
+5
Production I.G and Masamune Shirow's visually sumptuous and intellectually challenging "Ghost Hound" is a massive achievement in all its glory. This is a brilliant, dense, richly textured, deeply moving and highly intelligent tale of four children who's journey into the darkness that looms just above the surface of their everyday world, this is not only an anime series that challenges you emotionally and intellectually, but it challenges you psychologically as well. This series challenges you in every episodes and through out the entire series to piece together the strange happenings that are going on in this small Japanese town, to try and decipher reality from fantasy, the dream from the nightmare, the monsters from the humans, This series challenges you to put your patience on the line. To put yourself full heatedly into its story and come along for the ride of existential enlightenment and discovery of the mind and the psyche of the humans. In all my numerous years of watching anime there have been few series that have put me to the test like the one I endured while watching this masterful series, this is truly anime not only at its finest but anime at its absolute peak. "Ghost Hound" redefines a nearly fifty-year-old genre and puts an entirely new spin on the age-old tale of coming of age in a society that is constantly looking towards the future. This is an absolute must see for any anime fan or anyone who is curious about the deep recesses of the mind that they want to know more. If you are looking for answers than "Ghost Hound" has the them and so much more, because when it comes to the mind the truth can be as blurred as the dreams in our mind, there are no clear answers, there are no clear resolutions and although the truth is closer than you think. Much like a dream it is so fleeting and distant that sometimes to grab the truth you have to be willing to accept the dream as your reality or give up on the truth and accepts reality, the choice is yours.
What I found most fascinating about this dark little gem is how much it leaned on its intellect and its psychological aspects of its story to push it along through to the end. As I have been a devote anime fan since 1998 I have pretty much seen the best and the worst of this influential genre, "Ghost Hound" is a series that trials off into the territory of such great anime series such as "Cowboy Bebop", "The Big 0", "Ergo Proxy", "Fullmetal Alchemist"(2004 version).“Darker than Black”, “Trigun” and Naoki Urasawa’s underrated masterpiece “Monster”. It is a deeply philosophical series that as it rolls along towards its finale becomes darker and darker and sinks ever deeper into its complex story of psychological horror and mesmerizing discussions on family, life, love, loss and the inner workings of the mind, the psyche of humans and the morality of humans. This is one of the finest series ever to air in America since the original “Fullmetal Alchemist” aired on Adult Swim in 2004 and caused one of the biggest pop culture explosions since the anime explosion in 1998. “Ghost Hound” is a gloriously refined series that relies on its wit, its stunning animation and its brains over its funny bone to get the job. This series, which is part of what, I would like to call the existentialistic wave in the anime world. "Ghost Hound" is a profoundly affecting series that hits you fast and hard with its dark themes of humanity and its polarizing view on the mind and existence, I can think of a few anime junkies out there that will find this series lethargic and infuriating. Due to its slow pace and its tendency to lean towards the psychological side rather than the action, side the side that most anime fans are so addicted. Sad to say you will be greatly disappointed if you are expecting anything more than what this series is advertised as, a deeply emotional, terrifying psychological horror/drama about four children trying to bury the demons of their past forever.
Thanks to strong voice work from Clint Bickham, Josh Grelle, Corey Hartzog and Brittney Karbowski as the four lead of this series. "Ghost Hound" is able to keep up with the high standards of its story and its plot thanks to their fine voice and being able to bring their presence to these wholly original characters and story. Thanks to an impressive supporting cast that delivers standout work that includes Christopher Ayres, Justin Doran, Kara Greenberg, Jay Hickman and Illich Guardiola all turn in standout work in a series that surpasses anything that has come before it.
"Ghost Hound" is one of the greatest anime series to ever cross into America since the debut of "Cowboy Bebop" back in 1998, it redefines the way we look at anime and how we as Humans view the ghost of our past the endless hounds that seem to chase us through our every waking moment and every sleeping second. Our world is defined by our perception of reality and our belief that there is nothing to fear from our past or our future, but what if everything that you thought you knew about your world was wrong, what would you do? Would you be like most people and brush it under the carpet as if it never happened and just tell yourself that it was all just a hallucination, a figment of your imagination you just made it up? Think about this. What if your past becomes the greatest horror of your existence and what if everything you think you understand and know suddenly turns out to be a lie? Would you search for the meaning behind these occurrences, or would you just forget and move on? The past is a wilderness of horrors where the darkest truths lie and most vile of tragedies befall those who look away from the truth.
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FM_ALEX
September 24, 2011
Great review
Lopez15
September 24, 2011
Thank you very much.
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stormtamer
September 20, 2011
Oh so the dub is good? I have no idea why the DVDs I got said there was a dub track when there really wasn't. I'm just glad this was a slow mover or I might have been totally confused. Hmmm. I think when I have some money saved I might actually buy this series. Great review. Nice to see someone else getting the word out about this! :)
Lopez15
September 20, 2011
Thank you very much. And yes I am glad as well that this series took its time to get to where it was going instead of just charging straight through its plot like most anime's do, leaving the viewer dazed and confused. It was a nice change of pace form the norm and it was certainly well done. I wish all anime were like this.
stormtamer
September 21, 2011
Yeah, the pacing of this anime was pretty much perfect. Most either go too fast and leave too many plot holes, or move too slow and include too much filler. Not that I mind filler as long as it doesn't get out of control, but this one is so nice and tidy it doesn't need anything extra. I did like Fullmetal, but I also thought it was a little too long. Haven't seen the others you mentioned in another reply, but I will check them out.
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devora
September 19, 2011
Greatest since Cowboy Bebop? I've gotta check this out. Thanks for sharing!
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woopak_the_thrill
September 19, 2011
Very detailed review. Wow. "existential wave in the anime world"....the Japanese truly are good with those themes. Thanks!
Lopez15
September 19, 2011
Thank you very much. And I must say they are the best as translating those themes into their anime series I mean just look at "Darker than Black", Naoki Urasawa's "Monster", "Spice and Wolf" and "Fullmetal Alchemist". They are all examples of the existentialism hidden deep within anime and I must say that although all these series are masterpiece none of them holds a torch to "Ghost Hound" in anyway.
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More Ghost Hound reviews
Plot Summary: Production IG's 20th Anniversary Project, Ghost Hound is set in the modest town of Suiten, located in a desolate region in the island of Kyūshū. The story follows the experiences of three boys who have had traumatic experiences in childhood from which they have learned to transfer their souls to a parallel world known as the "Unseen World". The Unseen World is however undergoing a change, with its ghosts starting to appear in the real world, altering it in unpredictable … more
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C.R. Lopez (Lopez15)
Member Since:
Nov 6, 2009
Last Login: Jul 7, 2012 09:53 PM UTC
Last Login: Jul 7, 2012 09:53 PM UTC
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