Dragon Half Anime Review

Dragon Half
Doragon Hafu
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 1 disc
50 minutes - 2 episodes
$19.95 (2014)
$19.98 (2007) w/Puni Puni Poemy
$19.98 (2004) Essential Anime
$24.98 (2002)
ISBN 702727008825
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shinya Sadamitsu
Studio - Victor Entertainment

Synopsis: Mink is a restless teenager who has a major crush on the singing dragonslayer, Dick Saucer (yes, that's his name).  Her father is a swordsman and her mother is a red dragon who can take human form.  When her father was sent to slay the red dragon he fell in love with her instead and Mink was the result.  That makes Mink half dragon and very powerful.

Mink is pretty tough and she sprouts wings and a tail
when she powers up

Mink's problem lies in the fact that her love interest, Dick Saucer, slays dragons and he'll reject her because she is part dragon.  She learns of a special potion that can rid her of her dragon half and turn her into a regular human so she can score with Dick.  Simple right?  Nope, she has to defeat Azetodeth, the Demon Lord, to get the potion.  Azetodeth is a short little runt, but commands all the creatures on Demon King's Island.

From left to right: Mappy (top), Pia, Lufa, and Mink!

Not only must Mink defeat Azetodeth's minions just to face him, but she also has to deal with Princess Vina who wants Dick all to herself!  Then there's the wizard Rosario who keeps trying to get her and the dunce swordsman Damaramu.  What's an incredibly powerful girl to do?  Fortunately Mink has some help from her friends Lufa the elf, Pia the dwarf, and Pia's pet fairy mouse, Mappy.  Good luck, Mink!

Dick Saucer is ready for the tournament on Demon King's Island!

Pros: Some funny moments (like when Damaramu accidentally impales himself in the head with his own sword), Mink is a kind person and has good friends, the guy is named Dick Saucer, one very brief moment of fan-service/nudity

Doink!

Cons: Oh where to start! The dub voices are really annoying, way too much cutesy super-deformed scenes, the plot is ridiculous, the jokes are totally lame (that Dick Saucer joke gets old fast), the villain is an ineffective loser

Azetodeth turns Dick Saucer against Mink by telling him
she's an evil dragon half!

Mike Tells It Straight: This short two-episode OVA was originally planned for four episodes, but stalled out after a lack of interest.  That pretty much sums up the quality of the show.  It has very little plot, weak comedy, and a terrible dub.  Based on a manga by Ryusuke Mita published in Monthly Dragon Magazine.  The show reminded me of Slayers although the quality just doesn't compare.

Rosario the sorcerer has it in for poor Mink

The show pokes fun at anime cliches such as super deformation (where characters turn all little and cute), but they beat the jokes to death with overuse by having the characters turn SD practically every minute.  Just totally distracting.  Okay, we get that the guy's name is Dick Saucer and that's kinda amusing.  Not funny when his name is said twenty times per episode.  There's just not enough going on in this anime and it was a mercy killing to cut the episode count at just two.  You can probably find this disk for very cheap, but resist the urge.  Go pick up Slayers or Fairy Tail instead.

Wardrobe malfunction during the big tournament!

Sword Art Online Anime Review

Sword Art Online
Sodo Ato Onrain
Aniplex
Complete Collection - 4 discs
625 mins. - 25 episodes
$74.98 (2015) Parts 1-4 Blu-Ray
$112.98 (2013) Parts 1-4 Blu-Ray Limited Edition
$49.98 (2013) Parts 1-4
ISBN 850527003325
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Tomohiko Ito
Studio - A-1 Pictures

Synopsis: In the year 2022 the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) genre has advanced into an amazingly realistic and immersive user experience using cutting edge virtual reality headgear.  Users are able to control their avatars with their minds and sensations are relayed directly to their brains.  Kazuto Kirigaya is your regular high school student who is an avid fan of MMORPGs and spends a lot of time online in his room alone.  His parents died when he was young and he escapes into virtual reality as a way of avoiding the real world.  He's pretty good too and was selected as a beta tester for the hottest new game - Sword Art Online!  There's a special new VR headset called Nerve Gear which is the only way to access the world of SAO.

Kirito meets Klein and shows him the ropes on the first day of SAO

On the official release day of Sword Art Online (SAO) ten thousand users login using the Nerve Gear headsets including Kazuto.  They explore the new world of Aincrad and the beta testers note new additions from the version they played.  Kazuto's username is Kirito in SAO and he spends the day helping a newbie named Klein learn the basics of the game.  At the end of the day a tragic event happens.  The sky goes red and a menacing, robed figure appears above the Town of Beginnings.  It announces itself as Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of SAO.  Kayaba tells all the players they are trapped in the game and cannot logout unless they defeat all 100 floors.  Further, the Nerve Gear headsets are wired so that when a player's health reaches zero in the game they die in real life as well.  Any attempts to remove the headsets in the real world will also cause the player to die (which is learned the hard way by a few hundred players).  SAO has become the ultimate game of death!

Kirito meets a hooded girl named Asuna before the first boss raid

The death toll begins to mount as weaker and inexperienced players fall prey to monsters or bosses.  Many players can't handle being trapped in a virtual reality world and commit suicide.  Other players form guilds to support each other as they continue trying to level up and beat the game.  Beta testers like Kirito are especially despised as they are considered cheaters with unfair secret knowledge.  Kirito decides on a strategy to level up as quickly as he can, but remain a loner without a guild.  He makes friends along the way and learns some difficult life lessons.

Kirito befriends a low-level guild called the Moonlit Black Cats

Some of the players Kirito befriends are:

• Klein - prefers to work together with people while Kirito remains a solo player.  Despite their different personalities the pair are friends
• Asuna - meets Kirito before the first floor boss fight and is a powerful warrior.  Kirito befriends her and gives her the advice to join a guild (i.e. not become a solo player like him)
• Egil - wields a powerful axe in battle, but is a better merchant and shopkeeper.  He and Kirito have a friendship based mostly on Kirito bringing rare items for Egil to buy/sell
• Lisbeth - Asuna's friend and swordsmith.  Kirito asks her to make him the most powerful sword she can from a rare element.  She develops a crush on him after their adventure
• The Moonlit Black Cats guild - meet Kirito on a mission and befriend him.  The group are friends from the real world and Kirito admires their camaraderie.  Will the diehard solo player give in and join a guild after all?  
• Silica - a beast tamer who is getting hassled by her former comrades.  She has a pet dragon that helps her on quests.  Kirito comes to her aid
• Yui - a lost child that Kirito and Asuna find in the woods.  She has amnesia and doesn't remember the real world.  What is her strange past?
• Leafa - of the Sylph race and able to fly with fairy wings.  She helps Kirito learn the ropes of flying and politics in Alfheim.  She's got a big secret and is closer to Kirito's offline life than either one of them could truly guess

Asuna is a skilled warrior and known as the Lightning Flash for her speed

Kayaba has developed an incredibly lifelike virtual world.  Some players are too afraid to fight and are able to take up different trades like fishing, gathering resources, cooking, and trading information.  It's even possible to kill another player in the game and an evil murder guild forms to steal the rare items from players.  The towns are neutral territories where players are safe from being killed.    The front line is where players continuously battle to advance the game forward and open up new levels.  Kirito becomes a rare solo player who fights on the front line.

Kirito and Lisbeth go on a quest to find a rare ore to create a powerful sword

His levels are high and he has rare equipment to help him in battle.  He'll need it because Kayaba's SAO world is a virtual prison and impossible to escape.  The greatest challenge lies beyond the virtual world - what has happened to the bodies of the comatose players?  Are virtual relationships as strong as real ones?  Who will survive to see the light of day and who will sacrifice themselves so that others might have a chance?

Kirito takes on a monster in a dungeon

Pros: Great animation - character designs/backgrounds/action, some memorable characters and situations, the love story between Kirito and Asuna is touching, nice soundtrack, first half had a serious feel to it as characters died causing their real world bodies to also die, second half was an adventure, some very mild fan-service

Kirito and Asuna start getting closer even though she's the 2nd in command
of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild and he's a solo player

Cons: First story arc is much more powerful and interesting, final story arc was too cliched with the whole damsel-in-distress thing, relationship between Kazuto and his sister Suguha was a bit questionable, ending seemed a bit too easy (although the series gets dark), as of this review there's no affordable complete collection available which makes this a ridiculously expensive series to own

Kirito takes on Heathcliff, leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild

Mike Tells It Straight: Sword Art Online is based on an ongoing series of light novels by Reki Kawahara.  I watched part of an episode of SAO on Cartoon Network's Toonami and it looked interesting.  I didn't know the story coming in, but knew it had something to do with MMORPGs and knew a little bit about those (a friend was heavily into EverQuest at one point).  I was hooked after watching the first episode!  The idea of players trapped in a virtual world where they die for real was awesome.  .hack//Sign had a similar story where the protagonist was unable to log out from a virtual world, but I liked the grand scale and adventure of SAO.  There was a clear and present danger as players were dying on missions, through treachery, and even committing suicide.  The story contains some heavy themes, but is mostly lighthearted in nature.

Kirito asks Asuna to cook a rare meat for him because she has
a high cooking skill level

The first half of the series was entirely dedicated to the 'death game' theme, but the focus slowly shifts to Kirito and Asuna.  They become allies and then something more.  I really liked how SAO explored the question of 'in-game' relationships.  The whole virtual reality thing gets more serious when you can really experience the sensations of your character (there's a pain setting which I have to assume also governs other sensory input like touch).

Asuna and Kirito take on a high level boss raid together

Kirito is a likable protagonist and you can't help rooting for him, but Asuna was pretty darn cool in her own right.  I really think Reki Kawahara missed it with how he handled her - she's strong, but then gets too sappy and sentimental with Kirito and later on Yui.  Her treatment in the second half of the series is totally weak.  Kirito is a lone wolf throughout the series and I liked that about his nature.  Sure, he gets a little help from other players, but at the end of the quest it's him vs. the boss!

Leafa is a Sylph who Kirito helps when she's getting hassled

I think the series would have been more powerful if it didn't veer off the 'death game' theme to focus on Kirito and Asuna (plus Leafa) as much.  It was still a great story and offered some really interesting views of virtual reality gaming.  The battles and action were really awesome in the boss fights and there was a desperate emotional undercurrent throughout.  Kazuto's sister Suguha was a surprisingly good character.  I read a lot of mixed reviews on this series, but suggest you find out for yourself.  It's worth it and there's even a sequel (Sword Art Online II).

Who is this girl being held prisoner?

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Wild Arms Anime Review

Wild Arms: Twilight Venom
Wairudo Amuzu
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 5 discs
550 mins. - 22 episodes
$39.98 (2005)
$29.98 (2003) Vol. 1-5/ea.
$39.98 (2003) w/Artbox
ISBN 702727131721
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Itsuro Kawasaki/Koichi Mashimo
Studio - Bee Train

Synopsis: Dr. Kiel Aronnax is being tortured in a maximum security prison, but his prospects take a turn for the better when two bumbling thieves show up.  They're Loretta and Mirabelle (along with their pet/partner Jerusha) who are trying to find the treasure rumored to be hidden deep below the prison.  The treasure turns out to be Sheyenne Rainstorm who used to be a strapping 25-year-old gunfighter, but is now trapped in the body of a young boy.  He's none too happy and the group manage a daring escape.

Sheyenne is revived and tries to put the moves on Loretta, but he's just a kid

Sheyenne is able to use special weapons called ARMS which are left over from an ancient 'evil race'.  The weapons possess incredibly destructive power, but use the life force of the wielder and can only be used by very special people.  Sheyenne's original body is missing and he's trapped in a kid's body. He and Kiel end up becoming partners and try to find Sheyenne's body.  The pair also happen upon a small creature similar to Jerusha, but named Issac who joins their party.  The creatures are called Popepi Pipepo, are incredibly long-lived (thousands of years), and highly intelligent.  You wouldn't know that by being around them.

Sheyenne can use the powerful ARMS weapon technology

Loretta is a thief and treasure hunter using her stunning good looks to distract potential rubes.  Her partner Mirabelle is a Crimson Noble or vampire.  She drinks blood and can turn into a cute little bat, but is not destroyed by sunlight (or Christianity).  She ran away from her family and is hiding out with Loretta.  The pair are mildly successful and manage to cross paths with the two boys quite often.

Mirabelle tags along on Loretta's greedy schemes

The ARMS are legendary and highly sought after by power-hungry men.  The 'evil race' caused a catastrophe many years ago which earned them their name.  Sheyenne's original body may hold the key to unlocking the forbidden power of the 'evil race' and dooming the world again.  Will Kiel and Sheyenne ever find his original body?  What is Kiel's secret past and how does it threaten the future?  Will Issac ever get Jerusha to give him the time of day?

Kiel and Sheyenne go on a quest to find his original body

Pros: Interesting premise and some fun episodes, the characters were amusing with Kiel's mysterious past, Sheyenne's outrage at his predicament, Loretta's vain beauty, and Mirabelle's innocent bloodsucking, lots of twists and turns to the plot, decent opening theme, good mix of fantasy/sci-fi/western genres, decent ending

Mirabelle is a vampire from the Crimson Nobles race

Cons: Animation is fairly simple, the vampire clan turn into cute little bats and are really weak, the furry little creatures have annoying voices and aren't very funny, ending theme song was loud and obnoxious, what the heck is that magical wolf-creature?

Is Issac comedy relief or a form of sadistic torture for the viewers?

Mike Tells it Straight: Wild Arms: Twilight Venom spun out of the semi-popular video game series Wild Arms released for the Sony Playstation (a total of five full games released on the Playstation and Playstation 2, plus a PSP title).  It's interesting to note the franchise was never a blockbuster (like Final Fantasy), but was consistently good and garnered a decent following.  I found the anime to be decent, but much like the video games not a blockbuster by any means.  The character designs and animation are pretty mediocre while the stories are fairly straightforward.  Most of them are 1-2 episodes with the search for Sheyenne's original body and the secret of the 'evil race' as recurring themes.

Loretta uses magic cards which explode or create a shield

Wild Arms had some funny comedic moments and the characters worked well together.  Sheyenne constantly complains about being in a kid's body and Kiel is a good straight man.  Loretta's greedy scheming always gets her and Mirabelle into trouble.  The two little creatures are mostly annoying.  There are just enough hints about the 'evil race' and ARMS to keep it interesting.  I liked how the ending revealed all the secrets in a fun science fiction way.  I would recommend this show to beginning anime watchers.  There's nothing explicit and the humor is pretty tame.  The furthest it goes is gun violence and a few people die.

From left: Loretta, Jerusha, Issac, Sheyenne, Mirabelle, and Kiel

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Heaven's Lost Property Forte Anime Review

Heaven's Lost Property: Forte
Sora no Otoshimono Forte
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$39.98 (2014) Blu-Ray/DVD
$64.98 (2013) Blu-Ray
$59.98 (2013)
ISBN 704400058783
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hisashi Saito
Studio - AIC

Synopsis: Tomoki Sakurai was a regular high school student living in a boring town who just wanted to enjoy a quiet existence.  All of that ended when he discovered the Angeloid named Ikaros one evening.  She fell from a place called the Synapse and became Tomoki's servant.  To make matters worse she was followed by another Angeloid named Nymph.  Both Angeloids now live and go to school with Tomoki.  There go his chances for any peace and quiet!

Ikaros attempts to get close to Tomoki...with disastrous results

The Angeloids can fly, are extremely durable, and each have special abilities.  In her former state Ikaros was a fearsome Angeloid called the Uranus Queen with highly destructive capabilities.  It appears her memories were suppressed from this time and her emotions are purposefully stunted.  Nymph is a walking supercomputer and has highly technical abilities (although she is much weaker physically than Ikaros).

Nymph laments the loss of her wings in the first season

Tomoki's friends help him deal with the Angeloids and their antics.  They include his next door neighbor Sohara (who has a secret crush on him), the eccentric Sugata who is head of the New World Discovery Club (he's pretty much the only member), and the sadistic student body president Mikako (her family are Yakuza).  Together they try to learn about the Angeloids and the Synapse while getting into outlandish situations.

Tomoki devises an ingenious system of peep holes - how long until he's caught?

Another Angeloid is sent to Earth to eliminate Tomoki!  Her name is Astraea and she is one of the strongest Angeloids, but woefully clumsy and not very bright.  She also has enormous boobs.  She remains on Earth and plots to somehow destroy Tomoki, but keeps hanging around his house to mooch food.  She gets sucked into all the goofiness happening in Tomoki's life including - Mikako's snowball battle girls vs. boys, Tomoki's panty robot pedal bicycle (don't ask), a mock game show to prove Tomoki is despised by all the girls at school, the forbidden eating of Ikaros' watermelons, Mikako's mock fishing contest where the 'fish' are busty girls who have been tied up, Tomoki's peeping network and more.

Astraea comes down from the Synapse to snuff Tomoki!

Another Angeloid is sent from the Synapse and she's a next-generation model called Chaos.  She is ultimately powerful, inadvertently evil, and emotionally still a child.  Will even the combined might of Ikaros, Nymph, and Astraea be enough to stop her?  The evil master of the Synapse will stop at nothing to destroy the rogue Angeloids and their 'master' Tomoki.

The Angeloids face the fearsome Chaos - the next generation of Angeloid!

Pros: Great animation and backgrounds, every episode ends with a different song/closing credits based on what happened in the episode, tons of comedy moments and funny situations, even more fan-service than the first season, some very small character development and plot reveals (particularly Nymph), Chaos is a suitably dark and scary nemesis for the Angeloids in this season

Tomoki pulls his best prank yet

Cons: Female characters are ridiculous and wear collars with chains on them, Ikaros has zero personality and usually just stares blankly at stuff, plot barely moves forward (not much revealed about the Synapse), Chaos is fairly annoying, a lot of really silly episodes

We learn very little about the evil master of the Synapse

Mike Tells It Straight: The first season of Heaven's Lost Property (reviewed here) started out as your typical harem anime and eventually won me over with its outlandish comedy situations.  I was impressed with the unique ending credits and songs for each episode.  It stood out as a decent show with good animation and the serious parts were mildly compelling.  Tomoki is an unrepentant horn-dog and the mystery of the Synapse was mildly compelling.

Sugata meets the mysterious Daedalus who built the Angeloids

This second season continued the tradition of unique ending credits and nice animation.  The show is all about the ecchi/fan-service and this theme grows exponentially.  Entire episodes seem to be dedicated to Tomoki's lecherous ways, ridiculous contests surrounding boobs, and Tomoki is often sporting a boner or completely naked (with little graphics covering his parts).  It's crazy!

Nymph runs a diagnostic on Ikaros after she falls ill

I wish the series spent a little less time on Tomoki's massive porn collection and focused more on the mystery of the Synapse.  We get some new information, but nothing on the actual master of the Angeloids.  This was a letdown along with the annoying childlike Angeloid, Chaos.  She would have been practically unbearable if it weren't for her sheer scary evilness!  The battle with her was pretty wicked and overall Heaven's Lost Property Forte was a zany show.  It kicks the fan-service (no explicit nudity just lots of groping) and comedy up a notch while sacrificing plot development.  Even more of a guilty pleasure than the first season ;)

Ikaros manifests her full powers as the Uranus Queen

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Ghost Hunt Anime Review

Ghost Hunt
Gosuto Hanto
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 mins. - 25 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$59.98 (2009)
$49.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400079122
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Rei Mano
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: Mai Taniyama is an ordinary high school girl who likes to tell ghost stories with her friends.  She meets a mysterious young man who turns out to have been hired to investigate a supposed haunting in an abandoned school building.   Then Mai accidentally breaks one of his video cameras and even gets his assistant injured.  Feeling guilty she ends up taking the assistant's place during the investigation and witnesses some unexplained phenomena.  The young man is Kazuya Shibuya who runs Shibuya Paranormal Research (SPR), but Mai decides to call him 'Naru' because of his lofty, narcissistic attitude.

From left: Masako, Ayako, Yasuhara, Naru (Kazuya), Hosho, Mai, and John

The apparent haunting gets more severe and more investigators are called in.  They include:

• Hosho Takigawa is a former Buddhist monk who is adept at exorcising spirits (using Buddhist mantras) and is very brave.  He appears to be very laid back and even wears stylish clothes.  Mai is put off by his appearance at first, but soon discovers he is a capable expert and very brave.
• Ayako Matsuzaki is a Shinto shrine maiden who is brash and outspoken.  She doesn't look or act the part of a holy maiden by any means.  She also has the ability to release spirits (using Shinto kuji like the 'nine cuts') although her reputation is not very good.  Mai surmises that she talks a good game, but doesn't have the spiritual power to back it up.
• John Brown is a Catholic priest hailing from Australia.  He is very soft spoken and kind.  When performing an exorcism he uses holy water and reads passages from the Holy Bible.
• Masako Hara is a famous television star who has the ability to sense and even channel spirits (a medium).  She apparently has a crush on Naru, but its unknown whether he returns her feelings.  Mai is instantly jealous of her.
• Lin Koujo is Naru's assistant and keeps to himself.  He is highly capable and even has some spiritual abilities.  Mai is convinced he hates her.  

I really hope, for Mai's sake, that's just a dream

Naru ends up hiring Mai to work with SPR to pay off the rest of the camera she busted.  The group investigates a wide variety of 'hauntings' with varying degrees of authenticity and danger.  Each member contributes in some unique and valuable way.  Mai feels a bit out of place among these seasoned hunters, especially Naru and Lin who are both very forthright in their dealings with others.  Over the course of the investigations Mai becomes a believer and she even begins to show some skill at solving cases.  When the group find a real haunting or possession is when the true danger begins.

The team have fun investigating a possible haunting in the park

Subsequent cases SPR takes on include:

• They visit a home where it's believed a poltergeist is at work.  The family includes a young girl who has a creepy doll.  Can the group uncover the tragic history of the house and the mystery of the doll before another accident happens?  
• The team is then called in to a school where many strange accidents have been happening to students.  It appears a desk is cursed, but also other places in the school.  A girl who exhibits psychokinetic abilities (spoon bending) has been blamed, but Mai is convinced she's innocent.  Is the girl lashing out at her enemies after they publicly ridiculed her?
• Something is purposefully interuppting young lovers at a local park.  Whenever someone tries to kiss they get splashed with cold water.  Is it the work of a jilted spirit?
• John brings the team to the aid of a local parrish where possessions have been happening more frequently.  A boy disappeared many years ago and it appears his spirit is becoming agitated.  Can the SPR team solve the mystery before another child goes missing?
• The team is called to another haunted high school where the principal and headmaster are both gruff unbelievers.  They meet a helpful young man named Osamu Yasuhara who explains the curses started happening after a first-year student named Sakauchi took his own life.  Add the fact the entire student body has been playing a strange game similar to a Ouija board and the school has become a hotbed of spiritual activity.  Mai has a horrible dream which spells disaster for the group.  Can Naru solve the case before anyone else gets hurt?
• Several groups of paranormal researchers are called in to solve the disappearance of a pair of young men in an old mansion owned by the former prime minister.  Not all of the investigators are what they appear to be and not all of them make it out alive.  The house has a macabre history and Mai seems particularly sensitive.  When a seance is held all hell breaks loose!  Can the group escape the horror hidden beneath the house?
• A family hires SPR to help them avert a curse which happens any time the head of the family changes.  The team faces their toughest challenge yet as they encounter possessions, malevolent spirits, and even Naru is caught unawares.  The death toll rises and Mai's dreams become increasingly dire as time runs out.  During the last change a team of ghost hunters were lost and SPR could suffer the same fate!

Keep your eyes on this creepy doll...or else!

Pros: Good cast of characters (with actual character development), nice blend of creepy horror sprinkled with a little lighthearted comedy, opening/ending sequences/music were decent and reminded me of those late night psychic/spiritual infomercials, I liked the multiple episode story arc format which allowed suspense to build up until the last episode of each case, a few genuinely scary moments, not many horror anime out there that do a good job

The SPR crew encounter this dangerous hell hound!

Cons: Some of the solutions to the cases can be far-fetched (like the first case, the one with the boy who disappeared, and the last case), the ending of the final case was too convenient for all of the story buildup, some goofy moments, not all questions are answered

What has Mai gotten herself into?

Mike Tells It Straight: I almost quit this series after the first three episodes, but am very glad to have stuck with it to the end.  The story was originally a light novel series, then a manga, then adapted into this anime series, and currently an ongoing manga again.  There are not many decent horror anime out there and I can say Ghost Hunt is one of them.  One of the best aspects of the show are the interactions of the SPR characters.  Mai is the main protagonist/narrator and she gives a good perspective on the other characters.  The characters grow over the course of the series (especially Mai's latent psychic abilities).

Performing a seance in the bowels of a haunted mansion

The series is split into multi-episode story arcs which I found to be very appropriate.  Each case takes a few episodes to solve and it allows a nice buildup of suspense before the finales.  I liked the characters which definitely grew on me over the course of the series.  There's some nice character development.  Some of the later stories were particularly scary (the Bloodstained Labyrinth and the Cursed House) and I enjoyed watching the series alone at night!  It's few and far between to find decent horror anime and Ghost Hunt does a good job.

Mai comes face to face with an unspeakable horror - is it just a dream?

Some things which bothered me about the series were the convenient ending to the final story arc.  We get a great buildup to the final episode and then it just ended with a convenient reveal of some hidden power.  Not how I would have liked it to end.  Everything up to that point was pretty good, but the ending was a letdown.  A few of the situations in the series were kinda lame and very far-fetched (even for an anime).  Okay, so it's way harder and more uncommon to have ghosts/poltergeists show up than what happened in the series (I've watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters on SyFy network).

Some spirits can actually do harm to the living

Despite its flaws I still enjoyed the series and would recommend it if you are looking for a creepy anime to watch alone at night.  It's a good combination of humor (Mai's pining for the stoic Naru and her rivalry with Masako) and suspense while the group is confronted with difficult psychic phenomena.  The character interactions make the series along with a few scary moments.  It can be a little slow-paced at times, but I was surprised at how much I actually liked the series.  

The team visits Naru in the hospital after a particularly nasty case

TO BUY and Recommendations: