Forum - View topicREVIEW: Ghost Hound Sub.DVD 1
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DRWii
 Posts: 636 |
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Yeah, the first half of this series was good. The second half was mostly good, but the last few episodes ruined it for me, personally.
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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The psychological emphasis is actually from Chiaki J. Konaka, who also wrote Serial Experiments Lain. The only thing I'd really disagree with on this review is that the animation isn't quite as unremarkable as you say; there's a lot of attention paid to body language to even out the occasional roughness. I also feel that the CGI is actually better used here than in most anime, blending in rather smoothly. Comparing Ghost Hound to Konaka's two other major works (Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze), it's an intellectual and emotional stepdown, and also not as thematically cohesive. Still, it's an excellent anime series, and one of my favorites from 2007 -- which is truly saying something, considering how many excellent works came out that year. Also, on comparison to Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze: aside from being much more accessible than those two, I would say that it has an even better sound design (possibly the best sound design ever for an anime). Last edited by HellKorn on Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bahamut623
 Posts: 1463 |
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This series is genuinely creepy. I would always watch the series at night in the dark, and it was pretty scary sometimes, and I've never felt that way about an anime. Definitely one of the best in recent years. If not for the ending, it would be a masterpiece.
(Of course, the end is satisfying, but the last few episodes aren't quite as good as everything before it. It felt like the series was building up to something more, and you can't help but feel that there's just a little something missing. Still, definitely worthy of purchase. It's an amazing series.) |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Well, I'm only a few episodes in but based on what I've seen so far, I absolutely agree with the review. This is a fantastic series. It's extremely stylish and effectively creepy.
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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Aside from some moments in Mononoke, I've never been frightened when watching an anime. That changed when watching Ghost Hound; there's a number of moments (a few of them occurring either at the end of this first collection or the beginning of the second) that are genuinely terrifying. As for the ending, it would have benefited from having one more episode to reign in everything together and build-up to its climax (along with a couple shady spots of animation corrected, though that may have been fixed after the television airing). It still works out in the end, though, and (MAJOR SPOILERS) spoiler[is one of the few anime that's actually satisfying in its unabashed optimism.] |
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v1cious
 Posts: 6202 Location: Houston, TX |
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This is one of those very rare animes that requires surround sound (or at least headphones) to get the full experience. I still need to finish this series, but i love the few episodes I have seen of it. that episode with spoiler[the kid on the roof] creeped me the hell out.
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Hunter Sopko
 Posts: 259 |
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I actually recommend headphones over surround sound for the full effect on this one.
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Well, another show to add to the list of what I need to watch. Too bad my schedule is full up to mid January. Maybe I can bump it ahead of Otogi Zoshi.
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Mytopia
Posts: 78 Location: Florida |
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Ghost Hound is not a "fringe title". It was Production I.G.'s 20th anniversary title, was created by Masamune Shirow, who is as renowned and celebrated as it gets, and was directed and written by Ryutarou Nakamura and Chiaki J. Konaka respectively, both highly lauded individuals with an impressive list of titles to their name. There was even a Nintendo DS game based on it. There are quite a few similar shows, but I would say it reminded me most of Zettai Shounen, a truly excellent series directed by the superb Tomomi Mochizuki.
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belindabird
 Subscriber Posts: 134 Location: Minneapolis |
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I agree that the ending wasn't quite what I might have expected considering the direction that the rest of the series was going. It almost seemed too cut-and-dry considering all the underlying issues there were between the spoiler[characters and the various families in the town]. But I'm not one to let a weird ending ruin an anime for me since the endings for so many otherwise good shows aren't always that satisfying. I still recommend this series to others and just warn them that the ending is a bit lackluster. |
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DRWii
Posts: 636 |
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And normally I'm not the kind who lets a weird ending ruin a series. In fact, I think "Ghost Hound" is the only (good) anime I've seen where the last few episodes ruined it for me, and that's sad because the rest of the series is good. If the last few episodes had just kept the same feeling/atmosphere of the rest of the series, this would probably be on my wishlist as we speak (write?). EDIT: For the record, most of the anime endings I've heard complaints about either... a) don't really bother me at all, or b) I like them (*cough* "Eva" *cough*). |
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LeanGreen
 Posts: 323 Location: New England |
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Ugh, more subtitling errors from Sentai. Considering they're charging for 11 subtitled episodes what Funimation charges for 12 or 13 dubbed and subtitled ones, I expect no more than one mistake for every three episodes or so. There's really no excuse for that.
On the other hand, I'm incredibly happy to see the content get a great review. I was on the fence with this one but I think I'll definitely check it out. I absolutely love stories which delve into psychology, so I'm sort of this show's target audience. |
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3489 Location: Back stateside |
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1) Mononoke needs to be licensed. I watch my DVD of the Golbin Cat arc that it spun off from every Halloween. 2) Never seen Perfect Blue?
Yeah, that was my main problem with the series. It dumps a LOT of science and pseudoscience on you (much of which is outdated), and doesn't provide much of a payoff on it in the end (though it does on the characters' back stories, which is very well done). I hadn't made the Lain connection, but that makes sense, since it too just threw in a bunch of confusion-for-confusion's-sake without providing a decent payoff (and no payoff on its "plot" either; I loathe that series). I dunno... it looks and sounds really good. And it is scary as heck at times. But especially when you say it's got massive subtitling errors... this might be a rental next Halloween, but I can't imagine myself buying it. Still, it is nice to see something as odd as this get licensed. It gives me hope for other, better, and even odder series like the aforementioned Mononoke. |
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LunarianWarrior
 Posts: 57 Location: NYC |
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One of my favorite anime series. I mean, even though the ending was a little bit disappointing (every thing wasn't answered by the end...) it's still great and I can't wait to get enough money to buy it.
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Dop.L
Posts: 714 Location: London |
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A friend of mine works in translation, and reckons that the rates for subtitling jobs on DVD are so low that it's not commercially viable work for any half-way decent translator, so you get people who can't spell/don't care and no proof-reading either.
It's not just Sentai - Bandai had the infamous 'Vile' in True Tears. It's probably only the legal hurdles which would need to be crossed that prevent some of the licensing companies from going "Hey, the fansubs weren't bad" and paying a pittance to the fansubbers rather than hiring professional subtitlers. |
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