Ghost Hound discussion thread [Archive]

roastedpekingduck

09-15-2007, 04:03 PM

Not quite based on one of his works, as it exists in no other form before this(to the best of my obsessive Shirow knowledge), but rather something he's concepted/written for Production-IG and their whole 20th Anniversary thing.

Given that Shirow is a way, way better conceptualist than he is at actually writing these days, that's probably a good thing. It's Chiaki Konaka who is being credited with the actual series composition and writing - his best work is amazing and his normal work is still typically above average, though he has thrown out a couple of stinkers as well.

In any case, it should be a good series.
Yeah, while Shirow comes up with some brilliant ideas for setting, he's not that great at writing stories because he becomes to mired in the details of the setting instead of the actual story itself.

Westlo

09-15-2007, 04:42 PM

Just watched the two trailers than, eagerly awaiting this. No word on who's composing the score yet? Nothing for music on ANN apart from op/ed.

roastedpekingduck

09-15-2007, 04:46 PM

I thought the song on the trailer sucked.

By the way, what the heck is a "spiritual animation"?

HellKorn

09-19-2007, 04:11 PM

It's Chiaki Konaka who is being credited with the actual series composition and writing - his best work is amazing and his normal work is still typically above average, though he has thrown out a couple of stinkers as well.

Which is why Ghost Hound will turn into either a major disappointment or one of the greatest anime television series made. Konaka is hit-or-miss as you mentioned (Hellsing, anyone?), but whenever he works with the surreal and allegoric I'm completely captivated by his writing. As Ghost Hound is in that vein, I'd like to think my expectations aren't too lofty.

But man, those character designs are going to have to take some time to get used to.

roastedpekingduck

10-18-2007, 06:07 PM

The first episode is out!
I'll at least try to watch the raw after I get home.

HellKorn

10-18-2007, 06:25 PM

I am very, very anxious. The last commercial that was aired (and subbed) had unmoving music, but I loved the rest of it. It was definitely Lain-esque with its subdued colors and cinematography.

Don't know if I can wait for subs...

Edit: Barring the opening and ending themes, Ghost Hound has NO music. The dialect is also apparently quite different from usual.

Wow.

Andrew Cunningham

10-18-2007, 10:31 PM

Definitely has that Lain feel, on a bigger budget.
Insanely rich sound design.
Very, very strong dialect.
Doesn't explain or deliberately avoid explanation; it gives you just enough to keep your attention and avoid making you feel frustrated. We aren't told anything clearly about the supporting cast, but what we do see is intriguing.
This is a type of show that's very hard to do well, but so far, they've balanced everything well.

roastedpekingduck

10-18-2007, 11:02 PM

I'm actually glad I watched it without subs. I was able to fully pay attention to the sound and imagery, and boy was it fantastic. To ditch music entirely was a risky endeavor for the first episode, but it worked. The directionality and nuance of the sound was just insane. I was expecting Lain vibes, but strangely enough, the first episode reminded me more of Texhnolyze than anything else. Fantastic artistry. I'm not sure about the writing yet as I don't have subs. Anyhow, I'm watching this for sure.

Andrew Cunningham

10-18-2007, 11:08 PM

But unlike Texhnolyze and like Lain, it was clearly trying to provide you with enough hooks to make you come back for more.
Also, really good opening song. Ending song is pretty forgettable.
The basic plot summary on Wikipedia game me a whole lot more information than this episode gave me.
Apparently that's a backwoods Kyushu accent. I've heard the city version, but only read the country one.

roastedpekingduck

10-18-2007, 11:13 PM

Yeah, there were quite a few mysteries unfolding in the background. Ghost Hound still has some of that psychedelic imagery, but at this point, it feels quite a bit more "concrete" than Lain.

Yeah, I agree though, great opening song.

roastedpekingduck

10-22-2007, 12:17 AM

Man, after watching it with subs, I have to say that that was really something.

Interestingly enough, the themes of this show essentially target the opposite of Shirow's original concept. Per ANN-

"As the Ghost Hound "spiritual animation" series, Production I.G's 20th-anniversary project, premiered on Japanese television earlier this week, creator Masamune Shirow has written a message to fans that has been translated and posted on I.G's website. He acknowledges that the anime series differs in some aspects from his original story but accepts these differences as inevitable. The original idea, which he created in 1987, deals with "recognizing and unlocking unworldly power." In the anime, this has been changed to the theme of losing the unworldly power as children are transformed into teenagers and adults."

The original theme does sound cooler as I don't quite like this "coming of age" twist. So many films depict the coming of age and loss of childhood that it is a bit trite, but still works and resonates well enough if done decently.

HellKorn

10-22-2007, 03:56 PM

Wow.

That was fantastic.

I came in expecting some surreal integration with modern-day concepts ala Lain or some abstract art film ala Texhnolyze, but it's neither. Konaka's works have generally been straightforward and he's one of the few "well-read" screenwriters in anime to not inject tedious and pretentious psycho-babble and references into his work. (Eyes on you, Oshii and Sato.) But I have to say that Ghost Hound is one of his more honest entries into the genre.

The sound direction demands some high quality DTS set-up. Listening to it full volume with headphones isn't doing it justice.

The animation is amazing, perhaps up there with Mushi-shi and Denno Coil if it remains consistent. The eye twitch by Tarou's mother when the subject of his sister came up was wonderful. And the art direction compliments it beautifully along with some solidly integrated 3D CGI.

I've always liked the classroom scenes in Lain, and Nakamura seems to have retained that air here.

The story is fairly easy to follow, which surprised me as I mentioned above. Characters also provide enough intrigue. That psychologist freaked me the hell out.

My lofty expectations have been met. Looking forward to episode two.

The original theme does sound cooler as I don't quite like this "coming of age" twist. So many films depict the coming of age and loss of childhood that it is a bit trite, but still works and resonates well enough if done decently.

Bildungsroman are as old as stories are, man. Of course I'd love to see some more anime geared towards an older/mature audience with actual adults, but the market doesn't support it. It's driving force is infested with t(w)eens and otaku who want their action/mecha/moe/whatever. There isn't enough diversity in the medium, and it really shows.

Andrew Cunningham

10-22-2007, 04:02 PM

The sound direction demands some high quality DTS set-up. Listening to it full volume with headphones isn't doing it justice.

It really made me love my Bose headphones again.
That psychologist freaked me the hell out.
He looked a lot like the silhouette of the killer to me...

HellKorn

10-22-2007, 04:19 PM

He looked a lot like the silhouette of the killer to me...

Interesting comparison. Skeptical but there is a resemblance.

The few details we're given about the kidnapping are weird. The end result for Tarou and his sister is obvious (though how he was released and she killed isn't), but there isn't any mention of the kidnapper himself. Then there's what Tarou doesn't want to remember and Ogami's connection...

Eh, I'll start speculating a few episodes down the line. Not given enough yet to properly form any concrete ideas.

roastedpekingduck

10-22-2007, 05:56 PM

Wow.
(Eyes on you, Oshii and Sato.)
The animation is amazing, perhaps up there with Mushi-shi and Denno Coil if it remains consistent. The eye twitch by Tarou's mother when the subject of his sister came up was wonderful.
I've always liked the classroom scenes in Lain, and Nakamura seems to have retained that air here.

The story is fairly easy to follow, which surprised me as I mentioned above. Characters also provide enough intrigue. That psychologist freaked me the hell out.

To give Sato credit, he has remained more grounded when he has needed to be, aside from Ergo Proxy, where he just went overboard. Ghost in the Shell: SAC, while it has tones of technological terms, doesn't let any technobabble get in the way, and any lines that forward characters or thematics are quite clear and direct. I really dislike sci-fi series who even let terminology and concepts get in way of actual character development. That killed the last few episodes of Noein for me.

I agree, the classroom hallucinations are pretty cool. I also completely zone out in class and have some pretty trippy stuff happen in my imagination, but nowhere as trippy as Tarou's of course.

Yeah, I find that the animation is right up there with Denno Coil and Seirei no Moribito,(Baccano's animation I think has also been quite good and underrated. It's jumpy, but it fits the style perfectly well, and many small movements and expressions are animated.) but the animation has strangely been considered unremarkable at other forums and in the general anime blogosphere, which I think is utter stupidity. In general, AoD's the only place where I've basically seen entirely positive feedback. Sadly enough, a ton of people found it so-so, but I guess that's what to be expected. The sound direction, without a doubt though, is the best of this year.

I thought I would dislike the character designs, but I quite like them. There's definitely the unorthodox "Jigoku Shoujo" look to them and the girl looks a tad like Ai Enma, but the character designs fit the show even well. I even find the kids a tad adorable, except for the sleazy one of course. Oogami does look like kind of like a wolf (Ookami) by the way. I wonder if that was intentional.

Edit: I am in agreement with the general sentiment regarding the psychologist. He sent chills up my spine.

HitokiriShadow

10-22-2007, 10:18 PM

Well, that was interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect coming in and I hadn't read up much before hand. I was expecting something... weirder. And more mind screw-ish. But I definitely like what we got. I'm really curious to see where this goes.

HitokiriShadow

10-22-2007, 10:20 PM

That psychologist freaked me the hell out.
He looked a lot like the silhouette of the killer to me...

I thought the same thing. It seems a little too obvious, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. But I do agree with HellKorn that its a tad early for speculation. And man, that guy is creepy. He seemed a little less creepy at the end of the meeting though.

HellKorn

10-23-2007, 06:46 PM

To give Sato credit, he has remained more grounded when he has needed to be, aside from Ergo Proxy, where he just went overboard.

Last impressions will linger, y'know...

Ghost in the Shell: SAC, while it has tones of technological terms, doesn't let any technobabble get in the way, and any lines that forward characters or thematics are quite clear and direct.

I actually had Innocence in mind when I typed that, not the SAC series (which I love). I think I liked that movie more than I should, but it's pretty much the shining example of "pretentiousness" in anime.

I also completely zone out in class and have some pretty trippy stuff happen in my imagination, but nowhere as trippy as Tarou's of course.

And here I just fall asleep...

I also really liked their portrayal of the out-of-body experience.

In general, AoD's the only place where I've basically seen entirely positive feedback.

Just wait and you might see an exclamation that the animation is "god-awful" just like Noein, Mushi-shi, and Fullmetal Alchemist. I think you know what I speak of. :roll:

(Holy crap, I used an emoticon!)

Glad that you also liked it, HitokiriShadow. At least this won't be another Mononoke thread with just Andrew, duck, and myself posting in it...

CorrosiveMeso

10-23-2007, 09:32 PM

Well, I just watched the first episode. I hadn't seen any of the commercials or previews, so I didn't know much about the character design or anything. I also haven't seen a lot of the series that the makers of this one are famous for, so I didn't really know what to expect. But I'm glad I started Ghost Hound. I really liked the sound direction, even with my crappy headphones. The part with the fly buzzing around was really cool. I can't wait for the next episode, based on what I saw in the preview.

Sadly, I've never managed to fall asleep in class. Not that I actively participate or anything, but I can't doze off even if I try, much less have out-of-body experiences.

Oh, and I'm finally starting to join in on the discussion of a series before it's almost over! I'm sure that more people will watch this than Mononoke, though. At least I hope so.

HellKorn

10-24-2007, 08:31 PM

I also haven't seen a lot of the series that the makers of this one are famous for, so I didn't really know what to expect.

You really should, especially considering two of those series are going to fall with Geneon.

Sadly, I've never managed to fall asleep in class.

I'm not so sure that that's a negative...

Oh, and I'm finally starting to join in on the discussion of a series before it's almost over! I'm sure that more people will watch this than Mononoke, though. At least I hope so.

As we had people post before the air date and this is Production IG's 20th Anniversary Project, it should get more discussion.

Andrew Cunningham

10-25-2007, 08:55 PM

I thought they were going to dick us around a little longer, but they're getting down to business in short order, giving us the details that are public knowledge and focusing our attention on the actual mysteries.

roastedpekingduck

10-26-2007, 02:40 AM

The sound direction even managed to make the recap sequence enthralling.

Anyhow, since I watched the raw, I couldn't understand much, but was still captivated by the animation and imagery nonetheless. The big black dude looked pretty freaky, especially with the smile. Watching Taro's mom's eyes twitch never ceases to keep me on edge as well. Also, since Taro's sister's eyes were censored, indications point towards a scene where the dead sister in his dream sequence will open her eyes wide open or something like that...scenes like that never cease to scare me...watching the image of his sister transform into the red-eyed...thing...already scared me shitless, along with that black thing. Again, I know Ghost Hound is not a fluffy and cute series by any means, but I still find the character designs for Taro and Miyako really adorable with their huge eyes and roundish faces.

roastedpekingduck

10-26-2007, 03:06 AM

I may have taken things the entirely wrong way since, but now that I think about it, was the picture of the psychiatrist in the suitcase and the superimposition of his face into the black fiend supposed to reveal that he was the kidnapper, because oh shit did the psychiatrist look especially freaky this episode.

Also, I guess 'Ghost Hound' is a program of sorts, as evidenced by the CD cover?

Andrew Cunningham

10-26-2007, 03:13 AM

roastedpekingduck

10-26-2007, 03:14 AM

I mentioned the similarity, but I'm currently working on the theory that the link between them was done deliberately to make us think the shrink is creepy.
Supposedly the actual kidnapper was hit by a truck, but there may have been more going on; Ogami's dad killed himself shortly after the case, and his grandmother, a noted psychic, was the one who tipped the police off where to find the kids.
Yeah, I got the Oogami's dad's suicide part, but seeing the culprit get run over did confuse me a bit, as a for a while, I was under the mistaken impression that the guy that had been run over was not entirely guilty.

Andrew Cunningham

10-26-2007, 04:43 AM

The police report has him down as the kidnapper, but whether he was working alone or not does seem like a potential source of mystery.
There were rumors that Ogami's dad killed himself because of he was involved somehow.

I'm still getting used to the dialect; there were several sentences I totally blanked on and then a few seconds later my brain reverse engineered the jumble back to normal Japanese and I could follow it again. Glad the exposition dump wasn't in dialect, though...

roastedpekingduck

11-01-2007, 11:55 PM

Indeed, it's possible to tell that this is IG's 20th anniversary work. It's easy to tell a bunch of work went into this, and dare I say it seems that "love" has been scattered into this series from those involved for sure.

As usual, I can't understand anything, but the visuals and sound direction create an utterly mesmerizing experience. The animation isn't the "Wow, it's gorgeous and breathtaking!" stuff that Seirei no Moribito had, but it's just as awesome in its own special way.

I need Ghost Hound like I need oxygen. In my opinion, it's the one show that really rivals the heavy hitters from the Spring/Summer session. Moyashimon is fun, but nowhere near as absorbing as this.

Lego

11-02-2007, 05:52 AM

Somehow the words "love" and "Shirow" in the same sentence scare me..

Aside from that I'm loving the sound design in Ghost Hound.

Andrew Cunningham

11-02-2007, 08:17 PM

Not quite that enthusiastic, but this episode tipped it from promising to sold.
The other two boys went from intriguing to grounded and interesting.

HellKorn

11-05-2007, 04:35 PM

... was the picture of the psychiatrist in the suitcase and the superimposition of his face into the black fiend supposed to reveal that he was the kidnapper...?

My memory might be screwin' with me, but wasn't the face of the supposed kidnapper superimposed on the face of the black fiend in Taro's dreams?

Episode two and the preview also confirmed a thought on Masayuki -- heights. It's also hinted at in the opening, immediately before we cut away to Ogami playing his guitar (obvious link there).

In the opening that golden face resembling the dubbed black fiend still has me curious, as does that girl yelling out while the dam (?) flows around her. Isn't that girl Mizuka?

Loved episode two as much as one. Masayuki's overly-friendly persona is also more amusing than annoying.

Andrew Cunningham

11-05-2007, 04:41 PM

My memory might be screwin' with me, but wasn't the face of the supposed kidnapper superimposed on the face of the black fiend in Taro's dreams?
Right, but my impression was that Taro was trying to force that face onto his memories. He knows what the supposed kidnapper looks like, but doesn't actually remember him from when he was actually kidnapped, and the more he tries to remember the more the memories start to mingle.

HellKorn

11-05-2007, 04:51 PM

Ah, right. Makes sense. That happens occasionally when one wants to cover up or change a painful experience.

I'm also convinced that the supposed kidnapper was deliberately run over by whatever group was behind the kidnappings. (Nice touch with his shoes lying behind the vehicle, by the way.)

What I don't understand is why Ogami's mother would commit suicide along with his father.

There was an interesting feature on Konaka's website (http://www.konaka.com/) about how they synced Ogami's guitar playing. It's been replaced with something about Fincher's Zodiac (guess that's just been released there).

HitokiriShadow

11-06-2007, 11:24 PM

I'm also convinced that the supposed kidnapper was deliberately run over by whatever group was behind the kidnappings. (Nice touch with his shoes lying behind the vehicle, by the way.)

The fact that the guy was conveniently "accidentally" killed screams cover up/clean up to me. The whole thing is rather fishy and the odds that he actually did it and was alone are virtually nil.

Andrew Cunningham

11-08-2007, 08:50 PM

Flat out amazing.
So much more than I'd ever hoped for. When she chopped the onion and it echoed in base, then kept echoing through the hospital...

roastedpekingduck

11-09-2007, 02:46 AM

Jesus fuck that was scary. The entire episode had me on edge. I especially loved the Out of Body experience in what seemed like a twisted ectoplasmic Ocean from the Cambrian era. The sound was utterly amazing. I would not have been as freaked out as I was without it. Didn't quite get the hair-cutting bit at the end. Was that a ritual or something?

Andrew Cunningham

11-09-2007, 03:31 AM

Yeah, they had angered the mountain god, and had to be cleansed. Presumably the hair was a sacrifice to appease it.

HellKorn

11-10-2007, 11:00 PM

This show is pure gold.

Plot is really speeding along (well, compared to Konaka's other surreal works) while still laying down numerous mysteries.

Touches of Tarou's mother and Masayuki's fear of heights (christ, can I relate) are great, in particular the scene at the shrine where Ogami threatened him.

Love the scenes where Masayuki is gathering info about the supposed myths about the hospital. Very nice editing with the shots.

The beginning with Ogami playing his guitar (excellent job on synchronization) and his grandmother leave me a bit puzzled. Her actions seem to be in either response to or else acting (yelling?) to it.

The fly's buzzing at the end is flat-out creepy, even far more than before.

I need more.

Andrew Cunningham

11-10-2007, 11:05 PM

The beginning with Ogami playing his guitar (excellent job on synchronization) and his grandmother leave me a bit puzzled. Her actions seem to be in either response to or else acting (yelling?) to it.
She's conducting a ritual in another room. I don't think we were supposed to think she could hear him; it was just a juxtaposition created in editing.

Shiroi Hane

11-12-2007, 06:46 PM

Finally got caught up somewhat on this one. There was this monologue over a classroom scene with plinky-plonky muzak where I was suddenly watching Lain all over again - and then I remember who creating this.
That psychiatrist reminds me of someone, but I cannot place my finger on it.

roastedpekingduck

11-15-2007, 03:54 PM

Shit, I just love this show. It's mixed surreality and groundedness perfectly. Within a few episodes, I entirely stopped caring for the characters in Lain because of its occasional obtuseness, but Ghost Hound has been able to make me actually interested in the characters themselves.

Andrew Cunningham

11-15-2007, 04:16 PM

Yeah, this episode was a bit subdued after last weeks, but they used that to shade in a couple of more layers on the characters.
And some brilliant voice direction - for the bit where Taro is talking to his psychologist, and tears start streaming down his face, but the actor doesn't sound like he's crying at all. That contrast made the scene more effective than if the performance had tried to be more emotional.

roastedpekingduck

11-17-2007, 03:19 AM

While rewatching the fourth episode with subs, I randomly paused during the opening during a part with rapid transitions and saw the psychiatrist's face, cut with short hair, that was supposed to be just a superimposition in earlier episodes. Based on how the psychiatrist is featured in the opinion and how he acts in the fifth episode, I'm thinking more and more that the psychiatrist does have some involvement in the past.

By the way, Miyako is one little badass. How character design has always been a bit weird though, besides the gigantic eyes, and I finally realized what it was that struck me: her hips and legs are a bit curvy for a girl so young. Coupled with Akiko Yajima's older sounding voice, Miyako gives the impression that she is a lot older than she actually is. That may have been what the creators were going for, however.

Andrew Cunningham

11-17-2007, 04:25 AM

I was under the impression she was just a bit bowlegged, or possible fat. It was bugging me too; her thighs turn out from the knees weirdly.

roastedpekingduck

11-17-2007, 01:08 PM

I originally passed it off as babyfat, but babyfat just doesn't look like that

HellKorn

11-19-2007, 07:31 PM

HellKorn

11-19-2007, 07:35 PM

"Take it a like a man."

I am never as afraid as Masayuki when going to the barber.

The astral projected bodies (?) have a... unique design. Not sure if there is some meaning why the ears and butts remain along with that odd shapes, or if it's just the creative staff having some fun.

Episode is equally suspenseful and is a nice closer to the introduction portion of the story. Can't wait for more.

Shiroi Hane

11-19-2007, 07:43 PM

By the way, Miyako is one little badass. How character design has always been a bit weird though, besides the gigantic eyes, and I finally realized what it was that struck me: her hips and legs are a bit curvy for a girl so young. Coupled with Akiko Yajima's older sounding voice, Miyako gives the impression that she is a lot older than she actually is. That may have been what the creators were going for, however.
Whenever I see face I think of that little girl who turned up at the start of the second season of Jigoku Shoujo (never finished it so haven't a clue who she was). What I really want to know is, why is she wearing clown pants (http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2120/grab17877zd8.jpg)?

roastedpekingduck

11-19-2007, 08:11 PM

Within a few episodes, I entirely stopped caring for the characters in Lain because of its occasional obtuseness, but Ghost Hound has been able to make me actually interested in the characters themselves.

Funny, Lain and Alice grew on me as the story progressed, and stayed with me on a re-watch. Might change for you the second time around.

I do agree that Ghost Hound does have more engaging characters, though. I'm surprised by Taro in particular as his character is generally one that writers seem to struggle with to development convincingly in anime.
I actually have watched through Lain twice, and while the themes presented by the show are absolutely fantastic, I still am rather cold on the characters. The only character I cared for was Alice. Lain indeed was interesting, but there was this cold, godly and inhuman aspect to her that prevented me from "caring" for her.

HellKorn

11-19-2007, 08:15 PM

Lain indeed was interesting, but there was this cold, godly and inhuman aspect to her that prevented me from "caring" for her.

(Warning: uber-Lain spoilers.)

Considering that she's basically the Wired observing humanity (or is it a manifestation of the now-connected human subconscious ala Jung?), I think that impression works. Or something like that. Need to re-watch it again.

Incidentally, Masayuki also kind of reminds me of Yoshii -- the smiling, mysterious outsider with vague motivations stirring up the pot. Though unlike Yoshii, Masayuki lost his cool and was/is never an anarchist.

roastedpekingduck

11-19-2007, 08:24 PM

Ah, that's what I meant to say. I never considered Lain as a person, rather as an "entity." While Ghost Hound similarly has those "psychedelic" moments, its main cast of characters is just much more "ordinary" and grounded. While it's hard to classify Lain as a teenage girl in any sense, the three guys in Ghost Hound are unusual, but are visibly human and suffer from some painfully normal psychological trauma. (Strangely enough, I actually got my Psyche teacher to watch Ghost Hound, and she was amazed at the detail of research that went into episode 4 because OBEs are often preceded by hyperventilation.) We are able to peak into the minds of the protagonists of Ghost Hound much more than we were ever able to do so for Lain. There's also a slight amount of humor in Ghost Hound (Miyaki's badassitude and Masayuki's sleazy behavior come to mind.), while Lain was utterly serious the entire way through.

Heck, despite my misgivings, Lain is still a masterpiece. I just have to say I like Ghost Hound a bit better at the moment.

roastedpekingduck

11-24-2007, 02:31 AM

Again, I don't know what happened due to my lack of understanding of the language. All I know is that it was fucking awesome.

HellKorn

11-24-2007, 04:23 PM

... Lain was utterly serious the entire way through.

What, you didn't find the giant lips, Lain's bear pajamas, and her "changing personality" to be amusing?

Been a few days since I watched it, but episode five is definitely my favorite of the series so far. Low-key compared to four, as mentioned earlier, but that works in its favor.

The scene with Taro and the psychologist was subtly powerful. Not emotionally manipulative -- which cannot be said for most anime -- and as a result comes across as even genuine.

The Casper designs no longer bother me in the slightest.

roastedpekingduck

11-25-2007, 04:30 AM

... Lain was utterly serious the entire way through.

What, you didn't find the giant lips, Lain's bear pajamas, and her "changing personality" to be amusing?

I just considered them part of SE Lain's weirdness and never considered those things "humorous."

By the way, regarding 6, there was one curious thing that I forgot to mention. We get a glimpse of one of Tarou's sister's eyes. But we see it through the mom's "point of view." Tarou blushed when he saw that doctor. Awwwww. Miyako and Tarou are adorable as usual. There word I'm looking for isn't p.o.v, but it just ain't popping out at the moment. Also, could a Japanese speaker tell me what the exchange between the old man and Tarou and Masayuki was about? The female doctor and psychologist look simply evil in the preview. Might they be the antagonists perhaps?

Awesomely enough, Ghost Hound is actually quite faithful to the psyche material it is citing from. The writers definitely did their research. I'm glad I'm watching Ghost Hound as I concurrently take AP Psyche.

roastedpekingduck

11-26-2007, 10:56 AM

Looking at posts on other forums and blogs, I'm frankly amazed that Ghost Hound is getting so much crap regarding the OBE homunculus designs. I find it sad that people are writing off Ghost Hound for the supposedly "irritating OBE shapes" and a lack of "attractive character designs." Probably the worst post I saw was "Ghost Hound is just a show that pretends to be deep by citing all sorts of fancy psychology terminology. For something that has actual depth and treats its characters realistically, watch ef." No offense to watchers of ef, and it may certainly be a good show, but some of the criticism leveled at Ghost Hound is quite unjustified and nonsensical.

Ah well, this is anime fandom we are talking about after all. This is the same fandom that wrote off Mononoke, Baccano, and so many other shows well worth watching.

HellKorn

11-29-2007, 09:00 PM

Don't let it bother you. I'm sure that you're familiar with the age-old concept of folks wanting pure escapism ahead of something that tries to be something more than entertainment.

I mean, when you have criticism like that, it's painfully obvious that this person would never like it. It's like showing someone who has only seen Hollywood Blockbusters something like Citizen Kane or Brazil -- it ain't gonna work out.

"Ghost Hound is just a show that pretends to be deep by citing all sorts of fancy psychology terminology."

Which is completely false, as it isn't just concepts haphazardly thrown together to make the creator(s) appear intelligent -- they're all linked and crafted to create a narrative. It's the fault of the audience for assuming that this work is trying to "be deep" so far in.

Besides, nine times out of ten whenever someone throws in a "tries to be deep" criticism, they lose any and all credibility.

"For something that has actual depth and treats its characters realistically, watch ef."

To suggest that moe-heavy now offers realistic characters is ludicrous (or depth, for that matter). It makes as much sense as me saying that I love Golden Boy (OVA) for its intelligent humor, or Hellsing (the manga) for its complex characters and tightly-written plot.

All of the above statements are horse shit, of course. It's obvious that (some) people enjoy moe because they like cute and fluff. To make it out that there is something substantial behind the surface is silly.

roastedpekingduck

11-30-2007, 11:45 PM

The first half of the episode was a tad slow and dialog-oriented. I presume that its purpose was to provide some background information regarding MRIs and brain anatomy. I was able to pick up on a few brain parts. It appears that a Green thing is residing in Taro's brain. The psychologist also has one massive massive head.

The second half was pretty awesome. Oogami's confrontation of the sleazy office candidate was pretty cool. The office candidate definitely was involved in his father's death. Some dark entity ran by and was run over by a truck. We got a glimpse of Masayuki's household, which like Oogami and Taro's, is quite troubled. His sister seems to be hooked on games as well, and seeing his father drink alcohol upon arriving home can't be a good sign. Taro also confronts the Green thing within his brain. What did it say?

Can't wait for episode 8. Anyone else digging the episode recaps with the various noises before the opening every episode?

HellKorn

12-02-2007, 01:01 AM

I assume that you've re-watched it with subs by now?

We now have an explanation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_homunculus) for the boys' "Caspers." Konaka showing off his level of research/obsessive knowledge, as per usual.

Connections, connections... Ogami encounters a former friend (?) of his father's. Considering the man's position, I wouldn't be surprised if he had threatened Ogami's father due to whatever involvement with the kidnappings 11 years ago.

Masayuki's phobia exposure freaked me the fuck out.

Oh, and Miyako's reaction over learning what her father was conspiring to do is cute.

Sort of interesting how Ghost Hound really feels more like a David Lynch than even Texhnolyze. Reminds me that I eventually need to check out Twin Peaks...

roastedpekingduck

12-02-2007, 02:03 AM

Yeah, I've been rewatching for sure. There's quite a few little details here and there that make themselves known upon a rewatch. I'm starting to try and identify recurring images and symbols. One curious thing I've noticed revolves around the eye colors of our trifecta of Makoto, Taro, and Masayuki. Their eye color matches with many objects and elements with their surroundings.

The entire show in general has been putting me on edge. The background sound is REALLY effective and doesn't sound like your stereotypical JHorror "freaky background noises" at all and never cease to make me unsettled.

Miyako (and Taro) are simply adorable (I'm currently compromising all my feelings of masculinity.) Most of those "moe" characters leave me cold, but Taro and especially Miyako continually make me fuzzy inside. Strangely, Miyako is played by 40 year old Akiko Yajimo. Who knew cuteness would come out of Ghost Hound?

zoot

12-04-2007, 08:21 AM

This is the first anime I've watched in HD that I actually noticed it. The resolution is nuts--freeze on the closeup of Miyako in ep 1 around 21:40 in 1080p, and don't cut yourself.

I love listening to the dialect in the show, even if I can't understand much. It seems like a lot of accents are in strange places.

roastedpekingduck

12-09-2007, 04:17 AM

Again, we start out with some more psychology education. Damn, I'm almost learning as much from Ghost Hound now as I am from Moyashimon. Goes to show the careful research being done behind everything. Oogami gets pissed off. There's a rather cute sequence between Taro and Miyako, and then another cute sequence follows with Taro and a cute dog thing. There was some really Lainesque imagery in this episode. The "river of organisms" and the openings in the sky remind me of that part in Lain when a part of the sky opens, revealing Lain. Telephone poles appear prominently in both Lain and Ghost Hound. The psychiatrist gets freaked the fuck out in the last bit of the episode. I got shaken up as well by the eerie sound. Next episode has a good chance of scaring the shit out of me. Anyhow, another damn good episode.

Shiroi Hane

12-09-2007, 05:45 PM

"river of organisms"
Am I the only one who had to read that twice?
What has the internet done to my mind!

HellKorn

12-10-2007, 09:40 PM

There has to be something wrong with anime fans. I mean, they can be moved by trite and forced melodrama, but when the characters have problems that one can frequently find in real life and act out relatively realistically it's suddenly "boring"?

And the exposition dump lasts, what, six minutes and actually provides some explanations for what has occurred so far? Yet they act like it takes up the whole episode.

Well, my complaints about the fandom at large aside, I love this episode. More intrigue and great character interactions.

roastedpekingduck

12-10-2007, 09:43 PM

Download numbers for Ghost Hound have been fairly substantial, meaning that quite a few people are watching it. It's just that, they're not talking about it...

BluWacky

12-11-2007, 08:59 AM

Download numbers for Ghost Hound have been fairly substantial, meaning that quite a few people are watching it. It's just that, they're not talking about it...

I don't think there's actually a lot to SAY, though.

I'm a few episodes behind you guys (just watched episode 5, I think it was - the one where Taro's therapist visits the house and he starts crying on the road outside) so I obviously can't comment on later developments. I can't, however, think of anything to actually discuss about the show. I'm therefore going to discuss why there's nothing to say instead...

Presumably one of the major points of the show will be to find out what exactly happened when Taro was kidnapped, but as it is the show doesn't seem to want to give us an answer; Taro's flashbacks have revealed nothing to us that gives us any clue as to how it might tie in to the astral projection/spiritual side of the story save for the mysterious black figure that our intrepid heroes see in the forest. It's no good theorising about it because we don't really have enough pieces to put together. Similarly for Makoto's father's suicide - we don't know how the events are connected, or even IF they are connected.

The unexpected clarity of the writing (this IS Chiaki Konaka we're talking about, who likes to obfuscate for the sake of it) also means there's less to theorise about. At the point I'm at, it's been established that there's a "real world" and a "spiritual world" and that much of the spirit world is occupied by the dead. The apparition at the crossroads in episode 1 that Miyako sees seems to be Taro's sister, but as yet we don't have enough information to really theorise anything.

The pacing has been surprisingly effective thus far, but it also throws up the slight problem that we're only really just getting into the spiritual side of the story properly with the boys and their OBEs. As such, some of what has been teased in the opening (the "worm" bursting through the dam, for instance) has barely been hinted out - we still don't really know what shape the series is going to take, whether it's going to end up as a trippy ghost-busting show or stay focused on the kidnapping.

There are plenty of questions to be asked, but thus far Ghost Hound isn't leading me to seek answers for them. Perhaps because the show is so steeped in "religion" via Makoto and Miyako stuff like the existence of the spiritual world can be taken for granted; I don't question the fact that Miyako seems to be psychically linked to Taro, for instance.

I don't think any of this is bad - Ghost Hound is still an extremely interesting show. I just don't feel that there's a lot to actually debate about it at the moment, and only when some more hints have been revealed as to where the show is going do I think there'll be more to discuss about it.

(yes, I know, too long, didn't read, but eh to that!)

HellKorn

12-11-2007, 04:41 PM

More or less in agreement. For this type of story Konaka always seems unwilling to give out just enough information and one really can't conclude what he's trying to say until they've seen it from start to finish. The puzzles in lain and TEX both for the plot(s) and thematic narrative aren't completely clear until the final credits roll.

As such, some of what has been teased in the opening (the "worm" bursting through the dam, for instance) has barely been hinted out - we still don't really know what shape the series is going to take, whether it's going to end up as a trippy ghost-busting show or stay focused on the kidnapping.

Apparently in episode eight starts to show effects of the Unseen World "invading" our world.

Oh, and by the by: I don't agree with your view on lain and TEX, but I had a good laugh with this comment on your blog: "You have to be a bit careful with Chiaki Konaka. His/her/its (who knows, with that freaky doll collection?)..."

Pastachan

12-14-2007, 11:28 AM

Download numbers for Ghost Hound have been fairly substantial, meaning that quite a few people are watching it. It's just that, they're not talking about it...
Greetings from ANN forums. We have a decent Ghost Hound thread, but I decided to join you guys over here as well. This is the first time I have joined a large forum in about four years.

Episode 7 is one of my favorites of the series at this point. It feels like we're making developments, yet we still know nothing. (I think this was already discussed a post or two above mine.) I'm looking forward to the following episodes and a satisfying end. At this rate, GH will surely be added to my Top 10 favorite anime. Heck, Miyako has already stolen one of my favorite character designs of all time. I humbly ask more people to watch and discuss, whether or not they want to.

P.S. Who else thought what Makoto saw was absolutely hilarious?

HellKorn

12-15-2007, 03:06 PM

AG, that you?

Pastachan

12-15-2007, 11:57 PM

Yup. Glad I could finally get rid of that username, too. Oh, and I lied; episode 8 is now my favorite. I especially loved the last scene with the psychologist.

roastedpekingduck

12-16-2007, 03:19 AM

Jesus fuck did that first portion of the episode with the high school students venturing to the old building creep me out. That black thing looked hideously scary and I even squeaked after it turned to "notice" the students and then chased that poor guy down. Seems like the Unseen World is starting to become increasingly fused with the real world. Hirata now has a "UFO abduction" experience as well. I'm guessing that at this point, one of the messages of GH is that the brain can't account for everything.

I really like the blurry impressionist-painting look of the backgrounds.

Taro looking at Miyako and then blushing was pretty cute by the way. Miyako's character design has to be one of the best "cute little kid" designs that I've seen. In my opinion, she blows all those trite "moe" designs out of the water in terms of adorableness.

The latter half of the episode was awesome on so many fucking levels. Unbelievably fantastic. The encounter between the three homunculi and the black thing at the abandoned pachinko parlor drove me nuts with its awesomeness. We finally know where the series gets its name. Taro turned into a...Ghost Hound. Too bad that black thing got the best of him and Ogami. I expected Masayuki to go down a similar path, but instead, Masayuki out of nowhere fired a beam that blew the shit out of the black entity, sending it crashing into the ground in flames.

It was nice seeing Masayuki finally help that abused friend of his out by taking some punches.

We see more of the spirit world seep into reality at the end of the episode. Those white, squishy worms looked disgusting.

Shit, even Taro's sister finally opened her eyes in this episode.

I still can't get over this episode. Simply wonderful and best yet, I have no clue where this series is going.

HellKorn

12-16-2007, 10:18 PM

Jesus fuck

I do believe I have never seen nor heard those words used together in that order.

Makes me excited about episode nine, at least.

roastedpekingduck

12-17-2007, 12:29 AM

My typing has become really careless lately since I'm watching anime while typing on AoD, studying for midterms, and helping others study...damn, I've made so many typos. I probably meant just 'Jesus' alone for that part. 'Fuck' should have been used to describe the second part of the episode.

By the way, happy birthday.

roastedpekingduck

12-21-2007, 02:54 PM

I still can't figure out Kei. On one hand, I sometimes think of her as a throwaway character because she really doesn't do much. On the other hand, she gets featured a little too frequently, has enough dialog, especially with Taro, and has enough detail to her facial expressions that for her to be just a random character to fill in space seems unlikely...anyhow, Kei is still an enigma to me. If anything, he seems like a mother figure of sorts to Taro, since Taro's mom, is well, rather unstable.

The scene where Hirata slowly loses his composure during his meeting with Taro is excellently done. If you listen closely, the metronomic ticking noise that is often associated with Hirata and EMDR begins ticking haphazardly and loses its organized rhythm as Hirata panics.

The scene that shows Taro blushing while he thinks about Miyako as he heads towards the shrine with Masayuki was cute. Miyako angrily slamming down the water bottle down in between her father's lecture and then storming out was rather amusing as well. That next bit made me really giggle. Now that Masayuki has found out about his little crush, Taro is in trouble. By the way, oh shit, Miyako smiled. That was completely unexpected.

We then get another Kei seen. Man, just what the heck is Kei's purpose? I still can't figure it out!

I always had the suspicion that Oogami was related to that evil-looking hound in the OP. Looks like I was right. Oogami is not merely related to the hound. He is that wolfish-looking hound. The name Oogami makes a lot of sense now because it sounds like the Japanese word for wolf. Oogami-wolf looks awesome as it leaps through the night by the way.

Miyako is just endlessly entertaining. Seeing her count the milk bottles, or whatever beverage that is, in frustration, not knowing that her dad has taken one again made me giggle.

We close out with Masayuki freaking the fuck out of the yellow-haired guy we saw in the previous episode that the black entity went into.

I just love the humor in Ghost Hound. I was expecting some more stuff like what happened last time, but I wasn't disappointed by this episode. By the way, from the next episode preview, I take it that the photographer is a pedophile? Anyhow, Miyako and Masayuki are just damn entertaining.

Pastachan

12-24-2007, 06:56 PM

I finally had the chance to view episode 9. I had to interrupt my Sacred Spirit marathon, too.

Hirata now has a "UFO abduction" experience as well.
I especially liked this part. It didn't feel like a "science class," as his past discussions with the doctor have. (I can't remember her name to save my life!) Anyway, it really gives you something to consider about the mind.

The latter half of the episode was awesome on so many fucking levels. Unbelievably fantastic. The encounter between the three homunculi and the black thing at the abandoned pachinko parlor drove me nuts with its awesomeness.
I swear that black figure cracks me up. That's why I'm lovin' this show even more, though. The figure freaked me out a bit at first (in the scene with the high-schoolers), but it was highly entertaining in its second appearance. And the whole "ghost hound" thing finally comes into play, which might actually get us somewhere.

Masayuki was freaking amazing in this episode. Not only does he stand up for Hoshino, but he also blasts that figure from the sky. His family certainly is strange, though. And I hate bugs, so those maggots were absolutely creepy!

Shit, even Taro's sister finally opened her eyes in this episode.
Also creepy. I wonder what that was all about?

roastedpekingduck

12-25-2007, 12:35 AM

Not quite related to Ghost Hound, but I would just like to state a random and amusing observation. There seems to be a select group of 16-19 year old anime watchers on ANN, AoD, and suki that really tend to watch the same things and have extremely similar tastes.

CorrosiveMeso

12-25-2007, 02:27 AM

Well, there's really only one person in my school who has tastes somewhat similar to mine, so I don't know many people my own age with tastes similar to mine apart from him and the people you referred to from these forums(assuming I'm included in this group you're talking about). But yeah, it's interesting.

Anyway, back to Ghost Hound. I'm enjoying the series a lot, especially since neuroscience is something I'm considering as a career. I'm tempted to watch episode 10 raw, but I think I can wait. The final chapters of Solanin are taunting me.

Aww...only I'm 16 now.

HellKorn

12-25-2007, 07:19 PM

Not much to add here, other than I'm lovin' Ghost Hound more and more. Definitely living up to the ludicrously high expectations I've placed upon it.

Pastachan

12-26-2007, 09:03 PM

My copy of the January issue of Newtype USA just arrived today, and I was extremely excited to see a two-page spread on Ghost Hound in their "Anime Invasion '08" preview. (And what came after it was a nice four-page focus on Kenji Kamiyama and GitS. Yayness.)

Anyway, I was surprised to hear that the idea for Ghost Hound was actually proposed 20 years ago. I wonder if the "20th anniversary project" is just a coincidence? While it was a two-page spread, there wasn't too much since it's just a preview, but I like the emphasis on sound design (especially), story, and animation.

There were also a few comments from the producer, who says he hopes people see the show as realistic rather than too out of the ordinary, mostly because of the traumatic experiences and everyday problems of these kids. He also says that we should be looking forward to the developments of the show. Great news.

"We've made it so that you can really experience the spookiness of the monsters, the dark side of human nature, and the terror of the psyche."

Andrew Cunningham

12-29-2007, 03:42 PM

Jesus fuck

I do believe I have never seen nor heard those words used together in that order.

I say that all the time and just assumed I'd been a bad influence.

Caught up now, just in time for two weeks with no new episodes.

Pastachan

01-05-2008, 01:00 PM

Caught up now, just in time for two weeks with no new episodes.
Sooo slooow.

Ghost Hound is the one of the highlights of my week, and it's starting to lose pace. I guess that way it's more suspenseful. Got to see more of the "ghost hound" thanks to Makoto. Also, I like that the environment was brought into this episode. It sounded just like a daily conversation, too, with nothing thrown in your face.

My favorite characters keep switching around. These past few episodes really made me like Masayuki. I want to see more Miyako, still.

Btw, GH is #10 on my favorite anime list.

Andrew Cunningham

01-10-2008, 08:46 PM

Damn, what the hell is going on at creepy science research lab?
Miyako's transformation was worth the wait.
And that little choral shriek when Makoto's mother showed up was pure awesome.

Pastachan

01-18-2008, 04:15 PM

Episode 11 still hasn't come out yet (for those who don't watch raws) and it's killing me. I have a lot to watch other than Ghost Hound, but I'm really not all that motivated to get those series out of the way. It seems I'm only good at keeping up with weekly releases at the moment.

Apparently, episode 12 won't even be out until Jan. 24, so we seriously need something between now and then. Or else I'll probably die of boredom due to lack of motivation.

Andrew Cunningham

01-18-2008, 04:49 PM

Yeah, there was another week off this week.
Argh. Looks like we're good through Feb at least after that...

HellKorn

01-18-2008, 06:31 PM

It is so odd that a 22 episode anime series won't be finished until mid-April, at the very least.

I'm kind of curious how the ratings for the show, relatively speaking (wouldn't expect Noitamina numbers, but...).

HellKorn

01-20-2008, 05:17 PM

A triumphant return.

Revelations abound. Everything is becoming more inter-connected and even more fascinating (no surprise with Konaka).

My two favorite shots from this episode has to be of Makoto and his father, both from behind. I don't know who storyboarded this, but they're a genius.

And that final shot is incredibly sad.

roastedpekingduck

01-20-2008, 05:27 PM

My god, episode 11 was just amazing. I was sucked right in at the start of that episode and only snapped back into reality after the credits started rolling. I already can't wait to rewatch it, because so many things were "told" in this episode, and I'm sure to find a lot more in this episode on a rewatch. The facial expressions in this episode were worth a thousand words.

The lab sequence was damn well done. Looks like another character has been revealed with the aqua-haired guy. The modified rat from the opening also makes its appearance. That thing was fucking freaky. I heard Tachikoma by the way. Ghost Hound has always been good at generating tension, and it was ratcheted up to pretty high levels between the Professor and Otori.

As I've said in the past, I always love a well done flashback, and not surprisingly, my favorite sequence in the episode was the flashback sequence. It absolutely floored me. It was a great touch to let Taro and Ogami "project" themselves into that past. I was completely awed during that one particular moment when Ogami's dad jumps straight into the chute followed quickly by Ogami, but Taro on the other hand moves a bit towards the chute, pauses, and ends up running in the "safe" direction that the other three people took. I can't quite fully explain why that moment amazed me so much, but that scene revealed quite a bit about Taro and Ogami's mindset for sure. That rear shot of Ogami's head and concluding shot of Masayuki were damn well done as well.

I'm happy that so many pivotal scenes in Ghost Hound have occurred without dialog. For one final random thought, it was neat how Taro, Ogami, and Masayuki could modify their astral projection-selves to however way they desired in the Unseen World.

Pastachan

01-20-2008, 06:24 PM

Hooray for an episode!

I keep claiming that the next episode is my favorite and the same holds true for 11, which had my eyes on the screen the entire time. Especially at the end when my mouth was agape.

We finally learned a little more about Makoto's mother and father via flashback and all that jazz. I love an anime that answers its own questions yet brings up even more in the process. Ghost Hound just happens to be a master of everything right now.

I though that teal-haired guy in the lab was rather strange. I wonder if we'll be seeing more of him and his rat? And that little thing was so reminiscent of a Tachikoma...

Ahh, nostalgia.

roastedpekingduck

01-20-2008, 06:38 PM

I thought my fixation on the flashback sequence was weird, but it looks like everyone loved it. Cool to know that I'm not some looney dude.

HellKorn

01-21-2008, 03:38 PM

teal-haired guy

I saw him and instantly thought "What is Kano doing in Ghost Hound?"

Comparing characters in Konaka's major works is a bad habit of mine.

Andrew Cunningham

01-24-2008, 08:14 PM

Oh, shit.
Being possessed by gods definitely not fun.

roastedpekingduck

01-24-2008, 11:32 PM

Some awesome sound work in this episode. The sound used in the recap montage was fucking eerie, and the sound used to illustrate the psychologist's loss of composure was great as well, with its manic directionality. Ghost Hound is a series that must be experienced with headphones for sure.

Well, it looks like Otori can now also see spirits. Perhaps Dai Nippon Lab may be influencing some of the "intermingling" between "regular" people and the spirit world.

Watching Taro carry Miyako was awfully fuzzy. I found it humorous how after we leave a determined Taro with Miyako on his back in the process of climbing the lengthy stairs, we come back to see that Miyako ended up having to walk on her own later after all.

After seeing the conclusion, I think Sui is definitely involved with something besides being a brewer. She had a weird expression at the end.

Next episode title for some reason reminded me of the Jabberwocky. Sure enough, I looked it up, and the line "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see." came from a Lewis Caroll poem called "The Snark Was a Boojum." Looks like there's going to be some awesome imagery next episode.

Andrew Cunningham

01-24-2008, 11:35 PM

This is one of the few shows where I deliberately don't watch the next episode preview.

roastedpekingduck

01-24-2008, 11:37 PM

Finally looked up the sound director, Yota Tsuruoka. He must be one of the best at sound, because he's been involved in a shotload of shows. I should have known that he worked in Boogiepop Phantom, Kino's Journey, and Serial Experiments Lain. He's also worked on Niea_7 and is currently working in Shigofumi. It's no surprise he's worked in so much. The guy has just fucking rocked at manipulating sound in Ghost Hound.

Andrew Cunningham

01-31-2008, 04:29 PM

Long tamanuke sequence, with at least a couple major additions to the mythology. Maybe three if the Moyashimon count.
Miyako's dad's reaction suspicious; he definitely recognized that phrase.
And I just knew the fat woman was evil incarnate.

Andrew Cunningham

02-09-2008, 02:53 PM

Late coming out, and pretty dense; I think I missed a fair amount.
Definitely moving in a disturbing direction.

HellKorn

02-10-2008, 10:46 PM

This obviously wasn't an episode where they had thrown vast amounts of money at, though there are some really great moments.

Otherwise, another fantastic episode. That spirit that Taro's psychiastrist saw scared the bejeezus out of me.

Next episode title for some reason reminded me of the Jabberwocky. Sure enough, I looked it up, and the line "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see." came from a Lewis Caroll poem called "The Snark Was a Boojum."

Konaka reads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunting_of_the_Snark) Lewis Caroll?

Can't say I'm surprised.

Looks like there's going to be some awesome imagery next episode.

It's some really trippy shit.

Pastachan

02-14-2008, 11:35 AM

Oh yeah, I finally saw this episode not too long ago. And episode 13 needs to come out, like, now. I'm just glad we're finally over halfway done. But who knows up until the last episode?

That spirit that Taro's psychiastrist saw scared the bejeezus out of me.
I totally saw it coming but still jumped. GH needs more of these moments for the sake of it.

Well, it looks like Otori can now also see spirits. Perhaps Dai Nippon Lab may be influencing some of the "intermingling" between "regular" people and the spirit world.
On ANN, we're discussing the Unseen World from the child's POV vs. the adult's POV. Miyako herself acts more like an adult than a child, so there must be something with the people's mentality. I dunno what I'm talking about.

Watching Taro carry Miyako was awfully fuzzy.
I love Tarou even more for this scene. How could anyone possibly NOT love Ghost Hound when it has its share of adorable scenes like this?

Andrew Cunningham

02-15-2008, 03:09 PM

Definitely feels like the story's moving in all sorts of directions now.

roastedpekingduck

02-16-2008, 03:08 AM

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. I should not have watched episodes 13 and 14 before going to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow, and I doubt I'm going to be able to fall asleep. There were so many chilling moments in these set of episodes. The dead toad, and Oogami's family's assistant woman's smile were among the things that gave me shivers. Miyako's massive scream in episode 14 made me scream too. Jesus christ. Miyako can be adorable one moment and jeez, so fucking scary the next. Really love the art and imagery at this point. Episode 13 had some awesome scenery.

roastedpekingduck

02-18-2008, 01:55 AM

I really tried to keep watching Ghost Hound via raws, but after episode 15, it looks like I'm gonna wait for the subs. While many episodes of Ghost Hound have often had quite dialog-less moments, the importance of the dialog and the intensification of the show makes being lost in images not too worth it. I could tell that a load of stuff was happening this episode. I just really frustratingly and obviously didn't know what.

HellKorn

02-21-2008, 08:42 PM

Long tamanuke sequence, with at least a couple major additions to the mythology. Maybe three if the Moyashimon count.

On that note, I find it amusing that the two most worthwhile shows from last fall involved brewing.

And I just knew the fat woman was evil incarnate.

Probably the most bad-ass moment of the show. I giggled like a child when I saw that sneer.

Episode 13 also confirms that this show might be lying to us, or at least the characters are lying to themselves, in a way. The key seems to be what Taro heard (from his sister?) before he encountered the Boojum.

In other words, this show is less concrete concerning the clear divide between reality and the supernatural than I first thought. Or maybe Konaka's just fucking with us.

Pastachan

02-23-2008, 12:51 AM

Episode 13 went by way too quickly.

And I just knew the fat woman was evil incarnate.
Best freaking part of the episode. Now I'm scared for Miyako, as that old lady seems to be all over the place (shows 14's preview).

Or maybe Konaka's just fucking with us.
Haha, oh great.

roastedpekingduck

02-23-2008, 01:20 AM

Just you wait when the scary lady starts randomly popping up at places. I tend to watch Ghost Hound in the wee hours of the morning after I am done with schoolwork. It doesn't help me fall asleep to well, since Ghost Hound has been damn good at building up suspense and pretty frightful moments. Understandably, my friends laugh at me when I cite an obscure anime series as the reason why I sometimes just can't fall asleep.

Pastachan

02-24-2008, 07:18 PM

Just you wait when the scary lady starts randomly popping up at places.
Jesus, that sounds scarier than that thing Hirata saw in episode 12. I also watch Ghost Hound late at night, too, which really enhances the experience. So the idea of that creepy old lady popping up everywhere is going to keep my mind going for a while as well.

Andrew Cunningham

02-28-2008, 04:31 PM

Not a lot to say here; the stuff with Makoto's mother worked great, but I'm worried that the explanations about what Masayuki's father and those researchers are working on will undermine a lot of what the show has built up.

Pastachan

03-05-2008, 02:17 PM

Just caught the chance to watch episode 14. The end was too much of a cliffhanger for me.

Kinda forgot the details, but I highly enjoyed this one more than usual. I'm really not kidding when I say that each new episode becomes my favorite.

Makoto's house gives me the shivers every time I see it, and now that creepy old lady is going to stalk Miyako around. Lots of stuff happened that I'm excited about, though.

I just thought the beginning of the episode was interesting with that random crazy-haired guy again.

HellKorn

03-05-2008, 06:31 PM

Absolutely awesome. Best episode since five.

The animation is a bit awkward in parts -- the Ogami servant apprehending Miyako is notably stiff like most anime series are -- but my God, did the facial expressions and content of this episode make up for that.

The hypnosis and the history lesson just kept me on the edge of my seat, and the beginning is just perfect. Konaka is really going all out.

roastedpekingduck

03-08-2008, 01:59 AM

Even on the rewatch, Miyako's scream still made me feel chills. The fact that the suspense has not dissipated at all the second time around is an excellent sign. Always like well done suspense that unsettles viewers through subtlety of writing, visuals and sound rather than through shock and surprise. Of course, the scream rather surprised me the first time around as well. Have to wonder just who Ogami's servant is serving. I found it slightly funny when she gets a cell phone while wearing that antiquated garb. Without a translation, I never would have guessed that Ogami's servant was actually swearing allegiance to Miyako and thought she was just assaulting her the first time around.

IG's pretty handily my favorite studio now, topping Madhouse, even though Madhouse was the studio that produced The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. A lot of the works that IG produces just has that "auteur", "art cinema" feel to them that distinguishes them from the works of other studios.

Andrew Cunningham

03-09-2008, 09:54 PM

So much for any fears that the answers would not live up to the mysteries.
The plot just exploded in all directions...

roastedpekingduck

03-13-2008, 03:15 AM

Really like how the threads are slowly becoming intertwined. I love the suspense.

I'm always a sucker for reincarnation, and the fact that Miyako may now be an incarnation (I have my doubts) of Mizuka adds in a really interesting twist, though I think some of it may be wishful thinking on Taro's part. It'd be too straightforward for Miyako to simply be a reincarnation, and Ghost Hound isn't usually too straightforward.

Taro's dad is just amazingly apathetic. He's always had that blank look on his face, especially when listening to jazz, and the more the series progresses, the more the fact that he's "out of it" becomes apparent. When Taro is talking with him about how he might have scared the fermentation organisms, Taro's dad responds to the ridiculous notion with his idiotic "You know, we all make mistakes." line without really even noticing the fact that his son has said something ridiculous and has trespassed. Broken families everywhere.

I initially thought the girl playing video games was Masayuki's sister. Looks like I really screwed up. Its his mom.

Always had a feeling that the photographer was an undercover government agent. Indeed, photographers usually aren't what they seem in fiction. The fact that the body was actually foreign was a curious note, and working in the industrial espionage angle was interesting as well. How many things are going on now? Awesome how so many things have been crammed in, yet everything fits perfectly.

In terms of more minor characters, I'm wondering about the teal-haired person's role. Also wondering about what happened to the forest wanderer.

The psychiatrist is REALLY losing his composure. He's played a part in several off-kilter scenes. I'm wondering if the entity formerly known as "Mizuka" actually "made direct contact" with the psychiatrist through the vision, or if the psychiatrist just pictured himself in Taro's position and became delusional. Given his previous experiences, I'm inclined to think that he actually made contact with the entity. In that case, I have to wonder why Mizuka would talk to him as Taro though, even if the psychiatrist was listening to Taro's recordings. Watching the psychiatrist panic with snot all over his face was great by the way. The facial expressions rock.

For a really random coincidence, Mitsuki Saiga, the woman who plays Kei, played Kei in Moyashimon, and is again involved with sake and yeast.

Can't wait for more after that well-done cliffhanger. The episode ended right at a really tense moment. What the heck is the Ogami servant planning? 7 episodes left. This show has been every bit the masterpiece I thought it would be, which is surprising, since my expectations rarely match up with anything nowadays.

I now hope that Ryutaro Nakamura and Chiaki J. Konaka are going to work together again every few years, as technology, society and the world continues to change. That scene in a previous episode in which Taro talks to the Snark really reminded me of Lain (a lot of the brain imagery actually recalls Lain). The "zoning out" while at school scenes also slightly reminded me of Lain. Both series do explore similar issues but those two series explore things from completely different directions, with quite a few entire opposites. To be superficial, first, the setting of Lain is the heavily urbanized environment of Tokyo, while that of Ghost Hound is the rural "backwater" of Suiten town. Hell, most of the protagonists in Ghost Hound are male, while Lain clusters around females. Still uncertain at this point about Ghost Hound's commentary on advancing technology and the progress of humanity in comparison to how they were depicted in Lain.

Pastachan

03-13-2008, 11:32 AM

You pretty much covered everything I was going to say about this episode. I'm not too sure how I feel about the Mizuka/Miyako reincarnation idea, as, like you said, Ghost Hound is not the kind of show that would be this straightforward.

And I like that Masayuki and Michio are interested in what that photographer is doing, and I'm kind of excited to see what that episode preview was showing us. (Masayuki ventures in his dad's workplace? Works for me!)

But my favorite scene was of course the one with Hirata's crazy reaction to Tarou's recordings. I'm starting to really like all the scenes like this one even if I'm not quite sure what really happened. Though it doesn't seem like he'll be able to take much more of this.

And I also like any scenes with the teal-haired guy (even though teal is my least favorite color), mainly because I find him incredibly and randomly hilarious. I think he's gonna snap if that phone rings again.

Anyway, Makoto at his mom's with a knife? Can't be good. It's better than me feeling sick every time I see that servant woman (Noriko?). But what a cliffhanger!

I initially thought the girl playing video games was Masayuki's sister. Looks like I really screwed up. Its his mom.
Me too. I was a little confused there, and I still can't see her as his mom with the way she's acting. I feel bad for Masayuki -- his family's messed up. Not that everyone else in this show has a great life at home, but still...

Speaking of lain, though, I finally got myself a copy. It's right up on my shelf, but I can't start it just yet.

Busaiku

03-13-2008, 01:56 PM

I thought it was made pretty clear a while ago.
Didn't he even state that he was an only child (in reference to Masayuki)?

roastedpekingduck

03-13-2008, 02:04 PM

Now that you mention it, yeah. Looks like some details slipped out of my head.

Pastachan

03-13-2008, 02:13 PM

I had totally forgotten. She seems too unmotherly that I can't really imagine it...

roastedpekingduck

03-15-2008, 02:23 AM

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ann-tv/2008-03-15

Cool behind-the-scenes segment on Ghost Hound from ANN. IG is definitely my favorite studio after listening to that piece. I really like I.G's vision.

Looks like both Oshii and Kamiyama were off-limits. :D

Pastachan

03-15-2008, 09:11 AM

I.G fangasm! Production I.G is my favorite studio and I was glad to see such a large focus on Ghost Hound. Too bad Oshii and (my favorite) Kamiyama were off limits. But anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and tour and have too much I would like to comment on. Definitely a top-notch studio with excellent staff.

roastedpekingduck

03-15-2008, 12:39 PM

My favorite part was basically when the guy essentially said 'screw the otaku stuff that makes a quick return but is forgotten in about 2 years. We want to make stuff that has long-term potential that may not earn back its return within 2 years, but can continue to build up attention even 10-20 years down the line and earn us returns, respect, and admiration then.' He didn't so those exact words, of course, but I really admired him for that belief in the day and age where most places want to see instant returns and don't quite care about the venerability of artwork.

Busaiku

03-15-2008, 07:45 PM

Yes, I do enjoy how Production IG does make series that would appeal to a broader audience.
Many of the newer series I introduce to friends/family have been IG projects.

Pastachan

03-15-2008, 10:47 PM

That quote of his is actually surprisingly true-to-life. I've noticed that a lot of "otaku" shows are often forgotten after the next big thing (with exceptions), but I.G seems to almost consistently put out well-remembered hits that are like a single Ghost in the Shell for every ten Nanohas.

roastedpekingduck

03-15-2008, 11:02 PM

Yeah, Ghost in the Shell is still going strong 12 years later, and the thing is, IG's most exceptional stuff reaches beyond the confines of "anime" and is enjoyed by those who simply enjoy cinema. Ghost in the Shell and Stand Alone Complex have found much broader appeal (ironically enough, they are frequently shunned in the anime community as being "emotionless" and "confusing.")

Magewolf

03-16-2008, 09:04 AM

I have some guesses about at lest some of what is going on in this show.It was mentioned when they were talking about the kidnapping that there had been a number of kidnappings with no ransoms asked for, I think they were all by the same group who were collecting raw martial that was used to make the AI that the new research facility is working on.The supposed kidnapper was just trying to make some money by sending a false ransom claim. Also this artificial life is messing up the borders between the spirit world and normal world letting more and more people interact with spirits.This is only going to get worse as the show goes on

roastedpekingduck

03-19-2008, 02:49 AM

The hotel internet connection is absolutely crappy...took me three whole hours to get episode 16...

...which was a waste because of how goddamn atrocious the subs were. I immediately closed and deleted the thing within five minutes because I didn't want my enjoyment to be spoiled. My fixation on trivial grammar errors such as won't killed all tension generated at the beginning of the episode.

Pastachan

03-19-2008, 03:30 PM

Ep. 16 was pretty intense in the beginning. Poor Makoto. But that was a brilliant display of emotions! I couldn't get over him crying there for the entire episode.

I don't know what to say about his mom just yet. But it seems that other guy is the Snark after all.

What Masayuki encountered at his dad's workplace was totally gross (like gooey headless zombies). Looks like Otori saw them, too. Masayuki's dad is also a bit disgusting. I got a little nervous for Masayuki at the end, but then Michio came in his own monkey-ghost form. I laughed out loud.

And it all ended with another blasted cliffhanger.

roastedpekingduck

03-27-2008, 09:23 PM

Shit, my speakers just had to suddenly stop working in the middle of episode 17. With so many plot threads running about, I'm really excited to see how this will finish up. There really hasn't been anything "conventional" about Ghost Hound, and I'm now expecting an unconventional ending that blows me out of my mind. By the way, most importantly, beyond the hole spirit/Dai Nippon Bio plots, I want to see how all these broken families work themselves out.

HellKorn

03-28-2008, 10:40 PM

I wouldn't say that Ghost Hound is unconventional, per se. A lot of the elements -- evil organization attempting to seize some otherworldly power, two different "realities" crashing into each other, small town folk hiding deep, dark secrets -- are common enough in stories.

At the same time, Nakamura and Konaka show off extremely confident control over the material. They don't cave in to expectations and are concerned with adding layers to the situation and characters -- the latter is why Ghost Hound works so much.

The particular attention to body language helps that drama out so much, too. Check out any number of those expressions in 16 and 17 -- Ogami, his mother, and Miyako stand out -- and you'll find them hard as hell to find in most other anime. There's no stereotypical visual/aural cues that make it stupidly obvious how the characters feels, but there isn't an annoying exaggeration in facial expressions that you'd find in recent Sunrise productions. But I digress.

I think the Snark reveal is pretty damn cool, though.

roastedpekingduck

04-01-2008, 01:55 AM

Yeah, the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I never suspected that it was the person who as taking care of Makoto's mom.

I just had to watch episodes 16 and 17 again. So many damn good moments. As you said, I should take back the word "unconventional", because Ghost Hound features a smattering of alien/conspiracy/other theories that have been featured in other stuff. The thing that's freaking cool is how everything fits together. It's a coming of age story about a kid whose family works with sake, its about Buddhist spirituality, its about family dynamics, its about psychological disorders, its about experimentation, shit, the fact that all of these were flawlessly interwoven continues impress the fuck out of me. There are so many awesome shots, a number of which are made by the contorted facial expressions that never cease to make me jump. The facial expressions (such as that of Makoto's mother) keep audiences on edge for sure. Other great shots involved Miyako's chucking of the present that her mother presumably gave her, that ever so off-kilter portion at the end of 17 when Masayuki's projection pulls apart Dr. Otori's legs. Completely unerotic. The part right before Makoto stabs his knife into the ground was amazingly tense. Miyako's crying face was awww-inducing. Jeez Taro, your screwed up badly. Great work by Makoto's voice actors by the way, who also plays Keiichi in Higurashi, and apparently does a good job of portraying the fact that his characters are going nuts, though the rest of the voice actors did a fine job as well.

Damn, only five episodes left, and the wait between each episode is killing me. Tempted to watch the raws again...

Andrew Cunningham

04-01-2008, 04:39 PM

Fucking awesome; looks like we have all pieces in play and headed for the finish now. Definitely all heading in promising directions.

roastedpekingduck

04-01-2008, 05:01 PM

Freaking great. Gave both episodes a cursory watch during my free periods at school. I'm going to post more detailed impressions after I can watch the episodes in the comfort of my home.

roastedpekingduck

04-02-2008, 01:46 AM

There aren't really any shots or scenes that incredibly mesmerized me, as was the case with episode 17, but there was a ton of great character development and revelations in 19. 18 revealed plot details in a really nice fashion. Hearing anything having to do with child-organ smuggling never ceases to catch my attention, given how horrific that stuff is. Miyako's personality has really just been everywhere these last few episodes. Sometimes she's possessed and spazzing, other times, other times she's a really conflicted and sad little girl, she occasionally lumbers along like an emotionless zombie, and in episode 19, her turn towards the devilish really creeped me out. Creepy old Ogami-servant lady also surprised me with her appearance, though I knew some trap was being set for Miyako. 19's ending was pretty touching. "Good crying" without overt sobbing and screaming rocks. Also, the Snark died earlier than expected, and it sucks that Miyako's father got attacked.

I honestly have no clue what the hell is going to happen next.

Pastachan

04-04-2008, 12:57 AM

I honestly have no clue what the hell is going to happen next.
Definitely with you there.

Quite honestly, I don't know what to think of Miyako's situation. Yeah, she's been all over the place emotionally these past few episodes, but that little smirk of hers reminds me a lot of that old hag's. Ah, crap. (And possibly this illegal organ stuff has to do with Miyako reminding Tarou of Mizuka. Or that might just be a dead end.)

But I really loved the focus on Makoto this time. Too many "aww moments" for me to handle. When we learned that he was the original victim of the kidnapper and was traded for Tarou and his sister, everything felt like it made sense.

We're so close to the end, yet so far away...

roastedpekingduck

04-04-2008, 08:40 PM

Ghost Hound's final episode has aired. :(

Andrew, what's the final verdict?

Andrew Cunningham

04-04-2008, 08:42 PM

Ghost Hound's final episode has aired. :(

Andrew, what's the final verdict?

Damn you, I haven't even watch 21 yet.
Will probably get to them today or tomorrow. Finished my current project and won't start the new one till Monday, so I have my first breather for a couple of months.

Andrew Cunningham

04-05-2008, 01:54 AM

Ghost Hound's final episode has aired. :(
Andrew, what's the final verdict?

Fucking great.
Like a jigsaw puzzle, fucking every little piece coming together. Really pulled out all the stops, too.
I just hope Chiho wasn't still in the house...

roastedpekingduck

04-14-2008, 02:57 AM

Damn, what an episode. Execution was perfect. Major headway was made into each of the three subplots, and I can't wait for them to intertwine. Originally, I thought of Taro as the main character, and even thought of this series as "Taro's bildungsroman", and Masayuki and Ogami as major supporting actors, but the last few episodes have made it clear that this is a show with three main characters, since each is absolutely central to the show and is getting prime development. That shit about the biooids was pretty creepy.

I was slightly confused by the ending. I had no clue that the Ogami bodyguard had some mystical tricks as well, so that caught me off guard. Also, I'm guessing that the dudes surrounding the Wandering Hobo at the end were other spirits/gods?

HellKorn

04-15-2008, 03:59 PM

I like how Konaka shifted my fears of Kogamasu going on about some outdated global warming conspiracy theory to making an interesting parallel about the definition of life with Masayuki's father asserting that the biooids aren't alive.

He always pulls the rug under the viewer like that.

roastedpekingduck

04-15-2008, 11:27 PM

Didn't like this episode as much...some moments were rather jarring (Masayuki suddenly touching Otori and Otori's response left me bewildered. Seeing Michio, Masayuki, Ogami, and Taro suddenly talk about being friendz 4 life was also a tad strange, given Ogami's original personality, which just shows how far he's come.) Clearly a setup though. I have major expectations for the last episode...

HellKorn

04-17-2008, 09:02 PM

Masayuki suddenly touching Otori and Otori's response left me bewildered.

I'm actually kind of impress at how they handle that. Sure, going for traditional "like father, like son" development is one thing, but Otori's response isn't anywhere as jarring as it could've been.

Hirata showing up also reminds me how damn much I like his character. It's the hairdo that does it for me.

Awesome preview, to boot. Sounds like a hell of a finish.

roastedpekingduck

04-17-2008, 11:27 PM

roastedpekingduck

04-23-2008, 01:43 AM

All in all, I don't think I should post that much about it. It's just a really cute, happy ending. Except for some animation mistakes and the "even if my relative is dead she still lives inside of me and is still alive" crap that I see all the time made an appearance, it's was still a pretty fine ending, if not a tad too happy and saccharine for my tastes. Climax was just too awesome though.

HellKorn

04-23-2008, 10:33 PM

Hey, the Mayor and scaredy-dude are back! Wow.

Surprisingly conventional yet surprisingly effective. I'd been spoiled that it isn't one those gut-wrenchers, but even so it's a very interesting and satisfying finish. I also laughed a lot -- the fate of the Ogami site is wonderful.

I have only two complaints, really: What exactly is the purpose of all the shamans/monks/what have you? The animation is also particularly lazy when Taro went running to rescue Miyako, so I hope that that is cleaned up for the DVD release. (I don't know IG's track record on that, though.)

Love how everything comes full circle, though, and manages to squeeze in it's enormous cast to make it clear that just about everyone is important in some fashion. Michio and Suzuki grew me, and Otori actually doesn't look half-bad in that get-up! Whoa.

Not as ambitious and unique as lain and Texhnolyze, but dammit, Konaka finally has managed to combine intelligence with accessibility. I applaud him and Nakamura for their efforts; it's a heck of a ride that I look forward to seeing licensed.

Pastachan

04-23-2008, 10:57 PM

What exactly is the purpose of all the shamans/monks/what have you?
Moral support? lulz

My favorite part in the entire episode was when Makoto laughed. I smirked. \=J

It's kinda sad that it's over now because I was so used to waiting every two (or more) weeks for an episode. I guess I couldn't ask for a better ending. It didn't seem the type to end on anything but a happy note.

Another thing I like is that I was just waiting for a character to dislike early on, but that happened with absolutely none of them. The one I was expecting to be "evil" after the first episode was Hirata, but he turned out to be one of my favorites rather quickly.

Can't wait for a license.

HellKorn

04-24-2008, 09:56 PM

I also want to add that it's disappointing Konaka could've have brought all the narrative threads together, leaving points dangling to only remain surface level decorations. He damn well could've pulled it off perfectly like he does in lain and Texhnolyze.

Still, looking at it as a bildungsroman and a drama about family that lacks the usual sensationalistic sentimentalism, Ghost Hound does succeed in spades.

roastedpekingduck

04-26-2008, 02:39 AM

Rewatched the last episode today, and unfortunately, the ending just didn't sit too well with me this second time around, given that as Hellkorn mentioned above, the way the narratives were tied together wasn't as tight as I would have hoped. I was able to ignore my anticipations the first time around I watched the episode, but the second time, damn, I just wondered how much more I would like the series if it had a less happy and more ambiguous/ambivalent ending. The mysteriousness and utter uncertainty as to what was going on was a lot of Ghost Hound's magic for me, and to see that mysteriousness be shed so easily at the end was slightly disappointing and lessened elements of the series that had made it so appealing to me. The ending was just a bit too straightforward and limited in interpretation. Really, there's not too much to be said. Families return together. Friendships are gained and strengthened. Give the buildup for the last three episodes, I have to agree with Pastachan and say that everything was headed towards a happy ending (and I had to cheer at what happened to the Ogami temple), but with the tone that the series took even at the beginning of the last episode, I'd say that a darker, more interpretative ending was certainly still very possible. All smiles, tears of joy is good for some shows...but for Ghost Hound...I just can't help but feel that it was lacking for something such as Ghost Hound. Anyhow, for a bit, it was floating around 1-4, but it's clear upon this rewatch that Ghost Hound will either take a position in my lower four spots, or perhaps even narrowly miss my list.

Damn, when have I become so picky?