Anime Review - Ghost Hunt - Captivating and Engaging Spooky Mysteries

As I watch more and more mystery/horror anime, the list of good series start to dwindle, and that thirst for mystery must be quenched! As a result, I just chucked in the tags mystery and horror onto MAL and see what we got, and I stumbled upon this anime. I actually had this downloaded on my computer and just left it for a while, because I thought it would be really boring. Eventually, my hunger for mystery got the better of me, and I started this series, and I was .... GLAD that I watched it. Ghost Hunt is essentially multiple story/mysteries that are 3 - 4 episodes long, and trust me did it create a spooky atmosphere.

The anime had 7 different mysteries, each showcasing different spirits that are stronger as we progress through the anime. The first story really set the mood, and I actually got shivers down my spine when I was watching this in my dark. The other stories didn't really give me that, but maybe because I was a bit spooked at the time. Anyway the first story was essentially an introductory episode that takes place at a school, where we are introduced to a schoolgirl by the name of Mai Taniyama. Eventually the mystery is set in an abandoned school building that hasn't been demolished due to several spooky incidents that halted/delayed the demolition. We then meet different groups of people who deal with spirits - Kazuya Shibuya (Ghost Hunter), Houshou Takigawa (Monk), Lin Koujo (Qi Master), John Brown (Priest), Ayako Matsuzaki (Miko) and Masako Hara (Medium). I won't spoil too much of the story, but the first story just showcased their supernatural ability to dispel spirits.

The spirits becomes stronger as the stories progressed, but at the same time, the group of paranormal investigators create stronger bonds with one another, and ultimately synergises with one another, and putting aside their cockiness and different beliefs. There were stories that were creepy, but there were also stories that were equally sad. Story 2 involving the possessed doll that kills kids to find her kidnapped daughter is pretty sad, since the vengeful spirit is unable to leave the world because her child is never found. I like the resolution of this story because the spirit was put to rest after she is reunited with her daughter's spirit. It is sad that there were innocent children killed, but at the same time, you gotta feel for the spirit, she lost her own daughter because of some crooked man. Story 4 involving the mute orphan was the saddest in my opinion, and one that I could sympathesize with. The spirit doesn't actually kill anyone, and as we find near the end of the story, the mute orphan was trapped and left to die. What's even more sad is that his father never came back to save him - imagine being in his position. That is some FeelsBadMan.

But hol up, the anime wasn't afraid to show the gory aspect either, even though there wasn't much. The spookiest and most fked up one was Story 6, where some old man spirit kills young people and bath in their blood, which he had continued from when he had lived. Holy crap is that weird. It really gave me the spooks. I also liked the resolution of the ending. The group couldn't actually exorcise the spirit since he had gained so much power, and the only way to purify the place was to burn the whole mansion down. Out of all the stories, I felt that there was really only one story that seemed lackluster, but 6/7 mystery stories being good is more than enough.

This picture probably didn't show the scariest depiction of the spirit.

What I also liked about this anime is the group, who had come together from various beliefs and techniques to purify spirits. Even though we see them as being cocky and mocking one another, they eventually set aside their differences and just do their job - like how religion should be in our world. I also liked seeing that some techniques were more effective in specific situations, and this was what made them bond. None of the characters are boring either, in fact all of them are likable and super easy to remember. The most lackluster one is probably Masako, since she doesn't actually exorcise anyone nor was she instrumental to solving mysteries, but then again, she's a medium and all she can do is conduct seances. The one that seemed most like a "dickhead" is Kazuya, but then again who cares? He's the brains and is more of a real-day paranormal hunter, so we can see why he is cocky since his approaches are more "believable". The art style is not bad for a 2007 anime, and it's not something to mock even to this day.

Overall, Ghost Hunt was a collection of super good mysteries involving supernatural entities. With a good cast of characters, it really made the mystery solving and resolution process so much more better. I'm kinda a person who believes that there are spirits, but not in our dimension, and rather in another dimension that we cannot perceive, so this anime was up my alley. If you like mystery and you like the supernatural theme, I would definitely recommend this. I have been searching for similar anime, but so far I have found none - this anime is really unique for its genre, and I LOVED IT. I

WANT MORE! Seriously don't been deterred by old artwork, sometimes the best anime may not be

Cutest artwork I have encountered for Ghost Hunt

up to today's standard of art quality.

Score Summary (9/10):

Story: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Art: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Enjoyment: 10/10