Anime reviews: Ghost Hound

“Ghost Hound” is a twenty-two episode Japanese anime series that is directed by Ryutaro Nakamura and written Chiaki J. Konaka, with Production I.G being responsible for the animation. The series had made its original run from October 18, 2007 until April 2, 2008 on the WOWOW Network. The original concept had come from the acclaimed artist known as Shirow Masamune.

Ryutaro Nakamura is known for directing “Serial Experiments Lain.” Chiaki J. Konaka is responsible for the screenplay. Mariko Oka is responsible for the character design. Ghost Hound was creasted by Shirow Masamune. The series combines together the genres of: supernatural, horror, and science fiction. This has a lot to do with the transfer of souls and a possible afterlife.

The setting is set in the town of Suiten, in a remote mountain region in Kyushu. It revolves around three boys who had very traumatic encounters in their respective childhoods. As a result, the experience had given them the ability to transfer their souls to a parallel world called the “Unseen World.”

Of all the three boys, Taro Komori is the main protagonist. He is a fourteen year old narcoleptic. On September 2, 1996, Taro lost his older sister Mizuka. When he sleeps, Taro ends up having those out-of-body experiences (OBE). However, Taro ends up recording what he sees as a method of trying to figure out the reason he has OBEs. He seeks help from the school psychologist. Taro’s father is a famous brewer. While the father is able to handle the death well, Taro’s mother twitches. In the other world, Taro can transform into a dog-like apparition.

Makoto Ogami too has OBEs. He is a silent and hot-tempered boy that attends Taro’s school. Through his grandmother, Himeko, Makoto is connected to Taro and Mizuka. He had a traumatic experience when he discovered the body of his father, who had committed suicide. Interestingly enough, it was when the Komori children were found after they were kidnapped. Makoto is not a narcoleptic. He can have an OBE when playing on his guitar. Makoto can transform into a wolf-like apparition.

Masayuki Nakajima is a new transfer student. He is one of many transfer students that had come to Taro and Makoto’s school. He is out to investigate a kidnapping incident eleven years ago with the Komori children. In short, Masayuki is out to find answers. He took is able to have an OBE. During his spare time, Masayuki likes to play his head-mounted display virtual reality game. This could be how Masayuki is able to have an OBE.

As the three are able to have an OBE and go onto the other world, soon, the two worlds look to merge together somehow. Ghosts from the Unseen World end up making their way into the world of the living. This is one of the main plot drivers forcing all three of them to work together and find the clues.

Ghost Hound does a good job of combining realism and surrealism in that context. As a fan of Shirow Masamune, I would expect to see nothing less. Watching Masamune’s works such as “Ghost In the Shell” and “Appleseed,” I was pretty impressed with Ghost Hound.

This is one series one should check out.