Ghost Hunt

Okay, so Ghost Hunt is by no means perfect in any way, but it is definitely one of my favorite mangas. This series has a completely different vibe than any other manga I've read (to be fair, I haven't actually read a ton) and the anime adaptation also carries this vibe.

To begin with, the team of characters that the story follows all have equally interesting and important roles, even though Mai and Naru are the main two. Mai is personally the most relatable character, and through her, we are able to learn more and more about the world of paranormal investigation.

All of the stories in the manga are filled with interesting lore from various cultures and extremely creative plots that never once seemed repetitive to me.

The thing that really got me was the idea that the manga got across, especially at the end. The anime is interesting and a good way to pass time, but after reading the manga, everything really does come together and the ending is a message that I will never forget.

In my opinion, you could read the manga and then watch the anime if you really wanted to, but I watched the anime first. This is what sparked my interest in Ghost Hunt to begin with and led me to the manga. Considering that the anime does not have the last couple of volumes of the manga, I think it's a perfect way to start.

After becoming a fan of the show, I decided to explore the manga. As I read, I wasn't disappointed. The manga and anime begin similarly, but the manga offers more depth in characters and stories. Unfortunately, 10 out of 12 volumes closely mirrored the anime with only minor differences. Only the last two volumes weren’t included in the anime, which makes me wonder about the creators' intentions. There are two possible reasons for this: either they wanted people to read the manga by not finishing the anime, or they ran out of time or money to produce the final episodes. Regardless, I recommend reading the manga, perhaps even before watching the show, due to those two unanimated books.

Talking about characters, we have an interesting mix. John Brown is the Exorcist within the church, surprisingly only 19 years old and already ranked higher than a priest. In the anime, it was mentioned that one needs to be ordained as a priest for such a rank. The manga has more fun with his character since he's a foreigner from Australia. This taps into the Japanese mindset regarding foreigners. When someone speaks formally or uses a different dialect, they may face ridicule. John initially spoke in a Kyoto dialect, prompting others to ask him to be less formal. Although it might be confusing at first, it adds insight into his character. Then there’s Masako, a famous spirit medium with extensive spiritual knowledge. She's generally kind-hearted but can also be snippy and crude while maintaining her lady-like manner.

Ayako, a 23-year-old Shinto priestess and daughter of a doctor, is wealthy and confident. Despite her pride, she didn’t seem to do much in terms of expelling spirits except on rare occasions. Instead, she acted more like a mother figure to the group. Takigawa, a monk and musician, acts as a father figure and uncle to the younger characters. He mostly creates barriers and occasionally dispels evil, doing more than Ayako. Lin and Naru remain somewhat mysterious, often silent or bossy. Mai might be one of my favorite characters despite her cluelessness. Her presence gives other characters a reason to explain things, making explanations feel natural rather than forced.

The artwork is decent, though some character designs are off. Initially, I didn't like the girls' designs, but Mai's grew on me. She looks quite different from the anime, so don't be surprised if you don't recognize her. I still dislike Masako Hara’s design; she appears overly made-up compared to the others. The men retain their styles from the show, yet Naru shows more emotion and seems more realistic in the manga. Sadly, ghostly events seem lackluster or hard to see, and many pages are almost all white, making it difficult to understand what's happening. That’s a drawback of using only black and white ink to depict scenes.

This manga is fantastic due to its balanced mix of typical shoujo elements like romance and chibi moments alongside a strong mystery component.

The series follows an episodic format, which might not appeal to readers who prefer a continuous storyline. However, each story arc, usually spanning several chapters, is meticulously crafted and well thought out. The mystery element shines brightly, whereas the horror aspect is relatively mild. I tend to get easily spooked by horror, but nothing in this manga is terrifying. There are some scenes with blood and unexpected ghost appearances, but that's expected given the theme.

Each arc revolves around a team of diverse 'ghost hunters' working together to unravel ghost-related mysteries and bizarre occurrences.

The artwork isn't groundbreaking, but it has a certain charm and doesn't detract from the storytelling. You can expect large shoujo eyes and attractive characters.

The characters are quite likable, although many lack depth. Information about them seems to be revealed somewhat reluctantly by the author, possibly because the work is still ongoing or due to the genre constraints. The main characters include a high school girl, through whose perspective we experience the story, and a self-centered young paranormal researcher equipped with fancy gadgets and his own research center. Other notable figures include an unconventional monk, a miko (shrine maiden), a young priest, a spiritual medium, and a mysterious assistant.

Ghost Hunt is one of the two shojo manga series I read, the other being Card Captor Sakura. Interestingly, it's the only series I picked up without prior knowledge or recommendation; I simply found it on the shelf and decided to buy it. To my surprise, I ended up finding it a very engaging read.

Story:

The storyline isn't overly complex. The initial three volumes consist of standalone stories where the main character’s group investigates mysterious phenomena in various locations. The subsequent six volumes are divided into three more involved narratives, each spanning two volumes. These latter stories are particularly captivating and sure to grab your attention.

However, following the plot can be a bit challenging at times, as the characters delve deeply into detailed explanations about certain aspects related to their cases. While these explanations are informative, they can sometimes be hard to grasp.

Art:

The artwork has an intriguing style. There's not much emphasis on background details or the world around the characters, with many scenes featuring plain white backgrounds which makes them somewhat bland. Nonetheless, the character designs are appealing, especially to someone like me who doesn't usually read shojo manga. The artistic depiction of supernatural elements and entities is undoubtedly the highlight, offering cool and uniquely designed visuals.

Character:

In line with typical shojo tropes, we have a female protagonist likely harboring a crush on the male lead. The female lead is relatable at times and brings out some sweet and humorous moments. The male character, nicknamed Naru for his narcissistic tendencies, reveals a good heart as the story progresses. We also meet the rest of the team aiding in psychic investigations. Initially, we don’t know much about them, but as the story unfolds, we learn more about each character, making them more relatable and understandable.

Enjoyment:

This series requires a bit of effort to read and re-read due to its complexity, but if you can look past that, fans of the supernatural will thoroughly enjoy it. Even though it's targeted towards girls, boys should find it entertaining too.

Overall:

The series offers a collection of smaller stories within a larger narrative, always leaving you curious and engaged. The art style is unique, and the characters are well-crafted. I rate this series an 8, although it could easily be a 7. If you're looking for an intelligent story about battling the supernatural in realistic settings, this is definitely worth checking out!

Note: This series includes supernatural violence and some blood & gore. If these elements aren't to your liking, it might be best to pass on this one.

Ghost Hunt is a remarkable manga that cleverly disguises its potent horror elements behind the charismatic and light-hearted nature of its characters. Let's break it down:

The characters are exceptionally charismatic, and their interactions create a dynamic that is genuinely enjoyable. This family-like atmosphere lends such levity to the story that it's easy to forget you're reading a horror tale. This aspect is beneficial because it indicates that the characters are engaging enough to keep readers invested in their world.

Mai, the protagonist, is complex. She possesses an aggressive and responsive side, which is advantageous as she frequently asserts herself rather than merely being an innocent girl. However, her denseness can be quite tiresome. Seriously, the plot would progress much more swiftly if she didn't remain in denial and took action when events unfolded around her! All she needed to do was inform someone in the group, and many issues could have been resolved with ease.

The storyline is compelling, presented through various cases that the group solves while gradually building towards something larger. This approach is particularly effective, as numerous clues and details are introduced early on, which later prove crucial in the story's final stages, giving a sense of meticulous planning.

Besides, the cases themselves are highly engaging. The author delves into different forms of terror, ranging from psychological to visceral. This variety keeps the reader hooked and intrigued.

My sole critique pertains to the author's writing style, which can sometimes be exhausting to read due to its heavy reliance on assumptions and information overload. While this method does allow for thorough scrutiny of each case, it often makes the narrative feel overly dense instead of being more straightforward and direct, especially during mystery segments.

The artwork is beautiful, not exceptional but very functional. It complements the story well without overshadowing the intricate plot developments.

I developed an interest in this manga solely because I'm a fan of Twelve Kingdoms and wanted to explore more works by Fuyumi Ono. Just having finished Ghost Hunt, I must say I feel quite let down. Unlike Twelve Kingdoms, there was minimal character development here. Until the very last volume, the manga consists mainly of episodic stories with only the faintest connections between cases. Even the characters themselves acknowledge in the final volume that they know next to nothing about their colleagues whom they've presumably been working alongside for months.

When an overarching plot finally emerged, I found it engaging and well-crafted. Honestly, if the entire series had been like volume 12, I would have rated it an 8 or 9. However, after plodding through 11 volumes (I almost gave up around volume 3 or 4), we're only now starting to get some depth to the characters, but by this point, it's hard to muster much interest.

So, if you're like me and reading this review because you can't decide whether to continue, just skip straight to the final volume as anything crucial will be summarized for you anyway. In fact, you could probably read just volumes 1 and 12 and have a better experience than I did.

Well, you see, Ghost Hunt is an excellent manga adaptation of its original novel. The characters, each in their unique circumstances, contribute to a fantastic overall manga experience. It showcases Shiho Inada's remarkable ability to adapt the story. The manga boasts an exciting storyline filled with great laughs and impressive artistic drawings. Fans of the original novel will find the characters refreshingly portrayed, while newcomers to the manga version will enjoy its comical, adventurous elements and thrilling twists and turns. Don't be surprised by the chapter order in Ghost Hunt; the newer manga version doesn't follow a traditional "chapter" structure. It's exhilarating to see a new spin on the manga world with this series.

Overall, this manga gets my approval as something truly worth reading!

Doc1513... out...

The anime TV series left me rather disappointed due to numerous unresolved questions, prompting me to read the manga. While the manga does address these questions, in my opinion, it doesn't conclude on a satisfying note. This review blends impressions from both the anime and the manga.

The story:
Ghost Hunt's narrative is quite segmented, with only a few episodes being interconnected within a series. What I mean is that there isn't much continuity between one "file"/story and the next. For example, File 1 spans episodes 1, 2, and 3, while File 2 covers episodes 4 and 5. By the end of the anime season finale, many questions remained unanswered.

The anime closely follows the manga, and to truly wrap up the series, I recommend starting from the beginning of Volume 8 of the manga. Most of the questions are resolved by the end, but the conclusion feels like there was no significant character development for the protagonist 'Naru'.

The art:
In my opinion, the art in the anime is superior, although the style may feel somewhat dated and might not appeal to all audiences.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this series and would have given it a 9/10 if it had better character development. In the end, I would recommend this series/manga to anyone as it is enjoyable and can be read/watched without needing to recall previous chapters/episodes due to its segmented nature.