Mar 3, 2016
(This is my first review so plz bare with me)
Nowadays the psychological horror genre tends to focus on the horror part of things like gore, jumpscares, death, etc. "Ghost Hound" takes a different approach to this genre and decides to focus on the psychological part and talks about topics like OBEs (out of body experiences), biological psychology, and traumas.
Story (7/10):
"Ghost Hound" tells the story of 3 boys, Taro, Masayuki, and Makoto, who have had traumatic experiences in the past that receive the power of moving between the Visible and Unseen realm. In the Unseen realm they are able to see spirits of mostly dead people
...
and animals. After receiving these powers strange events begin to occur in the town they live and the boys begin to look into these. The story begins rather slow with its introduction episodes and setting up but near the middle it picks up the pace and begins answering questions set in the beginning. However, the ending was not as satisying as I expected and it seemed like some of these mysteries and problems and been left unsolved.
Characters (10/10):
The characters are the highlight in "Ghost Hound". IMO all the characters have enough screen-time to be classified as interesting and relatable. From Hirata the psychologist, to Yazaki the mayor, even that one guy who never talks. All these characters have at least enough time to be able to understand their intentions. Most of the characters have some traumatic event occur to them before or during the events of the anime and the way it changes their life and attitude is very well shown. Of course, the most well developed characters are the 3 mains but how the influence of their past is shown in them is just amazing.
Art (8/10)
Overall the artwork looked really clean and had some moments where it even enhanced the creepiness. The spirits in the Unseen Realm have a range of design from animals that actually exist to fantasy-like designs. Another art element that surprised me was the first-person view that was shown mostly inside the Unseen Realm. Although there are some anime that fail in this aspect "Ghost Hound" surprised even in its CGI.
Sound (8/10)
The OST of "Ghost Hound" was a very different one. The music was very soft but very creepy at times. The OST also added a touch of classical japanese music at times which fit in very well. It was greating at setting the atmosphere and I definetely recommend watching this anime with headphones on at all times. As for the OP I actually liked the song and the video. It didn't add to the creepiness of the anime but it did pump me up for another episode.
Enjoyment (8/10)
Overall, I think "Ghost Hound" is a psychological horror that brings back the psychological side into it. It was really fun watching the mysteries unfold and seeing how the characters came to terms with their pasts
Pros-
-Relies on "creepiness" rather than jump scares
-Characters are well designed and developed
-OST adds to the environment
-Explores real psychological terms
Cons-
-Needs a more satisfying ending
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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