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Hi there! This is going to be my first review ever but because I love this anime very much and I think it's incredibly underrated so I had to jump over my shadow. :)

Mouryou no Hako.. well what can I say. The story about a series of dismembered girls being found and how an investigator figures out what happened sounds rather simple at first, average even. But boy.. it really isn't.
What makes Mouryou no Hako incredibly interesting is the fact that the entire plot gets told through dialogue. Sure, that doesn't sound very exciting at first but it had me on the edge of ... my seat. The viewer ought to think for himself and figure out what is happening or what might have happened. And because it's not all laid out for you it's even more enjoyable. Kind of like an interactive anime? If you can call it like that.
You get to see the very unique characters of whom everybody has their own incredibly huge issues, go through a lot of character development in such little time. And to be really honest.. when I first started this I really didn't expect to be hit with such an interesting plot. Even more so because the ending is superb and not foreseeable at all. It's not one of those 'I can see the ending of this anime before I even start it' kind of animes that try to work you up with a lot of suspense but still fail miserably at actually delivering a decent story. Mouryou no Hako feels simple, effortless even when it really isn't. It's quite complex but that's what makes it so interesting. It makes everything seem so casual almost like you're watching a trailer about a summer love story but then the plot hits you and it deals with harsh realities and the ugliness of the world. And Mouryou no Hako is perfectly capable of giving you both of these impressions one second to the next.

The art was immensely beautiful in my book. It had a lot of greyish, soft tones (almost like one of those slightly yellowish old american movies) to it that fit perfectly with the ambience of the anime. There are also a lot of wonderfully, detailed nature scenes that took my breath away.

Anyways if you are somebody who always hopes to get stunned and amazed by plot twists and clever storyline but usually gets disappointed by the sheer abundance of 'we-tried-too-hard-to-make-this-interesting' animes I think Mouryou no Hako can help you out. Once again I'd like to put out there how effortless this anime feels but you just know how much hard work and love they put into this anime. It's a masterpiece to me that deserves to get noticed.