Search - Ghost Hunt: Season 1, Part 2 on DVD

The Final Hunts

Kellyannl | Bronx, NY USA | 11/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ghost Hunt concludes in a set sure to make it both a shoujo and horror anime staple.

Character development continues, as in particular we find out the reason for the bug up Lin's behind as Mai has a conversation with him that finally removes said bug. Mai's relationship with Monk continues to be a highlight as he remains 10 shades of awesome, particularly when he takes the reins when Naru is incapacitated for a large chunk of the final case of the series, which also gives Ayako some great moments when the situation enters her territory. The series also gains a new regular in Osamu Yasuhara, a bright boy with a good sense of humor roughly Mai's age who becomes the team's unofficial research assistant after he befriends the gang when they take a case at his school.

We're not allowed to forget, though, the reason why the series is named Ghost Hunt; and unlike most of the first half of the series, these three cases are genuinely scary. This is turn the lights off and crawl under the covers material, culminating in - what else? - a battle between the cast regulars and an army of undead in July (a month which corresponds in Japanese culture to October in the United States in regards to things that go bump in the night). It also stays true to the subject material - Ghost fans will notice, for instance, the nod in the middle case to the Winchester House which eventually shows up in any documentary anthology of hauntings on TV.

Several key issues are not addressed. We never find out what Masako has on Naru, nor the reason for Mai's dreams of Naru; and the Mai/Naru/Masako triangle is nowhere near resolved. Will Ghost Hunt eventually continue? Only the spirits know for now - but I can safely say that the series as is will not-so-paranormally enter my DVD player in October for the forseeable future.

"