“Frozen In Time” – Frozen Essence (VN) – 8/10 Black Cats

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates. ~Thomas Szasz

Genre: Mystery/Romance/Fantasy/Action/Supernatural

Review Status: Complete

Licensed: It’s licensed and free for download at http://games.renpy.org/

Art/Animation: Not too shabby! The art is clean, vibrant, and nice to look at. There’s a large variety of character designs and nice backgrounds. It’s not as professional-looking as it could be, but there’s very little to complain about. This being a VN, there’s really no animation to speak of, but the transitions are very nice. My only issue was with the ‘slap’ effect- it was far too often and in some inappropriate places for the story. I was quite annoyed by it by the end.

Voice Acting: There are no voices in this, just the dialogue and background music.

Summary: You play a girl that has been trapped for 1000 years, but is suddenly released from her prison of ice. When she wakes, she has no memory of what happened or who she is. With three guardians and an oracle that make it their business to protect her, she tries to discover who she is and what happened so long ago…

Review: This is a full-on VN, with many endings and an interesting storyline. The thing is that when you have more than one path to follow, you not only need to make the beginning interesting (and it is), you need to make each and every potential path have something to draw you in. This VN has them. With 14 different endings, you need them! There are so many choices that affect what is going to happen to you. There are certain things you need to do to get certain paths, and the variety of choices and events that happen based on them and when you choose them is astonishing!

Each path involves you getting close to another character. Each path has unique things revealed about the story, and you will learn about the pasts of those around you as you get their paths. Getting the paths in the first place can be an… interesting experience. Some are far easier than others. Some require some smart thinking for your choices. Sometimes it’s impossible to tell which path your choice will lead to. But regardless of the path you choose, you will discover more about the circumstances surrounding your identity.

Each person you choose for your path is well-developed. Some are great guys. Some… not so much. You can’t tell who is and isn’t until you’ve pursued their paths. It fleshes them out in terrific ways, and they’re all quite different and unique to each other. Their paths are as varied as the characters. Some of the good ends are downright gloomy, while the bad ends can get dark. There are some good ends that I wasn’t entirely fond of, to be honest, because they seemed as dark as the bad ones in their own way. That’s okay, and the variety of paths means that I am okay with that. There’s always another one to check out.

Overall, despite some of the issues with transitions, and the occasional repetitiveness of gameplay at certain points, this is one of the best free VNs out there- definitely worth playing.

Recommended: 13+. There is some mentions of being grabbed inappropriately and some rude comments, there is also the risk of death/imprisonment/etc for you and for other characters.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (manga)
Hanasakeru Seishounen (anime)
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)
Fuushigi Yugi (anime and manga)
Ayashi no Ceres (anime and manga)

“The Art of Life” – Gallery Fake (anime) – 9/10 Pumpkin Pies

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Genre: Mystery/Seinen

Review Status: Complete (37 Episodes/37 Episodes)
Licensed: No, this anime is not licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Quite good. The color palette made me think that it was a little older than it is, but the animation is excellent, and the art can be breathtaking at times, especially when special attention is paid to the paintings that are featured.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub.

Summary: Reiji Fujita is the proprietor of Gallery Fake, a gallery that specializes in fakes and fraudulent art. However, he’s no ordinary dealer and scalawag- he genuinely loves art, and will do what he can to get his art to those who will enjoy it. As a former worker at the Met, he knows his stuff, and shows it off. With a girl that’s in love with him and a rival curator that would like to shut him down, life is always exciting for him!

Review: Art class is dreaded by many- and I’m not talking about the ones where you actually get to paint and draw. How exciting can a class covering the history and importance of certain works be? This is the anime world’s response to this- very exciting. This manages to weave human drama with the artwork, giving them importance that would otherwise be overlooked and ignored, and mixes it with a touch of adventure and drama. It helps that this has one of the catchiest, classiest openings I've heard in a while- an immediate hook for me!

At first, Reiji comes off as a smooth operator. He has little compunction in holding a gun and shooting if necessary, and knows a dozen tips and tricks in order to get what he wants. When he’s going for a piece of art, he is at his finest, knowing exactly what he’s looking for and able to tell the best from the rest. The rest of the time… maaaybe not so much! He’s thrown off-guard and kept on his toes by his young assistant Sara, who also happens to be in love with him.

The further into the anime you get, the more of their relationship is revealed, and the more you root for them to get together. The recurring characters that show up are also interesting in their own right. There’s the jewel thief with a passion for unusual art, and the curator that both respects Fujita’s knowledge and skill but is frustrated by his dabble in illegal activities. Her respect and fondness for him grows over time into a good friendship.

These characters get into all sorts of trouble and events. There’s action, from having to restore a painting during a plane hijacking, a kidnapping of the descendent of a famous subject of a portrait, a race to prevent an art theft, and even the discovery of a lost city in the Amazon. There’s the human drama, from a painting that reveals the love of a father for his estranged and grieving daughter, to the restoration painter that desperately needs to save an inheritance, and even touches on Fujita’s family’s past. There are even episodes that are just fun, like the one about a mechanical crab.

All the while, little bits of information about paintings and painters are sprinkled in. It gives it a feeling of authenticity, and never feels truly boring. I think my own appreciation of art was deepened because it’s given in such a way that it’s hard not to find merit in the paintings and painters they present.

Overall, except for some blatant and terrible emotional manipulation in one episode, this is a fabulous anime.

Recommended: 15+. There only one f-bomb dropped during an episode that features Vietnam and the Vietnam war (due to how this is depicted, it might be wise to watch this away from any relatives with sensitivities to the war) with barely any minor swears during the rest of it. There is some violence- one man gets shot in the arm, a girl is kidnapped, and in the war episode, there are people depicted being attacked and some bodies are shown. Discretion is used in these shots, so no one is actually seen killed, but there are shots of people that are close to photographs taken during that period. Someone gets stabbed in the back, and you see his back covered in blood.

There is one shot of a woman in a bathtub- I didn’t realize what was happening until later in the episode, but apparently she is masturbating, Everything is covered, though, and it’s not obvious. In another episode, the same woman has sex with a boarder, and this is depicted briefly though not pornographically or blatantly. It also seems that she has some sort of S&M relationship with her butler, who’s in love with her. There is one scene of fanservice where Fujita looks at a woman’s bikini-clad behind, and the camera does zoom in on it. Two scenes depict couples in bed together, completely covered by the sheets.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Bartender (anime and manga)
Master Keaton (anime)
Detective Conan (anime and manga)

“Being Schooled” – CLAMP School Detectives (manga) – 6/10 Pumpkin Pies

You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mangaka: CLAMP

Genre: Comedy/Mystery/Scool/Shoujo/Kids

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: No. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop but has not been re-released.

Art: This was done in the 90’s, and it shows in the hairstyles and clothing styles. Sometimes they’re downright ugly, and not even CLAMP’s wonderful art style can save it. It’s rarely that bad, though. For the most part, it just looks dated, but isn’t bad. The character designs for the main three guys are virtually identical.

Summary: Welcome to the CLAMP School, Japan’s most prestigious place of learning- home to prodigies, wunderkinds and young geniuses of every make and model. In a world where the average student is smarter than the teachers, how then can the top students challenge their intellects? Why, by creating a detective service, of course! Meet the CLAMP School Detectives: Nokoru Imonoyama, the world’s smartest kid, who can detect a woman in distress from two kilometers awat; Suoh Takamura, a martial arts master who’s cool as ice; Akira Ijyuin, detective by day, master theif by night. Wherever there’s a young lady in distress, they’ll be there. After all, when you’re as smart as they are, you don’t have to study. (Back cover of 1st volume)

Review: The best way to describe this is proto-Ouran. This takes three rich boys, puts them at the service of lovely young ladies, and has fun with it. They proceed to solve very shallow mysteries that highlight how frivolous both they and everyone in the school is. They find missing peacocks, discover the owner of a silk stocking, and the like. None of the mysteries end up being very interesting, or even really mysteries.

The characters aren’t really that interesting, either. They’re as one-dimensional as pancakes, with very few defining characteristics. Two of them I couldn’t tell apart except for one’s love of cooking! The virtually identical character designs don’t help. It almost seems pointless to have those traits in some situations, since at times they show that they have the same skills at the others. You never get any background on one of them, making him perhaps the least important or memorable of the three. This might have been better off as a story about one character rather than three, in order for him to make some impression on the reader.

However, uninteresting doesn’t mean bad. The situations and jokes can make you chuckle at times. They bring this from an average to a slightly above average manga, even if it utterly fails to be a memorable one.

Overall, this would be great for younger girls that aren’t ready for Ouran’s awesomeness and PG-13 rating, but if you’re older, you should just go straight to Ouran.

Recommended: Any. There’s no language, no nudity, no violence except for some things you’d find in Saturday morning cartoons…

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ouran Host Club (anime and manga)
Arisu (manga)
Detective Conan (anime and manga)
Detective Academy Q (anime and manga)
Sket Dance (anime and manga)

“Dream A Little Dream Of Me” – After School Nightmare (manga) – 9/10 Black Cats

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates. ~Thomas Szasz

Mangaka: Setona Mizushiro

Genre: Romance/Mystery/Drama/School/Supernatural/Psychological/Gender Bender/Fantasy

Review Status: Complete (10 Volumes/10 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US.

Art: Lovely. The art is reminiscent of CLAMP’s style, with elongated limbs and some gorgeous bishies. The panels are clean and easy to read (the flow is great, too). Some of the choices in

Summary: You have just awakened to find your darkest secret revealed to a group of people who would do anything to destroy you: your classmates! That’s what happens to Ichijo Mashiro, whose elite school education turns into the most horrifying experience of his life when he’s enlisted to participate in an after-hours class. The only way for Mashiro to graduate is to enter into a nightmare world where his body and soul will be at the mercy of his worst enemies. Can Mashiro keep the life-long secret that he is not truly a “he” nor entirely a “she” – or will he finally be “outted” in the most humiliating way possible?

Review: First impressions are everything in the world, and Ichijo does the best to keep his the way he wants it- as a guy. This is harder than it seems when his top half is definitely masculine, but his bottom half is most definitely not! However, when he’s entered into a class where nightmares become reality and he must face the inner selves of himself and his classmates. The thing is, his inner fear/self happens to be himself… but with a girl’s uniform on, making him instantly recognizable to those who cross his path.

His classmates take an immediate interest- a girl that’s been broken by her abusive father and a rapist, a playboy that thinks Ichijo is the prettiest thing that he’s laid his eyes on but has inextricable ties to his sister, others that would use him as they saw fit. They all have their own demons to fight. Others come and go as they ‘graduate’, disappearing from the hearts and minds of their classmates. Some are unable to overcome their issues and merely disappear.

Watching Ichijo desperately try to figure out the feelings he has about his own identity and the romantic struggles and drama that occur while it happens is interesting, if slightly obvious by the third or fourth volume. I think most people will be able to guess what’s going to happen, and while that disappointed me because of how one of the wheels gets shunted aside, the fact that they’re able to overcome that and still be good friends who care for each other is something unique and wonderful in this genre. It also plays into them finding themselves and their inner strength.

The meaning behind needing to discover themselves and their strengths, as well as what’s happening in the school, managed to be a wonderful surprise twist. The inner struggle Ichijo goes through takes on a far greater significance, with the two sides to him perhaps not being as philosophical as suspected, and the need to graduate being more than just graduation. It all snowballs into one of the best romance/mysteries that I’ve come across in quite a while.

Overall, this was a very interesting look at the psyche and had a great twist I hadn’t expected!

Recommended: 18+. There is incest (blatantly stated but the act is merely implied). Sex is mentioned (and occurs. Genitalia is not shown and the few sections it was in were *brief* and I didn't think it was happening until I read comments that happened later. Kissing and the leadup to sex does occur. There is violence- people get slashed with swords, torn apart, dug into- but there is no gore and it's not graphic, though blood is shown. There are also a handful of minor swears.

Other titles you might enjoy:
I.S. Intersexuality (manga)
Wandering Son (anime and manga)
Revolutionary Girl Utena (anime)
Hour of the Mice (manga)
Arisa (manga)

“Proof Positive” – Nevermore (Visual Novel) – 6/10 Black Cats

Genre: Mystery/Horror

Type: Kinetic Novel

Review Status: Complete (Kinetic Novel- Single Storyline)

Licensed: It’s licensed and free for download at http://games.renpy.org/

Art/Animation: This has some very good art in it. It looks pretty professional, with good designs and deep, vibrant colors. The shading and coloring is also wonderful. There really isn’t much animation to speak of, but the transitions are used well and in the right places.

Voice Acting: Unfortunately, it’s a bit stiff and lifeless. I think that going without would have been the better way to go, because no matter how bad things seem in the story, the main narrator just can’t really get any emotion into his voice. His mother’s voice is better, and I’m indifferent to everyone else.

Summary: Strange nightmares are taking over his life, and the days and nights are melding together. Why?

Review: This has some surprisingly fantastic atmosphere. Real life and dreams come together with some startlingly dark imagery- crows, and the lines of ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe. You flash back and forth between dreams and reality as they meld together. Flashes of the truth of what’s happening blend with the dark flashes of night.

Quite frankly, it’s an excellent setup for a supernatural mystery. What is affecting him? Who is that woman? What is the importance of ‘The Raven’?

What it all is, is a huge letdown. I was beyond disappointed in the reveal and the abruptness of the ending. I hope that there will be some sort of continuation, because it’s an excellent prologue. Left as it is… not so much.

Overall, while there was a lot of promise, there is a lot lacking.

Recommended: 8+. There is some weird, surreal imagery that might not be for the youngest players.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Hollow Fields (manga)
Bizenghast (manga)
Perfect Blue (anime)

“Trapped In Your Head” – Dragon Head (manga) – 10/10 Black Cats

All that is really necessary for survival of the fittest, it seems, is an interest in life, good, bad or peculiar. ~Grace Paley

Mangaka: Minetaro Mochizuki

Genre: Action/Mystery/Psychological/Drama/Horror

Review Status: Complete (10 Volumes/10 Volumes)

Licensed: No. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop, but has not been relicensed.

Art: It’s a more realistic style than most, more like Satoshi Kon’s work than Studio Ghibli. In short- they look like people you could meet on the street.

Summary: In the horror of witnessing so many classmates perish before his eyes in a violent train wreck, Teru discovers two survivors in the tunnel: Ako and Nobuo. But salvation from this bloody carnage is far from their grasp. As they try to dig out from the wreck in order to come up with a plan to stay alive, the lack of light and food, combined with the stench of death and decay, will lead one member of the group down a dark and demented path. And with sudden, violent earthquakes shaking the tunnel, escaping to the outside world may lead them to an even greater danger... (Tokyopop)

Review: When a disaster happens, sometimes what matters more is actually surviving instead of finding out what happened. In the aftermath of the crash, that’s the priority of the three survivors. However, trapped in a tunnel for days on end, they aren’t left with much to do except speculate and worry.

The first part of Dragon Head delves into the psychosis that can occur in extreme isolation, when people must face conditions not much different than sensory deprivation. Their fears become paranoia, that perhaps there’s something in the dark, or someone that survived but isn’t showing themselves. A monster eventually takes form in their minds, and between it and sudden changes that could spell their doom if they don’t think on their feet, two escape into a world that’s desperately changed and may never be the same.

Hard philosophical questions are asked, and none of the answers are easy and clear-cut. When is it okay to take a life? At what point do you stop helping others and start looking out for yourself? When do you stop searching for answers and accept the world around you?

The biggest challenge they have to face is the world outside. A disaster of unimaginable proportions has occurred that has flattened towns, raised huge ash clouds, and sunk the coasts into the sea. The disasters they face grow worse as they travel onward towards Tokyo. People have become crazed by the events, creating both allies and enemies to the pair.

When you think things can’t get worse for them, they can. They do. As Ako and Teru continue their journey to Tokyo, they deal with all the things the disaster can throw at them. Earthquakes, food and water shortages, flooding, death, and have to deal with it all when they’re still suffering from the psychological effects of being trapped underground and not knowing what had happened for two weeks. The not knowing becomes their drive- they need to know what happened to their families and what’s happening to Japan and gives them one of their reasons to survive. The other is their own fears that haunt them.

Overall, this is a moving, engaging story of two people trying to survive in an apocalyptic world. It may not be pretty, but it is pretty good.

Recommended: 18+. There are two brief instances of partial nudity on Ako’s part, one where she’s unconscious and being groped, another where she’s in a bath. You only see her breasts briefly. There is also the implication of her having been dry-humped, and two instances of attempted rape. This is very violent, with people committing suicide and murder. There are people shot, stabbed, and beaten. You only see one corpse more than once, but the wounds aren’t gruesome. For the rest of the story they’re usually covered in ash or mud.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Drifting Classroom (manga)
Metro Survive (manga)
7Seeds (manga)
Akira (manga)
Jisatsu Circle (manga)
Doubt (manga)

“Wellspring Of Knowledge” – GOSICK (anime) – 8/10 Notebooks

"Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?" ~Charles de Lint

Genre: Mystery/ Romance/ Historical/ Shounen

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US. You can watch it free, legally, on Crunchyroll.com.

Art/Animation: The art is pretty standard for anime, but it looks nice regardless. The colors are bright and vibrant. The animation is also standard, nothing really stand-out. The notable exception to both the art and animation is the opening, which looks like a stained-glass picture come to life. The art and animation for that is simply exquisite.

Summary: The year is 1924, the place, Sauville, a small European country neatly tucked beside the Alps...

Kazuya Kujo has been studying abroad at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. Most Kazuya ignores but the story of the Queen Berry, a mysterious ghost ship, really gets to him. Of course, his brainy friend Victorique is much more intrigued by true stories, and she uses her unrivaled logic to solve mysteries even the town's famous detective can't. Ironically, it is Victorique's inquisitive nature that leads the duo to board a ship that matches the Queen Berry's description to a tee, a ship that might just hold the key to solving a sinister mystery... (Source: Tokyopop)

Review: This anime was quite a surprise- one part mystery anime, one part character drama, one part romance, GOSICK manages to blend all its elements surprisingly well. None of these elements overpowers the others, and all are important to the overarching storyline. From the beginning you’re drawn into the mysteries that are presented. They all are given facades of the supernatural, from the ghost ship where children were massacred in an evening, to an undead alchemist. However, in the face of Victorique’s logic and ability to unravel a mystery (with the help of her trusty sidekick Kujo!), none of the mysteries remain unsolved. What can be frustrating is that since it isn’t a straight mystery anime, the viewer isn’t presented with all the clues that could help solve the case. This relies on some Dues-Ex-Machina on the part of Victorique.

However, it would be wrong to say that this weakens the story. The mysteries often tie together and reveal something about Victorique and her circumstances, such as her relationship with her brother and why she is stuck in the school. The mysteries aren’t the main part, they just help supplement the main storyline.

The main story is actually Victorique herself- her past, her parent’s past, her future. There are strange things going on in the country of Sauville, and she is at the heart of it. From the third arc onwards, the mysteries reveal the history of the nation, the ongoing war between the factions within it, and why Victorique herself is both reviled and needed by her father.

None of this would work well if the characters weren’t likeable or understandable. It’s hard not to like a tsundere in a Victorian dress, apparently. Victorique is far more likeable than many of her counterparts- she is logical and practical (for the most part), not flying into rages at the blink of an eye. Yet she still has her moments where she’s flustered and frustrated, not liking to ask people for help. And when she has her warm, caring moments, they might embarrass her, but they are still genuine. Kujo is a little less memorable. As an all-around nice guy, he’s often confused by Victorique’s pouts and moods. However, the relationship between the two is firm and strong. He’s willing to get right in the middle of family issues, calling out her brother when he’s wrong and doing small, thoughtful things for Victorique. The way his and Victorique’s feelings grow and change for one another is quite believable and makes you root for them at the end. While the rest of the characters get very little development except for Victorique’s brother, they do play important parts in moving the story along.

This anime held true to the light novels that it was based off of, telling the stories well and having good pacing and characterization. However, when the mystery arcs ended towards the end and went straight to a drama of two lovers torn apart, the story suffered. The war was highly condensed, and this made for some scenes that were glassed over in a way that made no sense- for instance, there was one where Kujo’s legs had disappeared and he was in a sea of sand. How did he lose his legs? Were they really lost? Where was he? And in the next scene he’s getting off a boat in Japan and meeting Victorique. While that was nice to see, it didn’t stop the previous scene from making no sense whatsoever and being completely unexplained.

Even with these issues, on the whole the story was strong, and was a good adaptation of the source material. I think I will be picking up the light novels if they’re ever translated to get the story behind some of the scenes in the epilogue, though.

Overall, this was a good show with a rushed ending, but still very enjoyable.

Recommended: Sure! 13+, as some of the deaths and dead bodies are shown but not in graphic detail. Some could be slightly disturbing (one man is burned alive, for instance). Others have the situations surrounding them be even more disturbing, as apparently one deals with children that were made paranoid enough to kill each other. One man apparently can be possessed by the ghosts of ancestors to tell the future. This is only relevant to one story arc, and is not pertinent to the storyline… only a relationship within the story. Some people are drugged. There are also a few other scenes that are violent- a beheading is done offscreen, you see a head roll onto the floor, some people are stabbed onscreen (this is not prolonged, the actual stabbing is offscreen or with the figure in shadows), and there is a burial on the seas.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Detective Conan (manga and anime)
Rozen Maiden (anime and manga)
Occult Academy (anime)
Denpateki na Kanojo (anime)
Detective Academy Q (anime)
Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning (manga)

“Can You Keep A Secret?” – Himitsu: Top Secret (anime) – 8/10 Beach Balls

Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. ~Paul Tournier

Genre: Mystery/Psychological/Sci-Fi/Josei/Thriller

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: No, this anime is not licensed in the US

Art/Animation: The palette of colors used is dark and subdued, almost dull. It’s a less well-know title by Madhouse Studios, so the animation is quite good, though the CG is very apparent and not always integrated well. Some of the styles look a little dated, but it has been over a decade since the manga came out, and that’s what the anime is based off of.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this anime.

Summary: A newly developed method allows to display the memories of dead people. It is used to solve difficult murder cases. But at what cost? What of the dead's privacy as strangers poke about in their most private memories? What about the effects the imageries may have on the persons whose jobs require going through psychotic murderers' minds and experience whatever emotions and feelings these murderers felt as they skin and disembowel their victims?
(adapted from manga description)

Review: What are the secrets that drive people? Everyone has them. Some just happen to drive people into death and murder. Those are the secrets that this section investigate. By piecing together clues from the memories of those who have died, they discover things about people that are shameful, that are sad, that make them more human and real than just reading a case file.

How does this work? They take the brain of someone who has died in the last two days, hook it up to a machine that can ‘read’ the signals coming from the neurons within the brain, and using those connections they are able to see the things that happened within a persons’ life. It isn’t perfect- they are limited to what that person saw and sometimes heard, and we don’t store our whole life in our memories- there are some random ones, and some emotionally charged ones, and some important ones, but our lives are not stored like movies. However, using the clues within the memories of people, sometimes leaping back years, they are able to piece together most of what happened in a crime. Each case manages to make an innovative use of the machine and what it can do, keeping it fresh and interesting.

However, this isn’t a story about piecing together crimes, although that is a major component in the story. No, this anime is about the people in Section 9. Aoki, our main character, has been brought to Section 9 as an investigator. He navigates the world of Section 9, his own morals, and his family in order to try and find a balance in his life. It’s his questions and thoughts on what is happening that drives the best part of the series- the moral questions and issues that drive the series. The rest of the team all have their own issues and backstories, from Maki, the section leader that has a hard past to deal with, to Amachi, a woman with a slight sixth sense that is brought down in an investigation. Each person gets an episode to get into their characters, and while it does make them more real, they still receive very little character development.

The mysteries, while well done, and the characters, while decently interesting, are merely vehicles for the issues that are presented in the anime. This is all about privacy- how far does one go in investigating using these methods? When is it okay to divulge secrets that may destroy someone’s reputation? What happens when they intrude on another section member’s life? These things extend beyond the cases they work in and into their own lives- Aoki worries about his coworkers discovering his secret lust for his sister should he die and his father has secrets that have a lot to do with him. His coworkers carry similar worries and ideas. And even those issues delve beyond privacy and into things that affect society- you have problems concerning body modifications, homosexuality, and more.

How these are presented and handled creates much of the drama and makes the stories compelling. Everything is well done, but dealing with these is where the anime shines. This has a heavy psychological atmosphere that makes this heavy watching, but a very good show and handles these issues well. However, the anime does have some issues with various plot threads being dropped. The most noticeable of these is Aoki’s love/lust for his sister, which only is relevant for the first 4 or so episodes and then forgotten.

Overall, if you enjoy dealing with moral issues and society, then this is one to pick up!

Recommended: 16+. This is an anime that deals with some very heavy things. One person they investigate is homosexual. Some are having affairs. One deals with body modifications. Aoki is dealing with lust for his sister (this is not exploited or really dwelled on, merely mentioned). This does deal with murder mysteries, so there are deaths. Most are non-graphic, though the details behind what’s happening can delve into gruesome. I don’t recall any nudity, though there was at least one scene where Aoki sees his sister getting dressed and we see her back and the back of her bra.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Mail (manga)
Monster (anime)
Mouryo no Hako (anime)
Aoi Bungaku (anime)
Shiki (anime or manga)
Bokurano (anime and manga)

“Layer Upon Layer” – Serial Experiments Lain (anime) – 9/10 Beach Balls

The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had. ~Eric Schmidt

Genre: Sci-fi/Mystery/Psychological/Supernatural

Review Status: Complete (13 Episodes/13 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US. However, it is out of print.

Art/Animation: This goes for pretty realistic artwork, but with slightly rounder edges. Think Saotshi Kon but a bit cuter.

Dub Vs. Sub: I preferred the sub ever so slightly on this- Lain’s voice was just a tad too high in the dub for me to enjoy listening to her. However, all the other voices were equally good in the sub and the dub.

Summary: Lain Iwakura appears to be an ordinary girl, with almost no experience with computers. Yet the sudden suicide of a schoolmate, and a number of strange occurrences, conspire to pull Lain into the world of the Wired, where she gradually learns that nothing is what it seems to be... not even Lain herself. (ANN.com)

Review: When one thinks of mind-bending anime, Serial Experiments is the one that most people are familiar with, the one that most people will recommend right off the bat. Lain doesn’t start off flashy, nor is it one that goes for strange things right off the bat. It’s a slow build into the strange and unusual. She gets an email from a classmate who supposedly committed suicide… but the email is too recent, too strange to not be from her. In an effort to find out more, Lain asks for a new computer. Though she has no skills, she reads up on them, and builds and modifies. Time progression can be measured in how complex and complicated her computer gets, taking over her room until there is almost nothing left.

While she is doing this, Lain encounters people that say they know her, but she has no memory of having encountered before. She encounters things that were dropped or left by this other Lain, things that allow her to delve deeper and deeper into the wired. As she becomes more involved in the Wired, looking for the other Lain, looking for answers as to what’s happened, Lain begins to open up and make friends. Alice, a classmate, begins to wonder about her, and as she and Lain grow close, things begin to speed up and complicate Lain’s life.

Serial Experiments has spawned a thousand theories- what is Lain, exactly? What are her powers? What is the overall message of the anime? During the course of the anime, many questions are brought up about this. She is obviously more than human- the fourth episode makes that clear. But things are brought up during it that conflict and contradict eachother. Is she an alien? A god? Something more? These are things that the person viewing must decide for themselves.

As those who are close to Lain and come into contact with her fall to terrible fates, and Lain is isolated even more than she was, she must make a decision: Will her presence here make those she cares about more miserable, or should she try to stick it out in the ‘Real World’?

Overall, this was a great anime that threw me for a loop. This is definitely something for those who like mysteries and conspiracy theories.

Recommended: 14+. This has some seriously disturbing scenes in it. A man becomes a creature that cannot be described in words, but is disgusting. There is some drug use. There are several implied suicides and murders that happen offscreen, and one death by fear/psychosis that happens onscreen (non-gorey, just some thrashing around). Because the friendship Lain has for Alice is so deep, this has been accused of having shoujo-ai undertones.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Kara no Kyoukai (anime)
Darker than Black (anime)
Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge (manga)
Aoi Bungaku (anime)
Haibane Renmei (anime)
Ghost Hound (anime)
King of Thorn (manga)
Paranoia Agent (anime)

“It’s A Revolution!” – Le Chevalier d’Eon (anime)- 8/10 Pools

To know the truth of history is to realize its ultimate myth and its inevitable ambiguity. ~Roy P. Basler

Genre: Historical/ Supernatural/ Action/ Mystery

Review Status: Complete (24 Episodes/ 24 Episodes)

Art/ Animation: Abso-freakin-tastic! The art is lovely, with an amazing amount of detail put into the clothes and backgrounds (having been in Paris, most of the scenes there were like reliving my memories). The clothes for the most part remain true to the Rococo era (except for one dreadful allowance to a lolita outfit). The characters… Well, the faces can look fairly similar. The animation ranges from decent to astounding, especially for the swordfighting scenes, which are top-notch!

Summary: 18th Century, France. Lia de Beaumont, loyal servant of Versailles and its King, Louis XV, is found dead in the river Seine. Floating inside a coffin, on which the word "Psalms" was written, her body had been poisoned by mercury, thus preserving decay. According to the Church, the soul that belonged to a corpse incapable of being consumed by the soil will forever wander in the human realm, unable to go to Heaven.

This greatly affects D'Eon de Beaumont, Lia's brother and one of the king's spies. He vows to discover by whom - and why - she was murdered. But he never expected that the one who conducting the revenge would be Lia, now possessing D'Eon's body! And what will the knight do when this quest might risk France itself?

History is retold in this supernatural tale of vengeance, loyalty and betrayal. (MAL.net)

Review: This is a title that is not afraid to play around with history, yet still manages to stay true to the stories, personalities, and politics of the time. Virtually every character in this story existed in some form or another, from D’Eon, who had existed, to his sister Lia, who was his alternate personality in real life. The characters are all fantastically brought to life, with each having their own motivations and stories that are brought to light over the course of the anime. All of this has to do with the Royal Psalms, and ancient book that foretells the future of the world and gives power to rule it to those that possess it. Each character’s story weaves around it, from commoner to noble, and no one is left untouched by its power.

The story itself is ingeniously done. Politics of the time hold very true to the era and what was happening then, and things that seem insignificant at one point can later have great consequences. And the line between fantasy and reality blurs with each political move made and historical figure introduced, as real events are often accurately depicted, with some bits of imagination thrown in.

The pacing is very slow and deliberate, with bits and pieces of the story behind the psalms and the politics behind them coming to light with each episode. It isn’t until the last four episodes that most of the clues and information that were givenares brought together for a heart-pounding climax. Even so, the anime can seem to move at a snails’ pace, with a decent amout of action to liven up a story that is mostly political.

However, the sheer complexity does have its downsides. I found myself needing to marathon it and write down people and connections as I did to keep track of what was happening. Some of the answers seem stretched to fit the occurrences. Some answers seem nonsensical… and sometimes the answers don’t come at all. Not all the symbolism- such as the passages used to create magic- are explained fully within the show. However, for all the things that happen, a remarkable amount of the story is explained and makes sense within the context of the story. And most of the plotlines also lead to the heart of the story- what it truly happening in France, and the future that is coming for it.

Overall, if you’re a fan of historical or political anime, you might want to look at this.

Recommended: Probably not for those under the age of thirteen. There is a decent amount of violence- people get shot and stabbed, though none of it is graphically violent. You do see dead bodies and hear about how they’ve been desecrated, and rather terribly at that. There is some language, but it’s mild and rare. This does have something that could be considered sacrilege, in that some Bible passages can be used for magic. This doesn’t hold true for every Bible, only special ones. There is a specific one, passed down from great leader to great leader, which holds the ones that can change nations.

Other titles you might enjoy:
20th Century Boys (manga)
Towards the Terra (anime and manga)
Rose of Versailles (anime)
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (anime)
Romeo x Juliet (anime)

"Rose-Colored Glasses" - Tatami Galaxy (anime) - 9/10 Thunderstorms

"A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes." ~Mark Twain

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Psychological/Mystery/School

Review Status: Complete (11 Episodes/ 11 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: It can be a little odd to look at, but the animation is fabulous, and the quirky story and storytelling perfectly matches that art style.

Summary: The story follows a nameless protagnist as he, in a Groundhogs Day-style twist of fate, tries to find the 'Rose-Colored Campus Life that he's dreamed about. Can he find it? And how do his choices play out?

Review: What is you're Rose-Colored life? How can you reach it? Our nameless protagonist, a new student in college, has decided that the best way to to his dreams is to do... a little bit of everything! This anime explores the ways small decisions can change the course of your life, while sending our protagonist on wild goose-chases to discover the name of his penpal, the girl that he's fallen in love with.

As he enters college, our hero of sorts is innundated with innumerable choices for clubs and after-school activities. Which one shall he choose to gain popularity and the girl of his dreams? Each episode, it's something different, from the biking club, to the film club, to his fellow resident's prankster society. And from there on, you see our protagonist working hard, trying to reach his dreams, and all the while, getting distracted from what he really should be doing.

Returning a little bookbag charm to his senior.

What is great about this anime is how each story ties together. Little things from one episode carry into another- for instance, a pink kimono briefly mentioned and seen in one episode comes back two later as a fairly important object. Neko Ramen gets a particularly big spotlight. And a random appearance early on becomes key in the climax of the show.

The climax of it all turns out to be hilarious, fairly gripping, and almost cathartic as you finally see our protagonist battle with his demons of time and inactivity- to do what he should have been doing from the beginning, and get the girl that he should have been with all along. Like the viewer may be, he was too blind to see it, and that it was there in front of him all along.

The only thing that brings down the score for me was the unnecessary crudity in episode 4. It really could have been done without it, or kept it to a minimum. As it was, I think that those who aren't interested in dealing with breats all episode long can skip it. Thankfully, the fifth episode brought the absudity and hilarity back to its former levels.

Overall, this was a hilarious anime that is definitely one of the best rom-coms I've seen in a while!

Recommended: Yes. 18+, though, since this does end up having enough sexual innuendo to make quite a few uncomfortable. In fact, this is taken to an almost embarassing extreme in the fourth episode, where the story centers around our protagonist as he deals with a guy that has a breast fetish. Thankfully, it goes back to fairly low levels, the fetish barely mentioned or dealt with. It does get a bit sketchy when dealing with other things, such as a guy who's in love with a life-size doll, and there is almost some sexual activity (he chickens out before they kiss) that is mentioned/thought about by the protagonist.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Durarara!! (anime)
Baccano! (anime)
Trapeze (anime)
School Rumble (anime or manga)

"A Dying Dream" - Eden of the East (anime) - 9/10 Leprechauns

Genre: Action/Comedy/Mystery/Sci-fi/Drama/Romance/Josei

Review Status: Complete (11 Episodes/11 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Very lovely. The CG work is great, the backgrounds realistic and occasionally breathtaking, the artwork and animation top-notch.

Summary: On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be known as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory, is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding in the other. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash.(Production I.G website)

Review: This anime certainly has a way of getting your attention. From the very beginning, you're introduced to the conspiracies and intrigue that surrounds Akira. Little by little, the story unravells around the main characters- the main mystery is what happened to the 20,000 NEETS that disappeared near or on Careless Monday.

Around that are smaller mysteries. Who exactly is Akira? What exactly is Saki's mysterious power? Who are the Selacao? Who started Careless Monday? Why was nobody injured? And how can they save the world while saving their own skins? Who is the 'supporter', the hidden person among the Selacao who will kill them should they violate any of the 'rules' of using the money or use every last yen?

Every episode gives a little more information on most of these, interweaving pieces of their lives as Saki and Akira are drawn together. Not everything is related to these mysteries. Saki is attempting to be a college student, while dealing with friends that crush on her, a final project that uses her mysterious abilities, and unrequited love for her sister's husband.

Unfortunately, while this still is an involving and overall an amazing show, some of the threads are left unresolved. This can be somewhat frustrating. Thankfully, there are two movies that help complete the story.

This anime has a lot going for it. The voice acting, for instance, is great for both the Japanese and English voice actors. What's particularly nice for the Japanese voice track is that the Americans they talk to not only speak English, but speak it well. No Engrish to be heard here! The art and animation is top-notch and beautiful. And the story is compelling, enough to keep you watching eagerly for each episode.

Overall, this was an exciting show about conspiracies and romance.

Recommended: 18+. In the first episode, Akira shows up naked in front of the White House. Whenever he's naked, you might see his butt, but his "johnny", as he prefers to call it, is blanked out. He shows his johnny to a policewoman to shock/embarass her into letting them pass. He also jokes about it occasionally. There's a picture of him overlooking a bunch of other naked men (nudity is implied). When some men get offloaded in one episode, they are naked and run around getting clothes on. There's a woman in the series that kills men by cutting off their johnnys. She has some shots in nothing but her underwear. There is also some blood spatter, both from one of her killings and from another that occurs within the series. The only gorey death is offscreen, though it's not the only death. There is some minor fighting- some punches thrown, and Akira does get knocked out. There's some language, but it's not often. Maybe twice an episode.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Eden of the East Movie I: The King of Eden (anime)
Eden of the East Movie II: Paradise Lost (anime)
Dennou Coil (anime)
Summer Wars (anime)
Bokurano (anime and manga)
Doubt (manga)

“I Can See It All” – Mirai Nikki (anime) – 3/10 Sweethearts

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~Alan Kay quotes

Genre: Horror/Action/Romance/Mystery

Review Status: Complete (1 OVA/1 OVA)

Licensed: This OVA is unlicensed in the US

Art/Animation: The art/animation is pretty decent, but the CG is rather obvious and unattractive.

Summary: Middle school 2nd year, Amano Yukiteru, is a boy who has problem making friends. He thinks of himself as a bystander and will always write down everything he sees in a cell phone diary.

Tormented by solitude, Yukiteru began to imagine things like a friend called Deus Ex Machina who is apparently the Lord of Time & Space. Seeing Yukiteru's miserable state, Deus gives him a new ability. His diary will now record events that will happen in the near future. Yukiteru is then forced to participate in a game which the winner will become Deus's successor. (Source: Mangaupdates)

Review: I’d been waiting for a year. A year since I heard an OVA was being made. One that would set up the story of Future Diary, introduce us to the world and the characters. I got it!

A glorified 6-minute preview.

Honestly, watching this was like watching one of those extended previews in the movie theatre. There’s a boy! He gets a cellphone… that can tell the future! There’s a girl who knows! There’re some explosions! And some other people who have dairies!

*end*

I suppose it isn’t too bad for a preview, but for the time that I spent waiting for it (and it being delayed a season), the mediocre-quality animation and CG, and how short it was, I was sorely disappointed.

Overall, skip this and read the manga.

Recommended: No. But 12+ if you insist. They pass over all the gore and blood, go straight to some explotions. There’s also a kiss.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Mirai Nikki (manga)
Higurashi: When They Cry (manga and anime Season 1 and Season 2)
Liar Game (manga)
Doubt (manga)
Eden of the East (anime)

“A Small Town in the Woods” – Shiki (anime) – 7/10 Disco Balls

All say, "How hard it is that we have to die" - a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live. ~Mark Twain

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Supernatural

Review Status: Complete (22 Episodes/ 22 Episodes)

Licensed: This is currently licensed in the US

Art/Animation: While the animation is decent, the art takes some getting used to. There are wild hairstyles in wild colors, and in some scenes you can tell someone was playing a little too much with the color/texture maker.

Summary: During a fiercely hot summer in Sotoba, a peaceful and quiet village with a population of 1300 people, a series of bizarre deaths begin to occur. At the same time, a strange family moves into a long abandoned mansion in the region. As time goes on, more people start dying, and their families start to disappear. A few recognize why this is and begin to fight back, culminating in a battle between the living and the undead.

Review: This anime manages to get you at the beginning. Not just because of the strange and unusual hairstyles, but because it so clearly conveys the tension the characters have. Megumi is dying to get out of the town, while Natsuno just doesn’t care. The town doctor is dealing with a bunch of deaths that have no explanation, while the junior monk is dealing with the stress of being stalled in one of his stories and having to deal with an unusual amount of deaths in the village.

Each episode brings you into a little more of the story, with the Shiki gradually being revealed, seeing how they start taking over the village, how the families are affected, how the affected are controlled, and what’s going on in the minds of the Shiki.

This goes a route that few vampire stories today do- it brings in the various feelings of different Shiki, from those who are happy to be murderers, to those who merely want to be with their loved ones forever, to those who are tortured by how they must survive, and those who refuse to become killers because of the shame they would feel.

At the same time, you see how the few who do recognize what’s happening deal with the Shiki invading the town, while the other villagers scoff at them and rationalize the events.

There are a few downsides to the interesting story- the pace for the first half is pretty slow. Apparently, they animated one chapter per episode. For some, this will prolong the tension that is in the episodes- some won’t even feel bored. For others, this will drag out the story and prolong it more than necessary.

Even so, with the 14th episode and the last 5 episodes, there is definite payoff. You get a very good idea of what can and can’t kill the Shiki, as well as finally seeing the bloodbath that a vampire hunt can become. You get a definite look at good and evil in them, with the villagers becoming the predators instead of prey, and in some cases becoming monsters that are just as bad as the ones they’re hunting.

Unfortunately, this didn’t have a very conclusive ending. You see the destruction of most of the Shiki, the destruction of what the villagers were trying to save, but the ending implies that things aren’t quite over between the Shiki and the villagers.

Overall, this was an interesting story that went back to the predator nature of vampires.

Recommended: 16+. The violence gets very graphic, with episode 14 all about finding out how you can kill a vampire, and the last 5 episodes about hunting them and anyone who might be associated with them down and killing them. Lots of blood and death, such as having stakes being driven through hearts, some bodies being hacked to pieces, and one Shiki’s head being crushed before she was staked.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Shiki (light novels and manga)
Blood+ (anime)
Higurashi: When They Cry (anime Season 1, Season 2 and manga)
Hellsing (manga)
Hellsing Ultimate (anime)
Monster (anime or manga)
Mail (manga)
Ghost Hunt (anime and manga)
Kakureno: Hide-and-Seek (anime)
Blood: The Last Vampire (anime)
Bizenghast (manga)
Doubt (manga)

"It's Dark Out There..." - The Dreaming (manga) - 6/10 Pumpkins

Ours is the century of enforced travel of disappearances. The century of people helplessly seeing others, who were close to them, disappear over the horizon. ~John Berger

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Review Status: Full (3 Volumes/ 3 Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Good, solid. Nothing special, but good at conveying a creepy horror vibe.

Summary: Amber and Jeanie, a pair of twin sisters, enroll in an Australian boarding school. But shortly after school begins, the twins uncover a dark, mysterious secret: Students have been known to walk off into the surrounding bushlands, where they have vanished completely, without a trace! (Tokyopop)

Review: A boarding school in the middle of nowhere? A mystery that went unsolved many years ago? Paintings that seem to hold clues to what happened? Sounds like prime fodder for a good mystery! This hearkens back to old Gothic stories, with students that are held at the mercy of a tyrannical principal and mysterious disappearances begin when the students decide to ‘call on the spirits’. “Bleeding” trees and nights as thick as paint add to an atmosphere that’s already full of macabre paintings and Victorian-style furnishings.

The story itself is pretty interesting, with the twins becoming distant as the disappearances become more common. The reveal as to what’s happening is a toss-up as to whether the reader will like it. While did think that it was decent, some will find it and the ending unsatisfying in more than one way.

Overall, this is a pretty good manga. I wish there were more to it, or a slightly different ending, but it’s not too bad.

Recommended: For a quick read, I’d pick it up. 13+ due to some disturbing images (blood, some violence).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Higurashi: When They Cry (anime and manga),
Bizenghast (manga), Red Garden (manga),
Kieli (manga and light novels)

"Don't worry, I used the blunt end of the knife." - Higurashi: When They Cry (manga) - 10/10 Pumpkins

I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. ~Author Unknown

Genre: Horror/Psychological/Drama/Mystery

Review Status: Partial (8 Volumes/? Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: This is where you see what the anime did with the art- each arc has a different artist, so each time you get different styles. You have some that look fairly realistic, and some that are very cute in style. The anime is an amalgamation of all these different styles.

Summary: After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 7th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios. (MAL.net)

The Higurashi manga is divided into several different arcs- you have the ‘question’ arcs, that present a scenario of what happened, and then you have the ‘answer’ arcs- what really happened. So far the arcs that have been released are (in order): Abducted By Demons Arc, Cotton Drifting Arc, Curse Killing Arc, Time Killing Arc, and the first part of the Beyond Midnight Arc. Some of these are manga-only and didn’t make it into the anime.

Review: Reading the Higurashi manga is an entirely different experience than watching the anime. You get more information on the characters, the colors and art is much cleaner and nicer, and you get more arcs, which is always good. You also get the best of what makes this a murder-mystery- you get good clues and you still get a good amount of gore!

I love how all the arcs present the characters. Each of them has their little quirks and backgrounds, and they’re still very loveable. I love watching them interact, and you get more of that here.

There really isn’t much more to say than what’s in the review of the anime, but I have to say, the manga manages to outdo it because of key information that you get that isn’t present in the anime.

Overall, this is one of the best horror manga out there.

Recommended: Most definitely! 16+ readers, please, for heavy gore and some minor fanservice in some of the arcs.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Future Diary (manga),
Bizenghast (manga),
Elfen Lied (anime and manga),
Shiki (anime),
Denpateki na Kanojo (anime),
Hell Girl (anime),
Perfect Blue (anime),
Kara no Kyoukai (anime),
Monster (anime or manga),
Paranoia Agent (anime)
Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (manga)

"Everyone, live on." - Higrashi: When They Cry S2 (anime) - 8/10 Pumpkins

The future is called "perhaps," which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you. ~Tennessee Williams

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Psychological/Drama

Review Status: Full (24 Episodes/24 Episodes)

Licensed: Unlicensed in the US

Art/Animation: The art and animation is on par with the first season. Colors are still a tad washed-out, but overall decent.

Summary: Continuing from the first series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai begins to shed some light on the dark mysteries prevalent in the preceding season. The young group of friends in the town of Hinamizawa continue to enter terrible conflicts with one another in their never ending summer of 1983, often ending with the brutal murder of one of their numbers. Furude Rika, with the help of her spiritual friend Hanyuu, tackles challenges over and over, trying her best to keep their lives from coming to a tragic end. With no end to the torture in sight, Rika must call upon the bonds of friendship and trust among her friends to discover the true villain of this eternal June. (MAL.net)

Review: If you wondered what happened to the town of Hinamizawa after all the death had finished, this series starts off with a glimpse into it. You gain a few more clues into the mystery of the town and what happened, and then are shot off into a few more mystery arcs before the true villain of the series is revealed.

This gives you the background of the happenings- why the people died, why the murderers were killing, and why the murderer was so determined to destroy Hinamizawa. And finally, you get the finale of whether the friends manage to stop it all in time to save themselves and their fellow villiagers.

While it does seem a little anti-climactic, it still was nice to see it all come to an end.

Overall, I loved seeing how all the characters came together to solve the mystery and defeat the bad guys. A must-see to complete the series!

Recommended: Yes. But since there is still some blood/gore, I still recommend this for those 16+

Other titles you might enjoy: Higurashi: When They Cry first season (anime),
Higrashi: When They Cry (manga),
Future Diary (manga),
Elfen Lied (anime or manga),
Bizenghast (manga),
Shiki (anime),
Denpateki na Kanojo (anime),
Hell Girl (anime),
Perfect Blue (anime),
Kara no Kyoukai (anime),
Monster (anime or manga),
Paranoia Agent (anime)
Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (manga)

"Found you, Keiichi-kun..." - When They Cry (anime) - 9/10 Pumpkins

Destiny is something not be to desired and not to be avoided. a mystery not contrary to reason, for it implies that the world, and the course of human history, have meaning. ~Dag Hammarskjold

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Drama/Psychological

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes / 26 Episodes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US
Art/Animation: The colors tend to be a little washed-out, and the art isn’t as nice as I’ve seen elsewhere. The good news is that the animation is decent, and overall it does what it sets out to do- tell a muder-mystery that’s happening in a small town!

Summary: After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 7th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios. (MAL.net)

Review: When They Cry, or as it is more famously known, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, is a story about a group of friends that are the victims of horrific happenings. The story is told in arcs- a series of ‘question’ and ‘answer’ arcs, with each arc presenting a different scenario of the events that lead to the death of the protagonists. While at first it seems like nothing but an excuse for a gore fest, as you keep watching you realize that all isn’t as it seems with the murders. As you see first one person’s view of the same events, then another’s, people who at first seem innocent suddenly have deadly motivations, and others who seem like likely suspects turn out to be allies.

The characters are all sympathetic. You can’t help but like each quirky member, from the mischevious but scarred Sakoto to the tortured but gentle Rena. Each member has their own past and history- some good, some not so much. But they all smile with the others- they love their friends.

The only problem that I can really point out is that when transferring mediums from manga to anime, there were some key bits of information about the characters that got left behind or on the cutting room floor. Even without that information, as you get the bits and pieces of what’s going on and start to piece the clues together, you end up with a mystery as fantastic as any.

Overall, if you can get past the gore and violence then you have a great series.

Recommended: Because the violence and gore can be graphic and disturbing, 16+. But yes, this is a great series.

Other titles you might enjoy: Higurashi: When They Cry (manga),
Future Diary (manga),
Bizenghast (manga),
Elfen Lied (anime and manga),
Shiki (anime),
Denpateki na Kanojo (anime),
Hell Girl (anime),
Perfect Blue (anime),
Kara no Kyoukai (anime),
Monster (anime or manga),
Paranoia Agent (anime)
Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (manga)

"Seriously Wierd" - Bizenghast (manga) - 10/10 Pumpkins

I walk in the realm of the supernatural. ~Benny Hinn

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Drama

Review Status: Incomplete (7 Volumes/ ? Volumes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art: Odd, Gothic-looking, but not unappealing. I would actually say that it works very well for this manga. It would look very odd for anything other than a horror manga! And the level of detail is wonderful. It’s all very effective, and very good.

Summary: When her parents die in a car accident, Dinah Wherever is sent to live with her aunt in an old house that used to be part of a reform school in the run-down, decrepit town of Bizenghast, MA. In the woods surrounding her new home, she discovers a hidden graveyard that is home to a vast array of restless spirits, people whose violent and unhappy deaths have made it impossible for them to find the way to the next world. There she discovers that she has two choices: she can help these lost souls... or she can become one of them. (ANN.net)

Review: While this is an American-made manga, that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic work of imagination. The mangaka manages to imbue this rundown little seaside town with lots of personality and life… so to speak.

The characters are characters. You have the classic two sides of the same coin couple in Dinah and her best friend Vincent. She is a depressed, anxious girl that suffers from being able to see the spirits, and it’s slowly driving her out of her mind. He is a true gentleman that tries to understand her and what she is going through. The two guardians that they hav met and made friends of (so far), Edaniel and Edrear even more so, with Edaniel being an amazingl off-the-wall boy who spends more time as a cat than cute human, and Edread, his brother, is even more of gentleman than Vincent!

The story is also fantastic- Dinah accidentally is drawn into the world of the dead, needing to help them find their ways to the Great Beyond…. Or the Great Below, as it sometimes is the case. But there’s a bigger mystery going on- some of the dead aren’t resting as peacefully as they should, and even more dark things than even the Guardians of the Mausoleum could have anticipated. Each volume brings you closer to what’s going on, and closer to the fight that Dinah must undertake to save the town and its inhabitants.

Overall, there are disturbing images and death depicted. It’s not graphic, but this is a manga for those 13 and over.

Recommended: For sure! This has enough creepy atmosphere to last you a good while. 13+ due to violence, death, and some gore. There's also dead bodies/dead body parts.

Other titles you might enjoy: Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (manga),
Mushishi (anime or manga),
Ghost Hunt (anime or manga),
Higurashi: When They Cry(anime or manga),
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (manga),
Mail (manga),
Psychic Detective Yakumo (anime),
Darren Shan (manga),
Nightschool (manga)
Kieli (manga and light novel)

"It's A Ghost!" - Ghost Hunt (anime) - 7/10 Pumpkins

I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are. ~John Astin

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Supernatural/Shoujo

Review Status: Full (25 Episodes/25 Episodes)

Licensed: Licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Decent. The colors are a tad dull, but the dark palate works for a horror mystery. The character designs are nothing original, though.

Summary: While at school, Tanimaya Mai and her friends like to exchange ghost stories. Apparently, there is an abandoned school building on their campus that is the center of many ghost stories. During the story, they are frighteningly interrupted by a mysterious male figure. The person turns out to be Shibuya Kazuya, a 17 year old who is president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. He was called by the principal to investigate the stories surrounding the abandoned school building.

The next day, on the way to school, Mai passes the school building in question. While examining a strange camera she spotted inside, she gets surprised by Kazuya's assistant. Unknowingly interfering with the investigation, Mai breaks the camera and Kazuya's assistant gets injured.

Kazuya forcefully hires Mai in order to pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. From that point on, Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting. (MAL.net)

Review: As far as supernatural shoujo anime goes, this is among the best. You have an interesting cast of characters, interesting supernatural happenings, some genuinely creepy moments, and the hints of a romance between her and the lead.

What this does best is present a girl who’s trying to do her best as the assistant to someone who investigates supernatural occurances. Through her clumsiness she comes into an internship of sorts- one that she’s fairly intuitive at. Often she’s one of the first people to notice something’s amiss, and later discovers that she does have some spiritual ability herself. All the characters do get their day in the sun, with an episode that features their particular skill or ability. They are a rather motley and unusual crew, though- a Catholic priest, a miko, and a Buddhist monk. They all have particular specialties and make for a somewhat interesting group.

The supernatural mysteries that occir are also fairly interesting. Sometimes things are set up to appear like they’re supernatural, and often there are actual supernatural happenings underpinning it all. The great thing is that this does have creepy moments in it. The music and atmosphere combine to make what’s happening deliciously spine-tingling. It just goes to show that it doesn’t take loads of gore or “surprise” moments to make you jumpy! And some of the mysteries are outright creepy- such as the former hospital they investigate. You also have some that are touching, such as the haunted orphanage.

Th thing is that it does start out slow. I'll be honest- I was *merely* intrigued through the first case. The stories get better as you go on. I think that my personal faves, and the ones that tend to be the most popular, are the Doll arc, the Christmas arc, and The Bloodstained Labyrinth. Those are where the stories shine. The great thing is that this show has high re-watch value. I could watch it -and have watched it- multiple times, and haven't been bored by it.

Unfortunately, the story is incomplete. While it does end on a good note, there are several things about the girl’s employer that remain a mystery, and some plot threads that are left unresolved. Too bad this doesn’t have a second season- I’d watch it!

Overall, this is a very decent horror show. No huge scares here, but a fun ride nonetheless!

Recommended: 13+. The scares that are here are definitely for the teen and over set due to some gore.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Psychic Detective Yakumo (anime),
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (manga)
Occult Academy (anime),
Bizenghast (manga),
Ghost Hunt (manga),
Natusme Yuujinchou (manga or anime),
Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror and the spin-off Mononoke (anime),
Zombie-Loan (manga),
Darren Shan (manga),
xxxHolic (anime or manga),
Kieli (manga),
Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (manga)