Ghost Hunt

This article is about the light novel series and its adaptations. For the activity, see Ghost hunting. For other uses, see Ghosthunters (disambiguation).
Ghost Hunt

Cover of the first volume of the original light novel featuring Mai Taniyama (center) and Kazuya Shibuya (top)
ゴーストハント
(Gōsuto Hanto)
Genre Occult detective
Light novel
Akuryō Series
Written by Fuyumi Ono
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Female
Imprint X Bunko Teens Heart
Original run 19891992
Volumes 8
Light novel
Ghost Hunt Series
Written by Fuyumi Ono
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Female
Imprint X Bunko White Heart
Original run March 1994April 1994
Volumes 2
Manga
Written by Shiho Inada
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Nakayoshi
Original run July 7, 1998September 30, 2010
Volumes 12
Anime television series
Directed by Rei Mano
Studio J.C.Staff
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
Original run October 3, 2006 March 27, 2007
Episodes 25
Manga
Akumu no Sumu Ie: Ghost Hunt
Written by Shiho Inada
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine ARIA
Original run 2012 – present

Ghost Hunt (Japanese: ゴーストハント Hepburn: Gōsuto Hanto), originally titled Akuryō Series (悪霊シリーズ), is a light novel series written by Fuyumi Ono. It follows the adventures of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center as they investigate mysterious occurrences all over Japan with a team of other spiritualists and clever assistants. Although the last novel was published in 1994, the story was left incomplete.

The novels were adapted into a radio drama for Akuryō Series in 1997. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Shiho Inada began serialization in Nakayoshi in the July 7, 1998 issue where it is still on-going. The individual chapters have been collected and published in eleven tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. It is licensed for English-language release, under the name Ghost Hunt in North America by Del Rey Manga and in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi. An anime adaptation of the manga was created by J.C.Staff and premiered on October 3, 2006 in Japan on TV Tokyo where it ran for twenty-five episodes until its conclusion. The anime is licensed for English release on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment, which also used the name Ghost Hunt.

Plot

Ghost Hunt follows the ghost hunting adventures of Mai Taniyama, a first-year high school student who becomes involved with the Shibuya Psychic Research center (SPR) and its young manager, Kazuya Shibuya. Mai nicknames Kazuya Shibuya "Naru" because of his narcissistic (narushisuto) attitude, and the nickname is generally adopted by all those who come to eventually work with SPR: Buddhist monk Houshou Takigawa; shrine maiden Ayako Matsuzaki; celebrity teen psychic Masako Hara; and Catholic priest John Brown.

Ghost Hunt also explores the paranormal abilities of the characters, particularly focusing on Mai's "latent psychic abilities," demonstrated by her dreaming about information relevant to their cases. She is often joined in her dreams by someone whom she assumes to be Naru, who acts as a spirit guide, but who is later revealed to be someone quite unexpected.

Characters

Media

Light novels

Akuryō Series

No.TitleJapanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1There are lots of Evil Spirits?!
悪霊がいっぱい!?
1989ISBN 978-4-06-190311-1
2There are really lots of Evil Spirits!
悪霊がホントにいっぱい!
1989ISBN 978-4-06-190365-4
3Too many Evil Spirits to sleep
悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない
1990ISBN 978-4-06-190417-0
4A lonely Evil Spirit
悪霊はひとりぼっち
1990ISBN 978-4-06-190485-9
5I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!
悪霊になりたくない!
1991ISBN 978-4-06-190594-8
6Don't Call me an Evil Spirit
悪霊とよばないで
1991ISBN 978-4-06-198575-9
7I don't mind Evil Spirits 1
悪霊だってヘイキ!(上)
1992ISBN 978-4-06-198696-1
8I don't mind Evil Spirits 2
悪霊だってヘイキ!(下)
1992ISBN 978-4-06-198697-8

Ghost Hunt Series (White Heart Series)

No.TitleJapanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1Nightmare Dwelling 1
悪夢の棲む家(上)
1994ISBN 978-4-06-255156-4
2Nightmare Dwelling 2
悪夢の棲む家(下)
1994ISBN 978-4-06-255164-9

Manga

Written and illustrated by Shiho Inada, the manga adaptation premiered in Amie magazine in 1998, then moved to sister publication Nakayoshi.[2] After this, the series moved to being published in volumes only.[2] The series was completed in September 2010 with the twelfth and final volume.[2] The manga is licensed for an English-language release in North America by Del Rey Manga, which has released 11 volumes of the series to date. Ghost Hunt is licensed for release in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi.

Anime

An anime adaptation of the manga was created by J.C.Staff. It premiered on October 3, 2006 in Japan on TV Tokyo where it ran for twenty-five episodes until its conclusion. The anime is licensed for English release on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment,[3] which released the entire series across two 2-disc volumes, and later in a single box set.

Live action film

In November 2013, production companies Twins Japan and Kadokawa Shoten announced that a live action film adaptation of Ghost Hunt was in production.[4] The film will be directed by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi with Atsuyuki Shimoda and Shotaro Oikawa writing the screenplay. Shinichiro Inoue will serve as executive producer, and Adrian Chaw will serve as co-executive producer. The film will star Maya Fukuzawa as Mai Taniyama, Mizuki Yamamoto as Masako Hara, and Yosuke Kamamura as Hōshō Takigawa. Additional casting has yet to be announced. The film was slated for a summer 2014 release,[5] but until now, no announcement has been made.

Reception

Pop Culture Shock's Michelle Smith criticises the Ghost Hunt manga for its "noticeable slide in quality" after volume five, attributing this to "the end of Ghost Hunt's serialization in Nakayoshi and the beginning of direct-to-tankōban releases".[6] Mania.com's Eduardo M. Chavez criticises the main protagonist, Naru, for not taking "action on initial calls for distress. He then changes his mind, takes the case while always providing a perspective that is contrary to the work that he is actually assigning his staff." He also criticises the repetitive nature of the manga, saying, "every bit of paranormal, psychic and occult culture is dissected to death often repeating a few times a book".[7]

ActiveAnime's Sandra Scholes commends the anime for having "the feel of a well-known supernatural TV series with its roots deep in Japanese mythology and history."[8] Anime News Network's Theron Martin commends the anime for its "excellent pacing, offers good entertainment value, sometimes genuinely intense and horrifying" however, he criticises it for "lax characterizations" and oversimplifying some things.[9] DVD Talk's John Sinnott compares the anime to Case Closed with a supernatural twist. He also stated within his final thoughts that he "was initially disappointed, the show did turn out to be an enjoyable mystery show with some fun and intriguing characters".[10]

Notes

  1. It is later revealed that the camera that Mai broke was covered by insurance, and that Shibuya was happy for the help

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Martin, Theron (2008-12-03). "Ghost Hunt Season One Part One - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ghost Hunt Manga to End in Japan After 12 Volumes". Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  3. "Funimation Adds Ghost Hunt Anime by 12 Kingdoms Author". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  4. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3314250/
  5. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-11-05/fuyumi-ono-ghost-hunt-supernatural-novels-get-live-action-film
  6. Smith, Michelle (October 31, 2008). "Your Definitive Guide to Ghost Hunt". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  7. M. Chavez, Eduardo (September 6, 2006). "Ghost Hunt Vol. #04". Mania.com. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  8. Scholes, Sandra (July 2, 2009). "Ghost Hunt Series 1 Part 2 (Advance Review)". ActiveAnime. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  9. Martin, Theron (December 20, 2008). "Ghost Hunt DVD — Season 1 Part 2". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  10. Sinnott, John (October 7, 2008). "Ghost Hunt: Season 1, Part 1". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  • "Ghost Hunt". Newtype USA. Vol. 5 no. 11. November 2006. p. 19. ISSN 1541-4817. 

Further reading

External links

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