Chad Bonin
10-16-2005, 01:28 AM
Misaki Saiki has an abnormal gift; she can speak with the dead. She's also the best dominatrix at an S&M club in Tokyo. She gets no peace in either one of her lives. She talks to the dead as a special consultant for Tokyo's version of the X Files, and stalker fans with digital cams try to get a peek at her in her daily life.
I'm not gonna lie; when this came up for review, something caught my eye... and it wasn't the fact that the heroine was in a leather bustier and thigh-high hose combo (Note I didn't say that it didn't help). Something about the character design outside of the S&M: the odd choice of hair color, the red eyes, the creepy look on her face and the rather realistic proportions seemed more in the vein of Paranoia Agent than something from Cool Devices. Geneon has released the entire series, four episodes in total, on a one-disc release. Am I gonna back away, or am I gonna beg the mistress for more?
Hired to solve a murder from a while back, Misaki ends up meeting the sister of a dead mother and child. The woman, Kunugi Ai, can't be more than high-school age, but by the end of the first episode, she's avoided a rape, seen the death of her sister and niece, and has been saved by a dominatrix. Turns out that killers always return to the scene of the crime, which leads Misaki to become this girl's reluctant protector.
The protection only lasts for one episode, as Misaki attempts to bail on her for the rest of the series. Hard to do since Ai can now see ghosts as well, but does not yet have the control over her gift of Mistress Saiki. Not all ghosts are good, and Ai has to learn that the hard way, as Saiki and her scared boss investigate an abandoned apartment building, all while flashing back to Saiki's origin.
The final two episodes of Ghost Talker's Daydream, "Mad Skull" and "Cursed Water," deal with a few old child murders. Saiki can't even go on a vacation without being sucked into the supernatural.
Surprisingly, this is my favorite miniseries from Japan since FLCL. The animation is reminiscent of the best animated Yu-Yu Hakusho episodes, but with modern techniques (digital coloring) that aren't overused, and a solid balance of traditional and CG animation. The drama and cases were intriguing, recalling Case Closed (I eagerly await a crossover). And the humor is excellent. The trailers and descriptions don't let on, but the series is funny in a very realistic, Golden Boy-esque way. For instance, it turns out that Saiki's drapes don't match the curtains, as she's always had hardwood floors (go figure out that analogy). Her driving motivation in the final two episodes isn't solving the case, but to travel the hair rejuvenation temples. Not all the humor is focused around Saiki's body and profession, but the best parts are. As if you couldn't tell by now, the series easily earns its 16 rating.
Extras are light as always, just like any other Geneon DVD. A nice insert with a poster on a side packs the case, while the trailer and non-credit intros (only in Japanese) fill out the extras when you play the disc. Popping the DVD into your DVD-ROM reveals 8 posters and four wallpapers for your computer.
This is a great series. If you're not going to buy it, rent it now. The extras are a shame, but how many times can I harp on that to Geneon?
Episodes included on this disc (Complete Series)
Episode 1: Ghost Talker
Episode 2: Bindweed
Episode 3: Mad Skull
Episode 4: Cursed Water
I'm not gonna lie; when this came up for review, something caught my eye... and it wasn't the fact that the heroine was in a leather bustier and thigh-high hose combo (Note I didn't say that it didn't help). Something about the character design outside of the S&M: the odd choice of hair color, the red eyes, the creepy look on her face and the rather realistic proportions seemed more in the vein of Paranoia Agent than something from Cool Devices. Geneon has released the entire series, four episodes in total, on a one-disc release. Am I gonna back away, or am I gonna beg the mistress for more?
Hired to solve a murder from a while back, Misaki ends up meeting the sister of a dead mother and child. The woman, Kunugi Ai, can't be more than high-school age, but by the end of the first episode, she's avoided a rape, seen the death of her sister and niece, and has been saved by a dominatrix. Turns out that killers always return to the scene of the crime, which leads Misaki to become this girl's reluctant protector.
The protection only lasts for one episode, as Misaki attempts to bail on her for the rest of the series. Hard to do since Ai can now see ghosts as well, but does not yet have the control over her gift of Mistress Saiki. Not all ghosts are good, and Ai has to learn that the hard way, as Saiki and her scared boss investigate an abandoned apartment building, all while flashing back to Saiki's origin.
The final two episodes of Ghost Talker's Daydream, "Mad Skull" and "Cursed Water," deal with a few old child murders. Saiki can't even go on a vacation without being sucked into the supernatural.
Surprisingly, this is my favorite miniseries from Japan since FLCL. The animation is reminiscent of the best animated Yu-Yu Hakusho episodes, but with modern techniques (digital coloring) that aren't overused, and a solid balance of traditional and CG animation. The drama and cases were intriguing, recalling Case Closed (I eagerly await a crossover). And the humor is excellent. The trailers and descriptions don't let on, but the series is funny in a very realistic, Golden Boy-esque way. For instance, it turns out that Saiki's drapes don't match the curtains, as she's always had hardwood floors (go figure out that analogy). Her driving motivation in the final two episodes isn't solving the case, but to travel the hair rejuvenation temples. Not all the humor is focused around Saiki's body and profession, but the best parts are. As if you couldn't tell by now, the series easily earns its 16 rating.
Extras are light as always, just like any other Geneon DVD. A nice insert with a poster on a side packs the case, while the trailer and non-credit intros (only in Japanese) fill out the extras when you play the disc. Popping the DVD into your DVD-ROM reveals 8 posters and four wallpapers for your computer.
This is a great series. If you're not going to buy it, rent it now. The extras are a shame, but how many times can I harp on that to Geneon?
Episodes included on this disc (Complete Series)
Episode 1: Ghost Talker
Episode 2: Bindweed
Episode 3: Mad Skull
Episode 4: Cursed Water