The Skull Man

The Skull Man is, in many ways, a very typical BONES production. Gorgeous, stylish, evocative, and compelling with amazing bursts of action. It's also riddled with loose ends and unanswered questions and full of a supporting cast that are far more interesting than the "main" characters, many of them clearly gifted with incredibly deep back stories we never get a glimpse of. It manages to simultaneously be surprising and tritely predictable.

The first few episodes suggested some kind of anime mixture of Batman and The Count of Monte Christo from the point of view of an outsider, a reporter trying to track down a brutal vigilante with hints of supernatural power. Add in some anime tropes of a spunky female sidekick and a mysterious old man who seems to know everything that's going on but refuses to say anything straight out and you have a pretty standard concept with the usual high production standard from BONES. I was expecting a formulaic and probably episodic show that would peter out mid-way through.

The show had an oddly compelling character to it, however. Maybe it was the somewhat retro feel to it with character designs that were clearly an homage to old classics or the strange, anachronistic pseudo-alternate history setting but the first several episodes manage to maintain a surprising momentum despise a startlingly slow pace (in hindsight). Very little is revealed about the histories of the main characters or the Skull Man himself. The supernatural elements of the show even come racing into the forefront when people start transforming into man-beast hybrids and having big knock-down, drag-out fights but the show still manages to maintain silent on what's really going on.

When it does start spilling the beans, though, it doesn't stop. The cast is fleshed out and the pacing picks up quickly, but more importantly The Skull Man keeps the audience guessing with a constant stream of red herrings and twists and turns that throw the original premise on it's ear, only to throw out the new premise as well. Conspiracies appear and collapse only to be replaced by another organization. Secrets are revealed - and then exposed as fakes themselves. This never feels cheap; instead, it keeps the otherwise simple, standard anime hero fighting monsters fresh and interesting.

Not everything gets resolved in the end. In fact, the ending is a huge, gaping hole begging for a sequel. The core storyline does get wrapped up, but many subplots receive little attention and some of those conspiracies introduced are clearly a platform for a further chapter in the series. Looking back, The Skull Man doesn't quite add up to more than the sum of its parts and it isn't really anything new, but it is all put together in a rather fresh way and is a great deal of fun.

Definitely recommended in general, especially for anyone who likes a bit of atmospheric action, likes guessing at what's "really going on," and can handle a very open-ended "conclusion."

based on full series, 13 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube : Crunchyroll

The Skull Man, episode 2

Set in an alternate history Japan that doesn't seem to be too divergent yet, The Skull Man comes across as Batman from the other side: a reporter returns to his home town on the trail of rumors about a "Skull Man" who attacks people in the night, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. Aside from a brush with the mysterious figure during a brief fight, it has yet to get very supernatural or even feature much of the titular character. Instead we follow the reporter as he tries to track down leads on the vigilante and runs across a variety of people with their own agendas and interest in whatever is going on in the town.

Being a BONES show, it is of course wonderfully animated. The designs feel a bit retro, but work well enough and are really the only thing that really the only thing that seems vaguely "alternate history" so far, inconsequential backstory notwithstanding. So far its been content to build rather slowly, however, and hasn't been particularly flashy.

That relatively reserved pace means that there is little to gauge the show on so far, but it's been pretty solid, again, like most BONES shows. It remains to be seen whether it will ultimately come together better than many of their past works or if it will end up feeling like a bit less than the sum of its parts, full of great characters (often with the supporting cast being far more interesting than the main characters) and bad-ass fight scenes but never really quite gelling for some reason.

For now there is some novelty to be had in having no information about the vigilante and his quest for vengeance, learning everything along with the reporter. The characters have shown glimmers of depth beyond their archetypes as well, and BONES is always good for a ride at least, so I'll give this some time to play out.

based on 2 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Ghost Hound, episode 13

Ghost Hound continues: questions are answered but (of course) mysteries only deepen. The kids continue experimenting with astral projection and achieve greater control over their spiritual forms. The link between projection and memory appears to be deepening, with Taro delving into his own mind, it seems. Meanwhile the Ogami family hints are dark secrets and Masayuki's father seems to be getting himself into some complicated trouble with a romance with one of Taro's doctor. Miyako is briefly possessed by some spirit talking about leading both good and evil to its end with but a word...

There's really little point in trying to summarize the events in recent Ghost Hound episodes. If I'm not going to sit down and try to pick it all apart, it won't make much sense. Like the audio beauty of the show, it's really an experience. It's still unclear how everything will tie together, or even what the fulcrum of the show itself will end up being, but it is clear that the kids are at the center of a growing storm and the threads of their family's histories are weaving together tighter and tighter.

Strongly recommended for any anime fan who likes something to think about and ponder. A rare show with subtle, power and depth, Ghost Hound stands up to examination and masterfully continues to dole out just enough information to keep the viewer satisfied while constantly adding new mysteries and hinting at far more than it says flat-out.

based on 13 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Mononoke, episode 5

The unstoppable visual power of Mononoke continues strong through the "Umibozu" ("Sea Monk") arc, revolving around the revelations of a prestigious monk's dark past and repressed regrets, played out on an unbelievably ostentatious boat trapped in a "Bermuda Triangle" of monsters and ghosts.

It follows the same formula: everyone acts a bit suspiciously, a terrible monster shows up and is barely fought off, there's lots of talking and hinting about the true nature of the tragedy that formed the monster and the truth is only dramatically revealed when the monster reappears and is poised to strike. There are some hints at something deeper going on, however: the myserious "medicine sellers" seems more interested in banishing ayakashi than in saving anyone (and he seems to enjoy it), and he goes through some mystical release/transformation to fight the monster this time.

But, as I've said before, boiling Mononoke down to its basic formula does it an injustice. It's the style and (especially) the incredible visuals that form the core of the show. Once again it deftly deals with dark, tragic material through suggestion and imaginative symbolism. It may be difficult to follow at times and risks the same sensory overload that drove people away from Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Christo but that's exactly what makes it so riveting.

An otherwise rudimentary (if refreshingly dark) ghost story is given a whole new dimension and depth with the show's visual style. Highly recommended.

based on 5 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Hakaba Kitarou, episode 6

Based on a classic old manga about an amoral and somewhat grotesque boy (Kitaro) who is the last remaining descendant of the "Ghost Tribe" of yokai (aside from the spiritual remains of his father, who is just an eyeball with a little body), Hakaba Kitaro does an impressive job of capturing the old-school look with a modern polished sheen. Somewhat episodic, it generally revolves around a hapless human encountering a yokai or monster and suffering horribly or it - usually while Kitaro watches on, not bothering to help anyone unless its to his own benefit.

Kitaro is indeed a callous little brat and he lack of interest in saving anyone around him, no matter how undeserving their persecution at the hands of one or another disfigured monster, was rather surprising, as I was under the impression that Kitaro was a classic character who had always fought for peace between humans and yokai, rising above his own tragic origins. Instead, he openly wonders why he should bother saving any human and only gets motivated when its to his own benefit. The basic formula of the show is to have some human stumble into a monster and get cursed or attacked, with Kitaro taking action only when it affects him. If the human is saved (which is rare) then it's purely coincidental. All the while, the monster child is more than happy to sponge off a hapless man whose fate got wrapped up in his own.

Sharing an art director and animation style with Mononoke, Hakaba Kitaro is certainly visually impressive. The papered texture and patterns, combined with the retro character designs, create a strong feeling of age, fitting the venerable source material. It makes for a very odd mix impressions, seeming both modern and dated at the same time. The designs may well put off some viewers.

The aimless predictability of the show makes it hard to really get behind. A lot is said about Kitaro needing to survive, as he's the last of the Ghost Tribe, but it has little effect on the story. It's also difficult to empathize with him or find justification for his behavior - he certainly has a tragic backstory but it's delivered with just enough humor to diffuse any real gravitas (as are the rest of the horrific incidents humans suffer). It's not consistently funny enough to be a comedy, but neither is it really serious enough to be effective horror, despite the dark subject matter. That's a very tough line to walk, and I don't think that Hakaba Kitaro will be able to pull that off.

based on 6 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Shigofumi, episode 9

Fumika, a laconic albino loli, delivers letters from the dead to those still living. Encapsulating what they simply couldn't say while still alive, the letters invariably lead to further complications (and often violence). Fumika watches on passively, lamenting the foolish nature of humanity - then moving on to the next delivery. That's how it starts, at least. As it progresses, more is revealed about Fumika's own unique history, as well as for some other characters.

At first, there was a strong vibe that Shigofumi desperately wants to be Boogiepop Phantom with a cloaked, impassive girl usually sitting back and watching people brutalize and use each other, only acting when it impeded her own mission. There are even some genuinely horrific moments (Fumika interrupts some thugs beating a man for impregnating their "merchandise" to deliver a letter to "daddy" - it's just a bloody baby's hand-print) and surprisingly risque material (sexual and deep psychological abuse of children, teen suicide - material strong enough to merit multiple edits to content before broadcast). It never seems to handle the dark topics with the weight you might expect, however, and comes across as rather formulaic: Fumika shows up in the middle of some crazy situation to deliver a letter from someone who had just died (and thus precipitated said crazy situation) that only serves to further complicate everything until everyone just accept the death/information in the letter. At which point Fumika leaves, dropping some wise comment about how broken humans are and how they constantly hurt each other and can only find the courage to say what's important after it's too late.

It's very tempting to dismiss Shigofumi as a darker version of Ballad of a Shinigami and that wouldn't be entirely off the mark. As the series has progressed, however, its shed a bit of his formulaic, episodic format and allowed the characters to grow somewhat. Fumika loses her air of mystery but gains a great deal of empathy. Combined with voice acting that somehow managed to from annoying-as-hell to wonderfully-endearing, the show manages to almost succeed despite itself.

I've been writing this show off every episode. Giving it just one more chance to add up to anything, and each time I find myself coming back again. It's hard to say why - there's nothing really solid or amazing going on here. A growing attachment to the characters just keeps bringing me back in the hopes that they'll do something worthy of my attention. It seems unlikely that'll happen any time soon, however, as the show is already near its end. Recommended only if you're happy with something that will meander and never really face anything head-on, especially if you have an appetite for little slices of melodrama packaged with a "humans are so flawed" emo atmosphere.

based on 9 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Eastern Standard, issue 4