Anime Mouryou no Hako

[Shinmaru]

So, this show was not even on my radar when the season began, and now, if it plays its cards right, it could conceivably become my favorite of the fall. Well played, Madhouse. Well played.

The main story concerns a string of murders where the victims' body parts have been hacked off and placed everywhere in boxes. A detective on leave from another city teams up with various people to solve the mystery.

... the twist to this is that, four episodes in to the series, the show is just now getting to that little story. What has it been doing this whole time? Why, developing a strangely beautiful relationship between two young girls who are, by all rights, completely bonkers ([spoiler]one of them, Kanako, says the other, Yoriko, is the reincarnation of Kanako ... and then Kanako goes on to say that she -- meaning Kanako -- is also the reincarnation of Yoriko, and that they are both their future lives (?!?!)[/spoiler]). And then [spoiler]Kanako is thrown under a train -- and miraculously survives. Did she attempt suicide? Did Yoriko try to murder her because of a blemish on Kanako's neck (this is a serious question, folks)? Was it something else entirely??[/spoiler]

There are also random asides involving guys riding on trains with passengers who [spoiler]who carry people's heads in boxes, something that is meaningless through the first three episodes but might become important now[/spoiler]. And, of course, there is also family drama galore, and a timeline that has, in all likelihood, given me brain cancer.

Normally I might be inclined to abandon a series that made my head hurt this much through four episodes ... but the story is told so well and the atmosphere nailed so perfectly that the pounding in my head after each episode is easily the most beautiful headache I have ever felt. Watching this series shows me what it would be like if David Lynch decided to become an anime director for no reason. Every mood this show wants the viewer to feel it goes right for, no questions asked, and it hits it, no problem. It astounds me, sometimes.

I also quite enjoy the relationship between Kanako and Yoriko. Unfortunately, it has been thrown to the wayside a bit -- for obvious reasons after the first ep -- although [spoiler]Yoriko has somehow become even crazier due to this, which baffles me (I had no idea this was possible).[/spoiler] But, yes, more Kanako/Yoriko would be quite lovely. Make it happen.

Anyway. I know Dagger watched the first episode, but is anyone else keeping up with this series? If you can bear the level of intense mindscrew, then I would say it's worth it to watch, because, if nothing else, there is no other series as elegant and beautiful this season.

EDIT: I am also a fan of [b]Mouryou no Hako[/b]'s OP, "Lost in Blue," by Nightmare. Not an [i]amazing[/i] song, but it's catchy and a nice listen.

[Dagger]

Kyougokudou <3<3<3

Oh man, now I'm really glad I (temporarily) dropped the Mouryou no Hako anime. Recently picked up & read Ubume no Natsu, the first massive book in the generally massive Kyougokudou mystery series (Mouryou no Hako is the second) by Kyougoku Natsuhiko. It was excellent--mind-bending and disturbing, but hey, it kept me hooked over the course of 600+ pages despite the fact that reading it meant shirking all sorts of online and offline responsibilities.

Then I went back to watch the Mouryou no Hako OP etc. again, since I now have a mental image of the series' recurring main characters. And I have to give CLAMP major props for their character designs. Sekiguchi, Kiba, and Kyougokudou are totally perfect. Eno-san looks a bit younger than I would have expected. Not sold on Atsuko or Enokizu's assistant yet, but overall, very impressive work. I wonder why Mouryou no Hako (out of all the bajillion books in the series) was the one to get animated. Both it and Ubume no Natsu have also been made into live-action movies....

Will see the rest of Mouryou no Hako after reading the novel. I understand now why people had severe doubts about animating Kyougoku's work, though.

~Dagger~

[Shinmaru]

I am still waiting for someone -- [i]anyone[/i] -- to finish subbing this series. The furthest any group has gone is eight episodes. When this is completed, I'll be all over it, because pretty much everything about it is still distinct and clear in my mind, which is just about unheard of for a series I haven't seen in months.