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Ghost Hunt #1
Ghost Hunt, Vol. 1
PARTNERS IN FEAR
The decrepit building was condemned long ago, but every time the owners try to tear it down, ¡°accidents¡± start to happen¨Cpeople get hurt, sometimes even killed. Mai Taniyama and her classmates have heard the rumors that the creepy old high school is haunted¨Cpossibly by ghosts from the Second World War. So one rainy day they gather at the told school to tell ghost stories, hoping to attract one of the suspected spirits.
No ghosts materialize, but Mai and her friends do meet Kazuya Shibuya, the handsome young owner of Shibuya Psychic Research, who¡¯s been hired to investigate paranormal activity at the school. Also at the scene are an exorcist, a Buddhist monk, a woman who can speak with the dead, and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Surely one of them will have the talents to solve this mystery. . . .
The decrepit building was condemned long ago, but every time the owners try to tear it down, ¡°accidents¡± start to happen¨Cpeople get hurt, sometimes even killed. Mai Taniyama and her classmates have heard the rumors that the creepy old high school is haunted¨Cpossibly by ghosts from the Second World War. So one rainy day they gather at the told school to tell ghost stories, hoping to attract one of the suspected spirits.
No ghosts materialize, but Mai and her friends do meet Kazuya Shibuya, the handsome young owner of Shibuya Psychic Research, who¡¯s been hired to investigate paranormal activity at the school. Also at the scene are an exorcist, a Buddhist monk, a woman who can speak with the dead, and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Surely one of them will have the talents to solve this mystery. . . .
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 1998
32 people are currently reading
1,601 people want to read
About the author
Shiho Inada
33?books52?followersShiho INADA (¤¤¤Ê¤À ÔŠ·[ in Japanese) was born in Kanagawa Prefecture on October 17. She is a Libran with blood type B. She made her debut with Camouflage in 1994. Her best known work is Ghost Hunt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
December 31, 2016
I want to complete my goal for 2016 but I think it's impossible because tomorrow is the last day I have. So I'm going to read as much as I can and put up as many reviews as I can. In order to do that, I'm going to be reading a bunch of manga, so forgive me if this is spamming your updates feed. I watched this anime in the summer because it was recommended from a friend. I loved it and watched the entire show in a day. My friend told me the manga was just as great and recommended that I read it too. But I never got a chance to do that because of the homework that was piled on my desk. But now that I have the break, and I have a reading challenge that I need to complete, I am going to finish this series.
"It's dangerous to be playing with a nail."
Mai and her friends love to tell each other ghost stories. When she breaks into a haunted home and breaks a camera, she is forced to be Naru-chan's assistant. She meets a couple other friends while working for him and they work together to uncover the mysterious incidents of what had happened in the haunted home. Naru is a ghost hunter who solves cases of haunted areas. Through this adventure, the reader will experience something magical and different.
"Aren't you taking English classes? You have terrible pronunciation."
The dialogue in this volume was hilarious. Naru-chan is a nickname that Mai came up with and I loved it. It suits her boss well because of how narcissistic he is.
The Monk is hilarious and I love how him and Mai laugh in the corner together. Miko-san is kinda like a motherly character who acts young when she feels like it. She's hilarious, confident and awesome! Charlie is a boy who looks super young for his age and is really nice. The only character I didn't like was Kuroda-san, but she played a big role in this volume.
I can't wait to read the next volume, I'm enjoying this series so far and hope I will love the other volumes the same way!
I'll be off to read another volume! I'll be back on here soon!
"It's dangerous to be playing with a nail."
Mai and her friends love to tell each other ghost stories. When she breaks into a haunted home and breaks a camera, she is forced to be Naru-chan's assistant. She meets a couple other friends while working for him and they work together to uncover the mysterious incidents of what had happened in the haunted home. Naru is a ghost hunter who solves cases of haunted areas. Through this adventure, the reader will experience something magical and different.
"Aren't you taking English classes? You have terrible pronunciation."
The dialogue in this volume was hilarious. Naru-chan is a nickname that Mai came up with and I loved it. It suits her boss well because of how narcissistic he is.
The Monk is hilarious and I love how him and Mai laugh in the corner together. Miko-san is kinda like a motherly character who acts young when she feels like it. She's hilarious, confident and awesome! Charlie is a boy who looks super young for his age and is really nice. The only character I didn't like was Kuroda-san, but she played a big role in this volume.
I can't wait to read the next volume, I'm enjoying this series so far and hope I will love the other volumes the same way!
I'll be off to read another volume! I'll be back on here soon!
August 3, 2016
My darling Love Muffin recommended Ghost Hunt to me, and one thing I will never do is skip out on a manga or anime recommendation from her because she seriously only recommends the best and I end up LOVING it!
Of course, took me a while to check Ghost Hunt out after her recommendation (seriously, she told me to check it out years ago). I started with the anime. I got it for Christmas a few years back and was instantly hooked the moment I started watching it. I knew this would be right up my alley... it was an anime Ghost Hunters!! Complete with some hard ass guy going to great lengths to disprove the paranormal activity!! I couldn't be happier!
Having said that, I will say this (and this has nothing to do with this volume, just Ghost Hunt in general), I really wish they would have kept a bit of that throughout the entire series. It was just the first storyline where Naru was like "Yup, this isn't ghost activity!" but suddenly it always was ghost activity after the first story arc. That kind of bummed me out. However, the anime was fantastic and I couldn't get enough of it! So I was looking forward to reading the manga!
I had a small handful of issues with the manga: First, Mai looks like a boy and at some points I kept mixing her up with John Brown (true story). Second, much like , I had a hard time following who was speaking and when. There were plenty of panels I couldn't really tell who the speech bubbles belong to (whether characters were present in that panel or not). Because of this, there were a lot of unfinished thoughts that really confused me because I wasn't sure who was saying it. On the flip side of that, I'm really glad Tokyopop never got their hands on this series. Because the amount of sound effects in a series such as this, it would have been really obnoxious to not have the sound effects translated. Thank you Del Ray for adding the translations underneath the Japanese characters. That made it much easier!
I'm excited to read this series, especially cuz I just re-watched the anime with my Love Muffin recently! Woot!
Of course, took me a while to check Ghost Hunt out after her recommendation (seriously, she told me to check it out years ago). I started with the anime. I got it for Christmas a few years back and was instantly hooked the moment I started watching it. I knew this would be right up my alley... it was an anime Ghost Hunters!! Complete with some hard ass guy going to great lengths to disprove the paranormal activity!! I couldn't be happier!
Having said that, I will say this (and this has nothing to do with this volume, just Ghost Hunt in general), I really wish they would have kept a bit of that throughout the entire series. It was just the first storyline where Naru was like "Yup, this isn't ghost activity!" but suddenly it always was ghost activity after the first story arc. That kind of bummed me out. However, the anime was fantastic and I couldn't get enough of it! So I was looking forward to reading the manga!
I had a small handful of issues with the manga: First, Mai looks like a boy and at some points I kept mixing her up with John Brown (true story). Second, much like , I had a hard time following who was speaking and when. There were plenty of panels I couldn't really tell who the speech bubbles belong to (whether characters were present in that panel or not). Because of this, there were a lot of unfinished thoughts that really confused me because I wasn't sure who was saying it. On the flip side of that, I'm really glad Tokyopop never got their hands on this series. Because the amount of sound effects in a series such as this, it would have been really obnoxious to not have the sound effects translated. Thank you Del Ray for adding the translations underneath the Japanese characters. That made it much easier!
I'm excited to read this series, especially cuz I just re-watched the anime with my Love Muffin recently! Woot!
April 13, 2009
Really nice characters, but it was a bit confusing to meet all of them at once. Writing this after reading almost the entire series already, my opinion is a little biased, I guess, but it's still an awesome series.
I'll say that this entire series is generally AMAZING, but there were a few cases that I found a little boring at points, and ones I didn't really like (very few!). I would say my least favorite would be the one at the shrine with the 'cursed family'. But I REALLY liked the one about the haunted mansion that was like the manchester house. And the one with the doll had some awesome moments.
Even though this is very fictional (duh), it does explain a lot about different types of psychic abilities, and different paranormal beings and techniques used to deal with them.
Overall; WONDERFUL! I read a lot of manga, and although this might be a little old and plain for my taste, the story is by far the best i've ever read.
I'll say that this entire series is generally AMAZING, but there were a few cases that I found a little boring at points, and ones I didn't really like (very few!). I would say my least favorite would be the one at the shrine with the 'cursed family'. But I REALLY liked the one about the haunted mansion that was like the manchester house. And the one with the doll had some awesome moments.
Even though this is very fictional (duh), it does explain a lot about different types of psychic abilities, and different paranormal beings and techniques used to deal with them.
Overall; WONDERFUL! I read a lot of manga, and although this might be a little old and plain for my taste, the story is by far the best i've ever read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2021
Holy bananas, I've never reviewed my favorite anime's manga before?!
'Ghost Hunt' is my favorite anime. Hands down. The best. The manga is also really good! I own a fair few volumes but getting my hands on the whole set is tricky. I even got volume 1 signed by Naru's English voice actor (and he told me it was the first manga of 'Ghost Hunt' he'd ever signed!).
The story is seemingly simple; high school girl ends up working for a supernatural hunting company that's more interested in proving the supernatural isn't real than blindly exorcising haunts. But it's more than that; it's just so. good.
It's hard to find nowadays, but I highly recommend it!!
'Ghost Hunt' is my favorite anime. Hands down. The best. The manga is also really good! I own a fair few volumes but getting my hands on the whole set is tricky. I even got volume 1 signed by Naru's English voice actor (and he told me it was the first manga of 'Ghost Hunt' he'd ever signed!).
The story is seemingly simple; high school girl ends up working for a supernatural hunting company that's more interested in proving the supernatural isn't real than blindly exorcising haunts. But it's more than that; it's just so. good.
It's hard to find nowadays, but I highly recommend it!!
December 2, 2022
Disappointing story line. The characters spent most of the time accusing each other of not being legit, instead of conducting a unified, focused, effective paranormal investigation. I did not pick this up for drama! Even though I have the second book, I will not be reading it, as this was pretty terrible, and became a chore to get through.
September 1, 2010
Adapted from the Evil Spirits series by Fuyumi Ono Ghost Hunt is an enjoyable delightful read with enough spook factor to keep me in suspense without keeping me up at night with nightmares.
After she accidentally causes his assistant injury Shibuya employs Mai Taniyama as his temporary assistant while he investigates a supposedly haunted old school building. Shibuya or Naru-chan as Mai calls him due to his narcissism has been hired by Mai's school principal along with a Buddhist monk, Catholic priest, Shinto priestess and psychic medium to figure out why accidents keep happening around the old building. But it seems that all of these professionals might be in over their head when their exorcisms turn out to have no effect and Naru-chan's equipment along with the medium detect that there are no spirits in the building. Still how do you explain the strange noises and violent activity that seem to point fingers to a poltergeist?
Filled with a cast of colourful characters Ghost Hunt is different from the usual manga I tend to read, not necessarily shoujo or shounen I think both genders would enjoy this series greatly. Mai is a heroine with a subtle strength, she's not terribly brilliant but she asks questions , is observant and sympathetic and kind. Naru isn't your typical male manga MC as he's narcissistic and mean most of the time but he's also intelligent and knows what he is doing. And he does give respect where it is due but don't expect him to be nice to you if your a nuisance.
What I also liked about Ghost Hunt was that an entire story was finished in one volume as opposed to other mangas where one story is dragged over a course of many volumes. It didn't feel rushed and it didn't feel like anything was missing and this volume was also a great set up for the next volumes to come because it introduced us to the characters without delving out too much information on them. I want to know what other adventures these guys will have and I want to know how the relationship between all of them will develop.
Points to the publisher (DelRey): I appreciated the explanation on honorifics and the translation notes at the front and back of the book.
After she accidentally causes his assistant injury Shibuya employs Mai Taniyama as his temporary assistant while he investigates a supposedly haunted old school building. Shibuya or Naru-chan as Mai calls him due to his narcissism has been hired by Mai's school principal along with a Buddhist monk, Catholic priest, Shinto priestess and psychic medium to figure out why accidents keep happening around the old building. But it seems that all of these professionals might be in over their head when their exorcisms turn out to have no effect and Naru-chan's equipment along with the medium detect that there are no spirits in the building. Still how do you explain the strange noises and violent activity that seem to point fingers to a poltergeist?
Filled with a cast of colourful characters Ghost Hunt is different from the usual manga I tend to read, not necessarily shoujo or shounen I think both genders would enjoy this series greatly. Mai is a heroine with a subtle strength, she's not terribly brilliant but she asks questions , is observant and sympathetic and kind. Naru isn't your typical male manga MC as he's narcissistic and mean most of the time but he's also intelligent and knows what he is doing. And he does give respect where it is due but don't expect him to be nice to you if your a nuisance.
What I also liked about Ghost Hunt was that an entire story was finished in one volume as opposed to other mangas where one story is dragged over a course of many volumes. It didn't feel rushed and it didn't feel like anything was missing and this volume was also a great set up for the next volumes to come because it introduced us to the characters without delving out too much information on them. I want to know what other adventures these guys will have and I want to know how the relationship between all of them will develop.
Points to the publisher (DelRey): I appreciated the explanation on honorifics and the translation notes at the front and back of the book.
October 11, 2015
High school student Mai is just enjoying a fun afternoon trading ghost stories with her friends when a transfer student interrupts, expressing interest in hearing the stories as well. Her friends are taken with this handsome stranger, but Mai tells herself she's less than impressed.
But as fate would have it, she ends up having to work as his assistant while his real assistant heals up from an accident Mai may or may not have had something to do with (inadvertently) and thus, she gets drawn into the weird world of ghost hunting at the old abandoned school building that apparently every Japanese school has on the grounds somewhere if anime is to be believed.
You see, this guy - she calls him Naru - is a ghost hunter in the vein of all those TV shows with dudebros locking themselves in old buildings and shouting at dust motes, except he's less dudebro and more sort-of scientist, with all sorts of electronic equipment. But he's not the only person the school called to take care of the problems at the abandoned school building. They're a motley crew, including a monk who doesn't act very monk-like, a surprisingly old miko, a surprisingly young priest and a TV phychic. And while they're together, they have some disagreements about what's causing the unusual phenomenon at the school building, or even if there IS anything supernatural.
I really enjoy how they set this first case up - we get to meet these people, see how they interact and, by dint of Mai's novice nature to all of this, we get things explained without too much of a break in the story flow. And I actually love what's happening at the old schoolhouse as well.
But then, I just love this series. It's no Uzumaki, but it's definitely better at the actual creepiness than most of a series like Nightmare Inspector or something. I haven't reread this in a while, so this is super exciting :)
But as fate would have it, she ends up having to work as his assistant while his real assistant heals up from an accident Mai may or may not have had something to do with (inadvertently) and thus, she gets drawn into the weird world of ghost hunting at the old abandoned school building that apparently every Japanese school has on the grounds somewhere if anime is to be believed.
You see, this guy - she calls him Naru - is a ghost hunter in the vein of all those TV shows with dudebros locking themselves in old buildings and shouting at dust motes, except he's less dudebro and more sort-of scientist, with all sorts of electronic equipment. But he's not the only person the school called to take care of the problems at the abandoned school building. They're a motley crew, including a monk who doesn't act very monk-like, a surprisingly old miko, a surprisingly young priest and a TV phychic. And while they're together, they have some disagreements about what's causing the unusual phenomenon at the school building, or even if there IS anything supernatural.
I really enjoy how they set this first case up - we get to meet these people, see how they interact and, by dint of Mai's novice nature to all of this, we get things explained without too much of a break in the story flow. And I actually love what's happening at the old schoolhouse as well.
But then, I just love this series. It's no Uzumaki, but it's definitely better at the actual creepiness than most of a series like Nightmare Inspector or something. I haven't reread this in a while, so this is super exciting :)
September 21, 2012
Interesting story. Crappy translation. Which is odd for DelRey. Normally their translations are some of the better ones.
While I understand not translating the religious exorcising chants because ancient chants never translate well, at least put them in romaji (English lettering) for the rest of us.
Also, some of the things got "lost in translation" because the translator went for a literal translation. "Why couldn't he say 'I'm in second grade'?" for example. The original Japanese probably had something along the lines of ¶þÄêÉú, literally translating to "second year student." The way it's translated here makes it sound like elementary school for us Americans. A better translation might have been to call him a "junior" (the American equivalent, since high schools in Japan tend to have grades 10, 11, 12) or just leave it as "second year."
Though I might just be nit-picking on that.
I can't be sure, but I also think some of the speech bubbles might be out of order, which happens sometimes with manga.
Anyway, good story. Not all that scary or creepy, though. Check it out if you like ghost hunting without the scariness.
While I understand not translating the religious exorcising chants because ancient chants never translate well, at least put them in romaji (English lettering) for the rest of us.
Also, some of the things got "lost in translation" because the translator went for a literal translation. "Why couldn't he say 'I'm in second grade'?" for example. The original Japanese probably had something along the lines of ¶þÄêÉú, literally translating to "second year student." The way it's translated here makes it sound like elementary school for us Americans. A better translation might have been to call him a "junior" (the American equivalent, since high schools in Japan tend to have grades 10, 11, 12) or just leave it as "second year."
Though I might just be nit-picking on that.
I can't be sure, but I also think some of the speech bubbles might be out of order, which happens sometimes with manga.
Anyway, good story. Not all that scary or creepy, though. Check it out if you like ghost hunting without the scariness.
January 2, 2009
Mai Taniyama is a regular high school girl who loves ghost stories. One day after school as she and her friends are telling ghost stories, they are scared by a cute new transfer student who says his name is Kazuya Shibuya, and he offers to meet them the next day after school to exchange more ghost stories, in particular any about the old haunted school building that is across the street from their school. The next day as Mai is walking to school she decides to investigate the building herself, leading to an accident in which Mai ends up indebted to the new student who turns out to be a ghost hunter and not a student at all. Now Mai must work as his assistant during his investigation of the haunted school building.
These books are a great series for anyone who likes to scare themselves. There is humour, ghosts and maybe a few secret crushes.
These books are a great series for anyone who likes to scare themselves. There is humour, ghosts and maybe a few secret crushes.
September 29, 2008
Whoa, talk about a wackish manga!
Okay, I admit that I really liked it... What can I say? A bunch of paranormal investigators running around stalking ghosts and patrolling haunted houses? Throw in some phony psychics and a possessed stuffed animal and you've got yourself a rockin' story.
Yeah. This manga rocks out loud!
Okay, I admit that I really liked it... What can I say? A bunch of paranormal investigators running around stalking ghosts and patrolling haunted houses? Throw in some phony psychics and a possessed stuffed animal and you've got yourself a rockin' story.
Yeah. This manga rocks out loud!
July 25, 2014
I really enjoyed this manga, it's a lot better than it's anime counterpart. It has a nice, maybe a little cliched plot, interesting and likable characters, and nice mix of action and suspense. I definitely recommend this to fans of paranormal/supernatural type genres.
December 25, 2015
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March 30, 2013
I really liked this book! I love horrors and stories like this....
April 28, 2015
This was a great a great, gripping thriller to read. I thought it definitely ended way too soon, and if all thrillers were as intense as this one, I would no doubt read those too!
The Plot
PARTNERS IN FEAR
The decrepit building was condemned long ago, but every time the owners try to tear it down, ¡°accidents¡± start to happen¨Cpeople get hurt, sometimes even killed. Mai Taniyama and her classmates have heard the rumors that the creepy old high school is haunted¨Cpossibly by ghosts from the Second World War. So one rainy day they gather at the told school to tell ghost stories, hoping to attract one of the suspected spirits.
No ghosts materialize, but Mai and her friends do meet Kazuya Shibuya, the handsome young owner of Shibuya Psychic Research, who¡¯s been hired to investigate paranormal activity at the school. Also at the scene are an exorcist, a Buddhist monk, a woman who can speak with the dead, and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Surely one of them will have the talents to solve this mystery. . . .
Okay, I'll admit, while I was fascinated by the ghostly supernatural perspective I wasn't too psyched about reading so many volumes. So I put this off for a few days until, really, I just had nothing much to read. And I started reading. Blah blah blah pages later I'm not that hooked, but I'm hooked enough to want to know how the case is solved. I take a break, and then I go back. The first volume is finished. I'm only slightly hooked, slightly curious, but definitely not completely immersed.
But yet, I go ahead and read the next volume. I'm completely immersed. The first volume concluded that no actual supernatural activity was occurring, just a girl who had a little too much psychic energy that she released because she wanted attention. But volume 2. Volume 2 is definitely not just about a bit of psychic activity occurring. Instead, it's just way too creepy. In fact, it just gets creepier and creepier, people dying, dolls talking, dolls possessed, and then just when you think there's an answer, there's another twist, and suddenly it's not just a doll possessed, it's something even sinister. And someone like me, who likes to be entertained by the books and movies she reads and watches, and who's happy as long as cliches are reworked well, I was beyond gobsmacked by the stories I read in this series. Believe me, I have no doubt that many of the plot lines are familiar plotlines that many horrors and thrillers have used and worn old. But this series, omg, in this series, you simply don't care.
In fact, if anything, it's as though it's a new plotline, original and fresh. Maybe it's the plot twists that does it, or maybe it's the characters who make the story interesting, but by golly, I've yet to read a series - a supernatural, thriller/horror, ghost series - as thrilling as this. Not even which I loved, and which I read before Ghost Hunt could outshine this.
The Characters
Mai Taniyama > is the female protagonist of the series, who joins SPR under forced circumstances because she accidently broke one of Naru's cameras. At first one thinks that Mai is just an ordinary girl, and for most of the series this is the case, until it's revealed the true nature of her dreams. In reality, Mai has a latent psychic ability. She is also infatuated a bit with Naru, even though he's always telling her she's stupid, but in her dreams, he's nice. So Mai respects him, despite his bad personality.
Kazuya "Naru" Shibuya > Unlike all the other characters in the series, Naru's character is shrouded in mystery. There's not much known about him until later on in the series when all the mysteries come out (it's such a big reveal, I was like OMG!). What is known about him is that he's got a bad personality, a know it all and the president of SPR.
Lin Koujo > Lin is Naru's assistant, which to everyone is at first unbelievable because he's older than Naru. Mai also accidently injures Lin in the first volume, resulting her becoming Naru's temporary assistant (later, permanent part timer). He's also as mysterious as Naru, though more is revealed about him throughout the series than Naru, including the fact that he's Chinese.
Houshou "Bou-san" Tanigawa > formerly a monk at mt. Kouya, is the older brother figure throughout the series to not only Mai, but the others on the team as well. He's also quite smart, though he's smart through observations he makes when he's bored. He's an amusing character, and I love everyone's interaction with him. My favourite part is when he and Mai pretend to be a couple (and Naru and Masako pretend) in one of the side stories where the disturbance was a ghost who was upset from being dumped, and dumped water on happy couples. Mai and Tanigawa were soaked in water, which I found hilarious, because they weren't even trying to be a couple, they were just sitting there joking around.
Masako Hara > is a famous medium in the media and is very pretty. Like Mai, she likes Naru. And while Naru hates doing things other than what he does, whenever Masako asked, he would do it, but it's later discovered that it was because Masako knew his secret. She's an interesting character in the sense that she saw Mai as a rival at the start, and knew also that over Mai, she was a professional medium with immense powers and could do things that Mai couldn't, plus she knew she was pretty. However, as the series goes on, she displays a more affectionate attitude to Mai, though disguising it afterwards, hot and cold. It was funny!
John Brown > an Australian priest who's also older than Narau by a couple of years. He's the light, easy going kind of guy who's nice to everyone. His role is big, but not as big as a few of the others.
Ayako Matsuzaki > A miko, whose power is questioned all throughout the series until volume 8 () and 9 () when it's clear that she is actually a very powerful Miko. Her interactions with Tanigawa are hilarious!
Osamu Yasuhara > does not actually appear in the series until volume 4 (), but he plays a significant role, collecting information on the cases that SPR takes on.
As for the villains and vengeful ghosts, all scary, all hair-raising in what they do, and definitely their reasons, stand out as something even the reader understands.
The Setting
SPR travel all over Japan working.
The Writing/The Artwork
This is a manga adaptation of 's novels, and while in the manga there is a lot of writing when it comes to Naru explaining something, it's written very well. The artwork stands out because it plays an important role in creating the atmosphere of the story. Like I said, this is creepy. Especially in Volume 6 () and 7 (), I was seriously creeped out, not just by the story, but the drawings that lead up to the final reveal.
Also, in terms of pleasantness regarding art style, I like it, it's not annoying, not ugly, though it could be considered so. But I like it.
Overall
Definitely a must read if you're looking for a shoujo manga that's a psychological thriller, has ghosts and psychic powers, thought don't expect much romance. There's infatuation but no final romance. But for me, I was so in it for the thrill, even though there was no romance, I still liked it. PLUS there's a sequel manga, which I absolutely cannot wait to read!
The Plot
PARTNERS IN FEAR
The decrepit building was condemned long ago, but every time the owners try to tear it down, ¡°accidents¡± start to happen¨Cpeople get hurt, sometimes even killed. Mai Taniyama and her classmates have heard the rumors that the creepy old high school is haunted¨Cpossibly by ghosts from the Second World War. So one rainy day they gather at the told school to tell ghost stories, hoping to attract one of the suspected spirits.
No ghosts materialize, but Mai and her friends do meet Kazuya Shibuya, the handsome young owner of Shibuya Psychic Research, who¡¯s been hired to investigate paranormal activity at the school. Also at the scene are an exorcist, a Buddhist monk, a woman who can speak with the dead, and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Surely one of them will have the talents to solve this mystery. . . .
Okay, I'll admit, while I was fascinated by the ghostly supernatural perspective I wasn't too psyched about reading so many volumes. So I put this off for a few days until, really, I just had nothing much to read. And I started reading. Blah blah blah pages later I'm not that hooked, but I'm hooked enough to want to know how the case is solved. I take a break, and then I go back. The first volume is finished. I'm only slightly hooked, slightly curious, but definitely not completely immersed.
But yet, I go ahead and read the next volume. I'm completely immersed. The first volume concluded that no actual supernatural activity was occurring, just a girl who had a little too much psychic energy that she released because she wanted attention. But volume 2. Volume 2 is definitely not just about a bit of psychic activity occurring. Instead, it's just way too creepy. In fact, it just gets creepier and creepier, people dying, dolls talking, dolls possessed, and then just when you think there's an answer, there's another twist, and suddenly it's not just a doll possessed, it's something even sinister. And someone like me, who likes to be entertained by the books and movies she reads and watches, and who's happy as long as cliches are reworked well, I was beyond gobsmacked by the stories I read in this series. Believe me, I have no doubt that many of the plot lines are familiar plotlines that many horrors and thrillers have used and worn old. But this series, omg, in this series, you simply don't care.
In fact, if anything, it's as though it's a new plotline, original and fresh. Maybe it's the plot twists that does it, or maybe it's the characters who make the story interesting, but by golly, I've yet to read a series - a supernatural, thriller/horror, ghost series - as thrilling as this. Not even which I loved, and which I read before Ghost Hunt could outshine this.
The Characters
Mai Taniyama > is the female protagonist of the series, who joins SPR under forced circumstances because she accidently broke one of Naru's cameras. At first one thinks that Mai is just an ordinary girl, and for most of the series this is the case, until it's revealed the true nature of her dreams. In reality, Mai has a latent psychic ability. She is also infatuated a bit with Naru, even though he's always telling her she's stupid, but in her dreams, he's nice. So Mai respects him, despite his bad personality.
Kazuya "Naru" Shibuya > Unlike all the other characters in the series, Naru's character is shrouded in mystery. There's not much known about him until later on in the series when all the mysteries come out (it's such a big reveal, I was like OMG!). What is known about him is that he's got a bad personality, a know it all and the president of SPR.
Lin Koujo > Lin is Naru's assistant, which to everyone is at first unbelievable because he's older than Naru. Mai also accidently injures Lin in the first volume, resulting her becoming Naru's temporary assistant (later, permanent part timer). He's also as mysterious as Naru, though more is revealed about him throughout the series than Naru, including the fact that he's Chinese.
Houshou "Bou-san" Tanigawa > formerly a monk at mt. Kouya, is the older brother figure throughout the series to not only Mai, but the others on the team as well. He's also quite smart, though he's smart through observations he makes when he's bored. He's an amusing character, and I love everyone's interaction with him. My favourite part is when he and Mai pretend to be a couple (and Naru and Masako pretend) in one of the side stories where the disturbance was a ghost who was upset from being dumped, and dumped water on happy couples. Mai and Tanigawa were soaked in water, which I found hilarious, because they weren't even trying to be a couple, they were just sitting there joking around.
Masako Hara > is a famous medium in the media and is very pretty. Like Mai, she likes Naru. And while Naru hates doing things other than what he does, whenever Masako asked, he would do it, but it's later discovered that it was because Masako knew his secret. She's an interesting character in the sense that she saw Mai as a rival at the start, and knew also that over Mai, she was a professional medium with immense powers and could do things that Mai couldn't, plus she knew she was pretty. However, as the series goes on, she displays a more affectionate attitude to Mai, though disguising it afterwards, hot and cold. It was funny!
John Brown > an Australian priest who's also older than Narau by a couple of years. He's the light, easy going kind of guy who's nice to everyone. His role is big, but not as big as a few of the others.
Ayako Matsuzaki > A miko, whose power is questioned all throughout the series until volume 8 () and 9 () when it's clear that she is actually a very powerful Miko. Her interactions with Tanigawa are hilarious!
Osamu Yasuhara > does not actually appear in the series until volume 4 (), but he plays a significant role, collecting information on the cases that SPR takes on.
As for the villains and vengeful ghosts, all scary, all hair-raising in what they do, and definitely their reasons, stand out as something even the reader understands.
The Setting
SPR travel all over Japan working.
The Writing/The Artwork
This is a manga adaptation of 's novels, and while in the manga there is a lot of writing when it comes to Naru explaining something, it's written very well. The artwork stands out because it plays an important role in creating the atmosphere of the story. Like I said, this is creepy. Especially in Volume 6 () and 7 (), I was seriously creeped out, not just by the story, but the drawings that lead up to the final reveal.
Also, in terms of pleasantness regarding art style, I like it, it's not annoying, not ugly, though it could be considered so. But I like it.
Overall
Definitely a must read if you're looking for a shoujo manga that's a psychological thriller, has ghosts and psychic powers, thought don't expect much romance. There's infatuation but no final romance. But for me, I was so in it for the thrill, even though there was no romance, I still liked it. PLUS there's a sequel manga, which I absolutely cannot wait to read!
August 22, 2018
(stejn¨¢ recenze u ka?d¨¦ho d¨ªlu)
Kresba se mi moc nel¨ªbila, ale dalo se na to d¨ªvat.
P?¨ªb¨§h celkem u?el, tedy a? na ten konec. Konec m¨§ opravdu zklamal, o?ek¨¢vala jsem n¨§co ¨²pln¨§ jin¨¦ho. Asi by m¨§lo b?t dob?e, ?e m¨§ autorka dok¨¢zala p?ekvapit, ale v tomhle p?¨ªpad¨§ bych byla rad?i, kdyby se to odehr¨¢valo sp¨ª?e podle m?ch p?edstav.
Hodn¨§ lituji, ?e jsem si p?e?etla mangu, proto?e to anime m¨¢m pom¨§rn¨§ r¨¢da. Sice moc nemus¨ªm otev?en¨¦ konce, ale aspo¨¾ bych si nepokazil n¨¢zor na cel¨¦ tohle d¨ªlo.
Manga nebyla v?bec stra?ideln¨¢, co? m¨§ jako ani moc nevadilo, ale anime m¨§, kdy? jsem to poprv¨¦ vid¨§la, hrozn¨§ vyd¨§silo. Tak?e m¨§ tro?i?ku mrzelo, ?e tady se tak nestalo.
?¨¢dn? z charakter? mi nep?irostl k srdci, ani jsem si n¨§jak? nijak zvl¨¢?? neobl¨ªbila.
Ob¨¢lky se mi v?bec nel¨ªb¨ª, dokonce se mi zd¨¢, ?e na posledn¨ªch dvou ob¨¢lk¨¢ch vypad¨¢ Maiu h?? jak obvykle.
D¨¢v¨¢m 39% Jazyk: Aj
Kresba se mi moc nel¨ªbila, ale dalo se na to d¨ªvat.
P?¨ªb¨§h celkem u?el, tedy a? na ten konec. Konec m¨§ opravdu zklamal, o?ek¨¢vala jsem n¨§co ¨²pln¨§ jin¨¦ho. Asi by m¨§lo b?t dob?e, ?e m¨§ autorka dok¨¢zala p?ekvapit, ale v tomhle p?¨ªpad¨§ bych byla rad?i, kdyby se to odehr¨¢valo sp¨ª?e podle m?ch p?edstav.
Hodn¨§ lituji, ?e jsem si p?e?etla mangu, proto?e to anime m¨¢m pom¨§rn¨§ r¨¢da. Sice moc nemus¨ªm otev?en¨¦ konce, ale aspo¨¾ bych si nepokazil n¨¢zor na cel¨¦ tohle d¨ªlo.
Manga nebyla v?bec stra?ideln¨¢, co? m¨§ jako ani moc nevadilo, ale anime m¨§, kdy? jsem to poprv¨¦ vid¨§la, hrozn¨§ vyd¨§silo. Tak?e m¨§ tro?i?ku mrzelo, ?e tady se tak nestalo.
?¨¢dn? z charakter? mi nep?irostl k srdci, ani jsem si n¨§jak? nijak zvl¨¢?? neobl¨ªbila.
Ob¨¢lky se mi v?bec nel¨ªb¨ª, dokonce se mi zd¨¢, ?e na posledn¨ªch dvou ob¨¢lk¨¢ch vypad¨¢ Maiu h?? jak obvykle.
D¨¢v¨¢m 39% Jazyk: Aj
September 29, 2021
Review of the series "entire"; DNF during volume 3 of 12. Ghost Hunt's premise could describe any number of serial paranormal mysteries: a motley group investigates hauntings which aren't quite what they seem but nonetheless have a genuine paranormal element; the protagonist is an outsider, but her key role in solving cases indicates she may have latent paranormal abilities; oh, and she's in a developing relationship with the complicated team lead. So whether it's good comes down to: 1) What's the serial paranormal mystery element like? This one is cozy, not too scary, with a standard structure but an interesting Japanese framework. The overarching plot seems thin or absent. 2) How are the interpersonal elements? I enjoy the unlikely bedfellows vibe, lesser cousin of the found family; but the supporting characters are over the top and the central relationship fails to grab me. So this isn't for me, but I get how it could work--maybe a good bet for a cozy & comfortingly predictable paranormal mystery.
January 13, 2024
3,5 ??
X¨¦t v? m?t logic th¨¬ ??y l¨¤ m?t c?u chuy?n hay. C¨¢c s? ki?n b¨ª ?n ??u ???c l? gi?i m?t c¨¢ch r?t thuy?t ph?c v¨¤ khoa h?c. H?n n?a c¨°n cung c?p r?t nhi?u th?ng tin v? c¨¢c thu?t ng? t?m linh m¨¤ ch¨²ng ta v?n th??ng hay hi?u nh?m. Tuy nhi¨ºn, x¨¦t v? m?t kinh d? v¨¤ linh d? th¨¬ m¨¬nh th?t s? r?t th?t v?ng. Kh?ng h? c¨® m?t ?i?u t?m linh g¨¬ ? ??y c?, t? ??u ??n cu?i. Nh?ng l?i ??n ??i ??u ch? l¨¤ s? thi?u hi?u bi?t v¨¤ t?m l? quy ch?p cho t?m linh c?a con ng??i.
M¨¬nh ?¨¢nh gi¨¢ cao t¨ªnh hi?u qu? c?a khoa h?c nh?ng m?c ?¨ªch c?a m¨¬nh khi mua quy?n truy?n n¨¤y l¨¤ c¨¢c s? ki?n t?m linh ma qu¨¢i, ? m¨¬nh l¨¤ m¨¬nh mu?n ??c truy?n ma gi?i tr¨ª ch? kh?ng ph?i m?t c?u chuy?n th?c t? th? n¨¤y. N¨ºn ??y l¨¤ ?i?m m?u ch?t khi?n m¨¬nh th?t v?ng. Ng??c l?i n?u t? ??u m¨¬nh mua quy?n truy?n n¨¤y kh?ng ph?i v¨¬ m?c ?¨ªch ?¨® th¨¬ c¨® l? ?¨¢nh gi¨¢ c?a m¨¬nh d¨¤nh cho Ghost hunt ?? cao h?n. C?ng b?i v¨¬ tr?ng t?m c?a c?u chuy?n l¨¤ khoa h?c n¨ºn ngo?i tr? Naru (v¨¤ Mai), h?u h?t c¨¢c nh?n v?t c¨°n l?i ??u kh?ng c¨® ??t d?ng v? v¨¤ ho¨¤n to¨¤n tr? th¨¤nh m?t ?¨¢m t? ph? v? d?ng ??y x?u t¨ªnh.
X¨¦t v? m?t logic th¨¬ ??y l¨¤ m?t c?u chuy?n hay. C¨¢c s? ki?n b¨ª ?n ??u ???c l? gi?i m?t c¨¢ch r?t thuy?t ph?c v¨¤ khoa h?c. H?n n?a c¨°n cung c?p r?t nhi?u th?ng tin v? c¨¢c thu?t ng? t?m linh m¨¤ ch¨²ng ta v?n th??ng hay hi?u nh?m. Tuy nhi¨ºn, x¨¦t v? m?t kinh d? v¨¤ linh d? th¨¬ m¨¬nh th?t s? r?t th?t v?ng. Kh?ng h? c¨® m?t ?i?u t?m linh g¨¬ ? ??y c?, t? ??u ??n cu?i. Nh?ng l?i ??n ??i ??u ch? l¨¤ s? thi?u hi?u bi?t v¨¤ t?m l? quy ch?p cho t?m linh c?a con ng??i.
M¨¬nh ?¨¢nh gi¨¢ cao t¨ªnh hi?u qu? c?a khoa h?c nh?ng m?c ?¨ªch c?a m¨¬nh khi mua quy?n truy?n n¨¤y l¨¤ c¨¢c s? ki?n t?m linh ma qu¨¢i, ? m¨¬nh l¨¤ m¨¬nh mu?n ??c truy?n ma gi?i tr¨ª ch? kh?ng ph?i m?t c?u chuy?n th?c t? th? n¨¤y. N¨ºn ??y l¨¤ ?i?m m?u ch?t khi?n m¨¬nh th?t v?ng. Ng??c l?i n?u t? ??u m¨¬nh mua quy?n truy?n n¨¤y kh?ng ph?i v¨¬ m?c ?¨ªch ?¨® th¨¬ c¨® l? ?¨¢nh gi¨¢ c?a m¨¬nh d¨¤nh cho Ghost hunt ?? cao h?n. C?ng b?i v¨¬ tr?ng t?m c?a c?u chuy?n l¨¤ khoa h?c n¨ºn ngo?i tr? Naru (v¨¤ Mai), h?u h?t c¨¢c nh?n v?t c¨°n l?i ??u kh?ng c¨® ??t d?ng v? v¨¤ ho¨¤n to¨¤n tr? th¨¤nh m?t ?¨¢m t? ph? v? d?ng ??y x?u t¨ªnh.
September 5, 2019
3.5 stars
When a plan to renovate an old building in the school fall through, the headmaster calls for a supernatural investigator, Kazuya Shibuya due to rumors about ghosts and incidents that keep happening in the building. He first appears on the school ground during one of Mai, our MC, and her friends' ghost story time. He irks Mai so much by the fact that he walks into their ghost story session and freaks the heck out of them and still has the nerve to talk down to her while he's only 16, a year older than herself. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Mai end up helping him during the investigation.
I enjoyed this adaptation better than the original LN probably due to awkward translation of the latter. Staying loyal to the original storyline & characters, I would recommend reading this over the light novel.
December 23, 2018
A school building is supposedly haunted and the headmaster hires various paranormal experts to investigate. Leading is Kazuya Shibuya, the young, narcissistic head of the Psychic research bureau - but we also have a Catholic exorcist, Buddhist monk, a psychic medium and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Add to this mix wide eyed school girl Mai who becomes Shibuya's assistant after she injures his current one.
I quite like the set up and the characters, however, the translation isn't the greatest and I tend to prefer my paranormal investigations to unveil real supernatural forces rather than taking a Scooby-Doo kind of cop out. Still this hums along merrily enough.
I quite like the set up and the characters, however, the translation isn't the greatest and I tend to prefer my paranormal investigations to unveil real supernatural forces rather than taking a Scooby-Doo kind of cop out. Still this hums along merrily enough.
December 2, 2023
I loooooove ghost stories! And this was no exception. I love the cast of different mediums, priests, monks, and 'ghost hunters' that come to stake out the haunted old school. Mai is the perfect lead to follow through the horrifying encounters with the most treacherous of all threats to a high school girl: a hot guy! No, seriously, Naru is great and I love how his bad personality immediately offsets how hot Mai thinks he is. 5/5
September 14, 2017
I have to say that this book was quicker than I expected and extremely fun. I really appreciate that the art comes almost directly from the anime and the story from the best selling books as well.
I really wish it was in color and some of the story arc was more exact at times but it was still very fun.
I really wish it was in color and some of the story arc was more exact at times but it was still very fun.
August 17, 2018
I didn't expect this whole volume to be a self-contained story (I'm more used to single chapter ghost stories). The conclusion was surprising and made sense. I don't feel one way or the other about the characters, I don't feel drawn to anyone in particular; they all feel a bit plain to me, which is a shame. I do want to keep reading.
February 11, 2023
Feels good to read an old favorite and be reminded about parts of the story that I have already forgotten. Still feels surreal that it has been years since I first read this (and watched the anime, lol) back in college.
January 1, 2025
I watched the anime years ago and fell in love with every detail. As a fan of mysteries and horror, that was absolutely amazing. As the anime gets better with episodes, I am sure the manga series will get better as well. Can't wait to read the rest!
January 18, 2018
3.5 stars
January 26, 2019
? it. Can't wait to continue the series!
May 10, 2020
I've loved the anime for years, but I had never read the manga. I enjoyed it. Not much more I can say about it. Sadly, my library doesn't have the rest of the series so I can't go any farther.
June 28, 2021
I'm always open to reading something new and I really enjoyed the story here. I love a good mystery and when the paranormal is involved it's always fun. Fun start to a new-to-me series.
June 5, 2022
I remember absolutely loving the whole manga series in high school so I need to re-read it ASAP *_*
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