Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/2173/yakumoss.jpg

"In order to help a friend possessed by a spirit, Ozawa Haruka knocks on the door of her university's movie research association. There she meets Saitou Yakumo, a rude, unkempt young man with a red left eye, who is said to have spiritual powers. At first Haruka is skeptical, but she comes to believe him when he conveys messages from her older sister, who died when she was a child. Together, they work to shed light on the terrifying events happening at their university. But this is only the prologue of what's to come..." -ANN

Links:
AniDB | ANN | Official

Episode 1 SD - FFFPeeps





- - - - - - - - - -






A good detective story every now and then is conducive to one's mental faculties. Although they don't come out in anime format that often. It's still of course early to say whether this is good till the end and especially as a detective story, but the first episode made me want to wait for the second as well. Despite the supernatural element, which is pretty prominent, it still feature good old detective work equally, which I count a big plus.

The characters also were quite nice with Haruka voiced by Ayumi Fujimura (Misaki of Kaichou, Niche of Letter Bee (haha)) and Yakumo voiced by Daisuke Ono (Shion of Legendary, Koizumi of Haruhi). This pair also voiced the main roles of Kaze no Stigma, btw, and in fact their positions and attitudes in this show, while less flashy, kind of reflected that, based on this first ep.

Needless to say, I'll keep watching. FFFPeeps did solid job, though I wouldn't have objected an HD video.

I read this show didn't air in 'HD'... so the 480p version is the real one. Others are simply upscaled version.

Dang. The first episode was quite excelent. Hooked me from beginning to end. The detective work alongside the supernatural side with ghosts was well played. A must see for me.

Episode 2 - FFFPeeps

The 2nd case was a bit dull. No real mystery happened and it was solved too fast. The episode centered more on Haruka's feelings and the introduction of Saitou's family.

It wasn't a great episode, but it really wasn't bad either. I just hope that with introductions left behind the 3rd episode recovers the level of the first one.

AonE is doing it too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RyougaZell

The 2nd case was a bit dull. No real mystery happened and it was solved too fast. The episode centered more on Haruka's feelings and the introduction of Saitou's family.

It wasn't a great episode, but it really wasn't bad either. I just hope that with introductions left behind the 3rd episode recovers the level of the first one.

---

I felt the same. There was practically no detective work in this one, since they didn't even show how Yakumo deduced the haunting effects were fake. Other than having the motivation to prove them false to serve his opinion of what ghosts are and are not.

Still, I didn't particularly mind this episode. As this tries to be a somewhat logical show, a necessity for detective stories, in the end, they needed some reason for Haruka to stick around. And what's better for that than to take an example of a geezer who screwed up his own love story by ignoring his feelings until it was too late.

Let's hope the rest of the eps are more suitable for the genre.

Indeed. That is why I meant the episode focusing more on Haruka. We did need a reason for her to stick around, so I didn't mind much the weak case. Though I do want a better one next week.

The conclusion of last weeks case, curing Haruka's friend, was a nice addition.

Initial Y:

Episode 3 - FFFPeeps





- - - - - - --




Not a bad episode even if the detective work was very light here as well. Not to mention not turning off the engine or at least yanking up the handbrake or using any other means to slow down the car if the driver becomes possessed.

I like Haruka paying so much attention to Yakumo, but that being the case suddenly ignoring his rare phone call just to pay back becomes inconsistent.

The 'mystery' this time wasn't that big either, and it was really convenient that the person that came with Haruka was the killer as well.

Despite that, the episode itself was an improvement from the 2nd one. The car chase gave it a nice addition to the tension.

The 'end' of the boy was quite the best scene of the episode. Powerless Yakumo hates himself as he sees the boy being consumed. Nice.

And it seems that mysterious dude with the same eyes has more to do with Yakumo than just the same eyes.

-I really like how people don't constantly walk around in school uniforms. It's simply refreshing to see some other costumes and designs as well as settings.

-Haruka's cute, but not in an overly cutesy way. Her outfit simply works for me.

-Yakumo's power is interesting and insightful, but doesn't give him the winning edge. He has an advantage and can do things other people can't, but it doesn't become the final reason.

-That doctor's creepy, haha. I sure hope I never become someone like him.

-I don't mind any of these eps. They flow pretty well, and feel different enough from many other shows that I don't need each ep to be a hardcore detective one.

- I wonder if that evil guy's a relative of Yakumo's. I'm betting it on him being his father at the moment.

-Regarding braking the car, another effective way that people never use (at least in movies/anime where a car won't brake) is to put the car into neutral. You'll stop pretty fast when applied with the handbreak.

FFFpeeps 04


Setup episode for the overall 'big' case of the series.

And at first I didn't recognize the young doctor as the one with the guys with the red eyes... I wonder how much truth or lies he told them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RyougaZell

FFFpeeps 04


Setup episode for the overall 'big' case of the series.

And at first I didn't recognize the young doctor as the one with the guys with the red eyes... I wonder how much truth or lies he told them.

---

Me neither. I thought the doctor that was with them was the one who died and is now possessing the journalist, since he had a picture of the girl who drowned at the bottom of the river (and who I assumed was his daughter).

This bigger case fortunately has some detective story elements. Even if Yakumo doesn't yet even realise what he's helping Gotou to study. I wonder how rich the doctor is, though. You'd think the red eyed man and the woman aren't working for free, especially considering the failed experiments have already resulted in corpsed being treated as a serial killer case. Such a high risk can't be cheap.

I'm sure Haruka won't end up dead, at least. She's a main character, after all. But it would suck if she ends up with a split personality due to getting possessed...

It never occurred to me that the criminal team may be working for money. I always assumed that they were the ones who lured to doctor into this mess for whatever twisted things they had in mind.

Yakumo wasn't really in a state of mind for keen observations, so I'll let it slide that he didn't end up asking Haruka about why she was at the hospital in the first place.

Oh, well, when I saw them looking like rich yuppies, especially the woman, I immediately thought they were working for (big) money only. But I suppose they could have their own agendas and are just using the doctor like you said. Maybe they are academically interested in the idea of resurrection by possession and the doctor's daughter's spirit happened to be suitable for research. It just seems to me that if it was originally their own project, they would have planned it better to avoid criminal investigation.

Or they are just taking advantage of this particular doctor (after they themselves killing the daughter) because of the past connection with Yakumo, seeing as he is their real target.

Seems like an awfully elaborate plot to get to Yakumo. They have been doing the possession experiments for a while and it was by pure chance that Yakumo now met the doctor (again). It seemed to me more like speeding Yakumo's fall to the dark side was just an extra positive side effect of this endeavour, as much as Haruka turning out to be a promising possession candidate.

Nordkohl - Episode 05

Gave them a try, and were quite watchable.

-----------------------------















Turns out to be a father and son duke-out after all. The blond woman who's always with him may have a different hair colour and hairstyle (tied up hair) than Yakumo's mother, but the fringe and side-bangs are identical. It would suck if she's the very mother who's fallen into darkness - I'm hoping for a nice reunion down the track.

I found the "killing her over and over again" part pretty powerful. It not only highlights the kindness of the young doctor's daughter, but also just how misguided the doctor's action turned out to be. On the other hand, I really can't give a shit about the one who died, even if he was only doing the kidnapping.

Episode 5 - FFFPeeps

Quite a stylish ending to this arc, I have to agree. The woman possessed by the criminal was indeed a bit of an extra towards the end but otherwise he was of course needed to solve the case. I guess the possession was nothing but a way to tie him to the case and also serve as an extra hint for the whole possession business. I wasn't unhappy with the detective work either during this arc, even if it was heavily mixed with the paranormal activity.

I even think Yakumo warmed up a little bit to Haruka. But she surely needs to keep pushing to make any progress. Good thing she's determined and lively enough to do that.

Watchable subs in the meanwhile.

Nordkohl - Episode 06 | 07

FFFPeeps - Episode 06

The whole epsisode was a not so subtle suggestion to Haruka to go all out and capture Yakumo...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kraco

The whole epsisode was a not so subtle suggestion to Haruka to go all out and capture Yakumo...

---

The thing that doesn't work in anime is that girls often look best without the makeup.

Haha, very much so. Even the directors know that, though. And so often even if a girl is shown to use makeup, her appearance may not change at all or not in a way it would realistically do (but that would make her look worse in anime).

Wait... the little kid... Nao... I thought it was said Nao was a boy in a previous episode... but now Yakumo and Haruka referred to Nao as a she...

A boy? Yakumo's relative hanging around the temple all days long? Are you sure you remember correctly? I took her as a girl from the beginning, for sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kraco

A boy? Yakumo's relative hanging around the temple all days long? Are you sure you remember correctly? I took her as a girl from the beginning, for sure.

---

Feels Seems like a girl to me.

When Nao was introduced I thought it was a girl. But then the priest guy introduced Nao as a boy. Unless it was a mistranslation... Im sure the subs said that.

[Nipponsei] Shinrei Tantei Yakumo OP ED Single - Key [Ono Daisuke & Komine Lisa].zip

Episode 7 - FFFPeeps





- - - -- - -- -





The return of the ninja woman. There's no way she would have such supernatural movement capabilities otherwise. Very intelligent folks in this series, though: Nobody tells anybody what they are suspecting and doing even when they expect the worst. So, the next person to take over always needs to start from a clean table knowing nothing. Sort of a death wish. But at least the coward cop should have a firm basis now to study the background of the false witness woman (the kunoichi) now more deeply.

Episode 8 FFFPeeps

So I guess we entered the main plot now. It was a bit too convenient how Haruka and Yakumo's mothers knew each other, but I guess it can work to use the destined plot.

I thought the evil white haired man was Yakumo's father, but this introduction of the Shunsuke journalist guy completely throws me off. Now I'm just confused.

FFFpeeps - Episode 09

Well, well, we learned pretty much everything in very short order. Although do we still know who the white haired dude is? Is he still Yakumo's real father? Yakumo was already around when the journalist appeared so he can't be his old man. His plan to corrupt Yakumo from so very early on was masterful in any case. Talk about dedication to a cause! This dude could teach a thing or two to more ordinary villains.

Another thing is that I felt like Yakumo warmed up a bit to Haruka after learning about the love affair between his mom and the journalist dude. Perhaps that returned his faith in love. Good for Haruka!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kraco

Well, well, we learned pretty much everything in very short order. Although do we still know who the white haired dude is?

---

I think he is.

Yakumo called him his father some time ago in a previous episode. (or am I imagining things?) It was a scene where they looked at each other across a river (or on a bank of a river, right at the end of the episode).

They also mentioned that Yakumo's mother was pregnant with Yakumo when she met Haruka's mother during her escape from the holiday house. If she had been raped by Yakumo's dad then, it'd make sense.

The journalist met them afterwards.

The only thing that doesn't quite make sense from all this is that Yakumo's mum freaked about about Yakumo being a bad guy when he grows up "just like his father", when the journalist isn't even his biological father.

FFFpeeps - Episode 10

Who's going to take care of poor Nao? Yakumo and Haruka? This is a pretty ruthless series, all in all.

Yakumo's list of relatives is growing very very short anyway so he better hook up with Haruka soon and start to make new ones.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kraco

Who's going to take care of poor Nao? Yakumo and Haruka? This is a pretty ruthless series, all in all.

Yakumo's list of relatives is growing very very short anyway so he better hook up with Haruka soon and start to make new ones.

---

Ah, I didn't think of that. Poor Nao. :( (I didn't think/remember she was the priest's daughter until now.)

Regarding the Yakumo x Haruka thing, it was quite visually effective how they focused on Haruka's family, Yakumo's, then Haruka x Yakumo with little Nao's head sitting in the middle.

I can't make up my mind as to whether Nanase willingly let herself get caught. Like Goto's initial reaction, that seems almost too easy.

FFFpeeps - Episode 11

I guess the childless detective's family wasn't the worst possibility for Nao. Probably a lot better than two students, one of whom sees dead people to boot...

The case of the high police official managing to sweep everything under the carpet would have seemed unlikely to me, but after the Senkaku incident I don't anymore doubt the power of the Japanese officials to silence their sorry excuse for a free press.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kraco

I guess the childless detective's family wasn't the worst possibility for Nao. Probably a lot better than two students, one of whom sees dead people to boot...

The case of the high police official managing to sweep everything under the carpet would have seemed unlikely to me, but after the Senkaku incident I don't anymore doubt the power of the Japanese officials to silence their sorry excuse for a free press.

---

Withholding information is one thing (Senkaku incident), but I'd put silencing free press as another (that journalist didn't need any more info from the police to write the story. She simply isn't allowed to write period.)

Interesting how they're talking about a culprit who's acting in the physical realm for the ghost. I can't see any hints being dropped at all, but I do hope that it was secretly foreshadowed in some form. The worst case scenario would be some random who has no connection to the main characters whatsoever. The whole Nanase Miyuki murder incident was "out of the blue" enough as it is.

Based on what we have seen earlier Yakumo's old man has been planning for everything for more than a decade. It would be strange if he hadn't given killing Isshin more than a few thoughts during all that time. Since this series hasn't dedicated its time entirely to Yakumo and his father's case, it's natural we haven't been shown quite as much as more wholesome storytelling might require.

Nao TT__TT

For a moment I was expecting her to recover her voice and start shouting about her dad... not only say 'gao' back at the police's home

Aone - Episode 12

FFFpeeps Episode 12

Un-official patch for episode 12 audio sync issue

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RyougaZell

FFFpeeps Episode 12

Un-official patch for episode 12 audio sync issue

---

Episode 12v2 here


Well that was a pretty tight episode. The doctor ties in well enough - now it's just to see who takes the hit.

Final Episode FFFPeeps

Eh... nice end I guess.

It was a pretty nice series with a well defined setting and rules. The atmosphere also was good every now and then. However, somehow this didn't end up impressing me as much as I hoped. It was like a thick blanket had been thrown over most of the characters holding them back (the detective and the ninja woman were exceptions). Maybe it was some way of trying to achieve realism. Who knows. But nevertheless, it made this show duller in my opinion.

I don't regret watching this but it could have been more lively and energetic.

The problem with this show was the lack of a clear direction (or, some would argue, that the show had a misleading direction). The title and original setting (and the first case) sounded like the series would be a fairly serious detective story with strong cases and a bit of ghost-busters on the top.

What resulted was actually character development, and instead of them sorting out the cases, it was the cases helping them discover their past. Not that it's a bad thing, but when we're still kind of expecting some sort of detective story, it only gives the show a lukewarm feel - like it never really did what it was "supposed" to.

Reincarnation was kind of ... meh. Some good side characters kept the show going. I also agree with Kraco regarding the atmosphere being done right at times.