Well things are very different from what they where last week. For one, I've got a job which means two things: One, I'm actually getting money, and Two, I have a LOT less free time, especially with the 2 hour bus ride I have to take to GET to work and another 2 hour bus ride to get back home. That and the fact that I'm starting to run up against deadlines in my pottery class and that this weekend I'm going to go out of town to visit my Mom and then after that me and my brothers will be getting ready to move means that I'm experiencing quite a bit more stress than usual. In fact, right now I'm not feeling that well and I just want to crawl into my bed and collapse. But I have a review to write so I apologize if I'm not my chipper self today, as I said, I'm not feeling 100% right now. Anyway on to my review of Dusk Maiden of Amnesia an anime about a ghost who can't remember anything but that doesn't keep her down.
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| "HOLY FLYING GHOST BATMAN!" |
Teiichi Niiya has heard all the ghost stories floating around his school, with the school's 60 years of history and various additions and expansions to the school there are many old and abandon hallways filled with rumors of ghosts and supernatural occurrences, most revolving around one particular ghost name Yuuko. Teiichi never paid much attention to these stories until one day, while lost in an old wing of the school he met Yuuko and realized that she wasn't as scary as the stories made her out to be. In fact, besides the fact that she is a ghost, she is as normal as any other girl apart from the fact that she remembers nothing of her past nor the circumstances that led to her death. And so, with the reluctant help of Teiichi, Yuuko starts her own club, The Paranormal Investigation Club with herself as club president. Their job: To investigate every report of a paranormal event (which usually in some way relates to Yuuko's actions) and uncover the truth behind Yuuko's death. But how are you going to hold club activities when your president is a ghost?
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| How can you be scared of a cute face like that? |
If you are sitting there after reading my brief synopsis and are still wondering what type of show Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is then I'm not surprised. For the most part the series is a comedy with a playful and mischievous ghost as the main lead. Not only do you have the kind and mostly innocent Teiichi being constantly pestered by the most seductive and expressive Yuuko, but you also have the exuberant Momoe who, despite having a massive fascination with the paranormal, can't see Yuuko at all and Kirie who is Yuuko's grandniece who can see Yuuko despite not wanting to see how lovey-dovey Yuuko is with Teiichi. The series is full of really fun moments including Yuuko not wanting people to see her remains because that is just way too embarrassing. However, the series isn't all laughs and giggles, the series delves deep into psychology and the nature of ghost stories, particularly how they form and grow and how a person's perception is changed by their preconceptions and even becomes suspenseful towards the end as Yuuko's death slowly gets revealed and another, less benevolent, specter appears.
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| "Ummm, that was just the wind... a very strong and localized wind." |
There isn't much bad to say about the series. It's well paced, very funny, and gets really emotional at times. If I had one complaint it's that the comedy dies off a lot towards the end creating this very stark difference between the beginning of the series and towards the end. It's not that it was handled poorly or that there was absolutely no comedic moments towards the end of the series, but rather with how dark the series gets it kind of makes you miss the lighter moments towards the beginning of the series and wish there was more of that. But given it's 12 episode run (with a bonus OVA episode) it's understandable that the series can't lollygag around when there this more serious matters to deal with. However, this does mean that there isn't much the Paranormal Investigation Club actually does when all is said and done.
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is a short but very sweet series, the comedy is top notch, the characters are great, and when the drama comes around it is very well done. It also makes it's cornerstone mystery well worth the wait for it to be unveiled unlike other series built around a mystery. It's funny, intelligent, and well worth your time, but if only it was longer. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is Highly Recommended.
Until Next Time.
-Crescent, Yeah, this is hardly scary.
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