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Nearly all characters are present in this episode. Even Mizuka, who before this time has remained a blurry but significant figure in Taro's life, makes an appearance, however briefly and possibly just imagined.
In the end, Taro realizes that his constant search for his sister is but an excuse for him to block out his reality: she's gone, but not really gone, just alive somewhere inside his own being (his memories?). It's easier for him now to let go of his obsession. With his mother on her way to getting well, a father who is starting to connect with his only son, and friends -- genuine friends, the real world isn't half so bad.
Dr. Hirata does his part well, and even as he finally confesses to the subject of his ill motives, he keeps his integrity intact. His brain tumor has given him fresh eyes with which to look at the world, only this time he'll study it from the inside of his own mind. And he gives Taro back his dreams as though saying it's alright.
And we never quite find out what's going on with Masayuki's mom, just that she's going through some tough times and withdraws into some kind of shell of her former self. But the interesting thing is that she suddenly becomes a follower of Ogami-sama.
Dr. Hirata says it: When coincidences occur and science can't explain it, people turn to god for answers. For someone unwilling to deal with her own problems, perhaps she thought someone from the outside could solve it for her. Typical human reaction, really, driven by fear and false logic.
But the more important loose ends are tied. After all, as much as we want everything to be neat and tidy, life isn't always like that. The kids all experience the psychological equivalent of a growth spurt in this episode. It's not by any means the final leap to adulthood but you can see, they're on their way there.
We see Taro finally speak (shout) Miyako's name since about six episodes ago and the effect is astounding on Miyako who takes it as an acknowledgment of her own confused identity. Miyako is Miyako and no one else, Taro tells her, and the words are a resounding echo of her own words in Episode 16. Even Professor Komagusu has decided to stop their pretense, as though saying it's alright to feel confused and sad and vulnerable. It's human and they don't need a supernatural occurrence to explain it for them.
We see Dr. Nakajima react with horror to see his "creatures" crawl out of their test tubes as he prepares to "kill" them. Did he, after all despite his insistence that they are not biologically alive, think of them as a substitute for the family he has seemingly lost all connection with?
Good thing Reika, the mistress, the other half of his scientific mind, comes through for him and tells him to go find his wife. So she does respect him enough to try not to do more damage than she has already done. It's reparable. And Masayuki sees his parents back together.
Yamagata Noriko turns out to be a flat, one-dimensional character whose motives have always been clear though not always visible. She has lackeys working for her, too, and they are indeed the lowest of the low. An earthquake spells their doom, and it's not even the work of some god or spirit out to punish them. Just a natural calamity that buries all their ambitions and dreams of power.
Sure, I had a lump in my throat the whole time I watched Taro, Makoto, Masayuki, Michio and Miyako pose for what could possibly be the last time that the four friends and their muse would be together and be this happy and carefree.
They'll be adults tomorrow and who knows what will happen then? Will they follow in their parents footsteps and also drift apart? But just because friends separate and live their own lives doesn't mean the bond between them in childhood dies and all memories of it disappear. There will always be fragments of it that remains -- whether it is a photo taken during halcyon days or an electric guitar. The important thing is it happened and they all went through it like some kind of passage to adulthood, and there is no denying that.
Ghost Hound turned out to be better than I expected. It's a story of how people can grow past the tragedies that seem to constantly haunt their lives told interestingly through a foray into the human mind and complex psychological concepts.
Production value is consistent. I didn't notice any obvious downgrade in animation quality. While it's true that Ghost Hound seems slow-paced compared to other animes that are released at about the same time, it ought to be distinguished for its fresh psychological take on an all too common concept. And precisely because much of the happening occurs inside the person, the series is saturated with still photos and virtually no action. At least, not the kind that we are used to.
In fact, the most action-packed episode in Ghost Hound occurred during a conflagration and not during a confrontation between characters. This is only natural, considering that with flat characters for antagonists, a climax built on a confrontation between protagonist and antagonist would have been ill-advised. So again, Ghost Hound wisely managed to avoid that pitfall.
Another less-lauded aspect of Ghost Hound is the soundtrack. You can always tell a good soundtrack if the music does not distract but complements the medley of moods the show has to offer. The jazz-flavored opener, Poltergeist by Mayumi Kojima is such a wonderful piece of work that I think it is one of the more memorable anime opening themes out there. The closing theme Call My Name by Koari Oda is hauntingly beautiful. I didn't think much of it when I first heard it but in this last episode where it was played while the credits were rolling and we see the characters for the last time, I thought it fitted the theme perfectly.
The storyline isn't always solid. There was a moment, right during the denouement when I thought the series was in danger of falling apart on a sketchy, haphazard, please-everybody ending. It didn't, thank god, but despite what I said about pleasing everybody, I think that's exactly what Ghost Hound did. At least, I was pleased and satisfied by how everything played out.
VERDICT:
This anime is recommended.
MORE INFO:
OFFICIAL (Japanese)
WOWOW Official (Japanese)
Production I.G. Work List
Anime News Network
"Ghost Hound" Trailer
"Ghost Hound" Streaming Videos
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