Genres: Horror, Occult, Mystery

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A remote town called Jouga is home to a pervasive myth about ancient, humongous wolves that once roamed the area. These wolves are still spoken of in local religious ceremonies and even revered as gods. A river divides the town between the old and new districts. It is to be noted that the people of the old district do not think kindly of those who have embraced the more modern culture. The story takes place as two siblings, Hiroshi Kuzumi and Mana Kuzumi, move to the town with their father, Masaaki Kuzumi, to seek inspiration for his occult novels.

Before Hiroshi can even settle in a neighbor girl, Isuzu Tsumuhana, latches on to him, confesses her love, and tells him that they will be together. Mana, who is in a wheelchair, dislikes the situation from the start. Mana does not seem to want to get along with anyone. When Issei Tsumuhana, Isuzu’s older brother, shows up Mana’s attitude changes. Issei also gets along well with their father, Masaaki, whose books he professes to enjoy. In fact, everyone at school and in town are so damn happy to see new people. Everyone wants to know more about Hiroshi, continually pestering him all throughout class.

One student, Ogasawara, tries to drag Hiroshi off to join his activity club, but is scolded by the class president Nemuru Kushinada. For the rest of the day Ogasawara seems jumpy and scared of everyone. Later that night we see Ogasawara running the streets of the town, his eyes glowing red. A group of masked figures stalk him in the shadows cast by a red moon. The leader, a young girl with a giant scythe, strikes him down. Elsewhere, a mysterious man reacts to the death he somehow feels.

The next day everyone seems to react like nothing happened. Nemuru says that Ogasawara “moved away” suddenly. Hiroshi and another newcomer to the town, Kaname Asagiri, discuss the strange disappearance. Both feel uneasy, especially when Nemuru requests a private audience with Isuzu. We see the two girls exchange heated, yet muted words. The only words we are left to hear are Isuzu saying that she will protect Hiroshi.

This series keeps a great deal of its cards hidden at the start of this series, yet shows just enough to get you to play the hand. The mystery of the town and the wolves, demons, and the warnings to keep off the streets at night set a great mood. While the horror aspect of the series is still mild, it is mounting.

Overall Hook Rating: B

Watch part of episode one after the break…

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Genres: Horror, Mystery, Suspense

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Aoi Bungaku varies from its anime brethren by nature of its source. Parts of this series are derived from various classical Japanese works; six in all. The first two episodes comprise half of the story No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Episodes 5 and 6 are from In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom by Ango Sakaguchi, episodes 7 and 8 are from Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, episodes 9 and 10 are from Run, Melos! also by Osamu Dazai with episodes 11 and 12 each being their own complete story consisting of The Spider’s Thread and Hell Screen by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

No Longer Human takes us inside the mind of a monster. Not your average monster, but instead a young man who feels no connection to his fellow man. Yozo Oba grew up the privileged son of a wealthy congressman yet feared upsetting his father. In flashbacks we see Yozo, still a young boy, being abused by a group of women; cowering under his father’s gaze as he challenges his plans for him; and growing further apart from his humanity.

It is not until a boy in his class sees through his disguise that Yozo admits he is a monster, whose visage takes Yozo’s place in the mirror. As Yozo grows up he begins to lie, cheat and steal through life. He lives off allowances from his ever more irate father until he is cut off. It is at this point he meets Tsuneko, working under the name Mayumi, who has been abandoned by her ex-convict husband and has all but lost the will to live.

The two of them spend an intimate night describing their loath of life and decide to commit double suicide. They load up on sleeping medication and leap from an ocean cliff (Tsuneko asks Yozo to push her off). Guilt begins to stab into Yozo after this action and he follows her into the abyss. Yet, he survives the attempt and later recovers in the hospital. His lingering guilt begins to unravel him further and he wishes to attempt to carry out Tsuneko’s wishes to become more human in her next life. He makes a pact with himself to makes this opportunity his second chance at a normal life.

The atmosphere, artwork and story laid out in this half of the No Longer Human story just blew me away. It contains a great deal of internal turmoil and deep psychological insights that really pull you into the characters. I have just put this series at the top of my to watch list.

Overall Hook Rating: A

Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery, Supernatural

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NOTE: This series is a new story line in the Darker Than Black world involving some familiar characters and concepts. While you do not have to have seen the previous series, it helps.

Mikhail Pavlichenko and his two children Shion and Suou (twins) are enjoying a family outing to the wilderness of Vladivostok, Russia. As the events of the previous series come to a close a mass meteor shower occurs; a sign that many contractors have died. One of these fragments crashes into Shion and Suou, nearly killing them. Shion does not make it out unscathed and eventually awakens as a contractor himself. His father, having designed the device they use on people who learn about contractors, hides him away from the military.

Years pass and Suou attempts to keep living a normal life. Her father warns her that her brother no longer has emotions, like all contractors, and that he is not to be trusted. He wants her to just stay away from him. Shion spends his days in a hidden room, stuck in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Suou’s friend Tanya suddenly awakens as a contractor and is taken away by the military. Knowing that they will come for her as well, to wipe her memory of her friend, Suou attempts to flee home. It is here that the military attack in an attempt to secure her family for their projects.

Mikhail is killed, Shion reveals that he can walk (using the wheelchair was his remuneration for use of his powers), April (from the previous series) reveals herself as one of Mikhail’s staff and attempts to help the kids escape. It is here Hei makes his grand appearance. Hei, known in the contractor world as the Black Reaper, is tasked with securing the meteor fragment Shion holds. Unfortunately for Suou, Hei confuses her with her brother and a fight to capture her erupts between the CIA, Russian military and unknown parties.

Three additional contractors move in the capture Suou, still confused for Shion. August 7, Mina Hazuki and Genma Shizume set a powerful trap to disable Hei and their fight draws him right into it. Suou gets caught in the blast and her pendant, left to her by her brother, begins to react to the energies. She sees a glimpse into Hei’s memories, right before his star winks out in the sky.

I was a big fan of the original series, and while this one has a bit of a slow start, they really know how to leave the audience hanging on for the next episode. Old favorite characters are back again and some don’t make it past the first few episodes, wink wink. This is definitely one I’ll be catching up on.

Overall Hook Rating: B

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Supernatural

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Koyomi Araragi was running late for class at the Naoetsu Private High School. While running up the main stairwell he sees a young woman, Hitagi Senjogahara, falling down the central opening, many floors above. Without thinking he reaches out to catch her. He is surprised by her weight, as she feels rather weightless, but does not say anything. He later asks the class president, Tsubasa Hanekawa, if she knows anything about Hitagi. Tsubasa tells him that they were in middle school together, but she changed since then… becoming more attractive and mysterious.

In the hallway, Hitagi confronts Koyomi about his attempts at researching her. She places a razor knife to the left of his mouth and a stapler on the right. He promises to leave her be, and she withdraws her weapons from him mouth… giving him one staple through the cheek to prove her point. After he recovers from the shock, he chases after her. She nearly attacks him once more but he shows her that the wound she left has healed; he tells her that he can help her with her “situation.”

They travel together to an abandoned wreck of a building. Here resides Meme Oshino, an expert in the paranormal. It is around now that Koyomi confesses that in the past he was turned into a vampire and that Meme helped cure him. The side effect, super healing, is all that is left from that ordeal. Now, to cure Hitagi’s issue, Meme sets up an elaborate ceremony.

During the ceremony it is revealed that a god in the form of a crab took her weight, rendering her light and emotionless. Hitagi also reveals that her mother was part of a cult and nearly let a higher member rape her own daughter. She wished to be emotionally separated from this suffering, and the god helped her. Now, she begs the god for her burden back… and she is restored to normal. With a new smile, she thanks everyone for their help.

So far this series has not gone very deep into the over story, but the characters have been quite interesting. The visual style and music are very catchy and I will be following this series most definitely.  Check out a clip after the jump.

Overall Hook Rating: B

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Genres: Action, Mystery

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The streets of Shanghai are alive with the sights and sounds of a great festival. Minoru Minorikawa, a journalist, and Maria Osawa, a photographer, have flown in to cover this event. In parallel to their soon-to-become active lives, an assassin drops her target from a rooftop, apparently miles away. A battle between this assassin and a terrorist group know as the “Snakes” rolls onward in a collision course with the other.

Separately, a CIA convoy escorts the captured Snakes leader, Alphard, to a detention facility. Her sister and allies spring her in gouts of flames and blood. Noting that the assassin they have been seeking, named Canaan, has been found in Shanghai. The inner workings of their organization are hinted at, but are never completely spelled out.

As the two stories collide we are shown that Canaan and Maria have met before and are actually good friends. Maria’s pictures, however, get her into trouble with the Snakes. She has uncovered something that undercurrents every aspect of this series, but we are not yet treated to an explanation. A flashback informs us that a terrorist group had spread a bio-toxin of which Maria was the only know survivor (by way of her father’s research toward a vaccine).

The Snakes strike out at Maria and Minoru who are eating at a restaurant after the initial events unfold. Thanks to a REALLY spirited cabbie, the two make a successful escape and are eventually saved by Canaan. The Snakes switch targets and Canaan leads them away. Upon returning to their hotel rooms, Maria and Minoru find their places wrecked and film stolen.

This series has a great opening and a good style; the pace is fast and has action throughout. A minor drawback is the amount of data we are asked to recall as we continue toward a (hopeful) epiphany of the what and why in the story.

Overall Hook Rating: B

Genres: Horror, Occult, Mystery

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A pleasant breeze blows over the small private island, Rokkenjima, in the autumn of 1986. It’s the season for the annual meeting of the exceedingly wealthy Ushiromiya family. The family patriarch, Kinzo Ushiromiya, is nearing the end of his life and the family wishes to discuss plans for the family assets. Each of Kinzo’s children are heads of industry and all clamor for the reigns. A storm brews outside, ominous.

In a dark room, secluded from his squabbling offspring, Kinzo yells and thrashes about by a stormy window. He knows his end is near and entreaties Beatrice, a witch who granted him his families wealth, to return to him once more. Their deal is reaching its end, and the final bill come due. Outside… the most innocent soul on the island, Maria Ushiromiya, is left alone in the rain by her mother. She is increasingly despondent over her daughter’s odd mannerisms, but does not know how to control her anger of this situation. It is to this girl that Beatrice first appears.

Gathered inside for dinner, the entire family continues to posture and plot. When the desert course comes, Maria stands and announces that she has a letter Beatrice wishes her to read aloud to the family. While every family member knows of this person by name, none truly believe she existed! Maria looks possessed as the addresses the gathered family. She informs them of the contract created between herself and Kinzo. She speaks of the wealth granted, and now what payment has come due.

The game set in motion, Beatrice (by way of Maria) informs everyone that she will take back her gold and everything the family owns as interest unless someone can uncover where Kinzo has hidden this wealth. In the foyer of the mansion exists all the clues they will need to complete this daunting task. There too, is a time limit on this game… overnight 6 people (four family members and two servants) are killed and mutilated. Their bodies are left in a shed, adorned with runes of a sort. The end of the Ushiromiya has only just begun.

Overall Hook Rating: A

Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery

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Saki Morimi is celebrating the end of her days in college; she decided to take a trip to New York with her friends. While in the USA she wanted to make sure she tossed a coin in the White House fountain. This alerts the nearby security, who begins to approach her suspiciously. Meanwhile, across the street, Akira Takizawa approaches. He is completely naked, carrying a cell phone and a revolver. Moments before reaching the side of the road, he raises the cell phone to his ear… his eyes widen, and his memory is wiped.

His slate cleaned, he takes in the scene around him. Akira notices the young girl in need and distracts the guards. Once they are taken care of, he and Saki get acquainted (of course, after she lends him a jacket and hat to cover himself). They head off, headed for a location marked on Akira’s cell phone as “home”. It’s only later, after leaving, that Saki remembers her passport was in the jacket she lent out! She heads back to the apartment block where she parted with Akira.

Inside the apartment, Akira is confronted with trappings of his previous life. Weapons, photos, piles of forged (yet authentic) documents will his apartment. Saki reappears at his door, pleading for her passport. After rigging his apartment to burn down, taking the evidence with it, they dodge one officer sent after them (with careful deployment of a penis). They leave the USA behind, en-route to Japan.

We begin to learn of the Selecao, of whom Akira was a part. Via a concierge, named Juiz, Akira learns of his task: to continue being “our savior” (and that he has an obligation to spend 10 million yen towards this task). He also crosses paths with another of the Selecao, Yusei Kondo, who is also a detective. The second episode concludes with a “show of power” that the Selecao wield… but I will leave that up to you to see.

This series has a LOT of interesting mysteries to unravel. There is a LOT more in the first two episodes than I have taken time to mention. Terrorism, strange games, hapless youth… all collides in the series, set at 11 episodes plus one upcoming movie. I am definitely hooked on this one.

Overall Hook Rating: A