Tokyo Ghost Trip
By wakinghyde at Tokyo Ghost Trip
After spending the entire Sunday watching the j-drama "Tokyo Ghost Trip", I have quite a lot to say about it.
My general opinion is that this was a good serie; however, it does have quite a few errors. From a star cast involving both Juri, Kiriyama Renn, Kotani Yoshikazu and many other brilliant actors, they use them poorly. Don't get me wrong; I loved it! But they could've done so much more!
However, it was really worth my time. I recommend that you check it out.
<---- Official promotional pic. Clockwise; Ryu, Komyo, Kai, Sowa, Setsu, Isuzu.
The series was originally adapted from a long-running manga with the same title, that was at least, if not even more, confusing than the tv-series.
Synopsis: "Setsu and Souwa are members of the Inui family, descended from itako. Their high school graduation is coming up, but the head of the Inui family suddenly runs away. Their older brother Kai, a priest who studied exorcism abroad, becomes their guardian, and Setsu and Souwa are forced to take over the family business of dealing with spirits. --Tokyograph
The cast is as following;
The characters
Inui Setsu: The obvious main character of the show, Setsu (often refered to with petnames such as "Set-chan" or the likes), is a tough 17 year old, who's main trait might be either his determination, or lazyness. What separates him from the usual teenage boy hero, is his maturity (might be caused by being played an actor ten years older) and general coldness, compared to other characters. He would not often go out of his way, but is nicer than his brother Sowa. He acts like the main summoner in the duo's summoning group, and is currently the heir to the Inui clan, and the strongest Itako of all the Inui's featured in the series.
Inui Sowa: The more quiet twin of Setsu, Sowa has the most muscle force of all the Inui brothers. He rarely ever speaks unless spoken to, and even then acts cold. Even though he's part of a successfull itako duo, he himself says he do not believe in spirits and the likes. This is somehow justified; he, unlike the rest of the Inui's, cannot see spirits (though Isuzu seem to be an exception, somehow), and is the one getting possessed by the spirits Setsu summons. This results in him rarely ever remembering anything from the sessions. He's also fiercely loyal, as demonstrated in both the show's start and finale. Has an even greater obsession with meat than his twin.
Inui Kai: The eldest Inui brother, Kai is a Christian priest (that we are often reminded of by the crucifix around his neck, but nothing more), who studied abroad before the series starts. He is depicted as being the smallest and physically weakest of the brothers, though he is shown to kick ass when needs be. Kai is calmer, and more levelheaded than any other Inui, but also quite cunning. He often tricks his brothers into working, but is shown to struggle financially, and still feeling the burden of what he does to his brothers. A reoccurring trait is his protectiveness, and he is the only character to actually be aware of the Reaper's intentions. He stays out of fights most of the time.
Inui Komyo: Komyo is the youngest of the brothers, claimed to be 14 (no way in hell.), and is shown to have ventured abroad to learn about his psychic abilities before, and during the first half of the series. He is by far the most jolly Inui, and is shown to be both impulsive and impatient. He looks up to Setsu, and always try to impress him, with varying results. He is also skilled in close combat, and is equipped with psychic powers that often comes in handy.
Inui Ryu: The cousin of the four brothers, he is at first introduced as an obnoxious and strict guy who wants to humiliate the main family. Throughout the series, he warms up to the brothers, even comes to love them as if he was a sibling, and not a cousin, especially as shown in the second to last episode. He is shown to be almost as good of an itako as Setsu, but only almost. He is a bit bitter in the beginning, but this is untracable by the last episode.
Kitano Isuzu: The young man living with the Inui's, he's still one of the oldest in the household. While his real self is lying in the hospital, comatose, the Isuzu that works with the Inui's is a living spirit; the spirit of a living person that cannot stay in his own body. He is shy, and very insecure, at least in the beginning of the series, though he somehow gains more confidence asthe show goes on. His main job in the show is to help the Inui's with whatever practical tasks they need done.
Reaper: Not much can be said about this guy without spoiling some of the ending; but he is a shinigami, a soul reaper, pretty much similar to the Western form of The Reaper. He shows an interest in Setsu, and already from the first moment in the first episode, is shown to do anything to get him. Only Kai knows what he's really up to.
Higurasaka Tamami: Tamami is Komyo's manager in the US; thus her only real contribution to the show is to nag at Komyo to get back to the states, and occasionally be the needed woman. While she generally acts nice, if only a bit aloof and slightly bitchy, she is shown to have some deep insight regarding the characters.
Sakamoto cafe clerks: While we usually only see one of them at the time, there are actually two different waiters at the regular cafe. No one would notice at first; they're twins, and act just the same. It is only in the final two episodes that we actually get to see that they are two individual characters (they even call out Kai and Komyo on it; "We've always been two. Didn't you notice?"). They serve the Inui's reluctantly, since they only order water, which does not bring in any money for them. It also seems they're a bit jealous due to the Inui's being girl magnets.
Cafe manager: Referred to as "Master" by the other characters, his catchphrase is that "The customer is God," though he rarely work with them himself, prefering to read his book behind the counter. In the second to last episode, he is shown to not be such a goof, when he reveals that he is a martial arts expert.
Here begins my real review; the first thing I need to point out, is that the first episode weirds me out. It's the most confusing (not necessarily in a good way), messy and flat first episode I've ever seen. The characters are played out fairly normal in this one too; but by the time, we don't know them, and wonders why our hero would act so cold against a nice person. We don't get to see his really nice side until episode 2. The plot don't even work out very well; it's the exact same recipe as the next ten episodes. But while the first victim of the week is introduced in episode1, the victim in episode 2 stays with the crew until the end. Uhm, reverse this, please!
Otherwise, the rest of the episodes follows the same pattern all the way; someone needs help from the itako, usually to talk to someone dead, and then there's a small twist to that, cue the Reaper standing eerily in the background mumbling incoherently. Small variations here and there, but essentially, it's all the same. However, most j-dramas tend to be like that, so I won't say anything on the genre. The three final episodes, however, are kind of weird; they start out as the rest, before they realize that it was the Reaper who set them up, cue climax in episode 12. Then, after the climatic battle, Kai ends the episode by saying "This is only the beginning." However, it wasn't; it really was the end! Episode 13 is really unnecessary, and a bit of a throwback after episode 12. We have one very touching scene, and then otherwise just the folks lounging around, showing that everything's back to normal (despite earlier claims). But then again, episode 12 was really, really good!
I mentioned earlier how I didn't think they used the characters enough; and I can't even begin to elaborate that point! Particularly every other character than Setsu and Sowa. 90% of the show consists of Setsu being all pwnage, with Sowa assisting. The rest of the crew get to show off once, most likely during their introduction, and then they're just randomly standing in the background all the other times.
Particularly Kai. Oooooh, particularly Kai.
He's the eldest brother - first of all, why isn't he the heir to the Inui clan? Why isn't he strongest itako? Well, that might be slightly justified; he's a Christian priest, and most of the supernatural stuffs in the show seems to be gathered from Shintoism. However, he is still shown to be a capable fighter, and he studied exorcism abroad. Yet, Setsu does that too, for some sort of reason. This question only magnifies when Kai forces his younger brothers to work with exorcisms; why isn't he doing it himself, or at least helping?
I fully expected him to come around and pwn with his priest knowledge/skills; things he could do because he was a priest, because it is, after all, played on quite well, particularly in the opening, it's focused on this point. But his religion, and how that differs from the rest of the family, is never even mentioned.
In the episode where the crew goes to rescue Setsu, he was shown wearing a black priest dress, the same as in the opening. He even called it "his battle gown" . I thought "Ah hah, now let's see that older brother in action! He's probably really awesome, and only waiting for a chance to do what he can!" But no... He ended up distracting a couple of guards, asking them to buy "The Bible", while Setsu escaped by himself, just like that.
Even in the final episodes, at the climax, the big showdown with the Reaper, he arrived only to have a fistfight with a couple of random mooks, and Setsu himself. Uhm, what? Then he was down, Setsu randomly snapped, and did the rest himself. Especially since Kai is a priest, he should've been given a bigger role in that fight, though I must admit, his martial arts amazed me.
In the first episode, Setsu actually commented after Kai kicked down a guy; "That's Kai-nii showing his true nature." Cue frame of Kai looking really, really tough. No, that was not a joke.
In one episode, Sowa says they shouldn't perform a summoning without Kai there, insinuating that he is somehow needed, if nothing else, then for security and the comfort of being there, meaning he probably has some experience. Then why won't he show it?
Likewise with Ryu and Komyo; they're both shown in their introduction to be strong, Ryu almost as strong as Setsu himself, and Komyo has special psychic powers. Yet, after their first show-off, they're really just there. Komyo occasionally tracks things with his human GPS, and Ryu provides some sense to the guys. That's it? Okay then.
This shows Komyo and Kai kicking some ass. Really, the best fight scene(s) in the entire series, though the one between Setsu and Kai is definitely more touching and a joy to watch.
Setsu and Sowa themselves could even be given more focus in regards of personality; much of the show depicts their skills, but very little on a personal level. The relationship before the four brothers especially, is played on too little. It's obvious that they care for each other very much, though this is very little used at all (despite it being an important plot device). Setsu and Sowa could've shown more character, if only being given the chance.
Another thing that escapes me about this show is the ages. And how, the ages of the characters!! First of all, I think Isuzu was supposed to be the oldest character, 23 years old. Uhm, what? No seriously, no one of the other characters look younger than him. No one. And Kai is supposed to be the second oldest, at 20 (or 21.) His actor is actually the second youngest actor cast, I believe. Sowa's actor, Yagami Ren, is a few months younger than him. But Juri, Setsu's actor, was 27 when he played the 17 year old Setsu. Oh, and he's only one year younger than Shindo Gaku, his "father" (though his father might be hindered in the aging process, it's still awkward.) But the worst case - is Komyo. Komyo was stated in the manga to be 14 years old, and even there, it is highly questionable. But when the TV-series claim the same - sorry, but his actor was 25 at the time..! He played school teachers years before he actually played a barely adolescent teen... This all get more ridiculous in the flashbacks, when we see that little Setsu, Sowa, Komyo AND Kai are evenly aged, with only possibly one to two years to differ. Especially Komyo and Kai; Kai was supposed to be six-seven years older than him, yet in the flashbacks, Komyo actually looks like the older one. Uuuuugh.
The show really deserves more than 13 episodes - more plot, more intrigue, more character study. More variation in the stories - going deeper into exactly what it means to be an itako in Tokyo today, more on their individual past (particularly Komyo and Kai have interesting ones) and a bigger climax. One and a half episode won't really cut it in the long run. They had great actors, as stated before; they could've done so much more about them! For instance, the four Inui brothers are all excellent singers; this could've been played for comedy even once, or what about the fact that the Sakamoto twins from ON/OFF (recognize them? Among others, they've sung the intro to Vampire Knight) are featured on this show? I need more situations for the characters to develop. The plot - if there was ever a decent plot - is not at all moved by the characters. Only by the end, we're reminded that "oh right, the Reaper wanted Setsu for some sort of reason. Okay."
Don't get me wrong here; there's a lot of critizism, because there is a lot about Tokyo Ghost Trip that bugs me.
But then again, there is a lot about this show that I really, really love!
As previously stated, once you get the characters, they really are fantastic and fascinating characters that should've been used more. Learn to appreciate the small things they do; already today, I've rewatched quite a lot of the episodes to get my favourite moments again and again! Above, I posted the fight scenes from one of the last episode; it was really a joy to watch, and the actors did this themselves. See for instance Kiriyama Renn's dance inspired style, and then learn that he performed in musicals for years. The Sakamoto twins use their wooden katanas, because yes, they have studied kendo. (However, why didn't they sing the opening or ending?)
Despite my earlier complains about how monotone this series appear, they do have some touching moments. I hate to repeat myself, but particularly in the latter episodes. It's almost insane how the series improved through the span of three-four episodes; going from a mediocre show stuck between the creepy slight action, and light comedy, to a drama that really kept you on your toes to the end. It's addicting, I'll agree to that; I just spent an entire day watching it, after all.
Of course, I'm a huge fan of the actors, most of them being from Tenimyu and all; but it never ceases to amaze me how they slide into different roles in different dramas, though they tend to have at least vaguely similar traits. This series and the characters around it were mostly designed to Juri and his respective character, Setsu. But I'm not sure how well that worked out for him; most of the other characters and actors gave better performances than Juri, or rather, Juri seemed slightly insecure about just how Setsu nature was. Compare Sowa to Tenimyu's Yukimura, or Kai to Shotaro in Kamen Rider W. Or Kitano Yoshikazu's Komyo to pretty much any other role he's done before. This was great acting; certainly had me captivated!
Not to mention the music; while not being the most musical show, the opening/ending was amazingly good, much better than what I usually expect from short dramas and little publicity. Not that it features that much music besides these; some background music is prominent, however, like the tune that starts playing whenever Setsu and Sowa is about to perform a summoning. I really like it, completely brings out the mood and modernizes old genres of Japanese folklore.
All in all, this was a great show; lacking in some parts, and could certainly have been done better, but the idea was great, and the actors pulled up an otherwise mediocre show. I enjoyed watching it; to get lunch was very difficult, seeing as I had to leave the computer to fix it! Let it also be known that this is the first time I've ever seen a drama, or anime, or whatever, in one stretch. Never once have I done that before. I tend to get tired of them eventually, after two, maybe three episodes, but there was something with this that just stuck with me. I needed to watch more.
t12B Vidéo afgwork10 sélectionnée dans MoteursThis, is perhaps one of the most fascinating fights I've ever seen my entire life. Almost brought tears to my eyes.
You'll make up your own opinions, I'm sure, but I loved this show, and will probably rewatch again, very soon, even. I'll try to write some fanfiction about it as well; particularly Kai and his lack of love. The fanfiction site has got two fics, both are short Sowa/Kai fics.
Bottom line is, I recommend this show very much. Tokyo Ghost Trip is a show that will stay with you in one way or another, and it is really worth the time! Good viewing! :D
After spending the entire Sunday watching the j-drama "Tokyo Ghost Trip", I have quite a lot to say about it.
My general opinion is that this was a good serie; however, it does have quite a few errors. From a star cast involving both Juri, Kiriyama Renn, Kotani Yoshikazu and many other brilliant actors, they use them poorly. Don't get me wrong; I loved it! But they could've done so much more!
However, it was really worth my time. I recommend that you check it out.
<---- Official promotional pic. Clockwise; Ryu, Komyo, Kai, Sowa, Setsu, Isuzu.
The series was originally adapted from a long-running manga with the same title, that was at least, if not even more, confusing than the tv-series.
- Title: 東京ゴーストトリップ
- Title (English): Tokyo Ghost Trip
- Format: Renzoku
- Genre: Mystery, supernatural
- Episodes: 13
- Broadcast network: Tokyo MX
- Broadcast period: 2008-Apr-12 to 2008-Jun-23
- Theme songs:
- Opening theme: Jonetsu My Soul by surface
- Ending theme: Pray by Little by Little
Synopsis: "Setsu and Souwa are members of the Inui family, descended from itako. Their high school graduation is coming up, but the head of the Inui family suddenly runs away. Their older brother Kai, a priest who studied exorcism abroad, becomes their guardian, and Setsu and Souwa are forced to take over the family business of dealing with spirits. --Tokyograph
The cast is as following;
- Juri as Inui Setsu
- Yagami Ren as Inui Sowa
- Kiriyama Renn as Inui Kai
- Kotani Yoshikazu as Inui Komyo
- Takiguchi Yukihiro as Inui Ryu
- Baba Ryouma as Kitano Isuzu
- Shindo Gaku as Reaper
- Sato Yasue as Higurasaka Tamami
- Sakamoto Naoya as cafe clerk Sakamoto
- Sakamoto Kazuya as cafe clerk Sakamoto
- Tomita Masanori as cafe manager
- Kitazawa Hiroshi as bill collector
The characters
Inui Setsu: The obvious main character of the show, Setsu (often refered to with petnames such as "Set-chan" or the likes), is a tough 17 year old, who's main trait might be either his determination, or lazyness. What separates him from the usual teenage boy hero, is his maturity (might be caused by being played an actor ten years older) and general coldness, compared to other characters. He would not often go out of his way, but is nicer than his brother Sowa. He acts like the main summoner in the duo's summoning group, and is currently the heir to the Inui clan, and the strongest Itako of all the Inui's featured in the series.
Inui Sowa: The more quiet twin of Setsu, Sowa has the most muscle force of all the Inui brothers. He rarely ever speaks unless spoken to, and even then acts cold. Even though he's part of a successfull itako duo, he himself says he do not believe in spirits and the likes. This is somehow justified; he, unlike the rest of the Inui's, cannot see spirits (though Isuzu seem to be an exception, somehow), and is the one getting possessed by the spirits Setsu summons. This results in him rarely ever remembering anything from the sessions. He's also fiercely loyal, as demonstrated in both the show's start and finale. Has an even greater obsession with meat than his twin.
Inui Kai: The eldest Inui brother, Kai is a Christian priest (that we are often reminded of by the crucifix around his neck, but nothing more), who studied abroad before the series starts. He is depicted as being the smallest and physically weakest of the brothers, though he is shown to kick ass when needs be. Kai is calmer, and more levelheaded than any other Inui, but also quite cunning. He often tricks his brothers into working, but is shown to struggle financially, and still feeling the burden of what he does to his brothers. A reoccurring trait is his protectiveness, and he is the only character to actually be aware of the Reaper's intentions. He stays out of fights most of the time.
Inui Komyo: Komyo is the youngest of the brothers, claimed to be 14 (no way in hell.), and is shown to have ventured abroad to learn about his psychic abilities before, and during the first half of the series. He is by far the most jolly Inui, and is shown to be both impulsive and impatient. He looks up to Setsu, and always try to impress him, with varying results. He is also skilled in close combat, and is equipped with psychic powers that often comes in handy.
Inui Ryu: The cousin of the four brothers, he is at first introduced as an obnoxious and strict guy who wants to humiliate the main family. Throughout the series, he warms up to the brothers, even comes to love them as if he was a sibling, and not a cousin, especially as shown in the second to last episode. He is shown to be almost as good of an itako as Setsu, but only almost. He is a bit bitter in the beginning, but this is untracable by the last episode.
Kitano Isuzu: The young man living with the Inui's, he's still one of the oldest in the household. While his real self is lying in the hospital, comatose, the Isuzu that works with the Inui's is a living spirit; the spirit of a living person that cannot stay in his own body. He is shy, and very insecure, at least in the beginning of the series, though he somehow gains more confidence asthe show goes on. His main job in the show is to help the Inui's with whatever practical tasks they need done.
Reaper: Not much can be said about this guy without spoiling some of the ending; but he is a shinigami, a soul reaper, pretty much similar to the Western form of The Reaper. He shows an interest in Setsu, and already from the first moment in the first episode, is shown to do anything to get him. Only Kai knows what he's really up to.
Higurasaka Tamami: Tamami is Komyo's manager in the US; thus her only real contribution to the show is to nag at Komyo to get back to the states, and occasionally be the needed woman. While she generally acts nice, if only a bit aloof and slightly bitchy, she is shown to have some deep insight regarding the characters.
Sakamoto cafe clerks: While we usually only see one of them at the time, there are actually two different waiters at the regular cafe. No one would notice at first; they're twins, and act just the same. It is only in the final two episodes that we actually get to see that they are two individual characters (they even call out Kai and Komyo on it; "We've always been two. Didn't you notice?"). They serve the Inui's reluctantly, since they only order water, which does not bring in any money for them. It also seems they're a bit jealous due to the Inui's being girl magnets.
Cafe manager: Referred to as "Master" by the other characters, his catchphrase is that "The customer is God," though he rarely work with them himself, prefering to read his book behind the counter. In the second to last episode, he is shown to not be such a goof, when he reveals that he is a martial arts expert.
Here begins my real review; the first thing I need to point out, is that the first episode weirds me out. It's the most confusing (not necessarily in a good way), messy and flat first episode I've ever seen. The characters are played out fairly normal in this one too; but by the time, we don't know them, and wonders why our hero would act so cold against a nice person. We don't get to see his really nice side until episode 2. The plot don't even work out very well; it's the exact same recipe as the next ten episodes. But while the first victim of the week is introduced in episode1, the victim in episode 2 stays with the crew until the end. Uhm, reverse this, please!
Otherwise, the rest of the episodes follows the same pattern all the way; someone needs help from the itako, usually to talk to someone dead, and then there's a small twist to that, cue the Reaper standing eerily in the background mumbling incoherently. Small variations here and there, but essentially, it's all the same. However, most j-dramas tend to be like that, so I won't say anything on the genre. The three final episodes, however, are kind of weird; they start out as the rest, before they realize that it was the Reaper who set them up, cue climax in episode 12. Then, after the climatic battle, Kai ends the episode by saying "This is only the beginning." However, it wasn't; it really was the end! Episode 13 is really unnecessary, and a bit of a throwback after episode 12. We have one very touching scene, and then otherwise just the folks lounging around, showing that everything's back to normal (despite earlier claims). But then again, episode 12 was really, really good!
I mentioned earlier how I didn't think they used the characters enough; and I can't even begin to elaborate that point! Particularly every other character than Setsu and Sowa. 90% of the show consists of Setsu being all pwnage, with Sowa assisting. The rest of the crew get to show off once, most likely during their introduction, and then they're just randomly standing in the background all the other times.
Particularly Kai. Oooooh, particularly Kai.
He's the eldest brother - first of all, why isn't he the heir to the Inui clan? Why isn't he strongest itako? Well, that might be slightly justified; he's a Christian priest, and most of the supernatural stuffs in the show seems to be gathered from Shintoism. However, he is still shown to be a capable fighter, and he studied exorcism abroad. Yet, Setsu does that too, for some sort of reason. This question only magnifies when Kai forces his younger brothers to work with exorcisms; why isn't he doing it himself, or at least helping?
I fully expected him to come around and pwn with his priest knowledge/skills; things he could do because he was a priest, because it is, after all, played on quite well, particularly in the opening, it's focused on this point. But his religion, and how that differs from the rest of the family, is never even mentioned.
In the episode where the crew goes to rescue Setsu, he was shown wearing a black priest dress, the same as in the opening. He even called it "his battle gown" . I thought "Ah hah, now let's see that older brother in action! He's probably really awesome, and only waiting for a chance to do what he can!" But no... He ended up distracting a couple of guards, asking them to buy "The Bible", while Setsu escaped by himself, just like that.
Even in the final episodes, at the climax, the big showdown with the Reaper, he arrived only to have a fistfight with a couple of random mooks, and Setsu himself. Uhm, what? Then he was down, Setsu randomly snapped, and did the rest himself. Especially since Kai is a priest, he should've been given a bigger role in that fight, though I must admit, his martial arts amazed me.
In the first episode, Setsu actually commented after Kai kicked down a guy; "That's Kai-nii showing his true nature." Cue frame of Kai looking really, really tough. No, that was not a joke.
In one episode, Sowa says they shouldn't perform a summoning without Kai there, insinuating that he is somehow needed, if nothing else, then for security and the comfort of being there, meaning he probably has some experience. Then why won't he show it?
Likewise with Ryu and Komyo; they're both shown in their introduction to be strong, Ryu almost as strong as Setsu himself, and Komyo has special psychic powers. Yet, after their first show-off, they're really just there. Komyo occasionally tracks things with his human GPS, and Ryu provides some sense to the guys. That's it? Okay then.
This shows Komyo and Kai kicking some ass. Really, the best fight scene(s) in the entire series, though the one between Setsu and Kai is definitely more touching and a joy to watch.
Setsu and Sowa themselves could even be given more focus in regards of personality; much of the show depicts their skills, but very little on a personal level. The relationship before the four brothers especially, is played on too little. It's obvious that they care for each other very much, though this is very little used at all (despite it being an important plot device). Setsu and Sowa could've shown more character, if only being given the chance.
Another thing that escapes me about this show is the ages. And how, the ages of the characters!! First of all, I think Isuzu was supposed to be the oldest character, 23 years old. Uhm, what? No seriously, no one of the other characters look younger than him. No one. And Kai is supposed to be the second oldest, at 20 (or 21.) His actor is actually the second youngest actor cast, I believe. Sowa's actor, Yagami Ren, is a few months younger than him. But Juri, Setsu's actor, was 27 when he played the 17 year old Setsu. Oh, and he's only one year younger than Shindo Gaku, his "father" (though his father might be hindered in the aging process, it's still awkward.) But the worst case - is Komyo. Komyo was stated in the manga to be 14 years old, and even there, it is highly questionable. But when the TV-series claim the same - sorry, but his actor was 25 at the time..! He played school teachers years before he actually played a barely adolescent teen... This all get more ridiculous in the flashbacks, when we see that little Setsu, Sowa, Komyo AND Kai are evenly aged, with only possibly one to two years to differ. Especially Komyo and Kai; Kai was supposed to be six-seven years older than him, yet in the flashbacks, Komyo actually looks like the older one. Uuuuugh.
The show really deserves more than 13 episodes - more plot, more intrigue, more character study. More variation in the stories - going deeper into exactly what it means to be an itako in Tokyo today, more on their individual past (particularly Komyo and Kai have interesting ones) and a bigger climax. One and a half episode won't really cut it in the long run. They had great actors, as stated before; they could've done so much more about them! For instance, the four Inui brothers are all excellent singers; this could've been played for comedy even once, or what about the fact that the Sakamoto twins from ON/OFF (recognize them? Among others, they've sung the intro to Vampire Knight) are featured on this show? I need more situations for the characters to develop. The plot - if there was ever a decent plot - is not at all moved by the characters. Only by the end, we're reminded that "oh right, the Reaper wanted Setsu for some sort of reason. Okay."
Don't get me wrong here; there's a lot of critizism, because there is a lot about Tokyo Ghost Trip that bugs me.
But then again, there is a lot about this show that I really, really love!
As previously stated, once you get the characters, they really are fantastic and fascinating characters that should've been used more. Learn to appreciate the small things they do; already today, I've rewatched quite a lot of the episodes to get my favourite moments again and again! Above, I posted the fight scenes from one of the last episode; it was really a joy to watch, and the actors did this themselves. See for instance Kiriyama Renn's dance inspired style, and then learn that he performed in musicals for years. The Sakamoto twins use their wooden katanas, because yes, they have studied kendo. (However, why didn't they sing the opening or ending?)
Despite my earlier complains about how monotone this series appear, they do have some touching moments. I hate to repeat myself, but particularly in the latter episodes. It's almost insane how the series improved through the span of three-four episodes; going from a mediocre show stuck between the creepy slight action, and light comedy, to a drama that really kept you on your toes to the end. It's addicting, I'll agree to that; I just spent an entire day watching it, after all.
Of course, I'm a huge fan of the actors, most of them being from Tenimyu and all; but it never ceases to amaze me how they slide into different roles in different dramas, though they tend to have at least vaguely similar traits. This series and the characters around it were mostly designed to Juri and his respective character, Setsu. But I'm not sure how well that worked out for him; most of the other characters and actors gave better performances than Juri, or rather, Juri seemed slightly insecure about just how Setsu nature was. Compare Sowa to Tenimyu's Yukimura, or Kai to Shotaro in Kamen Rider W. Or Kitano Yoshikazu's Komyo to pretty much any other role he's done before. This was great acting; certainly had me captivated!
Not to mention the music; while not being the most musical show, the opening/ending was amazingly good, much better than what I usually expect from short dramas and little publicity. Not that it features that much music besides these; some background music is prominent, however, like the tune that starts playing whenever Setsu and Sowa is about to perform a summoning. I really like it, completely brings out the mood and modernizes old genres of Japanese folklore.
All in all, this was a great show; lacking in some parts, and could certainly have been done better, but the idea was great, and the actors pulled up an otherwise mediocre show. I enjoyed watching it; to get lunch was very difficult, seeing as I had to leave the computer to fix it! Let it also be known that this is the first time I've ever seen a drama, or anime, or whatever, in one stretch. Never once have I done that before. I tend to get tired of them eventually, after two, maybe three episodes, but there was something with this that just stuck with me. I needed to watch more.
t12B Vidéo afgwork10 sélectionnée dans MoteursThis, is perhaps one of the most fascinating fights I've ever seen my entire life. Almost brought tears to my eyes.
You'll make up your own opinions, I'm sure, but I loved this show, and will probably rewatch again, very soon, even. I'll try to write some fanfiction about it as well; particularly Kai and his lack of love. The fanfiction site has got two fics, both are short Sowa/Kai fics.
Bottom line is, I recommend this show very much. Tokyo Ghost Trip is a show that will stay with you in one way or another, and it is really worth the time! Good viewing! :D