Ghost Hunt, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Shiho Inada (Author), Fuyumi Ono (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2005

PARTNERS IN FEAR

The decrepit building was condemned long ago, but every time the owners try to tear it down, “accidents” start to happen–people get hurt, sometimes even killed. Mai Taniyama and her classmates have heard the rumors that the creepy old high school is haunted–possibly by ghosts from the Second World War. So one rainy day they gather at the told school to tell ghost stories, hoping to attract one of the suspected spirits.

No ghosts materialize, but Mai and her friends do meet Kazuya Shibuya, the handsome young owner of Shibuya Psychic Research, who’s been hired to investigate paranormal activity at the school. Also at the scene are an exorcist, a Buddhist monk, a woman who can speak with the dead, and an outspoken Shinto priestess. Surely one of them will have the talents to solve this mystery. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on a popular series of Japanese YA novels of the supernatural, this manga outing is a glacially paced exercise. A ragtag group of teenage paranormal investigators, psychics and exorcists set out to document strange goings-on at a supposedly haunted Japanese high school with predictable results. The cast of characters includes a mysterious and handsome upperclassman, a haughty traditional Shinto exorcist, a Vatican-sanctioned exchange student, and two students with psychic powers. The group is rounded out by a female student who serves as the story's everyman. The script hints at ominous happenings looming on the horizon, but the minimalist artwork provides little suspense, relying on two-dimensional "zoom shots" and other would-be film techniques in an attempt to garner interest from the reader. The supernatural manifestations amount to little more than a chair sliding from left to right and a collapsing floor, while the characters stand around shouting alarmed dialogue. Those in search of real chills should look elsewhere. (Sept.)
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345486242
• ISBN-13: 978-0345486240
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my new favorite titles, November 29, 2005

By 

Laury Ruding - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghost Hunt, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I recently read Ghost Hunt volume 1, and it has quickly become one of my new favorite manga titles. While you may not find the type of horror seen in such titles as Junji Ito's Tomie or the Ring saga, keep in mind this is a shoujo title. It is more in the context of the mood set up at the beginning of the book: a group of girls telling ghost stories at school. I found it particularly eerie when reading it at night before bed, and there are moments of suspense and tension. The story, however, was most effective for me because of the characters.

We start off with Mai Taniyama and her friends meeting Kazuya Shibuya, who claims to be a transfer student. It isn't until Mai inadvertently injures Shibuya's assistant and is somewhat extorted into filling in for him that she finds out Shibuya is really a ghost hunter hired to investigate an old building by Mai's school. They are soon joined by a miko (Del Rey gives nice explanations in the back of the book about this and other cultural references the reader might not be familiar with), a Buddhist monk, a priest, and a famous psychic medium from television to solve the mysteries surrounding the building.

This isn't just about the supernatural; there's also a good deal of humor and hints of romance. The art is great. While it may not be as intricate as, say, an early work of CLAMP, that doesn't take away from its beauty. The character designs and development are fantastic as well. Mai is really cute, and she makes some of the funniest/cutest faces. Shibuya in particular is beautifully drawn (truly one of the best designed bishounen I've seen). What really hooked me to this manga is Mai and Shibuya and seeing how their relationship might develop, seeing as how he is an ardent narcissist, and she is a stubborn girl not suckered by his good looks (while just about every other women in the story seems to fall for him instantly ^^;;). Shibuya also remains a pretty mysterious character throughout, so I anticipate having some more of his background revealed.

If you enjoyed Ghost Hunt, you may also like Akino Matsuri's Petshop of Horrors and CLAMP's Tokyo Babylon.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Added to my Collection, January 3, 2006

By 

J. Gebhard (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost Hunt, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I'm loving the influx of the Del Ray Manga collection. I'm already a fan of Wallflower and Ghost Hunt is just as good in a different way. Mai the main character fits a 15 year old girl perfectly by being impressed by how much ghost hunting equipment costs to wondering what the heck it is used for? This first book shows that the series isn't all about finding ghost is every haunted place but keeping the reader wondering if a specter really exists? Through scientific investigation and some more supernatural findings the mystery is finally solved. Background character provide humor and I love the art style. It is rather realistic for manga as compared to say the more outlandish Yu-gi-oh style or line based Inuyahsa, but not as good as Descendants of Darkness. If that helps? I would highly remommend this book for its intriguing storyline.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More to this one than meets the eye, October 9, 2007

By 

S. Raines - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost Hunt, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I'm surprised everyone seems to be missing the point with this series. While on the surface, this is just another Ghostbusters, a close reading shows there's much more to the story than meets the eye, and all the things you may think you know about what's going on are probably wrong. The manga is actually chock full of clues that eventually lead you to one revelation after another until you finally understand the real story (I say this only knowing how the novels ended, but so far the series seems to be following them). So if you enjoy a good puzzle with some spookiness thrown in, this one is worth checking out.