Boogiepop Phantom - Evolution 1

Starring:Kaori Shimizu, Yu Asakawa, Kazuo Konta, Jun Fukuyama, Mayumi Asano, Roxanne Beck, Kelli Shayne Butler, Simone Grant, Corey Marshall, David Brimmer, Hirofumi Nojima, Amanda Goodman, Christopher Nicholas, Bill Rogers (VII), Rachael Lillis, Kozue Yoshizumi, Meg Frances, Sanae Kobayashi, Miwa Yasuda, Kanako Mitsuhashi
Studio: Right Stuf
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
Five years ago, a string of grisly murders shook the city to its core and now the rumors have begun once more. Boogiepop ... Everyone knows about Boogiepop: meet her one dark night and you are taken. People tell each other the stories and laugh: no one believes that she can possibly exist in this day and age.

Still, strange things appear to be going on just and the darkness is taking on many forms. Something is out there. Are you safe?

Description

Five years ago, a string of grisly murders shook the city to its core and now the rumors have begun once more. Boogiepop ... Everyone knows about Boogiepop: meet her one dark night and you are taken. People tell each other the stories and laugh: no one believes that she can possibly exist in this day and age.

Still, strange things appear to be going on just and the darkness is taking on many forms. Something is out there. Are you safe?

Contains episodes 1-3.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Watch This in the Dark.......2005-03-10

Boogiepop Phantom is anime horror the likes of which I have not seen since the OVA of Vampire Princess Miyu. After two episodes of B.P., I am hooked. Thank you RightStuf for bringing this to DVD. I can't believe ADV did not pick this one up.

The city is haunted by a beautiful young woman known as Boogiepop Phantom (the Japanese voice in the mid-episode commercial marker pronounces it "boo-gee (soft g)pop," so you might snicker). Rumors abound of the strange woman at the local high school, but many think she is just an urban legend. No one can deny, however, that several students have disappeared.

The vignettes are told in present time and flashbacks to elementary and junior high. Those high school students who meet Boogiepop are tormented in some way. They do not fit in with the rest of the student body, which by the way seems rather apathetic and removed regarding their classmates vanishings. The treatment of humans and their emotions is so realistic. The screenplay is tight, with great dialouge.

The opening song is great! My only disappointment is that the animation is fuzzy and blurred. Most scenes are seen through a focus circle, with the edges of your T.V. blacked out.

This series is not for someone with a weak stomach.

Anything Can Happen.......2005-01-07

This is a hard series to introduce. A spear of light suddenly pierces the night sky, there is a power interruption, and suddenly we are in the middle of a complicated story with little preparation. Each of the initial episodes picks up one thread, and follows it as it crosses others. At each intersection we are gradually presented different points of view, but in most cases it is finally up to the viewer to discern the underlying meaning.

After the start, episode one focuses on Moto, a young girl, who is haunted by regret for never having confessed her affection to Saotome, another student who was dating Moto's close friend Yasuka. He has disappeared, and the story quickly goes strange as specters, a serial killer, and a strange creature called the Boogiepop appear on the screen like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Each episode follows a different, but related character. In the second, we meet Jonouchi, another student, one who can see emotion conflicts as 'bugs' eating away at the hearts of those around him. Unlike most people who have visions, though, he develops the ability to remove the bugs and make a meal of others misery.

In the last episode we meet Misuzu, who is called Panuru. She has developed what at first appears to be a great positive attitude and philosophy. That we then get to see crumble away into horrific self-delusion and tragedy.

All of the main characters are broken in some way, Their vulnerabilities seem to grant them special powers (seeing those bugs, and other creatures equally spooky). In the midst of these human islands a deeply layered set of story arcs unfolds. A returned serial killer, a light in the sky, a hunter called the Boogiepop, and enough other indicators to leave us hungry for explanations.

This is a series as brilliant as Serial Experiment Lain, with which comparisons are inevitable. Not because of thematic similarities, but because of an original creative staff that not only tries new things, but are exquisitely focused on making every single moment work. From surreal imagery to a rich and complex sound track, Boogiepop Phantom is a series that stays with you long after the final DVD is back on the shelf. Definitely 6 out of 5 stars.

ALSO - One of the most interesting features of this DVD is a commentary channel done by Jeff Thompson and Joe DiGiorgi of the US production team. Suffice it to say that, because of the disconnected manner in which the episodes come together, their explanations are often 'the light at the at the end of the tunnel.' They actually manage to give the viewer a basic framework for the series without ever really giving anything away, which is a blessing. In addition they spend a good deal of the time explaining what goes into the process we call dubbing. For once, I have some understanding of why the US versions of things can deviate so widely from the Japanese.

INCREDIBLE ANIME.......2004-07-25

What you have with this dvd is probably one of the most intriguing and most advanced storytelling I have ever experienced in an anime. Its complex storyline is matched by its equally rich visuals. I don't even know where to start on my review, I'm still in such a daze over what I've seen.

Boogiepop starts with some sort of strange event. A column of light shoots into the heavens and the entire city is blacked out. Nothing is the same after that. Kids have been mysteriously disappearing and some people say that the Boogiepop Phantom, or Death appeared to take them. There is also a serial killer stalking the streets. Is the Phantom just an urban legend that has sprouted up to explain all the senseless murders or is there some supernatural forces at work? Moto is a high school girl whose proclamation of love will never be heard because the boy she loved is one of those that disappeared. Well, that is until he forms out of thin air in front of her eyes from a mass of white energy.

Episdode 2 has to do with one of Moto's classmates, Jonouchi. He was standing on the balcony when the white light and blackout occurred and ever since then he has gained a special ability, or curse. Some people he sees have a very large spider over their heart, obviously some regret, some sadness, or sin that is eating away at their soul. He is able to grab the spider and eat them, destroying whatever it is that holding back the person's life. Well, we all know things have a price, so will Jonouchi be able to pay his?

The last episode has to to do with Misuzu. Misuzu has an imaginary companion who espouses a form of free love and indeed, love of all life, and the world. Even though a large part of life is suffering. She wants to promote this philosophy to the entire world. Well, when a shape-shifting entity appears to be summoned by her thoughts and claims to want to help her, she begins to have grandiose dreams that the whole world will think as she does. Even if it kills them.

And who is the Boogiepop Phantom? Is she the friend or enemy of humans? And who is Nagi Kirima, who seems to be the self-appointed gaurdian of the city, seeking to save its inhabitants from the evil that lurks in the shadows.

I have never seen an anime like this before. Horror manga strike me as a little laughable and lack the means to really scare you. Boogiepop, on the other hand, succeeds very well in raising the hairs on the back of your neck. You can sense that all these characters are twisted together, and that something awful is going on in the city even though we're not clear exactly what. I loved its complexity. And I loved not understanding everything. This series is one you could watch over and over and get new meanings from it each time. I would suggest you look at it twice before trying to make sense of it. The faded look of the colors and the unsettling sound design of the dvd just add to the dread and uneasiness of the experience. If this holds up, I believe this could be on the most unique animes ever produced and is guaranteed a cult following. If you would like the richness of a novel in an anime, you should check this out.

Very little extras:

Japanese Promos
English Director Commentary
Music Video Montage from the series

If you liked this anime, I would recommend the dvds: The Ring, Ringu, and The Eye. I would also recommend the manga The Arm of Kannon.

The Boogiepop Doesn't Smile.......2004-06-13

This series is amazing. Although it starts off a bit confusing with these first three episodes, it doesn't drag a bit. The storyline is so in depth that you will probably be revisisting past episodes just to catch what you might have missed. While some people have compared it to Serial Experiments Lain, they really can't be compared to each other...both are good in their own right, but at least this series answers more questions than Lain. By the end of Lain more questions are brought up than there were to begin with, but with Boogiepop a fair amount of questions are actually answered; you just have to pay attention. I would recommend watching this in English first and then Japanese simply because you have to pay attention to so much that is going on that reading subtitles and trying to make sense of the sometimes cryptic quotes becomes overwhelming in addition to watching the animation. The animation in itself is very good. All the scenes are relatively dark even if it takes place in daylight. A lot of the scenes are a bit disturbing (think a boy making a cat explode), but that isn't just for the benefit of blood and gore. Everything that happens in this anime happens for a reason. The story is told in an out of order way. This is for the effect of not revealing too much about the story until the 'right' time. The series is basically about a group of kids who have been affected by a beam of light that mysteriously appears in the first episode. These kids become gifted with powers and are then taken by Boogiepop, a 'grim-reaper' of sorts. Boogiepop is basically a dark superhero trying to protect the town from the Manticore; a man-eating monster than has taken a human form. To truly understand this series, Boogiepop & Others (the live action Japanese film) should be viewed in addition to the series. If you can get your hands on a copy, it would be well worth it, as the film goes more into what the light is, whereas the series only touches on that briefly in one of the later episodes. Overall, this gothic/horror series is very enjoyable if you can handle a little blood and a confusing story.

Prepare for mystery, horror, and an awesome story!
5 stars isn't enough for this incredible anime...

Not recommended for kids under 15, but everyone else should be able to handle it.

Boogiepop never laughs.......2004-03-10

If this series were real.... your worst fear would probably be named Boogiepop. The angel of death or Hades` equivalent. Boogiepop Phantom is one of the very few anime that will get you to really think about the meaning of life and why we are here. It shows exactly how imperfect the human mind really is. If you're looking for gore, violence, scifi and all-around darkness...(withmore than the occasional bucket of blood), this is it. Perfect. Children under the age of 10 should not watch Boogiepop Phantom. Young children beware......This series is not for the light of heart.

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