Ghost Talker’s Daydream (Animé TV)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B     Extras: C     Episodes: B-

 

 

For an Animé program for the 16+ crowd, Ghost Talker’s Daydream one of the more mature offerings we have seen from Geneon to date.  When female lead Misaki has embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions, it is still a cliché of this type of animation, but she is not a dumb bimbo.  Instead, she is a self-aware woman who even works at an S&M club.  If that did not attract enough creeps, she has a strange knack for seeing ghosts.

 

The supernatural aspect is handled well enough, but this is still a series interested in the sexual aspects of things than ghosts.  The “explicit nudity and violence” claim is something the show lives up to, but making the female lead more able-bodied does not excuse or negate the sexploitation.  For the animation and for it being something different, fans will want to take a look.  Otherwise, its value rests on its playback performance.

 

The 1.33 X 1 full frame image is often soft on purpose, in keeping with the style of the show, though this is not the case throughout.  Some shots fare much better with nice color consistency.  The sound is here in Dolby Digital 5.1, but fares better in DTS 5.1, the first time since Gungrave Geneon has issued a series with the sound format.  It is surprisingly good, with nice sound design and fullness you usually do not get for TV of any kind, though it is not sonically non-stop.  This is the first time we have come across such a combination for animation of any kind.  Extras include DVD-ROM desktop wallpaper and printable posters, plus a U.S. trailer for this a few other Geneon titles and opening without text.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo