Ghost Stories? Whole series worth getting?

[AnubisWerewolf]

Hey anyone seen this one? Looks pretty darn funny with the English dubb? I've only seen the first episode I didn't know if the rest of the series was worth watching. I need a good laugh and this show seems to be doing it right now.

[ClosetOtaku]

Okay, I'll be perfectly honest.

[For those not familiar, the Ghost Stories English dub is not at all faithful to the Japanese script, and in fact often radically departs from it.]

No Christian in their right mind, knowing ahead of time what is in this anime, should watch the English version of it. It is more scatalogical than The Simpsons (falling somewhere between South Park and The Family Guy), and spares no one, Christians included. One might even argue Christians are singled out, as one of the main characters is transmogrified into a bible-quoting, gay-bashing, fire-and-brimstone preacher in a Japanese schoolgirl uniform. Although most of the jokes would go waaay over the head of the average child, older kids would be scandalized, and I would hate for any parent to walk in on it and think it was representative of Anime in general. Furthermore, the Japanese version is simply lame.

Now, I really admire good satire, and Ghost Stories is good satire (in a definite Juvenalian vein), but this akin to hanging a collection of Mapplethorpes in your house just because you like black and white photography, ignoring the wicked content of the images for the sake of "art".

At the risk of bringing up the notion of 'meat sacrificed to idols' (e.g. someone is a stronger brother or sister and, therefore, can watch this, while others can't), I would warn folks to stay away from Ghost Stories, regardless of how strong they consider themselves. I say this having watched every episode and marveling that, with each one, the VAs get bolder and bolder with their improvisations. By the end, it is almost disheartening how low some of the humor has fallen. I did not feel particularly ennobled from the experience.

But like I said, I'll be perfectly honest. The cultural references spoken (and some of them are pretty obscure) serve up a sort of "inner circle" feeling among viewers (or at least among me), evoking that worst sin, Pride, in knowing that "I got the joke!". There's nothing praiseworthy in being Worldly, but I was drawn in to the series for that very reason. It's sort of the MST3000 of Anime -- were it simply to stop at being funny, that's one thing; this gets downright unwholesome.

[Kumagoro]

I saw the first episode and loved it, but I've heard it gets worse later on. Apparently there are some jokes about one of the kid's mom being a reformed lesbian, and I think she dies later on in the series. Instead of laying off the jokes for a few seconds and treating her death respectfully, they just lay on more lesbian jokes. At least, that's what I've heard.

[ClosetOtaku]

I saw the first episode and loved it, but I've heard it gets worse later on. Apparently there are some jokes about one of the kid's mom being a reformed lesbian, and I think she dies later on in the series. Instead of laying off the jokes for a few seconds and treating her death respectfully, they just lay on more lesbian jokes. At least, that's what I've heard.

The main character's mom's death is revealed in the first episode, but your statement about her being a reformed lesbian is a "running gag" that goes throughout the series, and is indeed emphasized when the story of her final days is retold. I concur that it does indeed get "worse"; the first episode is relatively tame.

[AnubisWerewolf]

I actually have 3 of the dvds now and I think the show is a laugh a minute. Few of my friends are watching it now too. Its not bad we are actually having fun looking up the one girls scripture verses she quotes. Personally I don't think its as bad a series as you say. I think its just going for the random side I don't find it as horribly offensive as you say it is. Sorry just my opinion. I love funny dubs.

[AnubisWerewolf]

But thanks for the opinions everyone. I always like hearing what different folk think of certain anime series.