Moryo no Haku (魍魎の匣) is a 13 episode mystery anime based on the novel of the same name by Kyogoku Natsuhiko. The anime was originally broadcast on TV in Japan in the fall of 2008.
Sekiguchi Tatsumi is a writer who finds himself wrapped up in an investigation of young girls being murdered and dismembered. The murders eerily echo a story he is reviewing for an up and coming author. Over a period of time body parts are discovered in ornate boxes. Sekiguchi becomes involved through a number of associates, including a detective and an onmyouji. The investigation begins when the detective, Kiba Shutaro, arrives at a crime scene by coincidence. The scene involves a young girl who was pushed into the path of the train Kiba was on. The girls friend is distraught and Kiba tries to help her and the initial investigation. The girl says a mysterious man in black, wearing white gloves pushed her friend into the train tracks. The victim is the younger sister of a famous actress and when the local hospital stabilizes her, the older sister transfers her to a private research hospital. The man running the private hospital was part of a clandestine group in Manchuria during World War 2, working on medically creating super solders. As the investigation unfolds the girl is kidnapped from the hospital and a few associated people are murdered. As more body parts are discovered the locals begin talking about an apparition dressed in black, wearing white gloves. The investigations into the dismemberment and the kidnapped girl share similarities and everyone soon works together to unravel the puzzle before more girls are murdered in what appears to be someones sick obsession with immortality.
Almost seven years after it initially aired I was finally able to sit down and watch all of this series. In 2008 I had watched the first two episodes and it perked my interest but for some reason I never followed through until now. Art-wise this series is very shojo, the characters are classic in that regard. The women have large and deep eyes, pointy chins and lean fashionable bodies. Many of the male characters are feminine yet hansom. The reason for this is very simple...the character designs were done by CLAMP. The story its self is jumbled and can be hard to follow at times. There are a number of key characters and from episode to episode perspective can switch between them. At times the chronological sequence is out of order as well. In the end though the threads come together in a two episode classic 'who-dun-in' resolution. While the mystery isn't all that intriguing the character interactions and development are the driving for for the story and worth that time alone.
This, now older, series is a welcome reprieve for the standard anime fare. It overs some indepth dialogue and believable/realistic characters. I'm ashamed it took me so long to finally get around to watching the entire thing. The anime is based on one book out of a trilogy by Kyogoku, each revolving around the main character Chuzenji Akihiho, known as Kyogokudo, who is a faithless onmyouji and dabbler in detective work. The first book in the trilogy, Summer of Ubume, is available in English...and on my shopping list currently. Though the current going rate is $100...so that might be a while... A live action movie was released in 2007 as well.
Sadly, this anime was never released outside of Japan. It would find popularity alongside the series Monster by Urasawa Naoki, but I assume no one is willing to take the chance on the series.
Sekiguchi Tatsumi is a writer who finds himself wrapped up in an investigation of young girls being murdered and dismembered. The murders eerily echo a story he is reviewing for an up and coming author. Over a period of time body parts are discovered in ornate boxes. Sekiguchi becomes involved through a number of associates, including a detective and an onmyouji. The investigation begins when the detective, Kiba Shutaro, arrives at a crime scene by coincidence. The scene involves a young girl who was pushed into the path of the train Kiba was on. The girls friend is distraught and Kiba tries to help her and the initial investigation. The girl says a mysterious man in black, wearing white gloves pushed her friend into the train tracks. The victim is the younger sister of a famous actress and when the local hospital stabilizes her, the older sister transfers her to a private research hospital. The man running the private hospital was part of a clandestine group in Manchuria during World War 2, working on medically creating super solders. As the investigation unfolds the girl is kidnapped from the hospital and a few associated people are murdered. As more body parts are discovered the locals begin talking about an apparition dressed in black, wearing white gloves. The investigations into the dismemberment and the kidnapped girl share similarities and everyone soon works together to unravel the puzzle before more girls are murdered in what appears to be someones sick obsession with immortality.
Almost seven years after it initially aired I was finally able to sit down and watch all of this series. In 2008 I had watched the first two episodes and it perked my interest but for some reason I never followed through until now. Art-wise this series is very shojo, the characters are classic in that regard. The women have large and deep eyes, pointy chins and lean fashionable bodies. Many of the male characters are feminine yet hansom. The reason for this is very simple...the character designs were done by CLAMP. The story its self is jumbled and can be hard to follow at times. There are a number of key characters and from episode to episode perspective can switch between them. At times the chronological sequence is out of order as well. In the end though the threads come together in a two episode classic 'who-dun-in' resolution. While the mystery isn't all that intriguing the character interactions and development are the driving for for the story and worth that time alone.
This, now older, series is a welcome reprieve for the standard anime fare. It overs some indepth dialogue and believable/realistic characters. I'm ashamed it took me so long to finally get around to watching the entire thing. The anime is based on one book out of a trilogy by Kyogoku, each revolving around the main character Chuzenji Akihiho, known as Kyogokudo, who is a faithless onmyouji and dabbler in detective work. The first book in the trilogy, Summer of Ubume, is available in English...and on my shopping list currently. Though the current going rate is $100...so that might be a while... A live action movie was released in 2007 as well.
Sadly, this anime was never released outside of Japan. It would find popularity alongside the series Monster by Urasawa Naoki, but I assume no one is willing to take the chance on the series.
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