Ghost Hunt: Volume 4

It's official: "Ghost Hunt" has some sort of preoccupation with haunted high schools. Having toured two other schools haunted by bizarre grudges and ghoulies, the little ghost-hunting gang arrives at School No. 3, which is being plagued by evil spirits, a summoning game and a really nasty teacher. Sadly it ends on a cliffhanger about halfway through the story, but this is softened somewhat by a most unconventional Christmas story. After the student president begs Kazuya to handle Ryokuryou High's supernatural problems, the SPR reluctantly goes there. Turns out the noxious faculty isn't the only problem -- a vicious spectral dog, strange voices, ghost babies, a horrible smell that makes the students sick, and a series of mystery fires. All this may be connected to a student driven to suicide the previous year. Then Kazuya makes a connection to "orikiri-sama," a ouija-like summoning game that may be responsible. And Mai begins having vivid, sinister dreams about the spirits infesting the school -- and even stranger, a friendlier Kazuya is guiding her through the place. But what she sees is particularly horrific: a dark spirit that is devouring others... Then there's a special side story from Ono: A priest friend of John's asks the SPR team to come to his church for Christmas -- the children in his care are getting possessed by the spirit of a little boy who disappeared long ago (and, comically, mistakes Lin for his daddy). But when they exorcise the spirit, it jumps right into Mai -- and she goes missing after Lin yells at her. "Ghost Hunt, Volume 4" has everything you'd expect from Shiho Inada's adaptations of Fuyumi Ono's novels. Paranormal weirdness, a bit of horror (hello demon dog!), some blood, and Kazuya taking some time out to debunk faux psychokinesis or ghostly events (in this case: "kokkuri-san," a form of ouija summoning often used innocently by students). And Inada successfully cloaks the whole story in an ominous feeling, especially with all the dark spirit clouds, creepy specters and the occasional vision of the suicidal boy. Fortunately things lighten up in the last chapter, which happily mingles both poignancy (the little boy's lonely demise) and humor (John and "Monk-san" being play-tormented by the children, the little boy's ghost hounding Lin). Though Mai is the heroine, she really gets to shine in this volume -- having learned that she has a bit of latent psychic ability, her visions and dreams become central to the mystery. Even her mysterious dreams about Kazuya are becoming more like journeys and less like brief glimpses. Taniyama provides some comic relief, and there's also the student president, a mature young man with a wicked sense of humor. The fourth volume of "Ghost Hunt" has a painful cliffhanger, but the sweet story of a boy's ghost makes up for that somewhat. Just have the fifth on hand.

Ok, perhaps I feel compelled to review this series since it is so widely ignored. I think I should stop this sometime soon. Oh well! To start things off with a warning vol.4 is a cliffhanger which will be continued in vol. 5. Thankfully the next vol is being released faster. So if you hate a cliffhanger wait it out until vol.5 is released, but seriously shouldn't all manga readers be accustomed to cliffhangers? Once again there is a mystery at the school, which might possibly be tied to Kokkuri-san a Japanese form of the ouija board - sort of. As the text notes states Korruri-san actually summons a spirit on purpose. Also, the reader is given a hint that Mai's ESP episode in vol.3 may not be a fluke at all. This story also introduces the (last?) of the group the studious Yasuhara. Although the story itself doesn't show that he will be a major character, but the author notes do. There is also a really funny side story where Mai is possed by the spirit of a child and thinks that Lin is her father. The typical father/child jokes ensue, but it is actually very well done and funny. Overall, this story's plot line is much more clean than vol. 3 and mimics the works of 2 and 1. The characters remain hidden by the plot line which adds to the feeling of the reader being a "fly on the wall" as the plot is revealed. There are some really scary moments in this vol with a creepy ghost dog and the spirits of several children. Plus it was 7/2 and a fireworks display went off as I read the vol. The art remains just as good although the cover art is a little weird. This vol is really well done and is beginning to pick up the pace of the series.