Boogiepop Phantom

Publisher
ADV
Director
Takashi Watanabe
Production
Madhouse, Project Boogiepop, TV Tokyo
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
12 episodes
Year
2000

Boogiepop Phantom series overview

By John Huxley
27th Apr 04

After a misleadingly typical introduction Boogiepop Phantom does everything it can to defy the term 'typical'. From the erratic music to the constantly blurry image quality to the non-linear story, this not a normal anime by anyone's standards (and I just finished watching Excel Saga[!]). But, as one reviewer said to the other; does its being unusual automatically make it good?

The answer is, of course, no. Just because something stands out from the crowd, that doesn't mean it's better than the crowd. Having said that, Boogiepop Phantom probably is. From episode one it's clear that it ether has an extremely nonlinear storyline or it just contains lots of random imagery. Thankfully it's the former, and we're not just talking 'a couple of flashbacks and a premonition' nonlinear here. The story constantly jumps around from one episode to the other, often introducing characters and events that won't be explained for another five or so episodes yet. At first this is highly confusing, but as time goes on you begin to solve the puzzle like a jigsaw - one event you watched in an earlier episode that, at the time, seemed to bare no relation to the plot, suddenly becomes the focus of a future episode, that event included.

This first happens in episode two, in which a scene is replayed from episode one from a different perspective. At first the character who asks to fondle a girl's breasts appears lecherous, but later as the scene is replayed in full we discover that he can actually see an evil bug that can be removed only if he gropes the girl's chest. It never fails to be odd, but it is at least explains itself.

Each episode follows a new character and their inevitable misfortunes (make no mistake, this is not an upbeat anime), although there are several overarching plotlines that will reveal themselves in time. This format should lend itself to well to the laidback viewer who prefers to watch anime in small bursts, but this couldn't be further from the truth. If you don't pay attention, and if you don't remember what happened in earlier episodes, what characters did, where they did it and whom they did it with, you'll find yourself very, very confused.

As characters from different episodes interact with each other, it can be safely assumed that everything takes place during a similar timeline. This is not identical ala Timecode, but there is a definite structure to events. Think Pulp Fiction, only more confusing and less American. Yes, Boogiepop Phantom takes place in a Japanese city with lots of students in sailor uniform, sliding doors and vertical shop signs.

But that's about where its relation to regular anime ends. The artwork is nice though not particularly distinctive or outstanding, but the way the imagery is presented on the screen is the unusual part. Every scene has a soft focus that culminates around the edge, giving it a kind of dream-like quality. Couple this with the washed out colour palette and gloomy setting and you have an anime that is visually interesting if nothing else. Luckily, the audio is similarly arresting. This is one of the best anime soundtracks outside of a Yoko Kanno score. It's hard to describe; it basically involves lots of strange electronic sounds and throbbing beats that I wouldn't put it in my CD player, but suits the series down to the ground.

The music, the visuals, the characters and the subject matter create a suitably spooky atmosphere for a series called 'Boogiepop Phantom'. As a psychological thriller it succeeds in intriguing the audience, keeping them guessing and, well, scaring them. It's not as scary as something like Dark Water, but it is nonetheless very creepy. The characters are a big part of this: very few of them are the upbeat type, to the point where you figure that teenage depression in Japan is becoming an epidemic. That may sound like a negative (in any other series it probably would be) but as with the visuals and the audio, everything seems to fall in to place.

At the time of writing I am only two volumes in to the series, or six episodes. It really is too early to tell exactly what is in store for the rest of the series. If my suspicions are correct, we should be in for a at least a few twists and turns, and most likely a surprise ending. So, with that in mind, please remember that this score only relates to the first six episodes; there are many loose ends and unexplained happenings, and very little of the central plot has been divulged. Although each episode can be judged on its own merit (check out the individual volume reviews for more), I just can't justify giving this a higher score, despite my high hopes for the rest of the series.

Regardless of the score, I honestly believe that Boogieipop Phantom is the way forward for anime. It is in every way possible an adult animation...and I don't just mean blood and guts, either. It never guides you by the hand, it never pampers to the lowest common denominator. It never relies on cliches and it always, always defies your expectations. Yet in many ways Boogiepop Phantom is its own worst enemy; by trying to stand out from the crowd it ends up stumbling over its own feet. I'll reserve final judgement until I've seen all it has to offer, as this one of the most promising anime I've seen in a long time.

-- John Huxley 27th Apr 04

Boogiepop Phantom Images