Ghost Stories -dub- Updated

: Mix a genuinely scary monster with ridiculous, mean-spirited dialogue. Atmosphere

: They perform a specific action (chanting, using objects) to "seal" the ghost. Ghost Stories -Dub-

In the vast, sprawling library of Japanese animation, there are masterpieces, there are guilty pleasures, and then there is the anomaly known as Ghost Stories . To the uninitiated, searching for the term might lead one to expect a run-of-the-mill horror anime from the early 2000s: creaking floorboards, vengeful spirits, and a plucky group of kids solving mysteries. What they actually find is the single most controversial, hilarious, and baffling localization experiment in the history of Western animation licensing. : Mix a genuinely scary monster with ridiculous,

The most striking aspect of the Ghost Stories dub is the complete overhaul of the character dynamics. In the original Japanese version, the characters were archetypal and polite. In the dub, they became caricatures of American neuroses and prejudices. To the uninitiated, searching for the term might

The brilliance of the is that the actors play it completely straight. Greg Ayres (as the nerdy Satsuki) screams genuine terror while saying, "Oh my God, it’s a psychotic demonic murderer who kills people with a ruler… run for your lives." The juxtaposition is key. If the actors had winked at the camera, it would have failed. Instead, they commit to the horror film melodrama while delivering lines about "the R rating" and "praying to Allah."