Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
towelgirl21
First of all, Boogiepop Phantom will be confusing as hell if you don't know the storyline of the first novel (and the sixth novel, Boogiepop at Dawn, which is a prequel to the first novel). The easiest way to avoid such confusion is to watch the anime "Boogiepop and Others" (2019) first, since it adapts both those novels. I'm serious, watch that first.
Note: I have not seen Serial Experiments Lain, so I can't make any comparisons to that like many other reviewers have.
Boogiepop Phantom is an original story set right after the first novel, and I mean RIGHT after, because the mysterious pillar of light that starts the events of this series is the climax of the first novel.
Here's the plot: A pillar of light in the sky involving aliens makes electromagnetic waves that give a bunch of peop…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
It's now 2019 and I'll start the year out with reviewing something... challenging.
I was thinking about taking it easy and just gushing praise on Space Brothers or Mononoke or Kino's Journey. However, I don't have much to say on those series that hasn't already been said many times before. Those series are great and most people here on MAL are already aware of that. Instead, I'll be looking at an overlooked little title called Boogiepop Phantom. This series has a lot of stuff going for it, but can still be very frustrating.
Boogiepop Phantom was adapted from a longrunning series of light novels, but this is one of the most baffling adaptations I've ever seen. I don't just mean that the show's plot is confusing, although it certainly is. I mean I have NO idea why it was adapted the way i…
Read at the sourceLupinXXIII
If anime is notorious for anything, it's the the jigsaw puzzle plot. And BOOGIEPOP PHANTOM is the ultimate puzzle plot. That's saying something considering the show doesn't even give you all of the pieces. Set against the backdrop of Kouhei Kadono's larger multimedia project of BOOGIEPOP (of which I cannot claim any familiarity with beyond this program), one can be forgiven for coming away from PHANTOM feeling like they are missing the bigger picture. The context for the events within the show and many of its characters, especially those named in the OP, is at best merely hinted at and clearly can be made sense of only through engaging with the larger franchise. Still, there is more to be deciphered from the scattered fragments of PHANTOM than can initially be parsed from a first-viewing.…
Read at the sourceAestheticOnion
With the new “Boogiepop” adaptation recently being announced, I decided to revisit the old one, hoping the sudden news might finally give this hidden gem the recognition it deserves. Boogiepop Phantom is Madhouse's semi-adaptation of the on-going self-titled novel series from 1998, particularly the second and the third volume of the series, "Boogiepop and Others" and "Boogiepop at Dawn." It was released at the beginning of the year 2000, following the wave of deep, complex and esoteric shows filled with dark character drama that emerged as a magnitude response to Neon Genesis Evangelion's deep impact on the entire genre. Unfortunately, even though Boogiepop was a fairly strong representation of this period, having a confusing and disturbing plot, lots of well-explored controversial topics…
Read at the sourcechrissy_poo_too
While watching Boogiepop Phantom a question kept popping up in my very confused (but pretty) noggin: “am I missing something?” Turns out that I was indeed missing something. Boogiepop Phantom bridges the gap between two light novels that haven’t been adapted into anime and also happen to be prohibitively expensive in my secluded homeland, the great white north. In a way it’s like jumping into a series during the second season without having watched the first. Unfortunately this doesn’t exactly make for great TV.
The situation isn’t helped by the non-linear structure the show adopts or the lack of distinctive characters. Everyone sort of has the same face which was a problem for me, as I couldn’t tell if I had seen certain characters in another episode or not. What I assume were big plot r…
Read at the sourceBowlingJD
This was one of first anime to appear at the turn of the century. With a strange title, Boogiepop Phantom, and riding a hot up and coming director by the name of Takashi Watanabe (Slayers), Studio Madhouse went with the theme of the 90’s in a vastly changing scene of dark and experimental sci-fi anime. This one is no exception and possibly one of the darkest anime of its time. It has a puzzle-box type of show where the viewer must piece events together chronologically in order to make sense of things, all while watching the various characters break down mentally in this town stricken by mysterious events.
In this town where grotesque murders are taking place, rumours spread of a mysterious entity known simply as Boogiepop. If you see Boogiepop, count your blessing and kiss yourself goodby…
Read at the sourceplisetskytrash
I just finished watching Boogiepop Phantom and honestly I have no idea what I have just watched. And it is not because the plot is too complex or because there are too many different points of view of various supporting characters who are all troubled or because of constant change of time and location. It’s because some parts of the storyline are missing. Some people say Boogiepop Phantom is like a puzzle. You only need to watch carefully and put all pieces together so you can understand the story. That is not true. The biggest problem here is there is lots of missing piece so it’s practically impossible to understand the whole story unless you're psychic or unless you read a good synopsis like I did. One more problem apart from partially presented storyline is character design. I had trou…
Read at the sourceShioxus
As the anime industry evolves, some things are inevitable. Great directors pass on, the public's tastes change, and the wellspring of originality runs drier and drier.
When studios need to release something, but can't come up with ideas, one of two things happen. They either look at what's selling and create something that they think will pacify the masses, at the cost of new and interesting concepts.
Or, they decide to adapt something popular from another form of media and hope for the best.
Adaptations can range from good to bad depending on a variety of factors. The loyalty to the source material, the director/studio in charge of the project, the form of media being adapted in the first place, and even the length of the source material can make or break an adaptation.
Boogiepop Pha…
Read at the sourceMikochondria
Dementia is one of the rarest genres when it comes to TV anime. There are currently only 3 of them listed on MAL: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain and Boogiepop Phantom. Most anime watchers have probably heard of the first two countless of times while Boogiepop does not get the same amount of recognition. So why is Boogiepop not considered a classic as well?
Let's start with the story. Boogiepop has an episodic and non-linear structure that works surprisingly well. Each episode focuses on one character and a theme related to said character. Some episodes move the plot forward more than others, but each of them adds something to the main mystery. In the end, none of them serve as filler and all have some relevance to the plot.
The themes in Boogiepop are complex and mature…
Read at the sourceFlawfinder
The series's structure isn't too unusual. There's some sort of mystery going on behind the scenes, but it's told in a fragmented manner and leaves it to the audience to piece things together themselves. Memento is the most obvious thing that enters our minds when it comes to doing this sort of story, but there are stories that go all the way back to the Stone Age that have tackled similar concepts. Plus, it's a bit of a risky storytelling style because when done wrong, you can alienate the audience entirely and make them unable to follow what's going on. I know I got lost quite a few times on my first watch, but that's just because I don't like to to think too hard with my cartoons if I can help it.
Boogiepop breathes life into the formula and makes it reasonable to follow through its epi…
Read at the sourceCaraniel
An excellent mystery anime but extremely confusing at times.
PLOT: I’m having severe difficulties reviewing this show as its fairly random at times, and I didn’t really know what was going on half the time! It takes a similar structure to Baccano!, in that it consists of a large cast of characters and the timeline jumps about the place to cover their stories, and often shows the same scene in different perspectives. Its also similar to Paranoia Agent as the viewer doesn’t really know what’s going on for much of the time and its full of quite strange characters. Another show that I could compare Boogiepop to is Ghost Hound as it covers a lot of strange phenomena and has psychological elements in it too. Strangely all this makes for compelling viewing and I have a feeling that if I re-watch…
Read at the sourceSchrodingersMatt
Five years ago, a series of terrifying murders took place across an unnamed city in Japan, forever changing the lives of two young girls. In the present day, rumors begin to arise of a mysterious entity known as Boogiepop. No one knows who or what she really is, or even if she exists at all, only that if you meet her in the night you will be taken away. One night, all the power in the city goes out, and a mysterious column of light rises to the heavens, changing a few people's lives throughout the city in an instant. There's a speech-impaired girl who wanders about, surrounded by shining butterflies that only a few people can see. Nagi Kirima spends her days like any other high school student, but by night she wanders the streets of the city, observing and confronting these phenomena and t…
Read at the sourcemahoganycow
As I watched the fifth episode of Boogiepop Phantom, a friend walked by my desk and politely asked what show I was watching. I said "Boogiepop Phantom" (which is a decidedly strange title, even by anime standards). He said "huh?" and I repeated the title. He gave me a quizzical look and asked what it was "about." I answered as honestly as possible, as I always do, and the answer I gave (minus some colorful language) was: "I don't have a clue."
And I don't think I'm the first. Judging by the release date, I think it's safe to say that this series has been baffling unwary viewers for more than a decade. It definitely isn't for everyone. But it's unique, and has plenty of praise-worthy attributes. Let's start at the story.
Boogiepop tells the tale of a varied cast of characters (mostly firs…
Read at the source_laz_
“Time does not exist. Only the illusion of memories exist.”
Confusing and mindnumbing but episodic with a puzzle plot
atmospheric and has “good” production values but unimpressive artwork and weak soundtrack
great overall mystery as a whole but not so good stand-alone stories
fleshed out characters related to the story but bland and forgotten because of the size of the cast
uncommon and interesting but forgotten like the moe/ecchi mediocrities produced today
Boogiepop is an anomaly, having the right set of characteristics to deem it as an anime masterpiece in the dementia genre and be remembered by the anime community. In fact, many reviews in different anime websites besides MAL give it an above average rating and it is compared with anime masterpieces Serial Experiments Lain (SEL), N…
Read at the sourcekekekeKaj
Dark, creepy, and infused with an atmosphere so dense you can cut it with a knife, "Boogiepop Phantom" stands out as a unique viewing experience of the WTF genre that contrasts starkly against almost every other anime out there.
My first reaction (along with most other people's probably) was "WTF is this?!" (a sure sign that an anime from this genre is doing it right) But after a couple of episodes, I found I could start forming some connections and get a vague idea of what was going on. Because of the complicated story and non-linear story telling method, "Boogiepop Phantom" is a show that can take a bit of effort and patience to get into. Though there is a central storyline, most of the series actually consists of side stories of people affected by the events of the central plot. None o…
Read at the sourceLordcrab86
If I were to describe Boogiepop Phantom in 5 words or less, it would be: dark, atmospheric, strange, confusing, and more importantly, outstanding. So what makes this show outstanding? Well that's where this review comes in handy ; ).
First off, Boogiepop is a horror anime, pretty much like Elfen Lied and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and all three shows also have a few similarities: blood, gory violence, very disturbing, great art and animation, and a dive into the human psyche. But then again, there are the differences between the three and what makes Boogiepop different from the other two is also what makes it so amazing.
What makes it truly stand out completely is the art/animation. Throughout the entire show(except the last episode), the art is done in a dark, hazy, blurry, sepia tone; t…
Read at the sourceDEATHNOTEJUNKIE8
even though we all live are on individual life's we all some how are affect by a certain experiences believe it or not this anime have taught me a lot about letting go of bad memories and making room for new ones. i learned that no matter what situation you in you have choose in life and what ever choose you make this choose will have maybe an impact on your life each individual in this anime had a choose or event that mold and shape there future . some was bad some was good. and it also taught me about how people are , especially people you call your self friends with some of these people was lonely sad and suicidal and a lot of times they looked for friends and some time got the wrong friends ... so if your looking an anime that is on the creepy side like death note and claymore then thi…
Read at the sourceSplitter
Cerebral, visceral, and downright disturbing, Boogiepop Phantom is a terrific non-linear mind screw. Using resources often left untapped in most other anime, Boogiepop sets itself apart in multiple technical aspects to highlight a furious blend of the paranormal and the severe flaws of Japanese society.
The story stays taut throughout, never afraid to throw in a new disturbing twist to keep up the gripping suspense. But its real strength is its odd narrative. Boogiepop is told by handing off the perspective to a new character every episode. Each character reflects either a disturbing paranormal trait or highlights one of the flaws of the conformist attitude of Japanese society. Though characters remain part of the story often, the central perspective is constantly changing and it's never…
Read at the sourceBeatnik
If David Lynch's son grew up in Japan and became a filmmaker like his father, and if his brain had a mouth, it would vomit Boogiepop Phantom onto our screens.
Peppered with some of the best sound editing I've ever heard in an anime, this montage of scarred urbanites and neo-humans colliding into each other violently is the forbearer for anime hits like Baccano. Boogiepop Phantom began the light novel trend in Japan and has spanned multiple mediums to tell this fractured story of an urban legend stalking the streets of urban Japan dispatching creeps who feed on cute school kids.
I could go more into the story, but that's not what a review is meant to do. If you want story, go read the synopsis or Wiki it. I'll talk about the viewing experience. This anime is heavy with mood, similar to Se…
Read at the sourcebobide
Boggiepop Phantom is a dark spooky anime about the paranormal. At only 12 episodes it packs in quite a dose of dizzying plot connections and things that not only make you scratch your head they'll have you freaking out. Generally each episode focuses on a certain character and goes through their story. Each episode is not the next part of the time line. Things are mixed up and thrown around. Scenes introduced many times from many views. This is great as it keeps the mystery going but also gives the answers, that is if you're able to follow along.
Good story aside, let me talk about the art, sound, and the dub. Boogiepop is as I said, an older anime from 2000. So the art is good, but it's not CG perfect or sharp. It doesn't need to be, infact I feel that would be bad. First time I saw Bogg…
Read at the source