Audience reviews
18 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
AhamBrahmasmi15
Box of Goblins is a series with a strong story and substance, but it falls short in its storytelling and writing execution. The anime presents a multi-layered and complex plot with well-crafted events, but instead of letting the narrative and visuals gradually reveal the mystery, it relies heavily on dialogue and exposition.
Set in post-war Japan during the 1950s, the series explores obsession, mortality, trauma, and the mind-body problem, with these themes deeply woven into the story. The characters are complex and well-written, but the minimal use of visual storytelling makes the experience feel more like being told the story rather than being immersed in it. The anime often uses lengthy dialogue and explanations to connect the dots, which weakens the impact of the reveals. This becomes…
Read at the source_DOLOS_
This is for those who might think of dropping the series due to it's randomness and diverging plotline
That's was mind blowing. I am still speechless. The anime keeps on giving you hint to solve the mystery but is often neglected by the viewers as being part of the eccentric art style (like SHAFT studios).
The way the incongruity in storylines smoothly converge, leaves viewers in awe and wondering why didn't they notice the clues mixed in.
But have to admit that was the cringey kind of incest there.
Liked the part where the wires got replaced by flowers in the author's pov of how the scene appeared to him. That completely defined why he went through all the box making.
Read at the sourceRauLeCreuset
Mouryou No Hako, this anime was calm and if you're not into psychological anime, then you would probably not understand it at first, because in the beginning it's a bit slow to grasp or comprehend what's going on if you're not paying very close attention to it. This anime is not what I thought it would be about, quite frankly, I found it to be very boring if I am going to be honest here I didn't really care of it much like I do other psychological anime, this one I am not sure how to put it, just seemed uninteresting to me I guess, but I am getting better at reading subtitles thanks to all of the subbed anime I have seen in the past and have been watching fequently, but at the end everything came together in the end and it started to make sense to me. As I said before, not everyone likes p…
Read at the sourceFleure
Wrapped within the coils of the night, two young girls dance as if in a trance, illuminated by the crystal-white moon. They continue twirling; hypnotized by each other’s company as waves of cherry blossoms encircle them, following their every move. The two girls are distinct from one another. Kanako is a beautiful, intelligent girl with ideas beyond her years, while Yoriko is a timid girl who aims to be Kanako, in body and mind. Kanako offers Yoriko this chance as she tells her that they ‘are’ each other and that this life is just one of many conduits that hold their endless cycle together – as one another.
Cascades of cherry blossoms continue to fall menacingly as if harboring some secret and beckoning some turmoil.
Elsewhere, a man traveling on a train finds himself in a deep slumber.…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Mouryou no Hako was first published in 1995 as a horror mystery novel. It was written by Kyogoku Natsuhiko. The same writer who wrote the story that Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari was based off of. Cut to more than a decade later, Madhouse picked the novel up for an adaptation. Which aired from October to December of ’08. I don’t really know anything about the series beyond the genre and studio. And Madhouse has been involved in some terrible, mediocre and stellar anime so that doesn’t say much. So, let’s take a look and see how this one fares.
Story:
Someone out there is dismembering young girls. Police have found limbs in boxes in a variety of places. A group of old friends find themselves drawn to the case. Can they resolve it and find an abducted teenage girl, Kanako, before it’s too late…
Read at the sourcePilar_S
[Review in English and Spanish]
[English]
There is no doubt this is a pretty weird show. However, I will try to explain why it is worth watching it, as well as it's weak and strong points.
Possibly anoying things:
"Mouryou no hako" has a really interesting story, confusing, but interesting. It is not confusing in itself, it is not complicated as an argument if you tell it linearly, but the narration is not linear at all. There is a mistery and the bits get discovered in an erratic way. As a consequence while you are watching most of the episodes you will feel as you don't undestand anything at all! but in the right time everything will come together. Pay attention to names! there are a lot of characteres and you might get lost if you don't remember which one is which one (actually I had…
Read at the sourceNekoMinSeo
This review is one of the hardest that I put myself to write; when I sat in front of the MAL review box and tried to think about something to say about this anime, I was simply blank. Why?
In short, Moryou no Hako should be re-entitled "Moryou no Hako - Let's sit down and talk! THE ANIME".
Story
I'm still not sure, to be honest. Moryou no Hako had this gimmick of having its characters say a lot of stuff, make a lot of references, when in reality 3/4 of it didn't even seem remotely pertinent with the actual issue. At around episode 6, I just brought my hand to my chin in a thoughtful position and thought: "This anime is making me feel stupid for not being able to grasp the point of their dialogues", then I just questioned: Am I really stupid? or is this anime trying to sound intellectua…
Read at the sourcechuuzenjis
Hi there! This is going to be my first review ever but because I love this anime very much and I think it's incredibly underrated so I had to jump over my shadow. :)
Mouryou no Hako.. well what can I say. The story about a series of dismembered girls being found and how an investigator figures out what happened sounds rather simple at first, average even. But boy.. it really isn't.
What makes Mouryou no Hako incredibly interesting is the fact that the entire plot gets told through dialogue. Sure, that doesn't sound very exciting at first but it had me on the edge of my seat. The viewer ought to think for himself and figure out what is happening or what might have happened. And because it's not all laid out for you it's even more enjoyable. Kind of like an interactive anime? If you can cal…
Read at the sourceCrazyCactus
First of all, I'd like to clear one thing - this review is my personal opinion only and it could be crude.
Lets start, ok?
How should I say it....The very first thing that came to my mind was: "Ah! It's like one of Haruki Murakami novel"...Strange, complicated, pressing. It's a slice of life, but you can't believe that...and in the same time you assume, that in someway it could be. You don't fully understand, partly you don't like, but you keep reading.
Same here. (First 5 episodes for sure)
Honestly speaking, I am not a big fan of such genre, well, not quite right..I like suspense and mystery, I like make my brains work, but I don't like to screw them. I also don't like pressing melancholic mood, especially if I don't see serious reasons for it. So when I watch such stuff, I usually say:…
Read at the sourceReign-Senpai
This is one series that did just about everything right. Obviously it’s not for those who don’t like people talking over and over again, but it’s perfect for those who are looking for mature and complex anime. This is how mystery should be done!
Story-8/10
I honestly can’t recall any other anime apart from a Mamoru Oshii-production that puts more emphasis on talking as this one. The series follows a string of bizarre murders, and the people who try to solve it. This whole mystery is multi-layered, it’s full of flashbacks and references, you’ll never know when something that passes the screen is important for the future. There are lots of scenes that don’t necessarily have any direct meaning, but instead are there to flesh out the setting or throw the viewer on a side-track, and yet the se…
Read at the sourceJodyqt
Have you ever wanted to be a private detective? Asking that, I beg to you another question. What is the degree of depth and detail that needs to be sought out to truly understand the complexity of a criminal mind? Perhaps this is out of my comprehension as an avid anime viewer but I'm sure Mouryou no Hako is not only scratching the surface of the true horrors of a criminal mind, but is inviting me to bathe in it.
Me and dialogue story-telling have never really snuggled up together on the mattress but being a person entirely aware of that, I can wholeheartedly say, "what a truly astonishing exercise in dialogue driven story-telling we have here". As I stated in the opening segment this show stands as a tribute to detail and the huge amount of research that is required in truly understandin…
Read at the sourcemahoganycow
For those who don't know, Mouryou no Hako is an anime based on a novel by the Japanese author Natsuhiko Kyogoku. Adapting a novel into an anime or film is always a challenge. Almost invariably, the experience of watching a visual work of art is bound to end more quickly than the experience of reading a (in this case 1000+ page) novel. To visually portray every detail that's in a book is nigh impossible, and Mouryou no Hako is an example of what can happen when things go slightly awry during the process of page-to-screen translation. To be clear, I haven't read the novel, and this is not a “the book is so much better” review. I just think it's important to bear in mind that this show's problems might stem not from directorial laziness, but rather from the challenge of adapting a difficult p…
Read at the sourceMarthgun
I looked upon this star as it melted, the burden of such secrets weighed down the heart and kept more than bitter thoughts from overtaking the pain. It reminded me of how abuse is often a catalyst for future hearts and minds, as if a cycle from sadness and confusion shapes the way we live more so than higher qualities of love and respect.
Amidst the drama of unnerving lusts, a tale of despair wove great threads of patterns foreshadowing the end of all the collective desires. It was as if peering through a shallow pool at a land whose inhabitants knew nothing of needs and the spirit of goodwill. Hell may be such a place, at least if only in the imagination.
I believe the spirit in which took hold in the hearts of the characters was explained jejunely in condescending tones, aimed towards…
Read at the sourcemakoa69
Let me write and explain as best I can why I think Mouryou no Hako is bad. And I don’t mean simply bad, I mean absolutely awful. My friend (who greatly adores this anime might I add) sat with me and had me watch the entire thing just today. If not for him, there’s no way I would have watched more than a single episode of this murder mystery. Now be warned, this review is really fricken' long, so prepare yourself. The review is also written for people who have already seen the show, so it's full of juicy spoilers. So be warned.
So because of how convoluted the plot is, I’m going to save that for last. First I will talk about the exterior aspects:
My first complaint is simple: the show has very little to show visually. There’s tons of events talked about in the script during many episodes…
Read at the sourceKizaragi
At first I thought this is an anime gore, because it tells the story of mutilation case in the box. But I was wrong, gore in the anime is not horrible as it sounds.
An anime that is quite complicated. It can't be enjoyed if to pass through dialogue in it. Anime is filled with chatter like this should be followed in patience.
And really, I heaved a deep breath (feeling satisfied) after successfully passing this anime until finished.
An anime that has a great story..
Read at the sourceindi135
This is a psychological thriller/mystery/horror. Basically, if your definition of horror centers around action and gore filled in with a bit of dialog . . . you might want to try out Hellsing. Also, if you don’t have patience to sit through an intellectual dialog that requires you to think in order to comprehend, you will probably be disappointed.
However, if your tastes run toward the complex and disturbing, then this anime was awesome. Compared to most anime I’ve seen, this one covers a lot of ground in just thirteen episodes. It may also be the first anime I've seen that managed to round out the plot by the end, much less in such a short amount of time. YES, finally, an anime with closure!!!!
The music neither added nor detracted from the story, which is a pity as the use of sound a…
Read at the sourceAnimeObasan
I was severely disappointed with this series. After watching the first episode I was hooked. In fact, the first few episodes (what I would call the first "arc") was very fascinating and really draws you in. But then once you're addicted... they ruin everything.
STORY
This anime reeks (in a good way) of a creepy, traditional Japanese horror story. Unfortunately it isn't the focus of the show. The story is in one aspect psychological and in the other... just a predictable murder mystery with a dab of sci-fi.
ART
It's designed by CLAMP so of course it's gorgeous! Downright pretty to look at times and mind bendingly creepy at others.
CHARACTER
I would call this anime a psychological thriller. Why? Well I don't want to give any spoilers. But the characters' messed up psyches are one of the…
Read at the sourceNurseNitsuj
Score: 8.5
“..If you build an enclosure within your heart, evil things will brew. Those things he called “mouryou.”
Built upon calamities of emotion, Madhouse effectively released a series worthy of a masterpiece. Mouryou no Hako hits a delectable balance, with extensive background in supernatural folklore, mystery, and science fiction – all tying in to a well-done and extensive detective, mystery story. This is how horror and mystery should be done!
Story: 9
At first glance, the story seems to be about two girls – one girl who has problems at home and the other, a seemingly perfect girl, who tells her that she will be the reincarnation of the other and vice-versa. Then there’s a disturbing part where a mysterious man has a box in his hands, and voices coming out of it. Further down th…
Read at the source