Mouryou no Hako: Chuuzenji Atsuko no Jikenbo – Hako no Yurei no Koto

魍魎の匣~特別編 中禅寺敦子の事件簿「箱の幽霊の事」 / Mouryou no Hako - Hako no Yuurei no Koto / The Case Files of Atsuko Chuzenji: 'The Case of the Spirits in the Boxes' / Chuzenji Atsuko no Jikenbo 'Hako no Yuurei no Koto'
Mouryou no Hako: Chuuzenji Atsuko no Jikenbo – Hako no Yurei no Koto
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense
Themes: Historical
Studios: Madhouse
Rating: 6.57 / 10
Rank: #6817
Popularity: #7789
Users Listed: 7,487
Users Scored: 3,685
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 11/08/2022
Aired: May 22, 2009 (Spring)
Type: special
Source: novel
Age Rating: R
Episodes: 1

Synopsis:

This anime offers a glimpse into the unsettling aftermath of a series of disturbing events. Told through the perspective of Atsuko Chuzenji, the younger sister of Akihiko, it presents her detailed investigative notes concerning gruesome dismemberment incidents. The narrative unfolds with a somber tone, exploring the psychological impact of violence and the complexities of familial relationships in the face of trauma. Atsuko’s observations provide a chillingly intimate look at the investigation, revealing details often overlooked in broader accounts. Expect a slow-burn exploration of grief, loss, and the lingering consequences of brutality, framed by a quiet sense of unease and meticulous detail. It is not a standalone story but rather a supplementary perspective offering deeper insight into established events.

Characters:

  • Chuuzenji, Atsuko (Main) - Voice Actors: Kuwashima, Houko
  • Amemiya, Noritada (Supporting)
  • Chuuzenji, Akihiko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hirata, Hiroaki
  • Sekiguchi, Tatsumi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kiuchi, Hidenobu
  • Toriguchi, Morihiko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Namikawa, Daisuke

Staff:

  • Nakamura, Ryousuke (Director)
  • Nightmare (Theme Song Performance)
  • CLAMP (Original Character Design)
  • Murai, Shusei (Music)
  • Nishida, Asako (Character Design)

Reviews:

  • User S-Mazoku (Score: 6/10):
    This episode, you could say, is almost like a summary, which is why I gave an 'Overall' of 6. Due to the complexity of the main anime, and the murders as well as the 'supernatural perspective' in it, it was quite hard to comprehend what was going on at the beginning. However, at the end I'd say I understood 80% of what had happened as everything was revealed then. But what about the remaining 20% which most of the watchers, including me, couldn't comprehend or had failed to remember? Well that's when this Special works its magic on us. It basically retells the events that took placein the story from the perspective of Atsuko, the younger sister of the talkative priest Akihiko Chuzenji, who is seen in one of the earlier episodes - this was a strength to the Special as they reused a very minor character so that we at least have a connection to them, a contrast to a few other anime in which random, unknown characters are used to do this.nnFurthermore, the Special has a story in itself which links to the telling of the murders that took place, which doesn't make it a pure summary - I found this interesting as I could then not doze off but instead I was interested in it.nnThe Special also made it so that the episode itself was centred around Atsuko's perspective from day 1, during the time when the murders were happening, and ended itself a year later or so after the case was solved - this was indeed a great element to it because the Special doesn't take place 'after' the anime's story takes place, but during, which made it all the more realistic and not just 'forced'. nIn addition, they include one of the scenes from the earlier episode in the main anime where Atsuko was in just to mix it in to make it seem more natural and to also remind us of who she is.nnI also loved how they reused the soundtracks and characters, it was almost nostalgic.nnSo to conclude, definitely watch this if you didn't catch on to all of the details of the main series.
  • User TheAceAttorney (Score: 5/10):
    In essence, this OVA is basically an explanation for those who didn't understand what was going on in the original series; although, it doesn't help much. It works very much like a summary, only it takes place from the point of view of Akihiko Chuuzenji's sister: Atsuko Chuuzenji. It's only 15 minutes long, which is short even for an OVA, and if you've seen Mouryou no Hako and didn't understand anything; this could help you. It also seemingly takes place between earlier episodes (as evident with the car scene with Sekiguchi), but also in the present. In short, this OVA is all over the place.

Related Anime/Manga:

  • Mouryou no Hako (anime - Parent Story)