| | Alternate title : Boogiepop wa Warawanai
Studio : Madhouse Studios
Licenced by : The Right Stuf International
Length : 12 Episodes
Year : 2000
Genre : Drama - Horror - Mystery
Synopsis :
An anime for those who want their intelligence challenged, the story is a series of events which unfold from the eyes of several different high school students. A freak accident has occurred in a nearby research facility which resulted in the mutation of many people and appearance of two very strange figures, one rumoured to be the angel of death, boogiepop phantom. Its central plot unfolds gradually and the screenplay teases the audience with its unique sense of style but one thing is for certain this is one FREAKY anime.
Not for the feint hearted but recommended for those wanting something different.
Added : 2002-08-13
Synopsis by : Robert Wong
Last update : 2007-03-02
Last update details : Modify info
Score : 8
Number of reviews : 11
Link(s) :
Official #1 : AnimeAdmirer's Boogipop Phantom Fansite (English)
Official #2 : The Boogiepop Otaku Fansite (English)
Official #3 : VAP's Official Boogiepop Phantom Website (Japanese)
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : Shikao Suga - Yuudachi
Ending #1 : Kyoko - Mirai Seiki Maruhi Club
Release(s) :
There are no release available for this anime.
Hits : 10892
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Posted by : Terentius 
Posted on : 2008-05-16 
There can only be one word that accurately describes Boogiepop Phantom… weird!
Animation
One thing that struck me was the sheer darkness of the entire show. Whatever brightness or light that arose (either in terms of the scenery or the apparel of a particular character) was immediately shrouded in the dark, creeping surroundings. Unlike most other titles, the color really does reflect the prevailing discomfort felt by the cast. It would not for everyone’s tastes, for a show of this nature, it was perfect.
Story
Without sounding like a snob, I’d say that this was most certainly a show that required the viewer to 'think'. Full of a multitude of differing plots that eventually coalesce at the end, you have to be attentive to truly enjoy the show. The story was complex, thoughtful and non-linear. If you are looking for a 'no-brainer' with buckets of fan-service or mindless explosions and fights, I’m afraid you’d be better off looking elsewhere.
Characters
You would either like them or hate them. I chose to sit on the fence. The characters are flawed, but in a realistically human way. They all have problems with differing ways of coping with them. Don't expect to find any typecasting of superheroes or despicable villains because there aren't any. That's probably why I felt unfulfilled and even bored with the cast. Apart from their shared link to Boogiepop Phantom, they’d be just like you and me… dull and boring.
Music
The OP and ED wouldn’t set the world on fire. I wasn’t particularly moved by music in the show. In fact, it probably has one of the most inconspicuous scores I’ve heard. I’ve always preferred the ‘silent’ approach to building up tension in a show, and Boogiepop Phantom’s lack of music helped. The DVD English dub was decent.
Summary
Definitely not for the faint hearted. One of the licensed DVDs released here in the UK was awarded an 18/Restricted certificate. So you know straight away that this is not the type of show recommended for young audiences. The complex and confusingly non-linear storyline will put many fans off. It will appeal to the more thoughtful amongst us though. I’d recommend this under advisement of multiple viewings.
Posted by : sgwc
Posted on : 2006-02-23 
A very weird anime series. One of the rare anime you can purchase and perhaps become one of your favorites. Boogiepop Phantom tells us about the supernatural and dark cases happen in one town mostly about some group of teenagers. A mysterious person or enigma called Boogiepop Phantom who often called as Death is out at night and what is she doing remain mystery but one thing for sure she is hunting some ghosts known as Manticore. I'm still blur on my feelings towards this anime whether I like it or not. I don't know. This anime is full of surprises and twists but not all are revealed so I'm still hoping for a sequel. For someone who wants some challenge to their mind, this is the anime for you. Suitable for teens and adults but not kids, it's a mind boggling anime. I don't suggest any of you to watch it in a marathon method. Watch it slowly and think, this is what you must do.
The artwork is fine for me but the atmosphere or surrounding are drawn dark to which makes you feel spooky. The character designs are good but since each episode only tells you about the story of one character, you only know little of their past and present. Their voice just match, I can't comment on it.
I really like the OP. Although the OP scene gives you some creepy looks but the music contradicts the view, a club music which is rarely used as OP in any anime. ED is just fine. Soundtrack... is there any BGM there? Almost all of the scenes in this anime don't have BGM. It supposed to be a horror anime though.
I rate this anime 9 out of ten because of its uniqueness.
Posted by : APEIRON666
Posted on : 2005-06-10
My Boogiepop Phantom Timeline:
Episode 1: What!?
Episode 2: Where's the main character? Where's that girl from first chapter? What the heck is going on? Is the main character this bugeater? God! the colours are depressing ... it looks like a very old anime
Episode 3: I can not believe it!!!...I got it ...I see what's this about... this is the best thing I've ever seen on TV ..yes this chapter: 'life is so nice'
Episode 4-12: More than interesting ...this is just a great art of work and not just an anime, this is something every human must watch (I highly recomend adults too and not just young people and teenagers).
Summary: GREAT!! This anime is just GREAT!! the chapters are divided into scenes that are messed in time remembers me 'Memento' with Guy Pearce); each chapter is a different story and you can not tell what is going on until the last scene.
Each story is unique and this is a MUST watch ...but before anything, you must know that there's nothing like this ....this is drama-fiction with a message on it .....
For fully enjoyment iI recomend you watch only one chapter per nigth (just after midnight), you will start enjoying this after chapter 3 BELIEVE ME...
Posted by : Raider17
Posted on : 2005-06-07 
This anime deserves a score of 10/10 and anyone who is a real lover of anything anime needs to add this to their anime experience. The first reason is originality. There really isn't any other series I have experienced, (and I've watched all the classics plus more) that comes close to the animation experience you get from Boogiepop Phantom. Many will compare this to Lain because of its weirdness, philosophical context and because they both can be labeled strange. Boogiepop Phantom is three clicks above because of its jaw dropping use of sound effects, theme elements, complex plot and story telling. This is not a series you can judge by the first couple episodes but something that needs to be watched all the way through.
This is not a series that will grab you right off the bat. After the first episode or two I really wanted to walk away from it but once you realize the structure of the story telling and how the plot is unfolding, it's nothing less than amazing. This anime is one of my favorites not only because of its great story and plot but because it's something you experience (especially with 5.1 surround sound), it's definitely not something for the kids, one because it's too complex and two because of its content. I will tell you what though, if Alfred Hitchcock and James Joyce combined their forces to make an anime, this would be the result and regardless, no matter what anyone says; it is nothing less than a masterpiece of storytelling.
Posted by : estrella
Posted on : 2005-04-11
Colouring - Not very nice..dark to suit the anime but rather too dark sometimes...though it was in 2000..it reminded me a bit of 1997.
Characters- I did not like it. This is one of the reasons why I don't want to give higher points. It's because I could not differentiate them at times, it was really hard for me because the cg was dark.
Sound effect/music - The opening theme was rather ok...so is the ending one...not very nice but enough to satisfy viewers. The sound effects were really creepy. Reminds me of ghost movies. Really scary and creepy.
Plot - Really twisted. I dont understand what is going on until I watch the end. Too weird for me, but for those who want something different or horror, this should be for you if you dont mind blood spilling or disturbing scenes.
I would not recommend this to any of you because it's not nice for me. I would not watch it for a second time. If you're into horror then I think you would want to watch this.
Posted by : tecc01
Posted on : 2005-03-27
Well then... Hmm.
A very twisted and strange series, Boogiepop Phantom revolves around the urban legend of Boogiepop. I've only seen the first two DVDs so the plot hasn't quite come out yet (The weirder animes tend to be like that) but from what I've been able to piece together, Boogiepop exists to correct supernatural irregularities.
Art and character design is very dark. There are few scenes that involve colour and if they do, it's in a negative light (No pun intended, eg. The enormous spiders >_<. I hate spiders.). You will be hard pressed to find a scene that does not involve someone being killed, hunted, enslaved or made otherwise uncomfortable.
Sound is a lot like Serial Experiments Lain which BGP is often compared to. Seemingly random though undeniably creepy sound effects, normally electronic. The music is NEVER happy, and the intro song could not give a you a more innacurrate idea on what the anime is like as far as mood goes.
Story? Well, the beginning is made of several mini plots while the main storyline of Boogiepop herself runs through most of them (or all, it's debatable.). Pretty convoluted stuff that won't make sense for a long time.
In short, your most frequent facial expression while watching this is 0_o?
Posted by : Roland
Posted on : 2005-03-10
A very weird anime, often compared with "Serial Experiments Lain". I liked it for the schizophrenic atmosphere (music, sound effects, animation, even the characters looked alike) and the way it makes you dig into the plot to find all the missing connections.
Boogiepop is definitely not for people who enjoy watching anime for fun. It makes you think, it unsettles you and forces you to ask yourself questions. The story is fractioned, the plot twists and turns. Bits of the puzzle are mixed with seemingly meaningless stuff, but at the end of the series it all becomes clear... if you were careful not to miss anything.
Posted by : ninjo61
Posted on : 2005-01-19
Ok, so I watched the series and probably need to watch it again so my pea-brain can fully understand it. This is definitely a different anime, everything from the story, music, and animation is unique.
The story is a little difficult to follow but they all tie together. It all begins with a column of light in the city. From there, the episode progression jumps around but focuses on the angel of death aka Boogiepop Phantom and a serial killer with ties to a secret society. I wish it had dealt with the serial killer a bit more, but maybe that's because I've only watched it once.
I never really review the music to most anim,e but Boogiepop had some weird stuff. It varies from episode to episode but usually when a monster is in the works, you hear some electrical music with some riffs and scratches, if that even makes sense? Anyway, it has a very peculiar style much like everything else.
Animation conveys a dark tone through out most the series even brighter parts still have grainy and sepia tone (browned) animation. Just the way certain scenes are presented give it a unique eeriness as camera angles go to close ups. Even when the story ties in one episode with another through a certain scene the perspective is changed and new animation is used, as it should.
In all, I gave Boogiepop Phantom a 7. It was an intriguing anime, but it left me feeling like I need some crib notes to understand the plot. If you have time, this is worth watching and possibly watching again.
Posted by : Tsukiyo
Posted on : 2003-06-09
Telling a story completely backwards is always a great risk because it forces people think it out for themselves until the very end. People want a story where they know the protagonist, the antagonist, the character motivations, and the plot all nicely laid out and easy to read for them. For me, I enjoy complexities because it's a break from all the monotonous predictabilities of other animes. I epically liked how the episodes seemed like stand-alones but gave some small clue as to how they were related. Unfortunately characters were indeed hard to tell apart at times. I still don't fully understand the ending and really don't feel like picking through the entire series again to find out.
Posted by : IMRavnos
Posted on : 2003-04-03
Weird? Yes!!! Confusing? Yes!!! Brilliant? Yes!!!!!
This is one of those anime series that 90% of the anime fans will check out and decide it is utter crap. The main reason for this is that understanding the series is kind of like trying to solve a Rubix cube that has shades of Grey as opposed to color. Honestly I think the music, colors, and serious tone of this anime help to make it a creepy and enjoyable show if you're into the odd and sureal.
Point blank, if you could not get into Lain then DO NOT even attempt to try this series out as your brain may very well melt and ooze out of your ears.
The biggest problem with the series is that the character designs do not serve to seperate character from character. Since about 5 of the main characters are all near twins and all wear traditional school girl uniforms you will probably need to watch this series about 3 times before you really start to assume you are in fact getting the big picture.
This series is kind of like anime high school meets The Twilight Zone.
If you're into dark tones, dark undercurrents, and shows that scream, "you do not understand do you? hahaha better watch me again sucker!" then this might be right up your alley.
If you prefer anime based on Big Breasted chicks kicking @$$ or Giant Mecha flying around getting in fights then steer far Far FAR away from this.
Posted by : macerboy
Posted on : 2003-01-27
I have finally come around to posting a review to probably one of the weirdest animes that exist. This show focuses around two aspects. One of them being a serial murder case that happened a few years prior to when this anime is based, this seems to of affected most of the characters we see throughout this series. This also affects this anime because the murders seem to be occuring again. The other aspect of this anime is a beam of light that just appeared in the center of the city one night; this light gave random people in the city strange powers. Now that's all I can really explain of this anime because of the plain weirdness of it. The weirdness ranges from the drooling maniacs who treat girls like the girls in the hentai games, to a boy that eats peoples guilt/memory from past mishaps. My opinion on the strageness of this anime is that it's great; it adds a unique style to this anime that has not been matched by anything else(Lain is a close second). This anime is also unique in it's animation. The whole series is shot through a birds eye view and the colour is all sepia. Even though this aspect was an eyestrain in some circumstances it was overall a great addition to this anime. There are only a few characters that appear throughout the course of this series. The other characters are changed to show different 'stories'. I thought this aspect of the anime was one of the down points. It would of been much more enjoyable if there was one character that you learnt more about and cared for as the series progressed.
My Overall opinion of this anime is that it's well worth the time to watch it, but ONLY if you can stand watching something very strange. The weirdness of it will turn a lot of people off so be prepared! 7 out of 10.
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