(L) Ghost Hunt manga

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Starkle

By the end of volume 6 how much time do you think Mai has spent with the SPR?

I think the CD drama for volume 6 mentions that Mai has been with SPR for a year.

Originally Posted by honeysempai

By the way am i the only one who thinks that Mai kinda looks like john. hehe. in the manga she was drawn kinda boy-ish. Its the hair!! But the expressions she gives are adorable, especially in vol 2 (the only i have).

You're not the only one. I think so too. I also read a review of vol 2 that commented on how Mai and John are almost indistinguishable at times.

Originally Posted by Runesque

deredere!Naru in Mai's dreams

What does "deredere" mean?

[White Manju Bun]

@ Runesque: Sorry only read through vol 6 so I wont be clicking that spoiler yet And a Bou-san x Mai thing would be my 2nd pairing but I like Naru better. Bou-san and Mai seem to have more of the older brother, younger sister thing going on.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by mercury589

About Mai..

Spoiler:

After I got vol. 6 and learned Mai was an orphan I was rereading the christmas story one with the church and if you look at the beginning where Mai mentions says"I see" the next frame shows Naru kinda looking look or paying attention to what Mai has said. Just another clue that pointed out that Mai was an orphan before it was stated ver baten um (I think that's how it goes).

I noticed the same thing after reading v6. One thing I love about this manga is how you can go back after learning a factoid and see an older scene in a new light based on the information you just learned.

Originally Posted by White Manju Bun

Spoiler for controlling ESP powers:

Well it has been said that alot of people cant control their esp in some cases. Course maybe with the proper training it could be. But can anyone their besides Naru actually train her? As far as we've seen no one else has anything like that. Masako can have visions but thats different from dreams and she's more of a vessel for the spirit.

Spoiler:

You've got a good point.

The only other member of the SPR gang who might be able to train Mai other than Naru is Lin. And we know how eager he is to spend time with her prior to v6. Masako's medium abilities are definitely different from Mai's abilities. So she couldn't help. Monk-san, John, and Ayako are exorcists which is a totally different field.

Naru & Lin might not have Mai's precise ability (we really don't know for sure what their abilities are), but they have the most diverse training in the paranormal field. So even if they couldn't do what Mai does, they probably know how such a power could be handled. But neither is the teaching type of personality, it seems. Actually, I could see Lin teaching Mai once he remembers to only hate her for things she can control.

Maybe Madoka can stick around for a while and teach Mai.

[Starkle]

Originally Posted by LKK

Spoiler:

You've got a good point.

The only other member of the SPR gang who might be able to train Mai other than Naru is Lin. And we know how eager he is to spend time with her prior to v6. Masako's medium abilities are definitely different from Mai's abilities. So she couldn't help. Monk-san, John, and Ayako are exorcists which is a totally different field.

Naru & Lin might not have Mai's precise ability (we really don't know for sure what their abilities are), but they have the most diverse training in the paranormal field. So even if they couldn't do what Mai does, they probably know how such a power could be handled. But neither is the teaching type of personality, it seems. Actually, I could see Lin teaching Mai once he remembers to only hate her for things she can control.

Maybe Madoka can stick around for a while and teach Mai.

Spoiler:

I hope Madoka can stay around and teach Mai, One so Mai can learn and also so we can have more confrontations where Madoka shows Naru up. hehe

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Starkle

Spoiler:

I hope Madoka can stay around and teach Mai, One so Mai can learn and also so we can have more confrontations where Madoka shows Naru up. hehe

*giggles at the thought*
Think of how lively the SPR office would be if you got your wish.

[Runesque]

Originally Posted by LKK

What does "deredere" mean?

I guess that term is more widely used in bishoujo anime ^^. Naru is what I'd call a tsundere, which is something of a hot-cold personality that sways between tsuntsun (hostile) and deredere (nice). On that note, Haruhi from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu and Tsukimori from La Corda d'Oro can also fit the bill of tsundere.

Originally Posted by LKK

One thing I love about this manga is how you can go back after learning a factoid and see an older scene in a new light based on the information you just learned.

Agreed, that's the sign of good planning ^^. I myself enjoy going back to the earlier vols and picking up little background details and rereading every character's quirks in speech. Especially Naru's; it feels like the author is very careful with handling his speech.

I also agree with you, White Manju Bun, that so far a Takigawa/Mai is unlikely in that the author probably intends to portray their interactions as brother-and-sisterly. But one can hope...

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by Runesque

I guess that term is more widely used in bishoujo anime ^^. Naru is what I'd call a tsundere, which is something of a hot-cold personality that sways between tsuntsun (hostile) and deredere (nice). On that note, Haruhi from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu and Tsukimori from La Corda d'Oro can also fit the bill of tsundere.

Hahahahaa!!! I totally didnt even think of him that way! But he is a tsundere! We just dont see his deredere side that often.

~sigh~ Tsukimori............oops! wrong thread!

[LKK]

Now that I know what deredere means, I can attempt some sort of answer. My caveat: I have seen the images from volume 8. But I can't read the text. So I'm basing this on my guesses as to what's going on in the pictures and my spoiler knowledge about the series as a whole.

Originally Posted by Runesque

Mind if this newbie joins in? I have a little discussion to raise with those who've read up to vol 8 about deredere!Naru in Mai's dreams... However, if you already know the real answer, well, then there's no discussion

Spoiler:

At this stage we all know that deredere!Naru's apparitions aren't restricted to Mai since he's managed to come to Masako - once, so far. And it's revealed towards the end that he's pilfered Masako's comb after her disappearance, thus resulting in crush-related misunderstandings on Mai's part and rah rah rah. Anyway, are we to pick up from this little bit of info that Naru needs something of the other person's in order to infiltrate their dreams? Then wouldn't that mean he is consciously looking out for her and has been holding on to something that was in her possession? Maybe he's known her longer than she thinks he has.

Spoiler for volumes 7 & 8:

Was dream!Naru visiting Masako something that was mentioned in the text? I wasn't aware that Masako ever had any visions of Naru. Could you elaborate on where you learned that?

I think the key to understanding why Naru pilfered Masako's comb in volume 7 can be found in volume 4 actually. Perhaps you already knew this? I can't tell from your comment. Why do you think Naru took her comb?

[White Manju Bun]

I just noticed something...

Spoiler for silent christmas:

Right at the beginning of the silent xmas story as everyone is looking at the church, Mai is looking up at the statues and says in her head "Why is there a skull there" It took my how long and a quick chk of the ending to realize she finds Kenji right at the start of the story. They even show the skull in the pic. Why did I not put that together at the end

[LKK]

Originally Posted by White Manju Bun

I just noticed something...

Spoiler for silent christmas:

Right at the beginning of the silent xmas story as everyone is looking at the church, Mai is looking up at the statues and says in her head "Why is there a skull there" It took my how long and a quick chk of the ending to realize she finds Kenji right at the start of the story. They even show the skull in the pic. Why did I not put that together at the end

I didn't catch it until a second or third reading either, so don't beat yourself up about it. When I summarized the manga version of episode 12 for the anime thread, I debated whether to include that in the summary because I thought it would be a dead give away to the resolution of episode 13. I decided to include it because it did happen in the manga & that was what I was supposed to be reporting. No one commented on it after I posted though. So I guess no one else recognized the significance in the summary. Which is good.

That reminds me. I haven't provided a manga summary of episode 13 yet. I wonder if anyone in the anime thread cares?

[Starkle]

Originally Posted by White Manju Bun

I just noticed something...

Spoiler for silent christmas:

Right at the beginning of the silent xmas story as everyone is looking at the church, Mai is looking up at the statues and says in her head "Why is there a skull there" It took my how long and a quick chk of the ending to realize she finds Kenji right at the start of the story. They even show the skull in the pic. Why did I not put that together at the end

I didn't notice until the second reading either, although if I did it would have disolved some of the suspense, I think.

[honeysempai]

I blame myself & my obsession, I blame the nice people of this thread, you want to know why?... cause I broke down and bought all the volumes that I could get 3,4,5. And now I am broke but SO happy! I adore this manga. so ... thanks guys! hehe. ive been turned into a fangirl..... Im hooked.

There are six volumes out in english right?

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by honeysempai

I blame myself & my obsession, I blame the nice people of this thread, you want to know why?... cause I broke down and bought all the volumes that I could get 3,4,5. And now I am broke but SO happy! I adore this manga. so ... thanks guys! hehe. ive been turned into a fangirl..... Im hooked.

There are six volumes out in english right?

Another happy Ghost Hunt Otaku Yep 6 vols out in english and we have to wait til the end of March for vol 7

[Runesque]

Originally Posted by LKK

Spoiler for volumes 7 & 8:

Was dream!Naru visiting Masako something that was mentioned in the text? I wasn't aware that Masako ever had any visions of Naru. Could you elaborate on where you learned that?

I think the key to understanding why Naru pilfered Masako's comb in volume 7 can be found in volume 4 actually. Perhaps you already knew this? I can't tell from your comment. Why do you think Naru took her comb?

Spoiler:

Actually, not only does Masako say that she was being visited by dream!Naru before Mai got to her. One frame even shows him crouched down beside her and comforting her as a kind of flashback. This happens in the room inside the main house where the killings used to and still take place.

Hmm, I think I'm either missing/forgetting that information in vol 4. What's in vol 4? What I deduced from Naru taking Masako's comb is that he needs something that's hers in order to enter her dream. That led me to assume that, the entire time, he must've taken/kept something of Mai's that's been enabling him to enter her dreams. In vol 7, after Masako is declared missing and the team prepare for a search, Naru tells the others that he and Lin will catch up after inspecting Masako's things (in the girls' bedroom). I'm guessing this is where he takes the comb. If the above theory is correct, then dream!Naru is real!Naru and he's been helping Mai out consciously. Which then leads to many readers' assumption that he's known Mai before the series starts and is indirectly looking after her.

BUT.

In vol 5, real!Naru's expression after Mai tells him what dream!Naru has told her in vol 4 suggest otherwise. Why would you be taken aback by your own piece of information? I don't think the author suggests that he's feigning surprise, either.

Having said all that, with your answer about the info in vol 4 that I've missed, I might've spouted a moot theory ^^.

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by Runesque

Spoiler:

Actually, not only does Masako say that she was being visited by dream!Naru before Mai got to her. One frame even shows him crouched down beside her and comforting her as a kind of flashback. This happens in the room inside the main house where the killings used to and still take place.

Hmm, I think I'm either missing/forgetting that information in vol 4. What's in vol 4? What I deduced from Naru taking Masako's comb is that he needs something that's hers in order to enter her dream. That led me to assume that, the entire time, he must've taken/kept something of Mai's that's been enabling him to enter her dreams. In vol 7, after Masako is declared missing and the team prepare for a search, Naru tells the others that he and Lin will catch up after inspecting Masako's things (in the girls' bedroom). I'm guessing this is where he takes the comb. If the above theory is correct, then dream!Naru is real!Naru and he's been helping Mai out consciously. Which then leads to many readers' assumption that he's known Mai before the series starts and is indirectly looking after her.

BUT.

In vol 5, real!Naru's expression after Mai tells him what dream!Naru has told her in vol 4 suggest otherwise. Why would you be taken aback by your own piece of information? I don't think the author suggests that he's feigning surprise, either.

Having said all that, with your answer about the info in vol 4 that I've missed, I might've spouted a moot theory ^^.

I just cant help myself

Spoiler for about what you guys are discussing:

Ok Ive also seen parts of 7 and 8 but like LKK I dont know what theyre saying. I do remember a scene in 7 where Naru is comforting Masako in what looks like a flashback and I was like wtf?

Im not getting the reference to the comb in vol 7 to vol 4 though, can you explain LKK?. I did find it weird at the end of 7 that he had it. But if dream!Naru is real!Naru then why would Naru be so surprised by Mai's dreams like he was in vol 3 when she tells him he's in danger. Unless he wasnt sure it was working (does that make sense) Maybe he needed to make sure she was actually believing her dreams. Great now Im even more confused since earlier I said that Mai might not be able to control this and thats why she's not being "trained" at the moment.

Uguu~~ x__x

[Runesque]

Originally Posted by White Manju Bun

I just cant help myself

Spoiler for about what you guys are discussing:

Ok Ive also seen parts of 7 and 8 but like LKK I dont know what theyre saying. I do remember a scene in 7 where Naru is comforting Masako in what looks like a flashback and I was like wtf?

Im not getting the reference to the comb in vol 7 to vol 4 though, can you explain LKK?. I did find it weird at the end of 7 that he had it. But if dream!Naru is real!Naru then why would Naru be so surprised by Mai's dreams like he was in vol 3 when she tells him he's in danger. Unless he wasnt sure it was working (does that make sense) Maybe he needed to make sure she was actually believing her dreams. Great now Im even more confused since earlier I said that Mai might not be able to control this and thats why she's not being "trained" at the moment.

Uguu~~ x__x

So you've decided to click on the spoiler ^^". Well, I shouldn't have decided to check out the LJ comm either because now I know there's a member who's read all the novels and manga vols and is offering free spoilers with 40+ replies. I managed to stop myself by the third reply (I've learned nothing new yet!) but now I'm tortured...

Just as an aside... Has the author released all the novels? Are we close to the ending? And also...

Spoiler for vol 8 and Naru's current stat:

It would be interesting if dream!Naru takes over while real!Naru is still put to sleep. I'd like to know everyone's response to this deredere alter ego, especially Bou-san's, heh heh. Anyway, now that it's official that Naru has powers and is dangerous, I wonder what his connection to a fledgling psychic such as Mai would be...?

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by Runesque

So you've decided to click on the spoiler ^^". Well, I shouldn't have decided to check out the LJ comm either because now I know there's a member who's read all the novels and manga vols and is offering free spoilers with 40+ replies. I managed to stop myself by the third reply (I've learned nothing new yet!) but now I'm tortured...

Yes I did and oh trust me I scrolled through that LJ spoiler thread there so fast! I didnt want to see anything!

Originally Posted by runescape

Spoiler for vol 8 and Naru's current stat:

It would be interesting if dream!Naru takes over while real!Naru is still put to sleep. I'd like to know everyone's response to this deredere alter ego, especially Bou-san's, heh heh. Anyway, now that it's official that Naru has powers and is dangerous, I wonder what his connection to a fledgling psychic such as Mai would be...?

Spoiler for ref to vol 8 and parts of 9:

I found it interesting in 8 and 9 that since naru is mainly unconscious during most of it dream!naru plays a more major role in Mai's dreams. Usually he's only there for a few minutes or just points something out to Mai. In 8 they go on a walk to the alter thing (I think) and then Mai "wakes" up but really she's still dreaming but the whole dream sequence is quite long and Naru does alot more in it.

[mercury589]

Bad news.. for a certain couple fan base.

Spoiler:

While it has the potential to reveal alot about the plot, unless you read my other big spoiler it won't make too much sense. Bad news is Mai isn't or doesn't end up in love with Naru, at least not as far as the novels go. The manga might go a different way, but it's doubtful. Of course, how she ends up doing so is a little beyond me considering how little time the character and her actually interact in the manga and anime. The whole thing is a little weird, but the information is based on the novels. I just thought it was something worth mentioning, because while I love the story and characters, the fact is a little far fetch and disappointing for me.

[Runesque]

Originally Posted by mercury589

Bad news.. for a certain couple fan base.

Spoiler:

While it has the potential to reveal alot about the plot, unless you read my other big spoiler it won't make too much sense. Bad news is Mai isn't or doesn't end up in love with Naru, at least not as far as the novels go. The manga might go a different way, but it's doubtful. Of course, how she ends up doing so is a little beyond me considering how little time the character and her actually interact in the manga and anime. The whole thing is a little weird, but the information is based on the novels. I just thought it was something worth mentioning, because while I love the story and characters, the fact is a little far fetch and disappointing for me.

Hmm... and I haven't read your spoiler (am trying not to give in to temptation) so my comment may not mean much.

Spoiler:

While I'm not a fan of the coupling, it does strike me as odd considering the efforts they've gone through to make sure we know she likes him... and maybe vice versa if only in speculation. Also, sorry if I misread your post, but do you mean to say it's farfetched that she could develop a crush on someone whom she seldom interacts with, or that she suddenly decides to drop her feelings?

...They won't pull a Luke and Leia on us, will they?

You know the ending then? Um... I don't wish to be spoiled, but I'd like to know, does it tie up all the loose ends or is it the kind that leaves you hanging?

LOL White Manju Bun, were you teasing yourself? If I wanted to torture myself, I'd do what you did with eyes closed, stop randomly and force myself to look at whatever spoiler ends up in front of me.

[White Manju Bun]

I am not clicking that! This time I mean it too. Even though Im dying to that is not someting Im ready to be spoiled on