Pet Shop of Horrors

Amazon.com

The four adventures in this collection originally aired as very brief installments in a serial on a Japanese channel similar to MTV. Although there's a fair amount of gore, these tales are not so much horrifying as creepy, with unhappy characters seeking emotional solace from the bizarre creatures found in a mysterious Chinatown store. Presiding over the shop is the transvestite Count D; his cool, unruffled manner frustrates detective Joel, who keeps finding victims of unusual crimes among the shop's recent customers. A grief-stricken couple purchases a rabbit that looks like their late child, with terrible results in "Daughter." Like the hilariously inept American feature Night of the Lepus, "Daughter" attempts to turn rabbits into deadly monsters--and fails. "Delicious," in which the spirit of a wronged bride returns in the guise of a mermaid, recalls the folk tales that have inspired Japanese artists and writers for centuries. The Hollywood rags-to-riches-to-rags saga "Despair" and the less-effective political thriller "Dual" combine elements from Eastern and Western myths. "Recommended for mature audiences" for violence, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations, and ethnic stereotypes. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

We sell hopes, love, and dreams..........2006-03-23

Hope, love, and dreams are the premise that the whole of Pet Shop of Horrors' plot is based upon. Pet Shop of Horrors is a wonderful series, though it is sadly only four episodes that focus on more of the horror aspect of the story--unlike the 10 volumes worth of manga which detailed much more of Count D and Leon`s lives and misadventures.

A ten volume manga by Matsuri Akino, the four episodes retain a hint of humor from the books it is based upon, but decides to focus on the horrifying and shocking. Each episode is one of the many stories found in the first three volumes of manga: "Daughter," "Delicious," "Despair," and "Dual" and takes you into the world of movie stars to drug addicts to political gain and twists reality from what you think it is to what it really is and allows you to sit and think about the consequences of your "human" actions.

Count D (the 3rd) is the charming, mysterious, often-mistaken-for-a-woman caretaker of his grandfather's pet shop in L.A.'s Chinatown. To own a "special" pet from Count D's Pet Shop, one must sign and adhere to all three terms of contract. Should one breach the contract's terms, the pet shop shall not be held responsible for any "damages."

Added to the mix during his investigation into the first story is Leon Orcot, a police detective for the local precinct. Hot-headed and sure of Count D's guilt in mysterious deaths around L.A., he quickly befriends the Count and often brings him all sorts of sweets to coxes information out of him, and maybe snag a drug dealing and white slavery confession too.

The reasons that PSoH anime earns a 3 from me is because of the total lack of episodes, the humor and D and Leon's character development from the original manga is reduced to maybe 3 chuckles and nada past beautiful shop owner and detective. Also, the anime somehow found away to tell these four good stories in a mundane way, which still gets the key and shocking points, but leaves a disappointed, bored feeling. And lastly, it just down right dose not compare to the greatness of the manga.

If you want the full PSoH experience, then read the manga as well, which you can buy cheaper here at Amazon than at TokyoPop.com. A fan of Pet Shop of Horrors will want these two anime volumes in their collection, but a passer by may want to stay out of Count D's pet shop to keep the totetsu from devouring their souls.

Japanese "Tales from the Crypt".......2006-01-27

The OVA Pet Shop of Horrors plays out in many ways like a Japanese version of "Tales from the Crypt." It has a sinister setting, with a devious narrator, and a few unsuspecting victims to act as leads in each separate story.

Pet Shop of Horrors takes place in an unspecified American city (though I'm thinking it takes place in California) and more specifically in Chinatown, where a mysterious pet shop is located. This shop, run by the effeminate Count D (not related to Urban Vision's other masterpieces Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust), sells only the rarest of pets, and even then only with some specified rules the new caretaker of these pets must follow. The story also follows Leon, an American cop who thinks that Count D is up to something, yet can't find the evidence to put Count D away.

In each tale, we are introduced to a set of new characters, with Count D and Leon's stories working as frames to the real story. And in each story, a new pet is introduced as well, all of them with mysterious powers of some sort. The first episode involves a couple who recently lost their drug-addict daughter. They go to the shop in an attempt to relieve some of their woes, and end up buying a replica of their dead daughter. Upon signing the contract, they leave, and almost immediately break the rules of the contract, and therefore must suffer the consequences. Each tale after that has almost exactly the same plot, with a character purchasing a pet but never exactly following the rules to their fullest. In the final episode, however, a twist is thrown as a pet is introduced that can't be bought; it chooses its own master. The final episode is the best, especially since it deals a lot with American politics, something not commonly found in Japanese animation.

Overall, Pet Shop of Horrors is an excellent OVA. It's not too deep, but the stories and the characters are well done, and the animation, though a little foggy and washed, is of a high quality, considering the time in which the anime was made. I recommend this to fans of horror anime, especially fans of Hellsing or Vampire Hunter D.

"Just this once....".......2005-10-19

These four tales of horrors are sure to make you think.

"Daughter" is about a couple that has lost thier daughter, so they get a pet rabbit that looks like thier daughter who had just died. The couple sign the contact of the pet shop, and of course, break it. A good introduction to the petshop of Count D.

"Delicious" is about a bride that killed herself on her wedding night, and comes back as a mermaid.

"Despair" is about an out-of-work actor who is haunted by his first role. He gets a Medusa from the petshop, which cheers him up a bit.

"Dual" is about Roger and Kelly, who are best friends. Kelly gets killed (well, almost...) and revived in Roger's body.

It's hard for me to say which episode is my favorite. This DVD also has a commetary by the American actor who plays Leon and Count D. The commetary is funny.

Dreams, but be warned.......2005-08-26

The Petshop of horrors with its androgynous proprietor is a mystery to a sustain very irritatingly American detective. And yet to all others it is but a place of love and dreams. Oh, until they go against the agreement that is. But, that is not Count's fault. Truly a peace of art with a beautiful animation, very little action, and a great lesson to be learned at the end of each episode. It could be considered rather repetitive after a while, but until then, it is a great example of Japanimation.

WOW...One of anime's best kept secrets!.......2004-08-22

I LOVE this movie! I initially noticed it at Blockbuster one time and vowed to return to satisfy my curiosity. Almost every return trip to Blockbuster it was checked out. SO then I KNEW it had to have been good! I finally gained it in my possession and was utterly impressed by the animation, characters and plots. If you enjoy films such as Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, take a chance and pick up this gem, you will not be disappointed.

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