Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (2012) User Reviews

🤼The Past Must Be Put To Wrest °6.6° °good° 💯%🔍

[50fiftillidideeBrain · 6/10 · 28 August 2023]

Like the many students who cannot see the 👻, I couldn't "see it" until after ep9. Then it haunted me a little.

DMOA is a 2012 release that is rated 7.83 on MAL. It is 1 season consisting of 12 24-minute English dubbed episodes without CC available. Offshoot productions: Tasogare Otome x Amnesia: Taima Otome / Dusk Maiden of Amnesia: Ghost Gir -l 1 24-minute episode

While the graphic for the show is mysterious, dark, and slightly creepy, the show opens with Okonogi Momoe, a cute and spunky teen anime chick documenting paranormal activity for the club of the same name. She's completely engrossed, but she can't even see the ghost! It's a running bit. 👻

Our ML, Niiya Teiichi, is a doppelganger of the typical 💛Japanese-anime-purehearted-blushing-maiden-male-protagonist - it's a prototype. They invariably meet a hot siren who is sexualized, but innocent and available. The show follows the template and they use that for a lot of cheap titillation between him-and-ghost.

Kanoe Yuuko, the 👻 and FL, is carefree. She's a flirt with Teiichi, but she is self conscious of her body - her actual body, that is. She doesn't want people looking at her exposed 💀bones! Her ghostly womanliness? Let it all hang out. She's cheerful and loving. She's friendly and engaged. She attaches to Teiichi, who found her body hidden in an abandoned school wing. Amnesia has taken her memories, but she isn't interested in how she died: She's just happy to exist. How can she be so blithe? We will see how deeply the 🔐compartmentalization goes, so that she can protect herself from the horrors of the past.

The theme of the first 8 episodes is "flirty ghost". The 👻 enjoys teasing Teiichi and watching him blush. He's an innocent & powerless 🐇 in a world of sexually powerful vixens. I started to get disinterested mid-show. The early episodes roll by and mostly seem independent of eachother; my attention was neither stirred nor shaken. The latter episodes go deeper into our dusk maiden's backstory. It doth get more interesting. By ep9 I was only half paying attention and didn't feel like watching the 4 remaining episodes, but the last half of ep9 turned it around for the balance of the remains. That's when they stop playing around and bring out the meat & potatoes, er, rice balls, rather. Look at our ghost as a person, for that is what she is in DMOA. She has memories that are so horrific she's repressed them. It works well for her 90% of the time... 80%... 65%...⤵ until it doesn't work anymore. Even though she buried it, holding on to the hurt, anger, and unforgiveness was hurting her. The fact that her body is not buried is emblematic of how her pain is not truly buried either. She is able to become a complete person again from the healing her relationship with our ML brings.

The art is heavy, dark and vibrant. Her eyes are drawn with heavier black outlines than usual, like extra thick eyeliner. I think this is meant to suit the type of club that she's in - they get into the heavy, dark stuff. Overall, the drawing is quite lovely and perfectly suited to the subject matter. Requiem, by TASOGARE & Amnesia is a shazamable tune.

What happened in the past, we learn, is not over yet. It must be brought to light and dealt with. 🌄 Then the night can end and a new day will break.

〰🖍 IMHO

🎬68 📝72 🎭75 💓55 🦋64 🌞60 🎨77 ⚡50 🎵/🔊75 😅30 😭60 😱55 😯35 😖50 🤔60 💤37 🔚78

Age 15+ Blood oozes over the screen as somebody reads some reports of paranormal activity in the area. This particular report was about a kid who got his head stuck in a dumb waiter and died. They don't get excessively dark, but it would disturb younger kids. There's plenty of typical anime breast focus with ample ghost sidetitty, short skirts & lots of leg. Our ML has to relive her memories and they are dark.

Rated R-17

Re-📺? No. This one's in the good-to-pass-the-time category, but I may never pass this way again....

🐾

Very good supernatural rom-com

[glumski · 8/10 · 24 March 2024]

'Dusk Maiden of Amnesia' tells the story of high-school student Teiichi Niiya, who can see and touch the ghost that haunts his school, Yuko Kanoe. The first few episodes of the show deal with the light-hearted shenanigans of Yuko and the Paranormal Investigations Club she forms, whereas the later episodes explore the surprisingly multi-faceted and heart-rending circumstances of Yuko's death.

While I'm personally not much a fan of romance shows, they're nice to watch every now and then. 'Dusk Maiden' really did an excellent job here, capturing both my interest and my heart. The first six of twelve episodes are admittedly not much more than fluff pieces, setting up the characters (though the episodes get progressively darker, with episode six being a full-blown psychological horror show, if one that is appropriate for teens). The last six episodes are more or less continuous, and this is where the show begins to truly shine. I'd say that the three final episodes are absolute masterpieces, revealing the truly horrific details of Yuka's death and the bittersweet (pre-) conclusion of Teiichi's and Yuka's romance.

From a technical standpoint, the show does pretty well. The animation is nothing to write home about, at least by today's standards, but neither does it give any reason for complaints. The direction is interesting and unique, especially in the later episodes when there are heavy topics to explore. The English dub is pretty good; IMHO the voice acting of the three female characters was excellent, whereas the male protagonist's voice was as generic as his character. The character design was interesting (modulo the generic protagonist), and the soundtrack did its job.

All in all, 'Dusk Maiden of Amnesia' is an excellent romantic comedy that becomes surprisingly serious in its final episodes. Not only fans of the genre but even a general audience should discover a great show here.

A supernatural romance

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 9 February 2015]

There are plenty of anime series set in schools and like many this involves one of the school's clubs; the Paranormal Investigation Club… what is different is that one of the main characters died sixty years ago! Yuko Kanoe can't remember what happened to her and until now she couldn't interact with anybody; then she met Teiichi Niiya; a boy who could see and even feel her. It turns out he isn't the only club member who can see Yuko; Kirie Kanoe can too although she doesn't she Yuko as a normal girl; she sees her as a walking corpse; at least initially. Over the course of the series Teiichi sets about trying to learn what happened to Yuko all those years ago and as time passes she develops feeling for him. The final member of the Paranormal Investigation Club is Momoe Okonogi who has no idea that she is in the presence of a ghost and as she develops feelings for Teiichi Yuko becomes jealous.

Once the series proper is over there is an extra thirteenth, OVA, episode, this doesn't really advance the story as that is over; it does however give us more time with the characters with plenty of laughs and more fan service and no scares to speak of.

This series starts of lightly with humorous scenes and some mild fan service; it doesn't remain so light though. As the story progresses the tone becomes darker and there are plenty of genuinely creepy moments. The characters are likable and well designed; I particularly liked how Yuko was such a mystery; her true nature being uncertain for much of the show; a nature that even she doesn't know. The story is told well and in an interesting way; the flashback scenes where we see how Yuko came to die were particularly impressive, and also very original as it is shown in the first person; the viewer observing the scene as Yuko saw it. The animation is good and the background designs are striking. Overall I enjoyed this far more than I expected; I laughed, I cried and I was gripped from start to finish.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

A well done romance thriller comedy

[spicyjackroasts · 10/10 · 17 July 2020]

In an anime with only 12 episodes as well as being able to be perceived as pure horror is full of many twists and turns that you can't help but fall in love with the cast of the anime. Obviously in conveying a very compelling story in 12 episodes is no easy task but the anime did it quite smoothly; I realize the character development isn't the same as the manga but for 12 episodes it's pretty damn good! I wouldn't classify this as horror per say but more like thriller and the exhilaration of the unknown. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is definitely worthy of your view and will not waste your time. With its strategically placed comedy aspects that lighten the mood as needed to the flashbacks and connections that all come together in a large OH factor! You definitely will not regret this 12 episode journey with this charming cast.

Horror/Comedy/Romance

[jefferychan-23444 · 10/10 · 27 February 2018]

Hands down best romance anime. It has some scary vibes, but there is also comedy which balances out the horror aspect of this anime. I enjoyed it very much. 10/10

So great!

[tingoyenda-55666 · 10/10 · 21 October 2018]

It was a great anime though I was sad when I came to know about Yuuko's death.Defenitely a must watch;and if anybody is searching for a good romance anime,this is the one.I loved it's story,intro and outro.Totally rocked.😍😍😍😍

Flawed but enjoyable

[Tiemuuu · 4/10 · 5 November 2014]

Even though Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is technically a ghost story, under the surface there's not much that differentiates it from other high school -setting slice-of-life anime.

We have Teiichi Niiya, our main protagonist. He is the silent observer who does little to move the plot forward. Teiichi is the one who awakens Yuko-San from her slumber, thus creating a bond between the two.

Yuko Kanoe is the Dusk Maiden. Yuko is the "first girl wins" character and is utterly devoted to Teiichi. The two of them are the "official couple" pretty much from the first episode onwards. For the series credit, though, it is mentioned multiple times that this is because no one had ever touched or even paid attention to Yuko until Teiichi became aware of her, so it kind of makes sense. Yuko's split personality and psychological repression, causing her amnesia, is the main plot device and the main cause of our characters is to find out about Yuko's past.

Kirie Kanoe is the tsundere one, who is the only student besides Teiichi who can see ghost Yuko. Kirie joins the rest of the main cast on their quest to find out about Yuko's past for no apparent reason other than she has no friends and wants to hang around Teiichi for god-knows-why, since the viewers are exposed to absolutely nothing that could have sparked her romantic interest. Kirie is used as a narrator for audience, since our silent protagonist is oblivious to basically everything happening around him and needs to be talked through.

Momoe Okonogi is the moe one, mostly acting as a comedic relief. She is used to create both fun and tension, since she is the only main character who cannot see Yuko. Momoe is obsessed over Teiichi, constantly trying to make a move on him, which often leads to sticky situations since Yuko is usually always glued to Teiichi ("haunting him"), thus sparking jealousy.

We have a high school setting, (unwanted) harem, fan service in the form of gratuitous boob shots and boob grabs. We have the swimming pool episode and the culture festival episode. Even though there are attempts at being genuinely spooky from time to time, I believe this show at its core tried to emulate what "the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" did. The spooky and unnatural elements of the show are sprinkled upon, used to create ambiance, while the real focus of the show is in character interaction and the funny bits.

The problem is that unlike with Haruhi, there is pretty much no depth to these characters whatsoever. They are what they are: card board cuts. There is no character development happening and characters' motivations are justified poorly, if at all. This is a shame because towards the end I was still feeling involved in this series for one reason or another, and felt that the characters could have been given a proper background and some distinctive traits along the way.

The best thing Dusk Maiden had going for it were the character interactions between Yuko and Reiichi pawing each other, Momoe freaking over the seemingly otherworldly occurrences and Kirie getting worked up by the couple's insensitive behavior because she's the only one who can see them getting frisky. Even though the plot lacks meat and is delivered poorly, the humor worked for me. The series is only 12 episodes long, so if you have some tolerance for stupid BS and fancy humor and some mild fan service, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia should be worth a watch.

Best

[choudhuryabhro · 10/10 · 6 June 2021]

It was so good that i cried, laughed, giggled all at once in the last episode. Please watch it, and please creators pull this anime for season 2.

Very well done

[diamondpie · 9/10 · 9 March 2021]

I have seen better series but I'm not going to lie, I thoroughly enjoyed all twelve episodes and the OVA. It had a good balance between comedic and dark and it certainly played with my emotions at times. The ending was very well done in my opinion. It was incredibly sad but with a nice twist in the final minute. The show deserves some solid praise and I recommend watching it regardless of your anime tastes.

Awesome

[hassanghaffar-03619 · 10/10 · 25 May 2020]

One of the best. 2nd last episode breaks your heart.

YEP

[bummer-77450 · 10/10 · 23 March 2021]

I usually am not a big fan of love story, prefer the harem like type, but this one here is actually really good, perfect mix of fun, sadness, nautyness + horror and had an actual really good story and yes all that in a lovestory lol dunno enjoyed every second of this Anime, very well done.

Deep symbolism in an unexpected art form

[smoothrunner · 10/10 · 30 October 2022]

It's really an unexpected pleasure to accidentally stumble upon such an anime. In times when you consider Hollywood to be almost unbearable to watch, an art-house unbearable to watch in principle, while anime tightly walled up within its target age audience, cliches and quotations. Don't get me wrong, in the "Dusk Maiden" all of the above shortcomings are present: here are notorious "fan service", "a school" (however, it is present here only nominally, by mention, because there are no "school days" in the anime), a hint on a "harem", a pushover protagonist, a style reminiscing a mix of Bakemonogatari with Another, and much more, including obvious allusions to beloved by the undemanding teenage audience, which is prone to all kinds of extremes, a snotty-grotesque melodramatic ending which I expected with sluggish contempt.

I thought I've "deconstructed" it, but the "Maiden" had a lot more in it and, as it should be (about this - below), deceived me. Behind all the garbage was something unexpectedly worthy. Firstly - good music and the aforementioned Bakemonogatari style, which was applied moderately and tastefully here. Moreover, while referring to the play Momijigari (it's about a demon in a form of a beautiful woman seducing a warrior who kills her in the end) by creating the "right" mood with all those scarlet colored maple leafs, the "Dusk Maiden" not only becomes aesthetically appealing but deliberately deceives audience about Yuuko's nature and the plot's development. In general, the verbs "to deceive", "to mischief", "to tease" are the best suited for Yuuko, who, although is a spirit, but is not an oni-demon from Momijigari neither a succubus, but a trickster - a mischievous kitsune, a beauty who seduces young man in order to marry him and to be faithful, but not to destroy him. The heroine's looks and behavior, her love to mischievous tricks and jokes, are hints to her archetypal nature. And the way she teases and seduces Teiichi are also parts of the kitsune's trickster game. In this light, the elements of "ecchi" can be seen not as a "fan service", but as a reference to an mythological archetype. Actually, a reference to this archetype immediately, from the first series, makes an audience to sympathize with Yuuko's spirit, whose story has not yet been revealed, but whose character seems "vaguely familiar." The mystical-comedic first series set the tone for the whole anime. And a bit of knowledge about Japanese mythology should suggest that not always romantic relationships between young men and kitsune spirits end tragically.

In addition to the trickster heroine, there is a young man helping her to gain integrity through reconciliation with herself. He shows the heroine that no matter how painful the experience is and how bitter memories are, no matter how unpleasant are some feelings, without them she will not become a full-fledged person, she will not be able to truly love and to enjoy life. Here you can see the fashionable Manichaean psychological mantra about "accepting the dark side of yourself", or you can look deeper and perceive how to overcome your fear with the strength gained through love and support of a loved one. As Carl Jung puts it, analyzing trickster's archetype, the recognition and inevitable mental integration of the shadow creates such a painful situation that no one but the Savior can unleash this tangled knot of fate. Thus Teiichi is Yuuko's Savior but not only because he helps her to accept her dark self, but also because he helps her to find a new meaning (Logos), a new life through his love, like Jesus Christ, giving through His Love a new life for everyone, who accepts His Logos. It is unlikely that such a sense was controlled by the authors (manga and anime), but this reading all the more interesting from the standpoint of theological symbolism, which claims that the history of Logos (Christ) is the archetype of all stories, since He, as Creator of the world, ordering chaos laid a certain logic in it (hence He is Logos), which manifested in all aspects of being and in all stories. It is here the "Dusk Maiden" reveals itself as a psychological drama and as another archetypal idea - love conquers fear.

Regarding love, "love" and female characters. "Harem" is only nominal here, since Teiichi from the very beginning denotes his affection, not responding to advances of other female characters. Which are two. One is the opposite of the heroine, this is her prejudiced relative Kirie, whose dubious femininity is played in every possible way in the anime and contrasted with Yuuko's emphasized femininity. I'll describe this in details. One of the modern tropes of popular Western culture and ideology is the so-called "inversion of roles", where a "strong, independent woman" is stronger, smarter, more just and overall more masculine than men. Women are now main protagonists of movies, animation, games and other forms of popular culture where they fill masculine "roles". Yuuko, on the other hand, is also a main character of the story, which is deep and interesting, extremely fascinating for me, though as a man I do not identify myself with the main character. Unlike modern heroines, Yuuko is truly feminine, with recognizable roots in mythology and in deep, supranational cultural layers - she is beautiful and mysterious, alluringly playful and practical, virulent and tender. As Tolkien puts it in Galadriel's example: "beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning!". That's why Yuuko's story is so fascinating - it is not a propaganda, but real art where the creators are mediums, mediators between the audience and the story which, being true to archetype meanings, is able to duly structure reality. Everything what dominant ideology does by filling in the masculine roles with women, is stripping women of their femininity, since the ultimate idea of such ideology is that women should get rid of their womanhood and act as men. It suggests that "the best women are men." Women are thus proclaimed not "Others" to men, but their inferior copies, ridiculous imitators who don't have their own worth, as they only gain worth as impersonators of men. Not so with Yuuko who doesn't try to impersonate men, enjoying her own worth as a wonderful young woman. Beside Yuuko and Kirie there is some kind of kawaii mascot, absolutely goofy, enthusiastically stupid Momoe, introduced into the plot for the sake of comic lolz and as an another contrast with the virtues of Yuuko. And if Kirie doesn't even try to "recapture" Teiichi, realizing her incapability to compete with Yuuko, the Momoe, by virtue of her limitations and mascotism, simply serves as a comedic element in a romantic story.

In addition to the mythological, cultural and psychological strata, I would also note completely not explicit one - philosophical, and (as was mentioned before) even theological. For pagan cultures in which Logos with Christian rational inquisitiveness has not blazed out all of the weeds of vulgar mysticism with its deification of stones, insects, rivers and with other ancient superstitions, ghosts are something "inanimate", "disappearing", and inferior. Almost everyone learned for himself through the popular, even Western, culture, which absorbed a lot of pagan ideas that "dead" are supposed to disappear, to go into the world of the dead and to be erased from memory. In some cases to "go into the light" into a world of spirits. For the Japanese, this has been taken to an extreme in which spiritual world is so unreal that it disappears from memory along with spirits. However, this is not the case in Christianity, where Lazarus lived quite normally after his resurrection from the dead, not to mention Jesus Himself. Where to all faithful eternal life after death is promised - real life, not "herbivore-spiritual", but such, in comparison with which present carnal life is hardly life at all, if not just a pale, inferior shadow, a mere existence. For a Christian, some radical rational skeptic like the staunch Catholic Rene Descartes, things are devoid of mysticism and spirits, superstitions are futile, but the real spiritual world is "more real than reality". In the philosophy of antiquity Plato echoes this aspect of Christianity with his "cave", where the physical world is only an imperfect shadow of the real, ideal world. Not so in Japanese culture, where spiritual world is the shadow. And therefore, the more surprising is the ending, which really pleased me insofar as it did not indulge the public's vulgar passion for cheap melodrama and didn't exploit stereotypical pagan cultural pattern of "going into the light" or other irrational disappearances, but turned out to be rational and life-affirming, like the Dusk Maiden Yuuko herself, although a spirit, but very rational girl who does not believe in Asian mysticism with all kinds of "curses" and "monsters" (which are often ridiculed by her in the anime) and in pagan fatalism. Vice verse to the pagan fatalism the ending is, using the Tolkien's words, eucatastrophic.

In general, if you pay attention to the symbolism and cultural strata of the Dusk Maiden, discarding all surface tinsel like anime cliches (which, in the essence, are mere conventions, because there are no "school", "harem", and other nonsense here - only names and hints, "silver grass", which otaku, exhausted by their limitations and self-hypnosis, mistook for a "monster"), then along with good directing, interesting art and music, as well as fascinating archetypal story, the "Dusk Maiden", though not without flaws, is one of the few exceptions that make anime real art.