If there was any justice in the world, individuals ready to rip apart or passionately praise a piece of work would have to wait, digest all the dimensions involved, and then take the time to make a calm, collected determination – especially when it comes to something stretched over several sections. The Gregory Horror Show is an example of a project that looked less than promising the first time around. The narrative elements were sloppy, and the entire enterprise felt like a capitalizing tie-in to various video games and card trading novelties spawned from the characters. In the end, the recommendation was half-hearted and the feeling was that, if it maintained this manner of storytelling and mass marketing symbiosis, the next installment in this series would be less than successful.

So imagine the surprise when The Gregory Horror Show – The Guest from Hell, turned out to be such a treat. Ditching almost everything that made the original so one dimensional and shrill, this engaging, energetic collection of 25 episodes provides a potent, analogous story in combination with a clear cut concept of characterization to produce a wonderfully endearing entertainment. Much better than Volume 1, this return of the repugnant rat and his hostel from Hades is a welcome respite, not just another labored layover.

The DVD:
It's another dark and stormy night. A young woman has just taken a taxi from a wedding she attended, and somehow, she has ended up in front of the Gregory House Hotel. She asks for a room and is shown to her quarters by the innkeeper, a cranky old rat named Gregory. Before she knows it, she is introduced to other residents in this reprobate hostel. There is Gregory's ill-behaved grandson, James, who is always leading the lady into trouble. Of course, she runs into Hell's Chef, a mad magician of the kitchen who takes any smoking in the hotel with DEADLY seriousness. Nurse Catherine is also roaming around the inn, looking to place her oversized syringe in any vein that's available.

As she tries to escape this wretched retreat, our heroine comes face to face with forces determined to keep her prisoner. Such evil entities as Unbaba (a voodoo priest) Musha Dokuro (an undead samurai), Trap Mouse (a mechanical machine of menace) and Mono Eyed Wizard (who needs the woman for a strange spiritual sacrifice) all want to use and confuse her. Even Gregory's mother has soul-stealing designs on their guest. But perhaps our unseen lady's biggest obstacle to freedom is her own inner doubt. According to her host, it is her pain and confusion that has landed her on The Gregory Horror Show to begin with.

In it's second DVD incarnation, The Gregory Horror Show is 100% better: darker and more dire, with a straightforward approach to both storytelling and characterization. Where once he had to wade through endless introductions and pointless vignettes which were nothing more than manic eye candy for the video game crowd, creator/writer Naomi Iwata has decided to reinvest in actual narrative. The results are something quite special, a 25-episode clip collection that actually plays – well, almost – like a real film. And this means we instantly identify with the dilemma facing our first person protagonist (we see almost everything through her eyes), amplifying the angst and the atmosphere of dread. Indeed, we barely experience the near Nintendo dynamic of the first offering. Gone from this DVD presentation is the feeling of being involved in a quest oriented, puzzle solving situation, a Playstation precept that made the first Gregory Horror Show seem choppy and incomplete. There is still the same theater of the absurd notion to the character design and setting, but since we're now used to it, it works wonderfully. As said before, fans of The Residents interactive catalog (Freak Show, Bad Day on the Midway) will immediately take to this twisted tale of an evil mouse, his miscreant mother, and the assorted ghoulish guests hanging out at Gregory House. But for many not tuned into the Gaham Wilson/Addams Family idea of mixing the funny with the frightening, The Gregory Horror Show will find many of the fear factors forced and the comedy a little on the corny side.

In the initial few installments, it does look like we're back to Gregory Horror as usual. New characters are randomly introduced (Gregory's grandson James, Cactus Gunman's sister, Cactus Girl) and we appear to be working through a similarly disconnected sectional style of the first volume. But then a strange thing happens. The random elements start to gel and the purpose of the predicament is made clear. Gregory House and its alternate reality are explained and the actions of everyone involved are clarified and rationalized. It's truly amazing what a little lucidity will do. Where once we felt like we were part of a rambling RPG experience with hidden riddles and perplexing conundrums we were never going to be able to unravel, now the path is clear and the problems even more intense.

Indeed, this newfound flow exaggerates everything exemplary about the Gregory Horror Show, turning it into a fine bit of Gothic goofiness. True, there is still some awkward dark humor incorporated into the miscreant mix, and there is too little of some favorite past characters (Judgment Boy and Catherine, the claret loving dinosaur, only make a single appearance each, and Toilet Boy is nowhere to be seen.). But the overall tone here is more menacing, with an excellent incorporation of the spook show storyline (it has to do with soul swiping) into all the ambient antics. Even when the narrative takes a diversionary tactic and goes off to explore some manner of Eastern philosophy (the scenes with Bonsai Kabuki) or the evil inherent in a rose, these tangential elements all seem to fit into the story and the tone Iwata is striving to achieve.

Director Kazumi Minagawa also seems to be hitting his stride with this Volume. Several times, the vistas he envisions and the shots he chooses to highlight his imagination (a dusty, tumbleweed filled Western horizon, a vast and foggy graveyard) are just amazing. The look of this installment of Gregory Horror is more enigmatic and beautiful than before. The CGI is also more fluid, with Gregory actually moving his muzzle along with the dialogue. Indeed, you will see more detailed animation, more articulated motion and more awe-inspiring moments as part of this journey through Gregory's gory world than ever before. From the bookshelves filled with soul jars, to the maintenance factory for the Judgment Boys, there is far more investment in the visual this time around, a tribute to the ingenuity and insight of Minagawa and Iwata.

But perhaps the bravest choice by this creative team is to stick with a true downer of an ending. While there is some spectacle involved, and a real desire to increase the supernatural aspects of Gregory's world, what the finale has to say about human nature and the reason people suffer is very forceful and ingenious. Instead of the 'defeat the boss' bravado of Volume 1, The Guest from Hell spurs some actual thought, and a real feeling of finality in its serious sense of hopelessness. While there is the usual jocularity, as well as some hackneyed aspects of the overall production (both Lost Doll and Frog Fortune Teller have kind of worn out their welcome) there is a sense of closure and completeness here, something missing from our first visit to this vile villa.

In retrospect, it is easy to see why Gregory Horror works better the second time through. With two separate selections, we understand how Volume 1 needed to set up characters, create the parameters of the paranormal in Gregory's world, and introduce us to a myriad of images, both macabre and mediocre. The Guest from Hell is The Gregory Horror Show honed, shaped through trial and error and polished to near – that is NEAR – perfection. The improvements are universal, from the animation to the imagination and the resulting hour of crafty cartoon callousness is expertly realized. At the end of The Gregory Horror Show – The Nightmare Begins... there wasn't much to look forward to. But thanks to The Guest from Hell, one can actually anticipate the next Volume in this ambitious anime. If #3 improves on the formula and facets as well as #2 did, we are all in for a real terrifying treat.

The Video:
The difficulty with translating CGI to DVD is the lack of room for detail and depth. Thankfully, Geneon has found a way to give us Gregory in all its blood red glory, never once causing us to curse over ghosting or flaring issues. The 1.33:1 full frame image is vibrant, electric and damn near psychedelic at times. The overuse of strong primary tints never once undermines the transfer integrity and the overall look is lovely. One can easily see how this parade of pigments could become an addictive adventure. If it stands for nothing else, The Gregory Horror Show is a stellar example of direct from digital conversion.

The Audio:
Equally evocative, in a far more minor way, is the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. Attempting to pump as much feeling and mood into these mini-movies as possible, the sonics are clear and crisp. There is very little spatial separation between the elements – the sound seems to come out of both speakers simultaneously. Still, the Western character voices are excellent and they match the roles perfectly - all except the actor portraying James. This mischievous, malevolent brat rat should come across less icky and more eerie. But instead of making him into a bubbling bad seed, the English interpretation has him hampered by a baby bunting kind of dopiness. Of course, there is a natural tendency for all American actors to over-enunciate and scream every line of an anime dub, and there is some of that here. But for the most part, this is a professional auditory experience.

The Extras:
Along with some basic information on the show, and a few advertisements for other Geneon merchandise (including an odd shot of a grandson James action figure) the sole significant bonus material present on the DVD is a four-part storyline surrounding Catherine. Instead of focusing on her infamous love of blood, however, her romantic life is at the center of this quartet of episodes. While still dying to drain any person she meets of their life giving essence, this narrative revolves around a mystery man, Catherine's cooking skills, and the wrath of a female lizard scorned. In many ways, this series of stories – entitled "Bloody Karte" – is The Gregory Horror Show working perfectly within its parameters. The storyline is straightforward as well as strange, and there is a nice combination of craziness and creepiness. While it would have been nice to have additional extras that explain the show or highlight how it was created, the additional episodes really help to flesh out the various facets of the production.

Final Thoughts:
Let it be said that some entities are accurately judged from just a simple sampling. A poorly cooked meal will never taste better once it's reheated and served again. Pathetic poetry will sound silly no matter if a Shakespearean actor, or the middle school Goth gal who originally wrote it ends up reading it. And, on occasion, an entertainment can very easily be gauged based on an initial helping. The Gregory Horror Show – The Guest from Hell is an example of a series that needed to settle in before it found its particular macabre muse. It needed to work out all the kinks, re-envision some of its rationalities and streamline its stories before it could begin to soar.

Thankfully, this second DVD indicates that creator/writer Naomi Iwata and director Kazumi Minagawa are on the right track with their weird, wicked creation. This presentation is highly recommended, and has turned this nonplused non-fan into someone anxious to witness what happens next in Gregory's realm of the grotesque. It's always a pleasure to see something blossom and bloom out of its original flawed foray. And it's even better to be able to give something a second chance. The Gregory Horror Show – The Guest from Hell truly deserves such a realistic reassessment.

Want more Gibron Goodness? Come to Bill's TINSEL TORN REBORN Blog (Updated Frequently) and Enjoy! Click Here