In Chinatown, there is a pet shop that deals in rare and unique animals. The owner, Count D, has recently come under investigation by Leon, a homicide detective. Leon has been investigating several recent and unusual deaths; the victim's only connection is that they were customers of the pet shop. Count D assures Leon that his motto is to only sell "love, dreams, hopes, and happiness."

In each episode, Count D sells a pet to a person in need, who is usually getting over the loss of someone close. They must sign a contract with three terms, which are different in each case, and if they break it, Count D is not responsible for what happens. Usually, the pet provided plays to a weakness that the character has, ensuing a tragic end.

Pet Shop of Horrors might have been a bit too weird and freaky for me, as I just couldn't get into it. The concept for the series and the ironic end for each pet owner was interesting, though I can't say I looked forward to the next episode, where the same pattern basically repeated itself. The character designs and animation itself were both great though.

Picture:
Pet Shop of Horrors is presented in 1.33:1 full frame. The print used for this collection had no marks or lines that I could see; they looked terrific. During the episodes, I didn't detect line noise or any of the rainbow effects common in some anime films. The visuals were quite good as well, varying between rich blacks and vibrant colors depending on the locale.

Sound:
Pet Shop of Horrors is presented in both Japanese Dolby Stereo 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. In both, the tracks are primarily center channel based, as these episodes are almost entirely dialogue driven. The main advantage of the 5.1 track is that it separates voices off screen into the surrounds. Dialogue in both tracks is clean, easy to understand, and free of distortion.

Extras:
For extras, Pet Shop of Horrors includes an audio commentary by the English director and two of the English voice actors, the deleted music video opening, eleven trailers for other Urban Vision DVDs, English subtitles, and weblinks.

The commentary, the first I've heard for an anime release, was quite interesting. Occasionally the participants go quiet, but for the most part, it's an active track and well worth a listen for fans of the series, as it contains quite a few neat facts.

Summary:
Fans of the series or of horror-themed anime should give Pet Shop of Horrors a look, though I strongly recommend renting before purchasing, as the subject mature won't appeal to everyone. Rent it.