Phantom Quest Corp. (You-Gen-Kai-Sya)...

Sometime ago, long before Pioneer went out of business, I picked up the VHS version of Phantom Quest Corp. (You-Gen-Kai-Sya). And, as part of Pioneer's fledgling anime club, P-Anime, I got the Promotional VHS video called Incident 00 and a matching Phantom Quest Corp. t-shirt for free...

Volume 1
Incident File 01
Kiss of Fire
Deep in the basement of a skyscraper in Shinjuku city is an exorcist detective agency named Phantom Quest Corporation. Gathered there are a group of people with psychic abilities to detect ghosts. The owner of the company is Ayaka Kisaragi, a shapely woman with taste in designer clothing. What's going on at Phantom Quest Corp. this time? A confidential mission has been assigned from the Transylvanian ambassador in Japan to Phantom Quest Corp. Dracula's casket, classified as a nation treasure, has been found empty. Recent strange murders are believed to have been committed by the resurrected vampire. Ayaka's inseparable companion, assistant police inspector Karino, asks her to investigate the slayings. She jumps at the opportunity immediately. According to Suimei, the fortune teller, the next target will be Makiko. As twilight falls, Ayaka sets watch over her and finally, Dracula appears. Ayaka chases the vampire, but loses him in the night. While chasing the monster, Ayaka finds a cafe that resembles an old European castle. It is called 'Tea Room Transylvania.'

Incident File 02
End of World
In Japan, taxis come equipped with karaoke machines for the entertainment of the passengers. One night a drunken Ayaka belts out "enka", a type of sentimental ballad, as she is shuttled through the streets. Suddenly Ayaka senses danger in the air. She grabs the driver's steering wheel and escapes disaster. Unfortunately, the autos behind her pile up one by one in a multi-car wreck. The next morning Ayaka and Mamoru go to the hospital to visit Mr. Sano, the taxi driver, who suffered a minor shoulder injury. They learn that Mr. Sano has passed away. Ayaka becomes suspicious whe she witnesses a scar disappear from Mr. Sano's body. Remembering Suimei's prediction, Ayaka is convinced the devil is behind this. Someone has made a pact with the devil and is secretly responsible for his death. Now, the performance of the Phantom Quest Corp. operations begins, with Ayaka, her two helpers, Rokkon and Nanami and Karino.

Volume 2
Incident File 03
Love Me Tender
A strange phenomenon occurs in the area that is being prepared for the ancient Sahara exhibit. It is rumored to be the curse of Sahara. The assignment to calm the workers has been given to Phantom Quest Corp. Ayaka becomes upset because the client, Mr. Nakasugi, calls exorcism foolish. Regardless, Phantom Quest Corp. cannot decline the assignment and begins the investigation. Suimei immediately reads her crystal ball and concludes that spirits are present. The date of the exhibition approaches but there is not enough time. Meanwhile, Mr. Nakasugi tries to get his hands on Natsuki Ogawa, and a man in an exploration uniform appears.

Incident File 04
Lover Come Back to Me
Everyone knows that creatures, ghosts, and monsters that appear in a metropolis are quickly and efficiently terminated by Phantom Quest Corp. The president, Ayaka Kisaragi, has been chasing a werewolf around town in the middle of the night. The werewolf jumps up and all over the town during the night. In front of the agile werewolf, a man and a group of monks blocks its path. The name of the man that quickly terminated the werewolf is Mukyo. The man who leads the esoteric Buddhist group Hadja declares war on Phantom Quest Corps. They announce that they will now perform all exorcisms in the city. From that point on they are always one step ahead of the members of Phantom Quest Corp. Little by little the jobs are taken over by Hadja. Detective Karino of the U-department has sympathy for them, and promises a job to Ayaka, however Karino disappears by the next day without leaving a message.

Promotional Video
Incident File 00
Mysterious Yet Gorgeous Prologue
In this promotional video, we meet Ayaka Kisaragi, president of You-Gen-Kai-Sya, and Detective Karino, U-department and then these two introduce us to rest of cast members. Ayaka then gives us a taste of the first episode and makes a short plea for fan support. Afterwards, we get a sneak peek at the non-credit opening sequence.

The live action portion of the video begins with a behind-the-scenes look at a voice recording session. The voice actors tell a few ghost stories to get everyone in the mood. Then, we meet Mudo Oda, one of the most powerful psychics and the 49th priest of Enkozen Temple, and he invokes strong spirits into the bodies of the voice actors. Finally, the voice actors thank the priest for his efforts and make one last plea for fan support.

Phantom Quest Corp. (You-Gen-Kai-Sya) is a Japanese organization that deals with ghost-busting in a big way. A mix of comedy and horror with high production values. It is very well done and is another one of those lost gems that so many people seem to gloss over. I used to have both volumes and Incident File 00 (a promotional video) on subtitled VHS and I enjoyed the series so much that I repurchased it on DVD. I gave Phantom Quest Corp. (You-Gen-Kai-Sya) a 4 out of 5.