1994 · Adventure · Comedy

Ghost Sweeper Mikami

Ghost Sweeper Mikami (GS美神) is a video game released only in Japan for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² in 1994 by Banpresto. It is an adventure game with card battles.

Released: 29 July 1994
Platforms: SNES TurboGrafx-16 Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD
Genres: Adventure Comedy Fantasy
Developers: —
Publishers: Shōnen Sunday Comics
Perspective: Text
Themes: Fantasy
Country: Japan

About

; lit. 'Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Great Paradise Battle!!') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takashi Shiina. It was published in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from May 1991 to September 1999, with its chapters collected in 39 tankōbon volumes.

It follows the exploits of a group of exorcists who try to combat supernatural forces in an effort to get paid. The series explores some folk religion themes such as possession, exorcism, shamanism, yūrei, and yōkai.

Keywords

anime

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Overdevelopment and crowding in Japan has forced many of its spirits and ghosts out of their homes. Due to problems caused by the spirits, a new profession was created, the Ghost Sweepers (GS), private exorcists for hire. Among the Ghost Sweepers, the Mikami GS Agency, led by 31-year-old Reiko Mikami and her two assistants, the 17-year-old boy Tadao Yokoshima and the ghost girl Okinu, is said to be the best.

The setup is scenario-to-scenario, with many plots intertwining classic Japanese culture and modern day realities, with occasional references to Western influences. In between these plot points, there are longer story arcs where new characters are introduced and the existing characters are further developed. While the overarching storyline focuses on Reiko's contention with her arch-nemesis, Astaroth, the series is mostly character-driven and serves to gradually develop characters, especially the main protagonists.

Reception

In 1993, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, along with Yaiba, received the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category.

Reviewing the anime series, Giancarla Ross of THEM Anime Reviews dismissed it as a shallow, inferior counterpart to Phantom Quest Corp, criticizing its characters, weak animation, and plots. While acknowledging some humor, Ross concluded the series was mediocre and overshadowed by better occult comedies.