Skull Man is a fairly unique show as far as anime goes, setting up a well-rounded supernatural mystery story with various characters, organisations and conspiracies that all have a clear role in the story with everything coming together very well for the last stretch of episodes. Whilst Skull Man itself originates as an old manga (partially serving as the base for Kamen Rider even) this adaptation is largely original and doesn't have much in common with either of the Skull Man manga stories. The anime instead acts as a dark & moody yet earnest and engaging character-driven story filled with tributes to Shoutarou Ishinomori, a very important figure in manga history most well known for creating the Cyborg 009 franchise. These tributes are some of the most well-executed tributes I've personally seen in any media, as they aren't simple 'Hey look at this! You recognise this!' references, instead taking cues from many of his works to create new characters and storylines, and even to hint at connections between Skull Man & other works, especially Cyborg 009. Recognising a single one of these connections is completely superfluous to enjoying Skull Man but they are a welcome addition for those in the know.

Taking place solely in a separatist city within Japan, this secluded and singular setting is almost claustrophobic as the story develops and demonstrates how impossible it is to escape the tendrils of conspiracy. The story follows a journalist returning to the city to investigate the titular Skull Man, an enigmatic figure rumoured to be responsible for many killings. A photographer, policeman & private detective round out the cast and the show wastes no time, moving quickly from incident to investigation with barely a wasted scene, all leading into a glorious final stretch of episodes in which everything comes together.

Visually the show is solid and at times exceptional, with some very nice shots and rare but well-animated action scenes primarily between the show's supernatural entities. The story is mostly concerned with pushing forward so I wouldn't recommend it if you are only interested in the action, but it isn't afraid of the odd fight scene and pretty much all of them are solid and engaging. The character designs are great too, especially Skull Man himself who has a scene-stealing design that would be right at home in a tokusatsu show.

The sound & music is even better, with Shirou Sagisu (Evangelion, SSSS.GRIDMAN, Kimagure Orange Road) providing a very fitting moody soundtrack full of emotional beats and scene-enhancing dramatic ques. An instrumental OP tells you of the dark atmosphere ahead with the ED having a more cliché slow reflective feel to it.

I find it hard to really fault Skull Man. It nails the moody supernatural mystery it's going for and ties up loose ends very nicely in a way not many anime mystery stories do, and as a tribute to Shoutarou Ishinomori I appreciate it, but the show lacks an element that's truly exceptional that would make me rate it even higher. It's a well-rounded product I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in this kind of material, but does not manage to be anything more than that.