Jigoku Shoujo

psy295 · Conscript Joined: Mar 08, 2005 Posts: 119

i think the first couple episodes are just building up the different situations in which everyone pulls the string.. but sonner or late i think someone isn't going to pull it.. and resolve something bythemselves.. still a very promising beginning..

eisenmeteor · Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:35 am Post subject:

The most stupid reson so far must be the one with the dog... ok I can understand being mad and sad about it but going to hell just because your dog died and the doctor didn't do anything... now that's not worth it, actually I'd go as far as too say that's just plain stupid.
After all through this if she thought about it a little then she would have known that there's a heaven where she can meet her parents etc but no she decides to go to hell so she can get revenge on her dog... sigh...
Also must go into how stupid I think the uhh the vet nurse is, this was without a doubt one of the "It would be better not to say anything" situation. Honestly I think she would have been better of not knowing about it, she would have gotten ovver the sorrow and moved on with her life.

ZGMF-00X · Ronin Samurai Joined: Dec 26, 2004 Posts: 761

psy295 · Conscript Joined: Mar 08, 2005 Posts: 119

somep eople just really like their pets.. PLUS the dog was her only "family" member.. but yea.. its pretty stupid...

silverkitsune · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:57 am Post subject:

Going to hell so she could get revenge for her dog... That is stupid indeed. So the dog suffered for little while before it died, but she's going to suffer eternally in hell. I feel that many of these characters are underestimating hell.
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mistabean · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:09 pm Post subject:

Well it may seem stupid, but let's take a look at the situation more closely.

She lost her parents at a very young age, she got no siblings, and she doesn't feel attached to those who are taking care of her now. The only real "family" that she has now is her faithful dog. It was her "only family", in a sense that that dog was given by her parents. That dog was with her all the time, all those times she was feeling lonely or something, that dog was there to remind her that "she is not alone".

Well, if it were to die "under normal circumstances", it would be a different story. Heck she even thanked the nurse that helped the dog, and also the doctor "for helping". But when she found out that it can be saved, just it died because of lack pure ignorant, it is normal that she will be angry. And the doctor made it even so, that she pulled it in a spur of a moment, when he looked down not only to the animals, not only to her, but to his nurse too. That will tick you off...

That's the last resort that she can do, after trying to expose him (to no avail). She even want to pull the string rightaway, but was frightened into not to. And after all is done, she even felt regret (kinda like that girl in episode 6, who wonders if she has done the right thing). But then, all these happens in a spur of the moment.

It might be a stupid reason, for some, sound reason for others, and for some, it is just instinct of a raging heart.
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Cruton · newbie! Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 47

The most interesting trend I've seen in this series is what happens to the victim afterwards. In the first two episodes, the victim essentially go everything they lost back. They're lives where perfect again for the small price of their soul. In episodes 3 and 4, the victim doesn't get anything in the end. Even though the "bully" has been removed, they still have to deal with the fallout and still lose their souls. But the episodes 5 and 6 present us with role reversal. With the bully removed, the victim ascends to take the bully's former position. The hacker adopts the life philosophy the woman who killed her father, while the house wife (the effective victim, although not the one making the contract) takes over the adultresses position in the apartment hierarchy.

Also, in the same pattern, there's a shift in Enma Ai's modus operandi. For the first two episodes, the torture sequence is cliche. Giant eyes in the ceiling, faceless people, blood pouring out of facets, animated skeletons....It is to yawn. Then, for episodes 3 and 4, the bully reaps the just rewards for their attitudes. The baseball player finds himself with no teammates when his life depends on it, while the veternarian experiences what it's like to have neglegent docters. Finally, in 5 and 6, the torture sequence is just the bully being directly confronted with their sins.

The series seems to be making the endings more and more confrontational towards the victims, while making updating Hell towards the more modern conception.

I have to say that episode 4 was possibly my favorite. Although it may seem extreme to damn somebody for neglecting a sick animal (which is really a matter of your own moral views), this is judgement being meated out at the hands of an enraged little girl. And the torture sequence was possibly the most truly horrifying I've seen to so far. Not only was it ironic (which I prefer), but it presented a scenario that's both scary to think of happening to you and subtle in being supernatural (nothing really jumps out at the guy until Enma Ai shows up).

I do wish they would show more of Enma Ai when she's not "on the job". They've given a few hints about her so far, but they seem content to rehash those rather than give us more. It's a little bit frustrating.

mistabean · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:06 pm Post subject:

episode 7

Curse, and then counter-cursed. It's a nice twist in this repetetive anime. It changes another bit of it.

But it was a surprise to see Enma herself going down to investigate. And then the revenge scene itself is different too (no Enma changing into her kimono, but telling Ayaka that someone had cursed her, and pulled the string earlier), and it is kinda of freaky in a sense too (The Kabuki play, the thing from the back of the head, and Enma suddenly appearing from behind.)

Next episode, the introduction of Tsugumi!!!
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Tevesh · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:

Who is Tsugumi?

Anyway, I didn't like Ai investigating the claim. I like when she sends her 'underlings' out, showing how powerful she is because she commands them. They seem fairly powerful, and we've yet to see Ai's powers. This makes her interesting with their reverence of her. I felt that Ai could've let the woman and young man investigate. This case didn't need her presence.

Cruton · newbie! Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 47

What felt really nice about episode seven was how organic it all was. Everybody, even Enma Ai, really came out as personalities rather than effects (like they had previously). That may be why they choose to give Ai so much screen time by having her personally investigate, instead of sending out her minions as was the case in episode five. It helped show Ai to us as more than a few key speeches and an admittedly-nice cut scene. I do agree, through, I also want to see more of the minions. The Old Man is awesome.

Another nice aspect of episode seven is that instead of dwelling on the damning acts and how they fit into societal practices, the focus was on what personality aspects caused the sinner to be damned in the first place. In this case, it was an inability to be self-critical. The girl was blinded by her own ego as to how precarious her position was.

I think the potential of this anime is finally coming out, not as a trite horror show but an intelligent supernatural drama. I do find it ironic that in episodes 1, 2, 6, and 7, I've been more aghast at what the sinners did themselves than what they Hell Girl puts them through.

mistabean · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:37 pm Post subject:

episode 8

The introduction of Tsugumi and Hajime. Somehow I found it disturbing when Tsugumi said Ai's line ("Ippei Shinde Miru" or somewhere along those lines). It's kinda freaky. And I wonder what is the relationship between those two, either Tsugumi is Hajime's adopted daughter, or real daughter, since she didn't call him "Dad", rather uses the polite "Hajime-san". Tsugumi's kinda matured for her age though, the banter between them are really... refreshing to say the least.

Ai made some freaky appearances, and the BGM helped to elevate it. The revenge is short, including the boat part. So nothing much to say, except when the "face-off" between Tsugumi and Ai in the opening scene to the episode.
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Cruton · newbie! Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 47

I have mixed feelings about this episode. On one hand, it's good that there's now continuity creeping into the series and I really like the new characters. On the other hand, the focus on the new characters detracted from how much focus they put on the "revenge" part of the storyline. I think it may have been better to just completely focus on the new people and just have them observe the vengence from the outside.

Also, is it just me or did Enma Ai seem more expressive in episode 8? I can't lay my finger exactly on why it felt that way. I might have been something to do with the director's focus on her eyes. It keep thinking that you're supposed to notice when they're lidded and when they're not.

mistabean · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:41 am Post subject:

well, it really did look like Enma was having a nostalgic feeling in episode 8. Maybe it is shaping up to something else

(the following spoilers are up to the latest raw/subbed by Jelly caption team i.e episode 16)

But Hajime and Tsugumu are going to play a major role later on. Especially in episode 16, where Tsugumu's eyes are as red as Ai's (to date, when she was channeling her, her eyes just widens)

Also Honne Onna and Moku, the two helpers are irritated by Hajime's continuos interruptions, even though it was to no avail, as the victim pulls the string either way. But he will play somewhat of a role, as was described by the old man in episode 13
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maythana · newbie! Joined: Mar 13, 2005 Posts: 16

while watching this anime i started wondering, does the red string used to seal the deal part pf japanese culture?
Question

ladyarakune · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 6:10 pm Post subject:

omg. i did not like watching ai investigate that ayaka girl. it scared me to think that she could manoevuer (spelling) that well. also, i love her little tag-team. (yes, im another "i love the tag team rambler-onn-er") anyway, does nayone know where to download episodes 10+ ? im so pitifully confused....

(by the way, i hate this whole "showing signs of having a plot thing" i think this guy and his duaghter should just back off, but i doubt that happens, seriously.
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