2007-01-07, 00:48
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Link #363 |
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
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I just started watching this series before christmas of 2006. Although it is late, nevertheless, i enjoyed watching it. Jigoku Shoujo is the only anime series in the new millenium that I got attached to. Im not really an anime addict ive only glued my eyes on Yu Yu Hakusho, Samurai X, and Initial D. Unrealistic personalities such as Shinobi Sensui, Saiito Hajime, and Sudo Kyoichi interests me the most. Now here comes Enma Ai an emotionless, gloomy, sad looking person who is undertaking a job sending people to hell for around 400 years.
Jigoku Shoujo for me is a revelation of everyday people around the world. It is a manifestation of what is very common with people dealing with their problems as huge as a mountain or as small as an ant. We tend to take shortcuts, make hasty decisions, ignore the consequences, and in the end we are full of regrets on what we have done. I have also noticed whenever Enma Ai tells to the obligee that the person who is tormenting them will IMMEDIATELY be taken to hell. I think the most important word in her contract is "IMMEDIATELY" which led me to believe is behind the reason why they pull the string despite the fact that they were given a sneek peek on what horror awaits them in hell and they themselves will be going there after they die. Going back to reality, this is also a good gesture that people will rather go the wrong way and get quick fixes in their problems despite the negative outcome of their actions, rather than fixing the problem in the right way despite its long process. But we soon find out that it is too late to realize that we are in the loosing end. Just like in the episode where an old man wrote about the hell girl and realizes that life is short and tried all avenues to forget his problem but his fate is inevitable. However, the last 3 episodes where they revealed Enma Ai’s past is very intriguing. Ai became very emotional and with her 400 year experience as Jigoku Shoujo she tried all efforts to influence Tsugumi to pull the string. Despite Ai’s effort, Hajime’s admission of his guilt, and loosing her mother due to Hajime, Tsugumi at that instance was in her breaking point or limit. But despite all that, she had the heart to forgive Hajime out of love, because she knew that Hajime loved her too. After this scene, Enma Ai’s thoughts about Sentarou turned out to be wrong after a 7 year old girl awaken the 400 year old Enma Ai to the truth. Afterwards, we all know Ai let go of her grudge against the Shibatas and decided to put it towards the temple. The moral of this story tells us that if a 7 year old child who was pushed to her limits had the heart to forgive why cant we do the same. Well that’s about my thoughts about this series. However, I am somehow disappointed in the grudge issue. It would appear that Jigoku Shoujo would take all kinds of grudges no matter how silly, pointless, baseless, etc. it is. Especially in the episode where the nurse was taken to hell despite the fact she didn’t do anything wrong, my heart bled at that moment. But I would just like to imagine the reason for that is the nurse is an aethiest (did I spell this correctly??) or someone who does not believe in any God. No matter how nice you are if you don’t believe in God you cant be saved. I wonder what kind or concept of God is portrayed in Jigoku Shoujo. Enma Ai kept telling the contracting parties that they will never know what paradise would be like. I guess she’s talking about heaven or something. It would be nice if they reveal their idea of paradise in the future episodes. |
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2007-03-26, 15:20
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Link #365 |
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Desu Desu Desu!!!
 Graphic DesignerJoin Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Age: 41
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i tried looking through the entire thread.. but too many pages...
so here's my question... I enjoy the series very much, (have not finished it yet..) and i like the quote that Enma Ai says just before she ferries the recipient to hell (the o pitiful soul etc.. one) ... but i've heard it translated several different ways... so which is the correct one or more accurate? or which have u heard? kinda wanna use it as part of my sig, so any help would be much appreciated... u can post it here or just pm me... k thxs Last edited by darkjester; 2007-04-01 at 19:04. |
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2007-03-26, 15:59
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Link #366 | |
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Quote:
Basically, pick the one you like and go with it. |
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2007-03-26, 17:16
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Link #367 |
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SPARTANS
Join Date: Mar 2007
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I really like this series. I think its one of the best of 2006.
I'm glad the series is maintaining its serious edge and not becoming something like Moon Phase(you know, a girl from the darkside falling for a dude from the light or whatever). I hope it gets licenced. |
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2007-04-01, 01:16
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Link #368 |
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Pilot in Training
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Earth
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Well that was certainly a dark and depressing series.
Most of those with the grudges let their emotions get the better of them. I mean some of them were little kids. And then the nurse really got me. Sent to hell by a man she didn't know...that really sucked. Then their is Ai herself. Poor tormented thing. And that reporter tried and tried to save people but always was too late. At least his and his daughter's story ended well. Anyways, season two here I come. |
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2007-04-08, 07:07
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Link #371 | ||
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Just call me Ojisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: U.K. Hampshire
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Quote:
 Edit: It appears I'm talking rubbish. The second season would be referring to Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori Quote:
Last edited by xris; 2007-04-08 at 08:14. |
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2007-04-08, 08:59
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Link #372 |
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guess
Join Date: Nov 2003
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 I thought this would never get licnesed becasue it is so slow. Guess you can't never guess what would be licensed these days. But again, Vampire princess Miyu was lincensed, why not this one? They all have similar plot, stunning visuals/art, and directed by the same director. 
__________________
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2007-04-08, 14:24
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Link #373 |
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Snobby Gentleman
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 43
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Strange how randomness turns out. I have just barely posted my comments for the end of season two, after watching today the last episode of Futakomori, when I looked up at AnimeSuki's database of licensed titles and read that Jigoku Shoujo has already been licensed.
It took them a whole year since the end of season one to actually licensed it, but it was an unexpected licensor because I always thought that ADV Films would be the ones licensing the show, but FUNimation ended securing the rights for it. Does that mean Jigoku Shoujo would be airing eventually in Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block? Does season two still remains unlicensed for the moment?, Why not licensing both seasons at once? |
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2007-04-10, 13:39
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Link #375 |
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Bloody Hell...
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: International House, Nisshin, Japan
Age: 35
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FUNimation grabbed it, huh? I know they've done from good work with dubs in the past like FMA, but I'm still a little sore about the Negima dub (dispose of those VAs please). So since they picked up two series recently that I've watched, Jigoku Shoujo and Shuffle!, I'm hoping Negima was just a hiccup in their dub quality. If nothing else, they should at least try to get Jigoku Shoujo right.
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2007-05-05, 13:16
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Link #379 | |
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Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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Quote:
For one thing, I don't think that there is even a concept of "afterlife" in the first place. Rather, there is the Buddhist/Hinduist concept of reincarnation. Whether or not you'd be reborn as a human depends on your karma. You're either sent to Hell as punishment for misdeeds, or you're reborn if your karma is good. But then again, I'm basing this more on Chinese mythology rather than Japanese mythology. Could someone else confirm this? In any case, it's useful to remember that Enma Ai is merely an agent of a greater power -- it is not for her to choose her clients (even though she does seem to exercise some choice every now then, but I blame that on sloppy writing  ). Also, it seems that you need to possess sufficient hatred to access the Jigoku Tsuushin in the first place. Recall that Hajime tried to access it, but failed? That's because he didn't harbour any grudge.Who knows what grudge the unnamed stalker had against the poor nurse? But he must have harboured some kind of twisted hatred in order to contact Enma Ai. For all we know, he was probably a pathetic loser who wanted to take his "revenge" on life by killing the most beautiful and compassionate person he could find. It's a twisted grudge, but it's still a grudge nonetheless -- one that Ai cannot ignore. Ultimately, the episode underscores how the Jigoku Tsuushin can be abused, but why blame the tool? It's not Ai who "killed" the victims, but rather humans that condemn each other in an eternal cycle of sin. If you have to blame anyone, blame humanity instead. |
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2007-08-03, 22:26
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Link #380 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Hey I know this thread is a bit old but...I have a question.
Why the **** does Tsugumi not call her father otousan? Why this "Hajime-chan" business? Who the heck calls their father by their first name? I mean, even in honorific-lacking English, to call your parents by their first names is rather weird and almost unheard of. I can't imagine how it would be perceived in Japanese, where titles are super important. I dunno quite why, but every time she calls him "Hajime-chan" I get uncontrollable twitches in my eye. Its so weird/annoying! Someone please explain! |
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