(L) Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae (Hell Girl 3rd Season)

[Nina.Wolken]

Originally Posted by Sylphic

I'm a bit lost with the series though. Was Yuzuki dead since the beginning of the series and her life was just an illusion or something? The show doesn't seem to explain it.

For sure she was dead since the beginning since we see her skelton in ep 24 and her actual death in ep 25. But since she received some of Jigoku Shoujo powers in ep 25 when her mother died (see the red eyes), she managed to keep some kind of physical presence in this world despite her death. The tragic part is that she didn't even realised her own death and what led to that.
So her life was something unatural, something that should have not been and that disappeared (everybody forgot about her) once she realised something was off. You could call it an illusion I guess.
I thought it was pretty clear in the serie...

As for the Yuri ending, I at first thought we got one. But after several re-watching, it 's more like Ai being very compassionate toward the poor Yuzuki than anything else. The kiss itself is just there to remove the jigoku shoujo abilities from Yuzu (once again, look at her eyes). Granted it was made very sensual (+1 for teasing fans ). But even with very strong yuri-googles, I can't picture Ai or Yuzu' having this kind of feeling for each other...

[Anubis91]

Originally Posted by Nina.Wolken

As for the Yuri ending, I at first thought we got one. But after several re-watching, it 's more like Ai being very compassionate toward the poor Yuzuki than anything else. The kiss itself is just there to remove the jigoku shoujo abilities from Yuzu (once again, look at her eyes). Granted it was made very sensual (+1 for teasing fans ). But even with very strong yuri-googles, I can't picture Ai or Yuzu' having this kind of feeling for each other...

I agree the kiss was a way to remove Yuzuki's power as a Jigoku Shoujo like the kiss in episode 1 was a way for Ai to reincarned in Yuzuki,
first kiss = enter the body of Yuzuki
second kiss = removal of any Jigoku Shoujo power left behind

I also agree that none of Ai or Yuzuki have feelings for each other, it's indeed all compassionate and maybe also a way to share her own memories !
whatsmore, Yuzuki tells Ai that she was lucky for having had a boyfriend !

[SAT]

A beautiful ending indeed. Ai 's so kind and devoted to Yuzuki. This nullifies her bad-treating Yuzuki in the past eps. A pic in the OP where Ai 's consolating Yuzuki who 's laying on her lap really has meaning.

It 's a shame they didn't explain the reason why Ai inhabited Yuzuki (A spirit inhabiting another spirit = Strange) and seemingly tried to make Yuzuki anti-Jigoku Tsushin. My guess is that by her noble devotion (From NickelXenon and mitsuganae posts above) , since she realized Yuzuki would soon become the next JS , she has gradually forged Yuzuki to be a revolutionary / disobedient JS. The result is Yuzuki 's rule breaking. The Hell Lord who 's going to punish Yuzuki awares that no one will be as good JS as Ai, and accepts Ai proposal easily.

Hell Lord should have returned the real Akie. It saddened me when Yuzuki spoke in tears 'You are not Akie. The Akie I love has already fallen to hell. Please disappear!'

Despite being a villain, Asuza is a good daughter. (Sigh)

Love Yuzuki 's evil smile while saying Ippen Shinden Miru. And her attack is cool. (Hell Girl Special Move : Soaring Shadow Stream)

Some questions remaining in my mind :

• If Yuzuki 's disobedience did not happen and she could work well as JS, where would Ai go then?
• Other than Ai 's case, it seems to me JS is a voluntary job. Yuzuki became JS once she held the fake Akie 's hand in Ep.25 Perhaps this signifies an employment contract.
• Tsugumi in S1 : Little Girl / S2 : Teen Girl / S3 : A Hottie 25-year-old(?) / S4(If any) : Charming middle aged lady?
• The producer must plan to conceal Granny 's appearance and Kikuri 's true identity forever.

Long live JS

[SuperKnuckles]

This season of Jigoku Shoujo was my favorite because they milked all the vengeance stories in seriousness, twistedness and silliness. The silliness, I absolutely loved. Some epic hell-sending scenes.

But I'm honestly a bit disappointed in Yuzuki's plotline. It had really intriguing twists and turns and Enma Ai showing emotion was pretty eventful, but in the end, it's a zero sum game. Yuzuki disappears, everything is back to normal... meh. And I was hoping she'd be a yet another JS. It would've been really cool too.

[NickelXenon]

Originally Posted by SAT

A beautiful ending indeed. Ai 's so kind and devoted to Yuzuki. This nullifies her bad-treating Yuzuki in the past eps. A pic in the OP where Ai 's consolating Yuzuki who 's laying on her lap really has meaning.

It 's a shame they didn't explain the reason why Ai inhabited Yuzuki (A spirit inhabiting another spirit = Strange) and seemingly tried to make Yuzuki anti-Jigoku Tsushin. My guess is that by her noble devotion (From NickelXenon and mitsuganae posts above) , since she realized Yuzuki would soon become the next JS , she has gradually forged Yuzuki to be a revolutionary / disobedient JS. The result is Yuzuki 's rule breaking. The Hell Lord who 's going to punish Yuzuki awares that no one will be as good JS as Ai, and accepts Ai proposal easily.

Hell Lord should have returned the real Akie. It saddened me when Yuzuki spoke in tears 'You are not Akie. The Akie I love has already fallen to hell. Please disappear!'

Despite being a villain, Asuza is a good daughter. (Sigh)

Love Yuzuki 's evil smile while saying Ippen Shinden Miru. And her attack is cool. (Hell Girl Special Move : Soaring Shadow Stream)

Some questions remaining in my mind :

• If Yuzuki 's disobedience did not happen and she could work well as JS, where would Ai go then?
• Other than Ai 's case, it seems to me JS is a voluntary job. Yuzuki became JS once she held the fake Akie 's hand in Ep.25 Perhaps this signifies an employment contract.
• Tsugumi in S1 : Little Girl / S2 : Teen Girl / S3 : A Hottie 25-year-old(?) / S4(If any) : Charming middle aged lady?
• The producer must plan to conceal Granny 's appearance and Kikuri 's true identity forever.

Long live JS

I thought Tsugumi was no longer human.

[Guido]

Yuzuki

It's been troublesome catching up the path for the fansubs, since I've received my laptop back. I mean the ones who were late at finishing Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae either they're done watching it or about to.

Oh, well! I'm almost there; one episode more to, and I'm finished.

Spoiler:

Here it goes again, humanity's stupidity and selfishness. The very nature that makes us human once again at work ruining a family's happiness due to fear, spite, and hatred.

Hating is so easy and common, that's the natural and daily emotions in all aspects of our lives; a thing that for the majority of people around the world has to realize.

It wasn't Yuzuki's father at fault for the bus accident. It was negligence by part of the Bus Company at not doing their work and check-up properly, and yet they had and must needed to protect their interests and images to continue at making business.
Quick solution: Blame the driver, and the result was that all those people turned their cold shoulders on Yuzuki and her mother, who didn't had anything to do about the accident.

Of course, Japan is Not the only place in the world to be attributed this type of behavior, because that would be plain ignorance and selfishness to say so.

This type of cold shoulder or turning the back upon our fellows is typical throughout the entire world.

I felt tremendously for the treatment the poor mother went through and Yuzuki.

At the end, the mother died in misery, and chibi-Yuzuki buried her under a pile of cherry petals, while the child herself went to her same apartment and slept to her death surrounded by the pictures of her family and hugging that teddy bear.

For the conclusion, alone and betrayed by the world Yuzuki had nothing else to care about the world and chose to stand up as the next Jigoku Shoujo with those beaming, bloodied, ruby eyes that manifested on her child self at the end of her life.

Yuzuki wants to wield that power to change the world but won't come easy as she thinks so.

[NickelXenon]

Spoiler:

Who was the guy Tsugumi stabbed at the airport at the end of episode 26?

[phantasm]

Spoiler:

It wasn't Tsugumi. It was Azusa Mayama. She stabbed Takumi Tsujino-bashi, the drunkard young rich boy who caused a fight with her father that lead to him being in the condition he was in. Her father died at the end of the episode, so she went to kill Takumi. It looks like it was Akie's dad's maid, Haruko, who sent Azusa to hell.

[NickelXenon]

Originally Posted by phantasm

Spoiler:

It wasn't Tsugumi. It was Azusa Mayama. She stabbed Takumi Tsujino-bashi, the drunkard young rich boy who caused a fight with her father that lead to him being in the condition he was in. Her father died at the end of the episode, so she went to kill Takumi. It looks like it was Akie's dad's maid, Haruko, who sent Azusa to hell.

Spoiler:

Ooooh! Thanks! I mistook her for Tsugumi.

[Endrance]

I thought tsugumi wasnt human anymore too at first after they showed the whole phantom young tsugumi

[Used Can]

She wasn't a phantom. She's always been linked to Ai. She probably realised the things that were taking place in that city, and decided to help.

What they never answered was how Ai was able to return from Hell? We knew this had happened since the end of Futakomori, but it was never explained.

Anyway, I'd really like to see someone else to become JS and remain that way.

[Endrance]

In season two when Tsugumi appeared to Kikuri they made it appear like she was some kind of ghost

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Endrance

In season two when Tsugumi appeared to Kikuri they made it appear like she was some kind of ghost

Maybe to you, but it never appeared that way to me. It just seemed that she was called there to confirm her father's book and then returned to her home.

[Guido]

Tracks of the Soul

Just about a few seconds ago, finally, I've done with the last episode to Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae.

While I was somewhat disappointed with the development of the last episode since it felt pretty generic to me, it wasn't too much of a letdown.

Spoiler for Issues about Mitsuganae:

1. My first complain for the third series overall is what role did Tsugumi play in this storyline?
Adult Tsugumi was even vexxing in this season, than her father was in the first one. Most of her time onscreen she spent it with that melancholic look of hers doing nothing and just staying put.

It was a relief for me that Hone-Onna and Ichimoku Ren addressed to her her reasons for coming to Saigasawara City.

Clearly, Tsugumis' thoughts were too absorbed about how miserable her life became without Hajime to provide any sort of guidance or motherly figure for Yuzuki to rely upon.

The message about Tsugumi here indicates, that she came to Saigasawara to prevent the birth of the next Jigoku Shoujo but gives up before everything starts because fate has said otherwise.

2. The second issue circles that this third series shoved Ai around Yuzuki everywhere. I mean take the opening sequence, for example. Most of the opening shots have Yuzuki superimposed in the foreground, while Ai makes significant appearances from behind until the closing shot has Ai all over the place.

I think it would've been for the better if the storyline and the cases had been told and seen from both Ai and Yuzukis' perspectives, running in parallel to each other until having become intertwined in final story arc.

Overall, this season receives a poor grade to me due that quite many of the stories had cases spawned from stupid reasons to begrudge the offender. However, somehow I liked the climax for the last episode.

Spoiler for Yuzuki and Ai:

These are just my thoughts, but I believe that Ai gave love and some warmth to Yuzuki due that both happened to share similar tragedies.

No one came to their rescue; both got betrayed by the people whom they placed their trust upon; and no one provided them help.

To Ai that changed at the final episode to the second season's climax when Takuma cried for her, after she was lynched to death by the paranoid mob of Lovely Hills.

To Yuzuki it wasn't until the climax to this current season's final episode that Ai interceded for her to take the punishment and kissed the former, confessing her memories of how she became Jigoku Shoujo to Yuzuki.

Heck, got to love the new rendition to "Sakura Uta" - the song that plays when Yuzuki dissolves into petals leaving Ai all alone in the field of the blue Lycoris.

This is the same song that plays towards the end of the last episode to the first season when Ai forgets her grudge against the Shibatas and just burns the temple.

BTW, the Spider was a fool at just one thing:

Spoiler:

"It" did not seal away Yuzukis' memories like "it" did to Ai before the start of the first season.

Too much trouble the Spider could had saved had it done that to Yuzuki the moment she took upon red kimono.

To conclude this has been the fifth and also the last title I've concluded for the autumn 2008 anime season.

[Hayami]

I'm sorry to reply so late, but I watched JSM 16 only this Sunday, so I didn't read any comments on this episode back then.

Originally Posted by Guido

(...)

Spoiler:

I suspected and immediately realized that woman, Miyajima, was somehow related to that Nakajima lolicon, sent to hell by Nawa for protection of Kayo.

I knew it the moment she grew fixated and concerned eavesdropping the rumours about Nakajima's whereabouts.

I kept my expectations low, because deep inside I knew this episode wouldn't be allowed to end in a bittersweet note; not anyone else sent to hell.

I mean if you have watched the record of this current season, many targets have been sent to hell by stupid reasons conceived of.

But, actually, Miyajima had no sense of decency and ethics. She knew of Nakajima's pedophile tendencies, and yet she did not seem bothered at all, as long as it did not interfere with Nakajima loving her.
That's sicker!!

Spoiler for Episode 16:

Well, I strongly disagree, especially about Yuki.

Nakajima didn't look like like a psychopath. As for photos - there was and couldn't even be anything really bad about them because they were taken while Nawoa was present. Some a bit risky angles (may be), but Nawoa overreacted. He treated Nakajima like some monster, IMO this is the main reason why the latter sounded rather mean/cynical. I still don't understand the two most important phrases in their conversation though:


FTP-Anime

16:42
Nawa: "Nakajima! What's the meaning of this?"
Nakajuma: "I just took pictures. I'm not planning to actually do anything."
16:45
Nawa: "That's not the problem, is it?!"
16:48
Nakajuma: "It makes me happy just to look at her."
16:50
Nawa: "If you force this on her, what's going to happen to this girl?"
16:53
Nakajuma: "She wouldn't understand. She's just a kid."
16:57
Nakajuma: "Don't kick such a fuss. We're the same."
17:01
Nawa: "Don't group me in with you!"
17:03
Nakajuma: "If you take this any further, I'll spread a rumour that you're just like me."
17:09
Nakajuma: "So keep you mouth shut for me. I'm not going to step over the line."



Yuurisan-Subs & Mai Waifu Subs

16:42
Nawa: "Nakajima, what did you do?!"
Nakajuma: "I'm just taking them, I don't plan on advancing on her."
16:46
Nawa: "That's not the issue here!"
16:48
Nakajuma: "I'm fortunate just watching her."
16:50
Nawa: What will happen to her, with that force put into her?"
16:53
Nakajuma: "I don't know, since she's just a child."
16:57
Nakajuma: "Don't get too excited. Aren't you the same?"
17:01
Nawa: "Don't equate us!"
17:04
Nakajuma: "If you do anything more, I'll tell everyone we're the same."
17:09
Nakajuma: "Be quiet for me. I'm not about to cross the line."


No matter how irritating Nawa was, it was not a laughing matter. It's hard to believe, someone would reply this way IRL.

Apparently this conversation ended in a grave misunderstanding and judging from either group's translation Nakajima is at least partially guilty that it went this way.

May I ask if anyone would translate these lines differently?


About Yuki... I think she was a bliss not only for Nakajima, but for kids' safety as well. A guy who has a happy normal relationship is less likely to harm a child. And a guy who's lucky enough to find a girl like Yuki who accepted him in spite of his dark side, trusted and loved him - even less so.

You need to look the bigger picture. Just compare America with Japan. No matter how underreported sex crimes are in Japan, I doubt that it occurs just as often yet reported 18 times less often ( warning: the site may contain some not work-safe images http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2008/1...-lies-exposed/ ) Witch hunts and lack of tolerance do no good. Forced therapy (the risk of it) does no good either imo. Quite a few people have no faith in psychiatry and it's their right to dismiss it. Minor attracted adults don't disappear from the society because they're treated badly or forced to do something they loathe. Or because other people are "bothered" too much and no one can accept/love them. They just learn not to expose themselves. It does however increase the risk of an emotional breakdown, because it's hard to live your life without praising whatever you admire/adore or at least letting few people know your feelings, IRL. I know this very well as loli art fan. I'm sure that being a minor attracted adult is even a tougher trial. And a broken person is dangerous indeed.

Also, I think that one of Nawa's motives was his fear of being branded as "lolicon". It would be quite painful for him and such a (heightened) suspicion could even make it impossible for him to spend time with Kaya or any other children ( he said that he liked children in general, though Kaya guessed or wished otherwise^^ )
May be Nawa wasn't even honest about it with himself. It's easier to justify killing someone if you can focus on the goal of protecting someone else or on the greater good in general.
If you think about it for a moment: Wasn't there another way to protect Kaya? Was she really in danger? What would she feel if she found out 10 years later that Nawa sent someone to Hell (assuming that Yuzuki works wonders and saves him) "to protect her" even though most likely this person wouldn't harm her?

This episode was a great disappointment for me. So far I loved season 3 just like the earlier ones and before watching this episode I was sad that FTP-A (my favorite among group for this anime) was rather slow, but now...

[Zife19]

DOuble Post, sry

[Zife19]

To start off I think this one of the beautiful, unique, and deep animes I've ever seen and I'll always have it as one of my top three favorites.

I finished season two and I thought the ending was perfect. it made me cry(im a strong man and thats hard to admit) It was sad watching Ai die but it made me feel good knowing she was in heaven with her parents. As the many times she had said 'you'll never know the joys of heaven' It made me happy that Ai could. Its a happy yet tragic ending. All she did was suffer through life and finally she got to know the joys of heaven and be reunited with her family, its so happy you could cry ;_;

When I heard a third season was coming I tried to deny it, the second season was ended so beautifully but I guess you couldnt hide from it but I did some research in hopes of finding an explantion to this and I think I atleast found one that makes me happy with the third season.

Spoiler for Third Season Theory:

Well Ai had to come back, she didnt have a choice. As long as men wanted revenge, the lord of hell had as many fresh souls as it could want so the hotline to hell had to stay open.

So Im guessing Ai left heaven in hopes of finding a successor(and since she died she only had a spirit, the butterfly) to which she found Yuzuki. So Ai possessed her to see what she saw so Yuzuki pretty much got the job description.

Well after Yuzuki finally became Jigoku Shoujo, Im sure Ai left to go back to heaven(pretty fast too, left without saying anything). However Yuzuki broke one of the Lord of Hell's rule. Well Ai didnt want to see her go to hell for something Ai pretty much forced her to do so Ai took her powers back and became Hell Girl forever to save Yuzuki. Im sure after spending the time between seasons in heaven...maybe having finally seen her parents again(and maybe sentarou) Ai was satisfied and humbled and would take up the burden to spare Yuzuki and another poor soul from having her/his family and loved ones held captive by the Lord of Hell to do such a horrid job but hey shes been doing it for 400 years and her family and loved ones are released....she was probably just that selfless....to carry the burden again so someone else wouldnt have to.

I just think Ai is just a nice person I love her.

But thats my take.

[FateAnomaly]

From my point of view, Ai didn't choose Yuzuki. The system did. Ai last task will be to train Yuzuki up and the reward will be to be discharge from the duty as Jigoku Shoujo. However, Yuzuki broke the rule and to save Yuzuki (she pity her cos they had the same fate like the boy in season 2. She is particularly weak against those types. lol) She took the blame for her and had to continue to be Jigoku Shoujo. Her boss probably wanted her back as well cos she is pretty good at her job.

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

From my point of view, Ai didn't choose Yuzuki. The system did. Ai last task will be to train Yuzuki up and the reward will be to be discharge from the duty as Jigoku Shoujo. However, Yuzuki broke the rule and to save Yuzuki (she pity her cos they had the same fate like the boy in season 2. She is particularly weak against those types. lol) She took the blame for her and had to continue to be Jigoku Shoujo. Her boss probably wanted her back as well cos she is pretty good at her job.

Perhaps that was the plan all along. The spider chose Yuzuki knowing that she would fail and that Ai would come back to save her. That way he could keep his promise to release Ai and then have her return voluntarily.

[Samatarou]

I finally got round to watching the final episode and I'm a bit confused as to Yuzuki's fate: the way she evaporates is the same as people being sent to hell, but I'm assuming she isn't being sent to Hell is she? Since Ai has agreed to take her place. Does she simply die and that's the end of her or are we supposed to assume something happens to her soul like one of heaven/hell/reincarnation? There's a brief flash of her putting on her school uniform which made me wonder if she had been reincarnated/resumed her existence and gone to high school as she'd hoped, however the style of the vision looks more like a nostalgic flashback than a new beginning, I wonder what it is suppposed to signify.