(L) Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori

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Originally Posted by Guido

[..] is a waste to damn himself for the type of thrash that Leon represents[..]

I agree with most all you say, especially about ijime and thing going on in society in various places and aspects nowdays. However I don't agree with calling such people trash as well. Doesn't that make you one of them? I think given a lot of time, maybe one day Leon would have had a chance to better himself, to learn. He seemed like a bastard, but also very naive. We shouldn't condemn anyone completely, maybe, given time they _could_ chage.

Regardless of that theres one thing ive been hearing too many different people all over the place say many different things that just shock me to hear from them.
"They should just all be killed or die." in all serious tone, again and again, and then even people agreeing to it. Why is that possible? I've heard it from old men, loving fathers, mothers, young children, various teens, responsible collegegoers...
Has propaganda and fashism really come that far again? Its only been roughly 100 years since wwI and not near that long since wwII, yet people don't seem to realize they're doing the very same thing...

I don't know I'm shocked.. but thats a whole other topic.

On another note I like the direction this episode of Jigoku Shoujo took, the moral is clear, the events were pretty unexpected and we get a little more insight into some of the characters, notably Wanyuudo and the little girl. Seems she helps collect the ones about to die on the end of the contract.. those that the mistress cannot forgive(yet must take anyways)and she like to destroy things... be that pretty things, flowers, human emotion.. anything.. and in a playful way.
I still am puzzled abit about her but i love the development we're seening.

Looking forward to next episode.

[Jewelray]

Ep 5

Spoiler:

Revenge of the otaku?

Considering many of the people watching Jigoku Shoujo are otaku, it couldn't say anything too negative about them (well I guess it could have, but we already have NHK ni youkoso for that.) The otaku looked horribly nerdy but they were shown to be stronger than the gangster-wannabes. The 'tough guys' usually are the weakest. But man, that guy was an idiot. Ai sounded so great in the episode making her speech. She seemed so fed up.

It amazes me that no matter how similar the episodes are, each episode manages to do something new. We've only seen or heard of one other person who has used Jigoku tsuushin and died but the other case was significantly different.

The candle blowing out at the end was a wonderful touch. When you see the same thing over and over again and then it is changed just a bit it seems so exciting. Hooray for repetition. Seriously.

This episode really made me want to learn more about Wanyuudo. He is taking the nostalgic "it used to be better way back when..." attitude, but if he is working for Enma Ai he probably wasn't a completely honest person when he was alive (assuming he was alive at one point and ended up in his job similar to how Ai did)

"Oh how Japan used to be a better place before all that damned western influence and technology" ... or something to that extent. Even though hell has internet access...

[wrex_japan]

Ep. 8 summary and screencaps. I really liked this episode. They're continue to make more complex storylines. Enma Ai and her helpers stake out a school to find out who'd created a fake Jigoku Tsushin site... and complete a circle started many years before. It also seems to be about being strict. I love the Kikuri moments in this episode. ^_^

[Guido]

The moment that Tatsuya perished on the road, then I knew the conclusion was sealed in unavoidable doom.

But it shocks me that the mother's insanity have escalated to the extreme of neglecting her family only to obssesed at doing justice for her son's death.

The lack of support and morals led the rest of the family to fall down and dissolve whatever integrity and union was shared between all its members.

The father at the end became an alcoholic, and the poor Emi had to carry all the burden on herself to provide stability for the household, but at the end her mother's constant nagging over her brother snapped on her.

If you want my opinion, both mother and son are at fault. I knew and through Emi's flashbacks I was prove right that Tatsuya got over a tremendous fight with his mom. He left riding his bike in rage and with a non-subsiding hot temper; he let the rage boiled up to his head and bent that frustration while riding the motor bike, which subsequently called upon his own demise at that turn.
Next the mother because she abused the harshness of her authoritative role. She would not treat her son on fairness, unless he acknowledges what she said.
Once Tetsuya died, then she bent her wrath against the municipality for alledged neglect for not having kept the road, on which Tatsuya perished, in proper conditions.
It's more like she was trying at all costs to bend the city hall to budge to her demands, employing her desire to right her son's death as a righteous justification.

By neglecting and disconnecting herself from the family, it is both her daughter Emi and her husband who paid the price gravely, losing communication, warmth, and unity at the very end.

The episode proposes another of those fascinating, what-if situations:

1. Tatsuya received the straw doll from Ai but died before pulling the string. Then, as the mother is ferried to hell and assumes that Tatsuya's there also, Ichimoku Ren tries to speak on her that Tatsuya's NOT in hell but falls on deaf ears.

Tatsuya had a steaming grudge against his own mother that contacted Jigoku Tsusshin for them to carry out his vengeance, however, he died leaving the contract unfulfilled. Later, it is her sister who inherits the doll (thus his contract) and pulls the string against her own mother. Emi is going to hell when she dies, but it is revealed that Tatsuya did not go to hell.
I do not think that Tatsuya's at heaven either because died with a grudge, and I believe he made a grievous act to contact Jigoku Shoujo, though never pulled the string.
If you ask me, he's in the limbo where is neither in Hell nor Heaven wandering in eternal sorrow.

[maboroshi]

I'm really waiting to watch ep9 based on the preview. Beautiful older brother who's a model steals younger sister's lover?! Will we get real BL action? Will Ichimoku Ren join in? ROFL

Or maybe the "boy" running off in the preview is a boyish girl? Mind-boggling possibilities...

[Guido]

They weaved an elaborated story involving how to place the grudge on somebody else to access the site and making that person to contract the Jigoku Shoujo, and thus taking the revenge upon that third person's behalf without risking the danger of going to hell herself.

I do not think that the keshou-baba sensei was an intimidating and frightening teacher as her former student and other student claimed.

She never went to the extreme of ridiculing or worse targetting the students for ijime. She only teach them to become adults conscious upon the weight of their actions to take full responsibility for them.

She's one of the few cases shown in Japan about teachers who really care about the students and not only are concerned just for the sake of the school's image. Of course, I'm not overlooking her stern and harsh treatment to the students, but many or most of those students were or are pampered children that believe they can get scot-free by winning over their parents to allow them to do what they want.

This one of the very rare episodes where the client (Baba-sensei) actually gives serious thoughts about the implications of pulling the string and then going to hell after death.
When she resolutely accepted the terms as a fair retribution it meant that she failed as a teacher for Manaka Mami and is going to hold responsibility for the weight of Mami's sins.

If there's any happy ending in this story, it came when the new teacher Nihei Ryoko (another of Baba's former students) told her former teacher that now understands what her sensei endures, and everything done was for the sake to make her into a hard-worker, honest person that doesn't neglect her duties.

That came as a light of hope for the old teacher to signal her that her work as a teacher did bear fruit after all.

[Hitae]

Hello, I'm new here! I have been watching Jigoku Shoujo 1 and 2 and i was wondering, will the song Aizome be released anytime soon, i would like to buy the song...but i have problems finding it! and if this is in the wrong thread..i'm so sorry!!

[SealedTears]

dose anyone know where to get a winamp skin for this anime?

[Guido]

I'm particularly fond for this episode, because the story was emotionally appealing to me.

Also Enma and her familiars were thoughtful to the sister's feelings and went lightly on the brother. They simply showed him his true form, and he went all by himself to the Hell ferry, after Ai showed him a faint image of his sister waiting for him.
I do not think this was an illusion, but a symbolic metaphor that both will get reunited once again in Hell.

In fact, the brother seemed calm and at peace on the Hell Ferry while Ichimoku Ren told him that his sister will be following after in Hell; the conversation seemed more like two buddies chatting friendly.

The reason why I liked very much the case lies that there was no victim and victimizer per se. Maho dwindled between love and hatred for her brother, but this love and hatred was more like peaking and dropping in phases. There was no utter or absolute hatred.

Simply frustration and despair drove Maho to make a reckless choice.

I believe the scenario could have been prevented if Miki and Maho had communicated their feelings way back and find a manner to sort out their conflicting emotions.
The problem lies which one of the two would be able to endure the building stress had they known for a long time that he or she loves the other.

I'm still not being adept on stories that deal between incest among siblings; if Miki and Maho had been depicted as cousins instead.....

Anyways, I really liked this episode.

The climax song I'm very certain it is the same tune played in the Jigoku Shoujo TV drama.

[wrex_japan]

Episode 10 screencaps and summary. This episode was really interesting as the focus was on Hone Onna and how her free time activities and relationships turned into a Jigoku Shoujo case. She has a brief dream of becoming a leading lady in the movies, and has the name, "Sone Anna." ^_^

[theacefrehley]

Originally Posted by wrex_japan

Episode 10 screencaps and summary. This episode was really interesting as the focus was on Hone Onna and how her free time activities and relationships turned into a Jigoku Shoujo case. She has a brief dream of becoming a leading lady in the movies, and has the name, "Sone Anna." ^_^

Holy s***
hhehehe

This episode was quite funny, even though the reasons of the revenge wisher was the dullest ever

Best scene: The guy jumping from the balcony. I'm laughing 'till now hehehe

[TinyRedLeaf]

I've only finished watching the first season last week, and have only watched the first episode of the second season so far.

So, if some of my impressions of Jigoku Shoujo have been superceded by events in the story, ah well, please forgive me. Still, it'll be interesting food for thought.

(1)
When watching the first season, one of the first things that came to my mind was how the "mythology" of the Hell Girl echoed the mythology of the Endless, as portrayed in Neil Gaiman's phenomenal Sandman series, published by Vertigo.

What I mean is that, to me, Enma Ai was the personification of "Revenge", very much like the Sandman was one of many possible representations of "Dream". (If you haven't read the Sandman series, I very much encourage you to do so )

Well, of course, the story in Season One didn't turn out to be that way, so I was somewhat disappointed, lol. For a moment, it was a concept that could have been pure genius, but it turned out to be another ordinary Japanese horror story that plays on the theme of a neverending grudge that extends beyond the grave ("The Ring", "Ju-On"). Still, I enjoyed what I've watched, so I won't hold it against the series.

(2)
Related to the above impression, at one point I thought it was possible that Enma Ai, the Hell Spider and Grandmother were a re-interpretation of the Greek Fates. If you've read Greek mythology, you'd know who they are -- they are supposed to be older than gods themselves, and very much feared:

Clotho (the spinner / "Hell Spider"): She who weaves the thread of life.

Lachesis (the measurer / "Grandmother"): She who measures how much thread to be used to weave the cloth of life.

Atropos (the shearer / "Enma Ai"): The inevitable. She who cuts the thread of life, and brings death.


Of course, the story of Jigoku Shoujo has pretty much veered away from the above possiblity. But I still think it's a pretty cool allusion that's worth sharing.

It's even more cool when you realise that Atropos is sometimes portrayed as being the youngest and the most beautiful of the three Fates -- somewhat appropriate for Enma Ai, don't you think?

[Veritas]

That's pretty neat about the Fates. Thanks for sharing that. I've never gotten around to reading "The Sandman." When it debuted 15 or so years ago, my older brother told me never to touch it. Little kid germs. Guess it stuck with me, though.

I didn't want to write this, but otherwise this post will be mildly offtopic. In around 35 episodes, there's never been one case of a man using Jigoku Tsuushin to take revenge on a woman. I'm hyper-conscious of the relation between power and gender, and as using JS seems like a way to passively deal with people you would be unable to confront in real life, I find it interesting and a little telling.

[Dracil]

Originally Posted by Guido

I strongly hold that both the otaku and the girl Izumi actually were the ones who learned the lesson and advocated to their system of morals:
1. The otaku because he knows that everday life in Japan there would be other bullies much worse than Leon was. It doesn't matter had he used the Jigoku Tsusshin on the bastard, anyways his hell won't end because another bully will surely come to fill Leon's place and the vicious cycle will start over. All much done about nothing, because at the end the otaku will end up in hell as well.
However, the otaku did not go all the way with the deal because 1) he understands well his situation and bullies like Leon just come and go, therefore, it is a waste to damn himself for the type of thrash that Leon represents, 2) even if it was for fear on becoming damned, the otaku does holds reverence for hell and the afterlife because he BELIEVES, and 3) the otaku did get his revenge on Leon simply by watching him agonize, though he did not stay to watch him die, but witnessing how the motherfuc*** ended up in a helpless and pathetic state that he brought upon himself due to being a jerk and refused to give him help, but instead gave to him the cold eye followed by a cold shoulder.

Or.... the otaku, being the typical otaku, watched Jigoku Shoujo season 1 so he knew better.

[Mizkyu]

Originally Posted by Veritas

I didn't want to write this, but otherwise this post will be mildly offtopic. In around 35 episodes, there's never been one case of a man using Jigoku Tsuushin to take revenge on a woman. I'm hyper-conscious of the relation between power and gender, and as using JS seems like a way to passively deal with people you would be unable to confront in real life, I find it interesting and a little telling.

Yes there has. One of the later eps of S.1 -

Spoiler:

a junkie used to it to off a nurse, the reasons for which we never found out. It was basically used as a way to try and knock Tsugumi down a peg or two - she was going on and on about how the Jigoku Tsuushin was only ever used for righteous causes, and how there were never any pointless or meaningless revenges acted out through it. The seemingly random taking out of a very pleasant young woman by a man who then committed suicide and went straight to hell anyway was used as a device to point out that no, Enma Ai is not a purveyor of justice and a soldier or righteousness at all.

[theacefrehley]

Originally Posted by Mizkyu

Yes there has. One of the later eps of S.1 -

Spoiler:

a junkie used to it to off a nurse, the reasons for which we never found out. It was basically used as a way to try and knock Tsugumi down a peg or two - she was going on and on about how the Jigoku Tsuushin was only ever used for righteous causes, and how there were never any pointless or meaningless revenges acted out through it. The seemingly random taking out of a very pleasant young woman by a man who then committed suicide and went straight to hell anyway was used as a device to point out that no, Enma Ai is not a purveyor of justice and a soldier or righteousness at all.

There is this nurse case and we have other case
The guy who sent a woman, that had dumped him for a rich guy, to hell...
It was the same episode we had a flashback of Hajime and Tsugumi's mother

[wrex_japan]

Episode 11 screencaps and summary. It should be semi-spoiler safe.

Three great episodes in a row, IMO. This had another surprise twist when Ai showed up to send the target to hell. Also, Ai's helpers finally learn to handle Kikuri... sort of.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by wrex_japan

Episode 10 screencaps and summary. This episode was really interesting as the focus was on Hone Onna and how her free time activities and relationships turned into a Jigoku Shoujo case. She has a brief dream of becoming a leading lady in the movies, and has the name, "Sone Anna." ^_^

In this particular episode we saw that Ai and her helpers went easy on Tetsuro, the target, before ferry him to hell.

Actually, the manner on how he was transported to Ai's world was done on a very creative and imaginative manner; turning the events that lead to the contract into a film and being him director and actor of parodies to some blockbuster films.

This culminates when Ai delivers her "ippen shinde miru" lines to Tetsuro in B&W, soundless film format.

Kikuri was more or less controlled with her teasing; the scene with the umbrella and her naughtiness reminds me much to Road Kamelot riding the umbrella, Lero.

Hone Onna was the most unhappy having to her job as the Tetsuro became a target.

My thoughts were that Tetsuros' actions did not merit for the client to send him to Hell. The client bent off too easily over such trivial things like the coffee accidentally spilled on him or his car getting awfully scratched to certain degree.

However, I do not condone Tetsuro's cowardice, and he should had uphold the responsibilities of his mistakes.

The guy was a whippersnapper and ruffian not a bastard. But for him jumping from flower to flower and trying to put on his best performance for true repentance is lest seen on favorable grounds.

If there was anything positive about Tetsuro's case was that at the end his wife and mistress became close friends rather than hostile towards each other; too bad that Hone Onna had to leave them after having made a beautiful friendship with them.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by wrex_japan

Episode 11 screencaps and summary. It should be semi-spoiler safe.

Three great episodes in a row, IMO. This had another surprise twist when Ai showed up to send the target to hell. Also, Ai's helpers finally learn to handle Kikuri... sort of.

The effectiveness for this episode lies that it immediately immersed the viewer on the life of the "client". To make the scenario more realistic and off-put the animators simply relied on environmental sounds and used little soundtrack.

The viewers can immediately grasped how's life for Amagi Shizuko in her close-quarters, and the spiraling madness she descended to provoked by her neighbor, Tachibana Kyoko.

But... wait!

Spoiler:

It turns out that right little after the episode started the whole picture was just a play, and Chizuko turned out none other to be the real Tachibana who was delivered the taste of the very same terror she miserably imposed on the poor Chizuko.

The fatality for this scenario would had been prevented if either of one or both had the courage to speak to the other or contact to sort out the selfish misunderstandings revolving around the cat.

[theacefrehley]

Anyone here heard Aizome single?

I thought it'd be Noto Mamiko (Ai's seyuu) but instead it is sung by savage genius...

strange...

Anyone knows if there will be a Noto Mamiko's version?