Forum - View topicJigoku Shoujo - Japanese broadcast (complete).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11315 Location: Frisco, TX |
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True, a lot of gore would probably make the show more interesting to watch, but for whatever reason someone decided not to put it in. Then again, not every series has to be Elfen Lied or Ninja Scroll (the movie) with limbs being chopped/ripped off and your own blood being drunk in front of you (and so on) to be entertaining, right?
I just enjoy the premise and a lot of the symbolism in the series more so than the opportunity to make someone suffer to the utmost degree. The presentation itself just seems fresher than most of the other titles I've seen recently, but that's just me  .
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Iemander
 Posts: 443 |
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It doesn't really have to be gore, I wouldn't mind it if it were just sounds heard on the background (In fact, if done well it could definitely be scarier than being explicit). The whole thing just doesn't sound right to me, like at all. These just aren't reasons to go to the extent of damning yourself over, the only thing a schoolgirl is going to do when she's standing in front of a messanger of hell in a dready landscape is run away maniacally searching for a means to escape no matter the amount of teasing. There's no way I can believe that some teased schoolgirl has that kind of willpower.
Now, if it were a little more powerfull dramatic and less flat, I would care a little more. |
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Arkard
 Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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The Japanese have a unique quality. The sorts of it being an overlooking of such things as "afterlife", "heaven" or "hell". I would sy their minds are rooted deep down in the earth and in "this" very moment. I found alot of them lack the ability to think on a wider scale, into the future. |
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hentai4me
 Posts: 1313 Location: England. Robin is so Cute! |
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I just finished watching this and I was very impressed.
Throughout it kept everything well paced (well after the first couple of eps) and exciting with just enough mystery and revelation to keep it interesting. The art style was exceptional with all of the main characters in each episode animated to a consistent level of high quality. 
Watching it is a kind of...sick pleasure. We get to see all manner of people doing revenge worthy acts and see them get their comeuppance...I admit I got a kick out of thinking up my own ways of paying them back for their discretions (Higurashi Style). The end especially impressed me and wasn't what I expected. I expected spoiler[Ai to realise that her own desire for vengence was wrong and to forgive and forget (sort of) and maybe by so doing to atone for her general evilness and perhaps be allowed to live again...with Shibata and Tsugumi perhaps.] Instead what actually happened; spoiler[Ai taking her vengence out as best she could by destroying Sentarou's temple and going to hell for it]; I feel was by far a more realistic reaction. After so many years: spoiler[around 400...since the Sengoku Judai] of desiring it she wouldn't be shaken from her path by something as simple as seeing another do it. I'm not sure if she needed Tsugumi to use the doll to deal with Shibata but I suspect she did otherwise she would have followed through on that end as well. Plus there's Ai ultimate line...and my favourite one from quite possibly any series to date (it's how she says it, not what she says so much) the classic (Japanese speakers confirm the spelling/saying for me. Thanks) 'Ippei, Shin ti miru?' or 'Would you like to see what death is like?' (in the sub anyway) So for those of you who like a supernatural...semi mystery kind of thing I very much recommend this to you. Or of course those who like to see bad people get their comeuppance. This isn't to say it's got no weak points. It does get admittedly repetetive sometimes, the revelation of information in each episode more or less makes up for this and the character building that goes on around it is good too...but sometimes the cycle of sinner and revenge can get too much. Also the begining of the series drags as well, it's several episodes before the main characters are finally introduced and we are instead given several episodes which have absolutely no bearing to one another and no real character development...the fact that none of the people apart from Ai and her posse never appear again makes these first few eps seem like random events for the writers to get the real meat of the series written properly. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11315 Location: Frisco, TX |
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hentai4me, hope you don't mind, but I merged your thread into my old one because your post reminded me to reply to the series as whole now that I've finished it (about a month ago).
To say the least, I was very intrigued during the first 4 or 5 episodes for it's mysterious and supernatural theme. But the episodic nature suffers greatly from the same forumula time after time: spoiler[ Some afflicted person buckles under the pressure of an oppressive force, finds a quick (though pretty irrational) solution knowing the consequences full-well, gets one last chance to save their own soul, but of course pulls the red thread every freakin' time.  ] Because of this, I lost much interest in this repetitive and stale "plot line."
While I did only give the series a So-so, the only thing that really kept it from going any lower were the handful of non- "contact Jigoku Tsushin, then undeniably the send person to Hell" and the last few episodes where spoiler[ Ai loses her cool and goes on the brink of insanity to get her own revenge]. But even still, I think this series had a lot of potential had they gone a different storytelling path or at least made it 13 episodes and not an extra 13 of the same thing. Production values are great, though. I like the art, animation, and music. Voice acting could've been better. And I'm saying this being a big fan of Mamiko Noto (love that softness in her voice) and Yuuji Ueda (who was a pretty crappy character in this, unfortunately). But I agree that this series is more of a "guilty pleasure" type title where you see all of these despicable characters that do very bad or stupid things, only to get there comeuppance and get sent to Hell for eternal suffering. Getting back to my point on the repetitiveness, though, spoiler[ Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I think drawing the line between sacrificing your own soul just to get revenge should be the more decisive and mind-messing factor here. Obviously, most of us wouldn't go to such extremes, but that's where the guilty pleasure emits from because we know we probably wouldn't do such a thing, yet we witness it through a manifestation of these characters that are willing to do so we end up being entertained by it.] I would've preferred they have less "send them to Hell" instances and build more on the foundation of "is it even right to do this, and what kind of alternatives could there be for such circumstances?" I hear they might make a 2nd season... I just hope they don't repeat this theme again and actually make it more of a mystery this time around. |
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Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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The art style and the acting were especially good in my opinion. Strongly disagree with your opinion on Yuji Ueda's performance as Hajime Shibata, I thought his character was fascinating. Not sure what problem you had with Mamiko Noto's Ai, but I couldn't find anything wrong with her performance. It's very soft, virtually emotionless at first, which is exactly what the charcter should be like considering the circumstances. Then, as spoiler[the interventions of the Shibata family continue, she slowly becomes more emotional, leading up the her going nearly insane with rage when she remembers her past.] It's a very subtle but excellent performance. Also, about the whole thing where it seems crazy that anyone would pull the string. Unless it was translated wrong, it was stated in one of the late episodes that spoiler[Ai in some manner investigated how the grudges would play out in the future. For some people, hatred and revenge are more important than anything else. Also, it may be that if the grudges are not ended, then the people may do things themselves that destroy more lives than just their own and their tormenter's.] Real life examples are everywhere! Murder for revenge isn't an uncommon thing. Honestly, is spoiler[pulling a string to send someone to hell] that much less believeable than two twin brothers fighting over a stick of gum and one murders the other? Over gum? (True story. Heard it on the news.) Personally, having seen all of the first season/series, my only complaint is that it hasn't been licensed yet. I'm hoping the second season/series will go into the origins of Ai's servents and I'm curious to find out what spoiler[the Grandmother on the other side of the screen asked Hajime Shibata to do in exchange for being sent to his daughter. Also, i'm hoping to see the "Hell Boy" again.] |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11315 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Not that I dislike his performance. In fact, I think he played it extremely well, I just have a thing against spoiler[ deadbeat dads who totally ignore their families while being workoholics and not realizing the importance of what they really have until their spouse dies from neglect. Not only is this the case for Shibata, but this is a big reason why I can't stand the father figure in Jubei-chan. To be careless and unconerning for your own wife and child like that is sickening. And frankly, I found it more frustrating than fascinating to witness such a character, regardless of the way he tries to repent by caring fo Tsugumi and then having that little breakdown at the end when he even admitted to indirectly killing his wife. But if it was a psychological tactic to get the audience to side with Ai's revenge, then it definitely worked for a second. Although, somehow I didn't think Tsugumi would be stupid enough to do something that petty.] And yes, I did like the production values. The art had a somewhat gritty feel to in reflecting the personalities of the characters (especially the bad ones, and by "bad" I mean the ones that went to Hell). Personally, I liked the coloring and shading a lot. For such a dark series, it did well in portraying all of that gloom and doom.
Yes. As I mentioned, those last few episodes are what ultimately saved the series for me. But the fact remains that almost half of the series was the same formula. I would've been satisfied with 8-9 episodes of that, and then the whole spoiler[ flashback, rage, revenge part] for the remaining 3-4. My dissappointment is a that they never go beyond the scope of what Ai does. Much like the additional content you were hoping to see about her Grandmother and servants, I think that would've added a lot more depth had I known this would only be 26 episodes.
To me this is a double-edge sword, only both edges are fatal. Any way you look at it the resolution for either choice spoiler[ to go to Hell or not] would have the chance of displeasing the audience. I mean, spoiler[ would you seriously give up your soul and recieve eternal suffering in the end just to avenge your dog and her puppies that some crazy rich lady killed and forced you into labor for? Or how about taking vengence on a girl who you were only stalking and then killing yourself just so both of your souls could suffer together? Holy crap, that episode was the worst one!] While the concept is horrific enough, a line must be drawn between entertaining fiction and downright absurdity since I got the vibe that this series was actually trying to symbolize spoiler[ the importance of your own life and that it shouldn't be thrown away so easily.] And if by chance you spoiler[ don't send the antagonist to Hell and end up causing harm to others and yourself, become so unstable, and happen to forget your revenge, it just wouldn't seem like good writing. You could theorize an eternal cycle or domino effect of where your own actions can possibly force others into taking the same path that all of these other condemned souls have done; a petty act of suicide/revenge just to settle something that could've been resolved a bit more peacefully. It's like saying either choice makes you screwed and bound for Hell at some point.]
That's quite a shock. What country was this and how old were the brothers? I'm taking an Abnormal Psychology course right now in college and have learned quite a few explanations that make a lot more sense out of themes such as paranoia (Paranoia Agent) and Dissociative Identity Disorder (aka multiple personalities, that at this point I can only remember in Ergo Proxy. He mentioned something about agression today, but I think it's more so manifested through the Phallic stage of Psychosexual Development, then later becomes Paraonid Shizophrenia, which gave me an ephiany in finally understanding PA, but that's another story...
A So-so (B-) rating from me doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. That means I'd buy it, but that I'd wait for it to be real cheap like in a bargain bin, clearance sale, or box set. As negative as my comments may seem from the elements I didn't like so much, I still found the series to be decently entertaining. Just not $20-$25 worth, which is what Geneon would probably charge for it in most places. And yes, they are my most likely candidate because the style of the series has their name written all over it  .
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Richard J.
Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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Hmm, when you put it that way I see your point. spoiler[Personally, I saw his actions as an attempt to ensure the financial side of the family's well-being while never realizing just how much damage he was doing to the social side. When he was with his wife, it's clear that he made her very happy. His response to Tsugumi's birth was to work harder, not because he didn't want to be around but because he thought he had to provide for his daughter. Considering how clearly loving the grandparents are, if Hajime had really not cared about her he could have let them take her. After the wife's death, he realized just how much it was his fault. That's why he tried so desperately throughout the series to be the voice of reason to people. Also, a person in the media, much like a doctor or police officer, is essentially always on duty.] Not really sure if any of that needed spoiler guard but might as welll make it a little harder for someone to accidently run across info they might not want.
Ah I found an internet source! http://www.news4jax.com/news/10104178/detail.html
Although I have no idea at all who would be right for a dub. There would be a certain logic to Geneon using the Ocean Group again, like they did for Shagukan no Shana, so that Brenna O'Brien could play Ai since Mamiko Noto is the original Rin. Though a perfomance similiar to her portrayl of Cossette in Le Portrait de Petit Cossette might make Michelle Ruff a fine canidate. It's all just useless speculation until it get's licensed. I suppose the chances are better than they were since it's popular enough to have a second outing, but there's no logical place to show it on TV (unless IFC went for it) and it's an obviously niche series. |
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mohendra
Posts: 12 |
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I just finished the second season and i loved the ending. Its so wonderful and sad at the same time
I hope that they tell us more about the new hell girl. This was one of the greatest anime i've ever watched
[EDIT: Merged with main Jigoku Shoujo thread. ~Zalis] |
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jigoku_hime
 Posts: 78 Location: twinkle twinkle little stars... |
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Jigoku Shoujo is a great anime that deals with the supernatural. I love the way the theme vengeance is played out in this series. I admire the characters who were brave enough to face the consequence of sending someone to hell. Because personally, I would not dare do it. Even if I hate someone to the point that I want to send them to hell, I would never call the jigoku shoujo because I am so scared of seeing what hell is like. I'd rather create a "living hell" for the person I hate because I want to see them with my own eyes suffer
The animation is superb. The plot was good although the story only picks up in the latter part of the series. Though I have only watched the first season, I must say that this is one of my favorite anime. I can hardly wait to see the second season. I hope it is as great as the first 
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cutiepie123
Posts: 8 |
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jigoku shoujo is ok i guess i mean i haven't seen the series of it yet but i saw the preveiw it's kinda creepy and yet very exciting[/img]
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dgreater1
 Posts: 307 Location: in the Phillipine's AIR space with Misuzu |
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You'd be sent to hell for doing that so I think it would be better to let the Hell Girl do the dirty job. You forgot that most of the character that were sent to hell were people making life a living hell to other people. Although, I applaud the hell girl for finally choosing her fate. Well anyway, nothing goes right with vengeance, but vengeance is something that is hard to put aside (I bet everyone knows the feeling vengeance)
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hEll_gUrl
Posts: 13 Location: Philippines |
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For me, Jigoku Shoujo is one of the best animes I've ever seen, although I'm not yet done watching it. I like how people get to go to hell for different reasons. There was no story [in an episode] that is similar to the other. Now, I just want to watch the ending.
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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I just finished the first season last month. It was okay, I guess. It was enough to entertain me, but sometimes I get bored if I watch more than 2 episodes in a row. I think it's because all the episodes seem to follow the same formula, thus making it monotonous and boring.
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Jedi General
 Posts: 2485 Location: Tucson, AZ |
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I finished the first season recently also and I agree. There were some great episodes in the series, but far too many "meh" episodes. It got boring very easily, since almost every episode followed the same formula. I also hated that journalist guy. He was pretty pointless, for the most part. Fortunately great episodes weren't all strung together, so I was always being rewarded for getting through the boring ones when a great one would pop up. The series wasn't terrible though. Overall I gave it a Very Good (in other words a B-) rating. |
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