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REVIEW: Hell Girl DVD 1-2




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Randall Miyashiro



Joined: 12 Jun 2003
Posts: 2451
Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park
PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:44 am Reply with quote
If as series is going to be episodic it might as well cash in on the strengths by giving a nice diversity of episodes, like Mushishi or Takahashi Anthology. Hell Girl seems to suffer the worst of both worlds since the episodes are stand alone and repetitive. This was one of my least favorite releases from 2007 and I'm following it in the hopes that the series begins to become more serialized with the photographer and his daughter. I also found the clip episode rather goofy since the same thing more or less occurs in every episode at this point. Fortunately this episode is an extra on top of the already high 5 episode count. I wonder if this high episode plus extra episode was a factor in this rather poor (even for Funimation) video transfer.
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Saiyo_Chan



Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 72
Location: U.S
PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:27 pm Reply with quote
I actually really liked this series, despite the repetitiveness. Now, I haven't seen many Japanese horror films, so to me it was very unique, and although not memorable, it's a series I can watch multiple times. The opening theme is still one of my favorites.

Even with the added element of the detective and his daughter, though, it stays pretty repetitive and the ending is predictable. But having different characters and situations for each episode kept me interested. It seems like season two will follow the same formula, but it does reveal more about the histories of many of the recurring characters, and seems less repetitive than season one so far.
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shadow_Hiei



Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Posts: 68
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:09 am Reply with quote
Good for an eye-rolling laugh is more like it.

The corniness of the ferrying away scenes is what killed this show for me.

lol talking baseball heads
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:19 pm Reply with quote
It is on the repetitive side, but I'm enjoying. I saw up to episode 9 or 10 fansubbed and I'm currently watching what I have on DVD so I can jump right in when I get to episodes I haven't seen at all yet. My complaint isn't that its repetitive but that, so far, all of the people who Hell Girl is taking to hell are so horrifically evil. While their has been some ambiguity in the people summoning Hell Girl, the 'bad guys' have all been complete and utter scumbags. So far, the least evil ones drove a girl to suicide (or attempting it, at least; she survived through Ai's intervention) through bullying and let a puppy die because he was more concerned with golf. I'm also annoyed at how the avenging also seems to magically fix people's lives short of reviving the dead or critically injured.
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Dardre



Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 166
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:29 pm Reply with quote
I have to agree with everyone on the repetition, it does get rather old pretty quick. It's the episodes that have a nice twist at the end that keeps me coming back to this series. Hopefully the reporter and his daughter will help in lowering the amount of repetition in later episodes.

My personal feelings for this series are that it would have probably been better as a 12-14 episode series rather than the 26 episode series that it is. If nothing else, it would have cut down on the formulaic repetition.

I really like the music though, and have to admit that Ai's 'it's time to get to work' music has me grinning in anticipation. Everytime I hear that strong, almost overwhelming, drumming begin I lean toward the screen so that I don't miss anything.

I also really like that some of the horror is the subtle kind. Something that makes you uneasy, rather than out-and-out jumpy. Just Ai standing there in her 'work-kimono' is a good example of subtle supernatural. At first glance, she's just a girl in a kimono, pale and a bit to still, but just a girl. Then you notice that the flower-pattern on her kimono is actually moving and then you realize that she can't possibly be natural. For some reason, I really like that Smile

I'm still gonna get volume three because, even with it's flaws, I still find myself entertained; and for me, that's what counts in the end.
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