Ranked #288

Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori

Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori is the sequel Jigoku Shoujo. Its basically where the previous story left off. Enma Ai continuing her work as Jigoku Shoujo. The same job she has had for the past 400 years. This time around, it appears that the staff has listened to the fans of this show and pretty much made a brand new show. It still follows the same formula as part one, plot, retribution, and conculsion, but this time around they seem to mix it up alot more often this time around. Some episodes they progress it normally, in other ep's they tarintino it and start from the middle or at the end and work from there. For a show like this its just what the doctor ordered. Each ep doesnt feel like you just watched the same ep over and over again. Even the stories are alot more contraversial this time around as well. There are alot more stories that conflict between the worlds of good and evil and really challange the player on a "what would you do if" basis.

Another update is the introduction of Kikuri. Nothing much is known about her except for the fact that she acts the complete opposite of Enma Ai. She's mainly the show's comic relief/lolicon. Which is another improvement... you'll see Enma and Kikuri (and company) in alot more different costumes than before. You'll see Enma and Kikuri in so many cute costumes you'll most likely get a kawaii overdose!

With more variety in charcaters clothing, the next natural step was to give more tv time for Ren and Onna. Wanyuudou was the only one doing the work before, now that has been more evenly distrubuted between the other 2 demons. You also get to understand how and why they end up helping Enma. the artwork is also looks like a huge improvement as well, showing different angles of Enma's home, and different "kawaii situations." Enma cutting her toenails sounds gross yet it was amazingly cute. Personally i think Kikuri almost stole the show, she definitely grows on you. Lolicon alert: enma and kikuri get nekkid more often in this series.

Overall i really enjoyed this show alot more than before. Its like the series did a complete creative 180, totally redoing everything than before. More money is probably the culprit here. Regardless, the viewers win out because this is a much higher quality product. There is a large warning tho, if you cant stomach sensitive situations like incest, insanity, and mob brutality than steer clear of this show.
If you even thought JIGOKU SHOUJO should have been better, watch this show! This is what the first season should have been like. Even the ending will leave you speechless...
9/10 (would have been a 10/10 except for the yaoi episode) read more

Title: Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori

Anime: Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori continues to be directed by Takahiro Omori and produced by Studio Deen. It is twenty-six episodes long and ran from October 7th, 2006 to April 6th, 2007. Futakomori has yet to be licensed Stateside.

Story: There is a rumor that if there's someone giving you absolute hell and you want to get revenge on them, there's a website that you can access only at midnight, known as Hell Correspondence. Once the name is submitted, Ai Enma (aka Jigoku Shoujo/Hell Girl) will appear to the client and give them a straw doll with a red string wrapped around its neck. If the client wishes to take revenge, then all they have to do is pull the string and Ai and her helpers will ferry the person to hell. However, there is a small catch to all this: Once the compact is made with Ai, the person who took revenge will go to hell once they've died as well.

Notice no change in the plot summary? That's because Futakomori is pretty much more of what we saw back in season one; Revenge of the Week, same episode format, which is disappointing in and of itself.

There are some pretty good stories in this season, yes; but the ratio of good episodes to mediocre decreases this season. And they finally get around to telling us the background of Ai's helpers, but the added backgrounds are all that are given in terms of development for Ai and her helpers, and don't even add all that much to the fairly one-note personalities that we saw in the last season. We do have a recurring character who, thank god, is not as annoying as Tsugumi and Hajime (who do make a cameo appearance in the second-to-last episode of the show), but is introduced about halfway through, and then dropped until about three-quarters of the way through, as if the writers suddenly remembered that they needed something resembling an overarching plot.

The additional background added for the helpers and the better episodes of the bunch do add some redeeming aspects to the plot, as does the last episode of the series, which more than makes up for what came before it. But, still, you're left with a bitter taste in your mouth at the end of this season, especially with the little caveat that's tagged on after the end credits.

There is a third season, Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae, which is supposed to start airing October 4th of this year (2008), which will maybe wrap things up once and for all. Will it? Probably not, but let me have my optimism, kthnxbye.

Art: The art is just as good as last season, if not better, especially in terms of character design in the individual episodes, and in clips which are frequently used as stock footage.

No major changes in style, so what I said last season pretty much applies here as well; rich colors, beautiful designs, combining for a stunning effect.

Music: Again, pretty much the same as what we heard last season, which was well-done and a good mix of Western orchestration, rock, and traditional instrumentation. The OP and ED are done by the same people and. while they're new, the things I said about them last season still pretty much apply here; upbeat, catchy female J-Pop OP and ED with more traditional instrumentation and lyrics that very directly relate to the show.

Seiyuu: No changes. Good performances by all, and Ai's lines are still unvaried; at least it's an easy job?

Length: Again, they could've cut this down to thirteen episodes or so and it would've still had the time to tell its story and get some good Revenge of the Weeks in, even more so since the real story doesn't start till the three-quarter's mark.

Overall: It's pretty much what you saw last season, all across the board, with a few new things thrown in here and there. So, really, if you liked what you saw last season, and don't mind the monotony, you'll like this just fine. But if you wanted more from this season... well, you might not want to watch this. Possibly redeemable in the third season (Mitsuganae), but given it's track record, it's probably not going to happen.

Story: 6
Art: 9
Music: 9
Seiyuu: 7
Length: 6

Overall: 37/50; 74% (C) read more