...
Anyways, I was serious: This series will probably bring out your inner sadist. Read below and find out.
Story: 8. The premise is quite interesting and different. However, I don't appreciate the episodic nature used for 90% of the episodes. The only REAL story occurs in the last 3, where you actually learn about Ai herself. Until then, the episodes are predictable and formulaic: Person gets wronged, person goes to Internet to contact the Hell Correspondence, person receives doll, person angsts over whether or not to pull the thread, eventually does, then the evildoer is sent to hell. They switch it up a bit in between, but for the most part, this is pretty much what you can expect. (Until Hajime, the reporter, starts trying to meddle; not like he can stop the inevitable.)
Art: 7. Very hit-and-miss. The animation in the "real world" (where most events take place) is mediocre; it's quite disappointing when you compare it to other anime of the time. A lot of it is sheer laziness, specifically in the areas of generic, bland, repetitive character design, poor facial expressions, and inconsistent proportions. However, the visuals when we get to visit Ai's "world" (or whatever you want to call it), or see someone on their trip to hell, or just anytime Ai is present on the screen at all, you can expect to be dazzled. Also part of said formulaic-ness of the series is the overuse of stock footage--specifically in the sequence where the thread has been pulled and Ai is on her way to "fetch them."
Sound: 8. The music as a whole is pretty good. The OP is a generic J-pop piece that doesn't really fit the series at all; the ED, on the other hand, is a great, solemn piece called "Basting" with lyrics and tone that perfectly match the mood. Even its NAME is suiting. The soundtrack has some memorable gems, too. The sound effect synchronization with actions occuring on screen is kind of off at times, though, and they could be better. The voice actors (English) are pretty decent, but Brina Palencia as Ai DEFINITELY steals the show.
Character: 7. Like I mentioned, most of the character designs are pretty bland. By FAR the most attention was obviously given to Ai (which I'm totally fine with, but it DOES make looking at the supporting cast pretty boring). Some characters are easier to sympathize with than others. They do a pretty good job painting the picture so you end up wanting them to pull the string too. The characters generally can provoke a decent emotional reaction from you and, in spite of generic character design, are somehow able to remain memorable in their own ways--in spite of said generic-ness. (Not like I really care to remember most of them.)
Enjoyment: 9. Like I said at the beginning, this show may bring out the inner sadist you never knew you were. It's very easy to hate the evildoer, and when the time finally comes, you *may* find yourself yelling, "YOU DESERVE IT, MO' F**KA!" I always looked forward to the bastards that abused/wronged the character in focus to get what they deserved and couldn't wait for that string to be pulled. By far the most enjoyable part for me was the torment/torture sequence the offender was usually subjected to before actually being ferried to hell.
Overall: 8. Hell Girl was on the fast track to being a 7, but saved itself at the end with the 3 episodes at the end about Ai's back story. It does some things really well (premise, enjoyment, and Ai herself), but severely lacks in others (animation, a lot of the characters). I wouldn't have minded the episodic nature if it had only taken up ~6 of the episodes and the rest was focused on Ai, Hajime, and Tsugumi. It would also have been nice to actually get more in-depth back stories on Ai's helpers (all we get to hear is "she saved us from eternal damnation" or whatever, and is never mentioned again). Maybe this will be fixed in season two. We'll see though.
Also, they seemed to have tried to cram some aesop about vengeance not being worth it in at the end, but honestly, the majority of the series was indicative of the exact opposite (bar a couple cases).
So all in all: Definitely watch this if you like seeing justice being served--evil people getting what they deserve. Just don't expect an amazing overarching plot.
