jigoku shoujo

Picture taken from funimation.com

I learnt about this anime, Jigoku Shoujo, from my tudi and decided to check it out because the story seems different from the usual stuff I watch.

There is a Hell Correspondence website where you can access at the stroke of midnight if you want revenge on someone. Enma Ai, the hell girl, will meet you once a request is submitted online. A straw doll with a red string round its neck is then passed to you. You make a covenant with Enma Ai when you pull the red string and the recipient of the revenge will be ferried straightaway to hell. Once the revenge is dealt, you will have to pay the compensation - you will go to hell when you die. Unable to go to heaven, you will be left to wander and suffer in hell for eternity. Enma Ai then leaves it to you to decide - will you pull the string?

Both BH and I feel that it's not worth going to hell for someone who deserves to. However, in many of the episodes, I can really understand the emotions the characters are going through for them to decide to pull the string. When your life and / or everything you have or that matters to you are put on the line, you don't have the time or luxury to analyse what the best course of action is. You just want justice. Immediately.

Having said that, in a few of the episodes, I feel that the 'crimes' committed are too petty to warrant the offender being sent to hell. There is even one episode where a nurse is sent to hell by a total stranger she had not done anything to. That is really very 冤枉, I feel.

Even though my tudi assured me that it's not the creepy-gives-you-nightmares type of anime, I got scared by the eerie background music a few times, especially when watching it alone in my room at night. I tried watching it on my laptop with the room lights off once and within seconds, the lights were back on again cos it was just too scary! The episode about the doll's soul wreaking havoc in the sanatorium totally freaked me out. It's embarrassing.

It's a thought provoking series and yes, tudi, the last episode made me tear really badly. Definitely worth spending my long weekend completing the series. Anyone interested can watch Season 1 here. I'm now on to Season 2!