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ローゼンメイデン 
I think it was a good idea to watch these episodes back to back even though the theme from each episode are different. This is because both episodes show how Ai increasingly attempts to give hints to Hajime and Tsugumi while leaving her associates in the dark about this. As a result, in both episodes, we get to see Ichimoku Ren and Hone-Onna constantly trying to foil Hajime's attempt to help the victim. If only they know that Ai is the one who's been giving hints and visions to Tsugumi. In a way it makes sense that Hajime and Tsugumi are not introduced until episode 8 because prior to that episode, Ai probably didn't have any desire to help those who used the website using other, more normal approach. This also explains why Hajime and Tsugumi's role have intensified ever since the incident because Ai seems to believe that there are other ways to resolve dispute, anger, and sadness.
In episode 15, Hajime and Tsugumi visits an island which appeared in Tsugumi's vision. On their way there, they encountered a young man named Yuuji, whose arm seems to have been hurt by something. Unfortunately by the time they arrived on the island the father/daughter duo realise that no one in the island want to talk to strangers. It doesn't help that Ichimoku Ren and Hone Onna are hell bent on ensuring that they don't talk to anyone. When Hajime manages to talk to an owner of a cafe (which serves Monkey-themed dishes), Ichimoku Ren scares off the owner by appearing as an eyeball on Hajime's T-shirt. Hajime, however, eventually gets to talk to a school principal who reveals something about Mina, the woman that Tsugumi saw in her vision. Apparently Mina's mom at one point ran away with a man from outside the island but returned back when she got pregnant and dumped by the man. She then lived with her sister, Mina's aunt, until one day Mina's mom committed suicide.
Ever since then, Mina and her aunt has been close like mother and daughter until Mina starts to take interest in boys. Ever since then, the two have been fighting with one another. Meanwhile, Mina reveals to her boyfriend, Yuuji, the man that Hajime met on the boat, that the person who attacked her while he was diving was actually her aunt. Yuuji doesn't believe this but Mina tells him that she saw and confronted her aunt about the wound on her arms. She then shows Yuuji the straw doll she got from Ai and asks her boyfriend to pull the string. Unknown to the two, they have been observed by Ai. At the same time, Hajime gets to meet Mina's aunt and believes that she is a nice woman. However, that night Tsugumi gets another vision from Ai and from the vision, Hajime finds out that Mina and Yuuji are about to pull the string. Because of this, he races off to stop the two of them. He manages to arrive in time to convince the two not to do it. In return the two agree to elope instead.
Hajime doesn't agree with that either but nevertheless he feels a bit relieved that they decided not to use the doll. Ichimoku Ren and Hone Onna, however, are not happy with the situation and decide to push Hajime off the railing. Thankfully he is unharmed despite of it. Meanwhile, Mina is ready to leave her aunt's house when she starts hearing her aunt talking to someone in the barn. Upon checking the source of the voice, she realises that the other voice belongs to her mother. She starts to think that her mother is still alive but when she gets inside, she finds out that her mother has been nothing but a corpse and it is her aunt who's been mimicking her mother's voice. Mina's aunt then revealed that she killed Mina's mother when she tried to leave the island again and she intends to kill Mina now. Yuuji arrives in time to scuffle with Mina's aunt and in her desperation, Mina has no choice but to pull the string. Mina's aunt is transported to hell, leaving Hajime feeling helpless at the situation.
Episode 16 begins with a girl who seems to have been physically abused receiving a visit from Ai who gives her the drill. At the same time, Tsugumi wakes up from her sleep to let Hajime know that she gets another vision. She doesn't know the location but thinks that she saw a Circus poster. So off the two on a mission to find said Circus before eventually stumbled upon a Circus group called 'Happy Circus' (which ironically has a picture of a crying girl). The arrival of the two are quickly noted by a dismayed Ichimoku Ren and Hone-Onna, who wonder how they managed to find out about this. After watching a performance from a little girl, Hajime becomes convinced that she was the one who used Jigoku Tsuushin. Later on, while in disguise Ichimoku Ren gives Hajime a brief tour of several circus personality, Hone-Onna decides to investigate Tsugumi. She asks the little girl what she and her father are doing in the place.
Tsugumi pretends that she doesn't know anything. She, however, manages to make Hone-Onna angry by calling her 'old lady'. Tsugumi also asks Hone-Onna if there's anything she can do since this is circus after all. At the same time, Hajime reveals his intention to see the girl who performed today to Ichimoku Ren. Ren tells him that it's hard to do this because the girl is the Circus manager's favourite. But since Hajime has come all the way from Tokyo, he'll try to help Hajime. The truth is, Ren's 'help' is more of a diversion. Hajime soon finds out that the girl does not know anything about Jigoku Tsuushin. She ends up being freaked out when Hajime says that he'll take her away, leaving Ren to easily kick Hajime out of the circus. Hajime has no choice but to take Tsugumi and leaves the Circus. Once Hajime left, Ren finds out that Hone-Onna has trapped herself inside a box in an attempt to show tricks to Tsugumi. But now she can't get out. LOL.
That night, while Tsugumi and Hajime are having dinner, Tsugumi sees a vision of the Circus manager using a whip to beat up a girl inside a trailer park. Upon hearing Tsugumi's description how the girl always gets hit, Hajime realises that there are twin girls in the Circus and the one asking Enma Ai's help is the one he didn't meet. Hajime and Tsugumi eventually finds the girl with the red string near her leg. Hajime asks Tsugumi to take care of the girl while he goes to warn the Circus manager. At the same time, Tsugumi sees Ai comforting the abused girl, revealing a past where the girl's twin always tried to make her look worse in front of the Circus manager. At the same time, Hajime realises that the real target of the abused girl is actually her twin and not the manager. But it is all too late as she's sucked into hell and receives judgment. Despite this, the girl still thinks that it'll be better if her twin was never born. After the incident, the abused girl, Yumi, becomes the Circus manager's new favourite.
Impression:
Episode 15 was quite creepy and entertaining despite its obvious Psycho rip-off. I am not sure which one is scarier, finding out that Mina's aunt has been impersonating Mina's mother or the cold-blooded murder that she did to prevent her sister from leaving the island. This episode also suggests that Ai doesn't want her helpers to know about her attempt to help Hajime to stop these people from using the straw doll. Or rather, Ai's helpers don't seem to know that Ai is the one who's been giving hints to Hajime and Tsugumi. Ai's decision to hide herself as soon as Ichimoku Ren and Hone-Onna arrive on the scene only serves to reinforce this argument. Although come to think of it, since the straw doll is Wanyuudo, wouldn't he know that Ai has been mimicking the words of Mina and Yuuji and relaying the info to Tsugumi? Or is this one of those plot holes that viewers are not meant to notice?
Episode 16 seems to be a classic case of sibling rivalry taken a step too far. I do wonder if it's the twin or the manager who deserve to go to hell more. Maybe it's both of them but unfortunately such option is not available. Having said that, Ai seems to believe that the abused girl should not rely on her service and that is why once again she asks Tsugumi and Hajime to help the girl. It seems she feels sorry for the abused girl that she doesn't want her to go to hell later on in life. On the other hand, since Ichimoku Ren and Hone-Onna don't know that Ai is the one who's been helping Hajime and Tsugumi, they try their best to foil Hajime's plan. And they've been more and more proactive at it. This time Ren purposedly lead Hajime to the wrong girl so he can have a reason to force Hajime to leave the Circus. I do wonder what Ai's associates will do once they find out about her involvement with Hajime and Tsugumi. Will they end up helping her or will they go against her.
Jigokushojo is interesting in many ways. It is one of few animes where the main character talks much less than the supporting ones. Hajime seems to talk more than any other character and even Tugumi talks more than Ai. Since I like Ai's voice, I wish the writer could make Ai talk much more. Since the old painter showed some history of Ai and what she had been doing, many questions have been left unanswered. Why has Ai been sending images to Tugumi? What does Ai want Hajime to do for her? Why can't she tell her three subordinates what she really wants to do or not to do? It makes me a little frustrated but the anime is still interesting enough for me to keep watching.
There is one question. In Garten's impression, he says,"Since the straw doll is Wanyuudo,...?" I don't understand this part. Does it mean the doll looks being made of straw but Wanyuudo actually transforms himself into the doll?
You'll enjoy the next ep more, if you liked these two, just because it's different... and actually creepy, the way previous episodes of Jigoku Shoujo have not been. As it is... I think everyone, particularly Grandmother, are in the dark regarding Ai's motives in linking with Tsugumi and sharing all this information with someone who's in a position to investigate (Hajime).
By the way, did Tsugumi say 'obasan' or 'obaasan'? :D And I suspect that Tsugumi's there as much to look cute and moe, as she is to provide a link for Hajime to follow up the Jigoku Tsuushin with.
Shouzo, I think episode 5 reveals that it is Wanyuudo who transforms into the black straw doll given to each revenge wisher. This explains why we always hear his voice after the red string is undone.
Haesslich, it's probably 'obasan' (can't remember and unfortunately already deleted the file) although I think it's funnier calling her 'obaasan'. I used 'old lady' just to be on the safe side since it conveys the feeling of an elderly person without being constrained by age. :D
Thank you Garten. I think I remember seeing that episode and now I understand what you said in your impression.
What the heck? The episode 15 I saw was a clip show.
I haven't been able to see all the episodes of Jigoku shoujo yet. A few more are to be released on TV over here in Japan in the next few months. As for "obaasan" and "obaachan," they are terms that can be used repsectfully for those considerably older than one. It is also does mean "grandmother." And considering that many families here in Japan commonly live under one roof with uncles, aunts, and grandparents, more and likely the woman is Ai's grandmother. The wheel that the old woman turns is that used for sorting out or making threads, silk, cotton, which ever, that are needed for making cloth for kimono. Her kimono does seems to have some sort of hypnotizing if not immediate spell effect on victims. Hmm....
I really appreciate this page cause I was a little confused in episode 15 at the end. Thank you everyone for your commentary, I didn't realize Ai was the one sending Megumi the visions.
I had a question though. Does anyone know what song that was in episode 16 that Yumi sang? I wrote down the lyrics but I can't find the song title
Ouchi wasureta ko hipari wa?
hiroi hatake no mugi no naka
kaasan tasunete naita kedo
kaze ni ho mugi ga naru bakari
ouchi wasureta mayoigo no
ipari ha hitori mugi no na ka
yama no kitsune ha nakanu kedo
kurete samishii tsuki akari
la fille des enfers est très belle et j'aime
beaucoup son travaille et son monde
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