Jigoku Shoujo ep.5

November 2, 2005 | 11 Comments

I sympathise with Enma Ai, I really do. I personally think spamming someone else's computer/email/blog by repeatedly asking for the same thing, or by advertising things without their consent is rude. Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, there is no such thing as Jigoku Tsuushin in reality. Otherwise I'll repeatedly send spammers to hell and I'll be going to hell in no time as well. But I think this is why the fifth episode works so well because it finally shows that there's more to the inner working of Jigoku Tsuushin than meets the eye. You can't just put anything into the website and not attracting the wrath of Ai and her associates. Before we go further though, there are images in this entry that some people may consider disturbing. With that in mind, do not proceed if you're afraid of blood-splattered images.

The episode begins with Ai's Classic Mac flashing red, indicating that there is a request coming in. Ai, however, looks unimpressed upon finding out that the message is a simple "Please help". It seems someone has been sending the same message day after day so Enma Ai and her associates are unhappy about this. Meanwhile inside a company called 'Dead Line', a girl called Urano Misato is seen informing her boss, Riho, that she can't access the Jigoku Tsuushin site anymore. Riho is unhappy to hear this because she wants to use the site for her own benefit. Riho also tells Misato that she expects Misato to work early tomorrow morning. When Misato voices her objection because she has an exam tomorrow, Riho warns Misato that she is the reason Misato can go to school to begin with. Riho looks sad upon hearing this and longingly stares at something off-screen.

The next day Hone-Onna comes to the office pretending to be a new employee. She finds out that in general, everyone in the company seems to have a lot of respect for Riho because they think she is the one who built the company through her l33t computer skills. But the truth is, she simply uses some men in her company to run most of her jobs for her. Other employees also think that Riho has been taking care of Misato ever since the girl's parents died. Little do they know that Riho has simply been using Misato to do various hacking jobs for her. Eventually, Enma Ai and her associates find out that Riho and Misato are the ones who have been sending the 'Please help' message. As the request lights up on Ai's computer, Wanyuudo, who's been pretending to be a security guard, sees the two using Jigoku Tsuushin from his surveillance/security monitor.

After another failed attempt to ask help from Jigoku Tsuushin, Riho orders Misato to hack the site. When Misato tells her that it's difficult to do, Misato threatens her that failure means that Misato will have to return to life as a shoplifter. Upon finding out about this, Ichimoku Ren is launching an investigation at the Hyaku-en shop where Misato was caught shop-lifting and finds out that the owner of the shop is actually Riho herself. Apparently Riho promised not to hand in Misato to the police if she works for her. Eventually, Ai and her associates meet to discuss their case. This is one funny scene that reveals how little Hone-Onna knows about the case. She seems to believe what her co-workers told her, forcing Ichimoku Ren and Wanyuudo to tell her the truth about Riho and Misato and how Riho has been using the men in her life.

Meanwhile, Misato has her own plan to expose Riho's dirty dealing by installing a video surveillance inside Riho's room. However, when she obtains a proof of Riho ordering someone to kill a person, Riho catches her in the act and asks Misato if she thinks she finally has the proof that she needs to expose Riho as the murderer of Misato's father. Riho reveals that the truth is, she once accused Misato's father of being a pervert in a train so that he will help her with some computer hacking. However, when Misato's father tried to expose Riho to the police, he got killed by Riho's henchman. Riho also adds that she knows that Misato's real name is actually Tamura Misato and that she has been pretending to be a shoplifter to infiltrate Riho's company. Misato is angry upon hearing this and tells Riho that she will surely go to hell for what she's done.

Riho, however, tells her that winners are those who get the most out of his/her life and orders her henchman to kill Misato. Misato immediately activates the fire sprinkler and hides in one of the employees' cubicle. Just as she hides herself under the table, the clock's bell chimes off, indicating that it's midnight. Misato immediately remembers about Jigoku Tsuushin and types in Riho's name as the hit man is closing in on her. Misato then closes her eyes in fear but when she opens them, she finds herself in the sunset world. Ai tells her the drill and gives her the doll after warning her about the consequences. Misato, however, doesn't care about the consequences as long as Riho is going to hell soon. Besides, she thinks that as long as Riho is around, her life will be like hell. With that in mind, she pulls the red string.

Outside the employees' room, Riho is waiting for her hit man impatiently. She eventually decides to check it out but upon entering the room, she instead finds herself outside an apartment complex. In addition to this, she now sports longer hair and younger appearance. It is here that we find out that Riho's first victims were her cheating boyfriend and his new girlfriend, whom she bludgeoned and repeatedly stabbed to death. This time, however, her victims rise up from their death and morph into her face. Riho freaks out upon seeing this and runs out of the apartment where she is eventually sent to hell by Ai. After the incident, Ai and her associates wipe out the memory of everyone who has seen them. Before they leave, however, Ai believes that another is wavering in the darkness. True enough, Misato is now seen inside the CEO office without any regret for her action.

Impression:

I really like the way the animators make younger version of Riho physically looking similar to Misato. It kind of confuses me at first but after seeing the ending, it feels really appropriate. In the end, Misato can't help but enjoying her revenge, making her not too different from Riho. It's interesting to see this because both Misato and Riho started out simply as people who have lost everything they consider important and in their anger, decide to become evil so they don't become a victim of circumstances any longer. It doesn't make their action any more justifiable but it certainly shows how easy it is for a person to become evil in a flash of momentary anger and despair. And since the existence of a 'soul' is such an abstract concept based mostly on the faith of a person, it is not surprising to see people easily exclude it as something that they may lose as well if they become evil.

© memento 2003