Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori ep.06

November 12, 2006 | 16 Comments

I can't seem to concentrate long enough to write anything today. It's hard not to read all of the good news about PS3. It's a pleasant surprise since I thought people will end up having problem with the first batch of PS3. Anyway, enough reading for now and time for some recap. At the core, this episode is about how people often don't make enough effort to help themselves and others. I think the writers want to suggest that things are not going to get better on its own unless a person takes an initiative to solve his/her own problem. I am not sure if sending someone through Jigoku Shoujo can be called an initiative though since this action requires a third party to get involved in your problem. Having said that, this episode shows that sometimes it may not be such a bad idea for the characters to use the service.

A student called Hosono Souta is busy looking at pictures of his classmates inside the sick room. When he hears someone coming to check on him, however, he quickly puts the mobile away and pretends to be reading his notes. As it turns out the person is none other than Nurse Hone-Onna. She wants to know how Souta is feeling but the guy claims that nothing has changed. It appears that Souta has been suffering from social withdrawal so everyday he's been going to the sickroom instead of his class. Hone-Onna wonders until when Souta is planning to do this but he instead threatens to quit school instead. Wow, I didn't know you can do this at school these days. Back in my day, I'd get spanked by the teacher or my parents if I try anything funny like this. This either means that kids are weak these days or I didn't try harder and said something like: "Sensei, my classmates' face makes me sick. Can I go to the sickroom, please?".

Once the school is over, Souta can be seen following Kiwako, the girl whose pictures is on his cellphone and proceeds to take more secret snapshot of the girl. Ren, who's been observing from afar thinks that Souta is like a stalker but Wanyuudou thinks that maybe he's just trying to make sure that she's safe. Yes, I'm sure that's the reason why he took her pictures: to make her feel safe. Back home, Souta has no appetite for food and decides to go straight into his room so he can photoshopped his photos. The next day durin breakfast, Souta's mother asks her son to tell her if there is anything that troubles him. She is worried that he's been going to the sick room so she thinks maybe he should stay home instead. Souta's father is angry upon hearing this and tells his wife that it's because she's been spoiling their son that Souta ends up like this. Souta, however, ignores his father and proceeds to ride his bike and stalk Kiwako again.

A flashback then reveals that Kiwako once gave Souta the mobile phone that he dropped when he got off his bike. After seeing the incident, however, other girls loudly ask if there is actually someone that Souta can call. It was at this point that the rest of his classmates except Kiwako laughed at him. In the present day, Kiwako meets up with her boyfriend while Souta continues to follow her. Another flashback then shows Souta in the middle of doing his homework alone in the sickroom when Hone-Onna told him that she saw the picture inside his phone and asked him who is the girl. Souta wasn't interested to tell her but Hone-Onna told him that he should be more of a man and told her about his feelings. She even offered to help him because she thinks it must be boring to just look at her pictures. Much to her surprise, Souta didn't mind that he can only look at her pictures. He thinks she might hate him or he'll hate her if he starts talking to her.

Back in the present time, Souta follows Kiwako and her boyfriend all the way to the bowling alley. All of a sudden, Kiwako feels as if she's been watched. This could either mean that she sensed Souta or Ren's big humongous eye. Souta, who almost gets caught stalking Kiwako, decides to hide in the bathroom. In the process, he overhears Kiwako's boyfriend talking to his male friend. When the friend mentions that finding girl is hard, Kiwako's boyfriend tells the guy that he'll lend Kiwako to him tomorrow. Well, what are friends for but to share girlfriend, right? Inside Ai's sunset world, Kikuri is playing with a dragonfly while Wanyuudou and Ren are talking about how Ai has been moody lately. When the dragonfly lands on Wanyuudou's head, Kikuri calls the old man "Baldy" and when it flies towards Hone-Onna, the brat calls her "Old hag". I think someone is going to get punished soon. Inside her house, Ai is lying in the mat floor, her expression is undecipherable.

Back in the human world, Souta access Jigoku Tsuushin and types in the name of Kiwako's boyfriend. In the end, however, he decides not to press the 'enter' button. Strangely, Ai suddenly appears behind him and starts giving Souta the drill even though he didn't even call her. Souta starts telling her about how Kiwako's boyfriend is a bad person but there is nothing he can do to help her. Ai suddenly tells him that she is not an ally of justice and disappears from the room. On the rooftop, Ren make a comment about how it seems Souta has been rejected by Ai. Because of this, Souta tries to warn Kiwako by giving her a call but he chickens out at the last minute. As a result, Kiwako goes to her boyfriend's house and gets drugged by him. A few days later, Kiwako comes to the sick room because she feels sick in the middle of class. While inside the sick room, Kiwako tells Souta that this place is quiet and considers the idea of moving here permanently.

Souta thinks she should not do this so Kiwako asks him why he's in here then. Souta tells her it's because he's not sure what he should do. Upon finding out about this, Kiwako tells him that she feels the same way since she doesn't feel like seeing the face of her classmates. Kiwako then asks Souta if he's ever heard of Jigoku Tsuushin and tells him that she accessed the site and placed someone's name in it. Souta is shocked to hear this and warns her not to do it because she'll go to Hell as well. Kiwako, however, reveals to Souta that it's too late for her and shows him her Hell mark. She explains that she just sent a bad person to Hell and yet she doesn't feel happy for some reason. She knows she's going to Hell and not sure how she's going to lead her life from now on. Inside Hell, Kiwako's boyfriend wakes up and is surprised to know that he's in Hell. He claims that it's not his mistake but a bunch of hands appear and starts clawing at him.

In the aftermath of the incident, Souta regrets his inaction and when he goes home that day, he is seen starring at a shop selling a big knife. That night he looks at a picture of the man who raped Kiwako and is about to head out when Ai suddenly appears in front of him. He tells her that he finally understands why she disappeared that day. He didn't need to make a request because he could have done it all on his own. After Ai confirms this, Souta heads out of the house and does not answer his mother when she asks him where he is going this late at night. From a rooftop, Wanyuudou makes a comment about how this time it's Ai who's been rejected by the client. Hone-Onna, however, laments the fact that Souta is about to go to Hell using his own effort. The episode then ends with Kiwako's rapist walking out of a club. Not far from him, Souta is hiding in the alley with his hand inside a pocket which possibly conceals the knife.

Impression:

Souta made many mistakes in this story. As a result, he ended up where he was at the end of the story. To begin with, although it was cruel of his classmates to make that nasty remark about him not having anyone to call, he should not have cooped up himself inside the sick room. That simply gave his tormentor the satisfaction that they were looking for. Kids are generally cruel, there's not much that a student in primary/high school can do about this. Because of this, it's important for those who are being made fun of/bullied not to get offended easily and to have the will to fight back. Otherwise, nothing will ever change because no one will stand up for a person if that person never make an effort to stand up for himself. I also think that it's kind of foolish of him to break a sweat and kill the guy when he knows that he's going to Hell anyway. Why not use Ai's service and rest in peace knowing that Ai will get the job done well? :P

No, seriously. I mean why would he do it on his own if he knew that chances are, he's going to Hell? It's naive of him to think that he can kill a person easily and get away with it. If he had used Ai's service, he'd still get the revenge and satisfaction that he wanted. Minus the chances that he'll be captured and thrown to jail. If he had used Ai's service, at least he can then live the rest of his life freely before he experiences what a BBQ chicken must feel when they get roasted. I realise that by now I must sound highly amoral but I want to point out how most of the time, the characters in this series don't think far ahead before committing something. As a result, they end up being disadvantaged by their decisions. In other note, I'm interested to know why Ai acts strange in this episode. She looked kind of drunk when she appeared in Souta's room. Why did she bother to appear when in the end she's just going to say that she's not an ally of justice?

Preview

On next week's episode: It's all about bondage bonds.

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