Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 20: Hell Doctor vs. Hell Girl

The series picks up its pace as it nears the conclusion of its 26-episode run, and things get even more hectic with the return of a Season 1 fan favorite: Tsugumi!  Well…a grown up Tsugumi, at least.  Anyway, heads will spin, as math and science explain the concept of Hell in this episode of Jigoku Shoujo!

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 19: Snow, Moon, Flower

A vast improvement over the last episode, with a very…well, EPIC ending.  Gods, where was this 18 episodes ago!?  Mind you, the ending is still hidden behind the rest of the episode, but at least the plot was a lot more dramatic than a stupid radio show.

Noticed that nobody has ever put up the translation for the full version of ‘storm’, aka Mai Otome Zwei ED2.  I like the song enough that I might actually put it up here.  I’ll have to rummage around for the lyrics.

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 18: Special Radio

To be perfectly honest, I’ve already finished Mitsuganae, but I’ve been far too lazy to actually write about it.  I’ll try to clear the backlog in good time, however.  Meanwhile, only one show has caught me eye so far for the new season: K-On!  The others…well, so far they’re falling flat on their faces, although Tears to Tiara may have SOME promise.  If I clear this backlog in a reasonable amount of time, I’ll start that maybe.  Speaking of backlogs, I’ve had Abyss done for like…ever.

Back to this episode.  Simply put?  I couldn’t buy into this episode at all.  Especially looking at it in hindsight, with so much goodness at the end of the series…meh, well, here you go.  For completeness sake.

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 17: Inside the Straw

Ai’s companions always seem to have some oddly tragic backstory attached to them.  Hone-Onna, the spurned courtesan.  Wanyuudou, the driver whose decisions cost a noblewoman her life.  Ichimoku Ren, a bloodied sword given human form.

However, there are two more of Ai’s compatriots that work for the Jigoku Tsuushin.  Kikuri, seemingly the right hand of Hell itself.  And then there is Yamawaro…and I guess this is his story.

(By the way, I know I’m insanely behind on this series, but I’ll get it done.  I’m balancing blogging it with actually translating it amongst other things, so bear with me.)

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 16: Trap of Temptation

When I watched this episode, the first thing that popped into my head was “oh wow, you’d have to be BLIND not to see this ending coming”.  It honestly seemed primed for yet another failed attempt to pique my interest, and you know what?  I saw the ending coming, and enjoyed it anyway.  This may seem a bit odd, I know, but the final part was the clincher for me, regardless of the painfully transparent happenings that are occurring throughout the episode.  Had a real Lola Rennt -esque feel to it all (thankfully, though, they don’t go through the entire thing three times before deciding ‘okay move on now’.)

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 15: Rabbit and Tortoise

Time to break the Abyss string with another episode of Mitsuganae!  About six episodes behind…but then again, we’re subbing about 8 episodes behind.  Been busy lately, and I’ve been gravitating towards finishing Abyss instead.  I should also point out that I probably gave up too early on ToraDORAMA, which has rapidly turned into one of the better high school love dramedy shows I’ve seen in a while.

ANYWAY, here we start going back to how this series began – Yuzuki playing spectator.  Mind you, she does try, but like before, she’s once again helpless against the Jigoku Tsuushin.  Hopefully things start to turn around for her soon…

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 14: Street Corner of Bitterness

Two steps forward, one step back.  This is another one of those forgettable single-episode grudges, but at least they’re listening to those of us who complained of a compelling thread.  Yuzuki is finally getting herself involved and also finally realizings the difficulty of the task lying before her.  That in itself is an improvement over previous episodes, and bodes well for the remaining episodes in the series.

Too bad the grudge was idiotic.

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae Ep. 13: Six-Lettered Lantern

One of the best episodes in the entire Jigoku Shoujo series that breathes new life into a season I had once left for dead.  If they can sustain this for the rest of the season, I will gladly forgive them the 12 episodes of fan service and rubbish they tossed on us.  After all, they have a LOT to work with, given all of the loose ends in this episode.  I can see another Futakomori happening, but hey, something new could always arise.