Subculture Anime Blog

NA-KA-MA.

Summary:

A woman named Nakiri Kaori is renown for her flower arrangements, but she herself does not believe she has been performing what she truly wishes to. Seeing her teachers cutting fresh flowers elsewhere, Yuzuki receives a bouquet from the Jigoku Tsushin. She runs into Kaori in town afterwards, who arranges the flowers in exchange for Yuzuki’s buying some yams for her. Kaori had wanted to do this for her because of the clothes she is currently wearing; an outfit usually worn for a funeral service. As the two sit together on the nearby shrine’s steps, Kaori tells Yuzuki about the family duties that she was suppose to inherit. She had left her family despite this, wanting to pursue her own goals. Yuzuki meets two of Kaori’s acquaintances after awhile, Kodakuri and Tsukio, then attending the service with them. To Yuzuki’s surprise, she sees who are supposedly her teachers from school there; the Jigoku Tsushin.

The Jigoku Tsushin worries about Yuzuki’s discovering their true identities, as Yamawaro explains their information gathering skills to Kikuri later. Ai expresses that Yuzuki’s awakening may be soon, suggesting that she would soon have to tell her about her duty. Kaori soon runs into trouble with a woman named Kurozaka Yukina, the supposed daughter of her father. With obviously impure motives, Yukina suggests her wish to fulfill her late mother’s wishes. This would go as far as her inheriting the family’s most valuable assets. Kaori expresses her worry to Tsukio that night, then asking if he has found a wife yet. Tsukio expresses that he would be happy if he could simply serve Kaori from now on, but when Kaori replies by advancing on him, he advices against it. Yuzuki gathers photos of the Jigoku Tsushin from her friends in the meantime, but is surprised when they disappear from her phone later. To Yuzuki’s predictions, Ai appears to reveal that the supposed school teachers are actually her comrades.

As Tsushin discovers more of Yukina’s plot, even involving her poisoning of Kaori, he quickly alerts Kodakuri. When Kaori is served with a drink later, Tsushin quickly drinks the concoction and collapses. Filled with hate, Kaori gains a straw doll from Ai. Kaori is soon told several things about her father, her true relationship with Tsushin, and even a hidden secret within the family. The family did not only own the Nakari-ryu, but another art known as the Hakki-ryu existed. This involved the planting of flowers within those of the deceased. Seeing this, Kaori realizes that this was what she was truly looking for. Starting her first project, Kaori sends Yukina to hell. At a dying Tsushin’s bedside, Kaori agrees to use his body for the first project. When Yuzuki meets Kaori afterwards, she is surprised to learn that she has inherited her family’s duties despite their earlier conversation. Yuzuki is further shocked from news from Ai, however, as she explains that her destiny would be to become Jigoku Shoujo herself.

Preview: Jigoku Hakase vs Jigoku Shoujo!

Impression:

UH OH. Guess all that imagery from the ED wasn’t just for show after all! I was initially feeling like this week’s story was trying too hard to be well written within a 20 minute timeframe (without succeeding), but the ending alone made it worthwhile. The theme of duty was played on fairly well, and the parallels dealing with flower symbolism were nice too. I loved watching the petal fall to Yuzuki’s side when she saw her vision. There were several pretty shots of Ai scattered throughout the episode, and it was great to see everyone using their classic skills during the torture sequence. Next week is the introduction of “Jigoku Hakase”, rather than Hell Boy who most people were expecting to return. Either way, it should be one of the more fun to watch.

Jigoku Shoujo, huh? Not sure if Yuzuki fits that role quite yet…

EDIT: Oh, almost forgot because of the sudden twists; Been listening to the OP single for awhile now, since it has been released. I’m actually liking it quite a bit, and despite my previous prejudice, Nana Kitade seems to be getting quite better since her early days. (I almost forgot that she did the ED to Persona as well, which I really liked.)