Subculture Anime Blog

SM Jesus Tsugumi, SSJ Ai, and headplanting Kikuri! What an episode.

Summary:

Yuzuki has a dream where she rushes to stop someone from pulling the string off of a straw doll, as she is passed by a young Tsugumi. To both of the girls’ dismay, they are unable to stop the person’s revenge. When Yuzuki wakes, she finds herself in Tsugumi-sensei’s office. She gets to the point by asking her about the last time they saw each other, and if she knows about the Jigoku Shoujo, but Tsugumi refuses to give Yuzuki a clear answer. The Jigoku Tsushin discuss the coincidence of Tsugumi’s being at their school outside, further wondering about Hajime, but this is interrupted by Ren’s informing them about their current job . Yamawaro and Kikuri approach a large mansion belonging to the client, but upon reaching its gates, they find that they are unable to enter because of an interference.

Yuzuki, Ai, and Tsugumi eventually sense something simultaneously, which turns out to be grudge intended for Tsugumi herself. This brings them, as well as the Jigoku Tsushin, to the large mansion that night. To Yuzuki’s surprise, Tsugumi and Ai greet each other as if they have known each other for quite some time. Upon entering the mansion, Ai quickly shows that her powers are greater than the machinery that prevented the other Jigoku Tsushin members from using their abilities. The group is then introduced to a man named Mizuragi Shogo, the man who held a grudge against Tsugumi.

Shogo’s background is revealed to be that of a researcher, having been an individual that caused many deaths that did not seem to concern him. He one day became extremely interested in hell and the Jigoku Shoujo, realizing why after recalling the day his father mysteriously disappeared from his home. It was his mother who grudged him, and she eventually disappeared as well. The Jigoku Tsushin wonder how Shogo was able to contact them despite not having a true grudge against Tsugumi, so he explains that these emotions were implanted with the assistance of technology.

To the surprise of the Jigoku Tsushin, Ai agrees to give a straw doll to Shogo. But with Tsugumi at the center of his next experiment, and his only half way having pulled the string off of his doll, it is revealed that his assistant Kikyo had put a grudge on him instead. This was done with the assistance of Yamawaro and Kikuri. Kikyo explains that he carried out the grudge that the several children in the lab had on Shogo, as they were used without any concern for them or their relationships. Shogo understands this, then only accepting his fading after leaving the children to Kikyo. While on the ferry to hell, Shogo can only wonder if he would now be able to see his mother.

Preview: A bit more of the usual before the eventual finale.

Impression:

I’d have to say that this episode honestly ended up being pretty anticlimactic after how big last week’s preview seemed to make it; especially with the client this week being a relatively unimportant character overall. Tsugumi’s involvement wasn’t exactly huge either, though it was a plus that we got to learn a lot about what she had been experiencing since her last encounter with Ai. I’m sure that it’s safe to assume that Hajime has passed on by now, with Tsugumi’s expressing how tired she is of living alone. That only leaves his research, which returned from the second season among other things in this episode… I found it funny how most of the exposition “Jigoku Hakase” gave out was essentially a recap of the major events in previous seasons.

There were some pretty aesthetic shots scattered throughout this episode though, and was that a hint of Ai grinning? Seeing the Jigoku Tsushin actually express a bit of opinion was a nice break from the usual. Either way, I’m hoping to see more Tsugumi before everything is all said and done. Her now cold nature is an interesting contrast to the effort Yuzuki is trying her best to pursue. I’m assuming that the two girls’ paths will ultimately end up being different as well, so the finale is at least something to look forward to.