This time, we had a very unique Jigoku shoujo episode, as we look at a case from fifty years ago. The reporter (note to self: remember his name) is directed to a book store through Tsugumi’s visions. She sees Ai enter a certain bookstore and look at a certain book. The reporter then wakes her up from her trance, and realizes what her spacing-out meant. As the store contained a few adult-books, it was hard for him to get the information out of Tsugumi, finally resulting in a very amusing scene. Each time Tsugumi gets some screentime, I start to find her more and more awesome. It was also a good thing that she only appeared in the first couple of minutes of the show. It gives a nice feeling of mystery to her.
The rest of the episode features the reporter trying to look for this bookstore. He finally manages to find it, thanks to a very noticable bookstore-keeper and his parakeet. This gives us some insights about the world Jigoku Shoujo plays in. First of all, it appears that Jigoko Shoujo only targets one certain city. After all, otherwise it would have been impossible for the reporter to find this bookstores. We also learn that parakeets can talk in this world. Okay, it isn’t really relevant to the story, but it makes for some funny scenes.
Then it appears that the book that Ai was looking at was describing a Jigoku-Shoujo-case from fifty years ago. The reporter sets out to investigate, and finally manages to find the victim. As everything happened fifty years ago, he should’ve been about 75 at that time, waiting for his death. The case itself was nothing special, but I was so glad to finally see how a victim of Jigoku Shoujo lived his life afterwards. I just loved the Mushishi influences put in it.
The ending left some nice questions behind, even though most of it was totally predictable. Still, I really liked this episode. Finally we see the reporter get involved in a case which is not based on pure-coincidence. Instead, he has to do some actual research in order to get what he wants.
I’m wondering, though. Why was Ai looking at that book? Nostalgia?
shes a wonderful girl