Hell Girl: Vol 2 - Puddle

Introduction

Anime fans must be wondering where to find the money and time to buy and watch the copious titles available; `Hell Girl` is a relatively new addition to the list with Volume 1 released on DVD in February 2008 and this to follow in May.

If you have seen it already then you`ll be familiar with the formula, but if not:

A website exists than can only be accessed at midnight, on which the user can enter the name of a person who they want to damn to Hell. In a serene setting, an old woman tells her granddaughter Ai that she has a message. Whoever has entered the name then meets Ai in her Hell Girl persona, who presents them with an effigy with a red ribbon tied around its neck. All they have to do is untie it and their grievance shall be avenged, the price being that their soul goes to Hell when they die.

This Volume contains episodes 6 to 10:

6. Early Afternoon Window
A mother driven to suicide by relentless persecution, the accidental witness of an afternoon tryst. Her young daughter a silent associate to the suffering. When Haruka seeks out HellCorrespondence.com for understanding, revenge is offered forth instead. And while some things are better left unseen, others should definitely be left so. For with knowledge comes hatred, and with hatred damnation. As a single person looks to unravel a family, the youngest will strike back...

Through parted curtains, will lust and hatred damn Haruka and Namiko both?


7. Cracked Mask
Rising talent adopted by the failing, Ayaka thought her life was made when the famous Midori adopted her, taking the young girl under her wing. But when her new mother turns into a taskmaster, exacting perfection yet extending no loving hand, Ayaka turns to HellCorrespondence.com for inspiration. Dreading to damn her own soul as well as Midori`s, the teenager tries a new stage act to inspire maternal love. But when she finds herself her own second, Hell Girl drops by to check out the new plot twist...

Will Ayaka`s fall from grace drag two rising stars off the stage?


8. Silent Friendship
A tabloid reporter takes an interest in HellCorrespondence.com just as Hell Girl takes a rather strange interest in his daughter. Unable to access the site himself, Hajime finds another hit on the internet and unwittingly tracks down Ai`s next target. It seems Chic was able to contact Hell Girl. In time to catch up with the young woman but not in time to stop her from exacting revenge, father and daughter will play witness as the damned finds himself thrown straight into the depths of hell, just as he threw one other...

Judge not lest ye be judged, and yet Hell Girl`s final verdict will fell all. Can vengeance save?


9. Sweet Trap
Unable to forget what he has witnessed, Hajime`s day job is suffering from his growing obsession. And he`s not the only one obsessed. Yuka and her sister Hiromi have shared a lifelong dream inherited from their father, to open a bakery. But as their dreams look to finally come to fruition, a failed passion from the past looks to sour the future. Mr. Morisaki seeks to ruin all that they have worked for, so Yuka plots to ruin him in turn. And Hajime just can`t turn down a potential scoop...

A sweet tooth can come in many flavors. Will Mr. Morisaki`s bankrupt them all?


10. Friends
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and it doesn`t matter what age the woman. When Minami`s friend and mentor left her alone and forlorn on a stairwell after school one day, the young girl just couldn`t get over it. Wanting nothing more than to get even, Minami contacts Hell Girl in order to send Shiori straight to hell. But when the karmic wheel turns and Shiori needs her former friend`s help to get revenge, even Hajime won`t be able to get there on time...

Will Minami and Shiori be friends forever, both in this world and the next?

Video

`Hell Girl` is very nicely animated and presented well in an anamorphic 1.78:1 format. The animation is very clear, with sharp edges and particularly impressive fire, mist and water effects. There are a couple of instances where the NTSC to PAL transfer is apparent but not to the detriment of the viewing experience.

Audio

Typically for an anime disc, you have the option of Dolby Digital 5.1 English or a DD 2.0 Stereo Japanese track. I watched it first with the Japanese track, which is clear and works well. The English dub has the edge in terms of the surrounds and the voice acting is perfectly suitable.

The subtitles are good and are translations of the Japanese track rather than `dubtitles`; the Japanese signs are automatically translated - you don`t need to put the subtitles on for this to happen. Interestingly, HellCorrespondence.com is the English name for the website, referred to as `Hell Link` in the subtitles.

The theme song is suitably syrupy, but amusingly has several lines in English!

Features

The `Montage Episode` is a collection of clips from the first two volumes, with opening and closing credits. It`s useful as a recap of volume one, which was some months ago and as a trailer for this volume.

There are also `Textless Songs` (the opening and closing songs, but without credits) and trailers for `Tsubasa` and `Suzuka`.

Conclusion

When reviewing Volume 1, I noted that "the running time of less than 25 minutes doesn`t allow for much deliberation by the protagonist before they enter into the covenant or for much reflection into the consequences of their actions". I also felt that the episodes were in danger of becoming formulaic and a little `samey`, with person `A` wronged by person `B`, seeking vengeance from Hell Girl and vengeance being duly served on person `B`. The episodes in this volume are a step up from the earlier ones with much more depth, the addition of a person `C` and the beginning of a narrative thread linking the episodes together, with the introduction of journalist Hajime who`s investigating HellCorrespondence.com. This is a welcome development, as is the expansion of the character of Wanyuudou and slightly more dialogue between him, Ichimokuren and Hone Onna.

I enjoyed Volume 1 but found this to be much more rewarding, as the episodes are better written, with improved character development. Hajime`s investigation is a welcome addition, with a narrative that will benefit future volumes.

If you were less than enthused by the first instalment of `Hell Girl`, or even if you liked it, stick with it as this is a marked improvement, really involving the viewer in the moral choices and dilemmas of summoning Hell Girl.