Jigokuraku Season 2 – 03
Well, if I was hoping Hell’s Paradise would make it easy for me to streamline the blogging schedule, it’s disappointing me. The first three episodes have been quite good, right there with the better ones in the first cour. The production has perceptibly stablized too, though that’s of less importance to me than the story being coherent and engaging. It won’t go in the poll again but it’s definitely still in contention for coverage.
Gabimaru is more or less back to himself, though he enlists the other fighters in the group to “limber up” as he’s feeling rusty. Gantetsusai is none too thrilled at being dissed this way, but even he would be hard pressed to deny Gabi is on another level. He turns his tactical genius to analyzing Tao and how to use it, and quickly reasons that his best shot is using the power of an enemy’s Tao against them (since the Tensen will have stronger Tao than anybody). Shion offers the insight (no pun intended) that there seem to be different types of Tao (which takes us dangerously close to Nen territory, but that’s hardly the first time).
Meanwhile, Aza – fast emerging as the deuteragonist of the series – finds himself facing a Tensen for the first time (Rien, though this ep is the first time we’ve heard that name I believe). Rien is fascinated with Aza and his unique ability to retain his self-awareness after what he’s absorbed. Aza is revealing himself to be more than just a hothead – he’s thinking things through and planning ahead. This eventually leads to he and the now-female Rien engaging in Bochu Jutsu (he insists on being on top), as Aza ponders Rien’s offer to join the Tensen side. Rien also spills the juicy tidbit that the plan is to harvest Tan from the humans on the mainland.
Finally we have Mei, who’s in bad shape and turning into a tree. She gives a little history lesson to Fuchi in exchange for treatment, the most pertinent element seemingly that she and Rien are the first students of the guy who started all this a thousand years earlier, Shufu (likewise the first time we’ve heard the name if I’m not mistaken). The only way to save her is Tao – and Houko offers his in atonement for his self-described sins against her (which were clearly not sins at all). Even if he was close to losing his self-awareness, this was quite an effective emotional climax to their arc and the episode as well.
Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai – 03
It was one of my main sleepers (along with Toumei Otoko) going into the season, so it’s not a total surprise, but I have to say I was pretty impressed with Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai this week. Each episode has been better than the one before. Obviously the direction has been impeccable (as you’d expect) but this series has balls. The writing is smart and has a real edge, creepy without being self-aware about it. For three episodes at least, this is a ghost anime done right.
All three stories were effective here. Starting with Kan-chan (Suzu’s little brother) and the black crayons. Mirrors are scary as hell generally, so you’re off to a good start there. I was seriously pissed with Mel-sensei (as were her colleagues) – she basically said and did everything wrong a teacher can. That said, she certainly deserved a better fate than being swapped out with… a specter? A doppelgänger? The problem is, the new one is a better teacher and nicer lady than the original, so I’m not sure how hard everyone is going to look. This thread is very much open – I suspect Kaya-chan will realize what happened and save Mel-sensei. There’s also the matter of Kan-chan, who’s likewise an open thread given that he seems to share Kaya’s sight.
Next up is Ken-Ken and the pool. This one was likewise really scary – especially that narration about children and “silent drowning”. Kaya to the rescue again – and Ken was man enough to apologize for having teased her so much. This is actually such a little kid thing to do – take something as freaky as that in stride and get on with it, as if he’d just tripped and skinned his knee. I ask again – are these ayakashi everywhere and it’s just that here someone can see (and exorcise) them, or is Kaya-chan attracting them like a bug light with her spirit energy or something?
Finally, the big kahuna, as Uncle Mob returns to the story. I don’t blame Chie-sensei one little bit for assuming he’s a creepy stalker – I mean, he basically is – but he does have a valid reason for it. His backstory was extremely dark and morbid, and even though Kaya saved he and his wife from an even worse fate than living on with what he has to carry with him, it was still a pretty grim turn of events at the adventure park. The fact that Mob has chosen to come out of hiding suggests that whatever’s happening with Kaya-chan’s mother is extremely serious – not that it was hard to see that anyway. Either this is a blind spot for Kaya or a spirit so powerful even she can’t handle it – or maybe both.
