Hell Girl: Three Vessels review: A tale of deep terror and revenge

All-round evaluation and recommendation of Hell Girl: Three Vessels

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

October 4, 2008 - April 4, 2009
TOKYO MX October 4, 2008 to April 4, 2009 (1st to 26th episodes) Every Saturday 17:00-17:30
Mainichi Broadcasting System, October 5, 2008 to April 5, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 26) Every Sunday 2:25 to 2:55 (Saturday night)
TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting October 9, 2008 to April 9, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 26) Every Thursday 1:38 to 2:08 (Wednesday late night)
Chubu Nippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd. October 10, 2008 to April 10, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 26) Every Friday 2:00 to 2:30 (Thursday late night)
Animax October 22, 2008 - April 22, 2009 (Episodes 1-26) Every Wednesday 18:30-19:00
Teletama September 4, 2009 to March 5, 2010 (Episodes 1 to 26) Every Friday 0:30 to 1:00 (Thursday late night)

■Broadcasting station

UHF, Animax

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■Original Story

Hell Girl Project

■ Director

Hiroshi Watanabe

■ Production

・Animation Production: Studio DEEN
Produced by: San-Gane Production Committee (Aniplex, TOKYO MX, Wakasa Life, Studio Deen)

■Works

©Hell Girl Project/Sankanae Production Committee

■ Story

During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, a girl was murdered and buried due to the customs of her village. Her name was Ai. Unable to accept her unreasonable life, she returned to the present world and became a demon, burning down the village to get her revenge. To atone for her sins, Ai's soul was given a mission as punishment. As a Hell Girl, she was tasked with clearing people's grudges and helping them take revenge on their everlasting grudges.

Eventually, Ai gives up her role as Hell Girl in the present world and chooses to be killed again as a human. In recognition of this, Ai's soul is sent to hell by Enma and quietly disappears. However...

Among the various urban legends, there is a rumor that there is a website called "Hell Communication" that can only be accessed at midnight. If you write down your unrequited grudges there, they will be delivered to Hell Girl, who will resolve your grudges on your behalf. This is not an urban legend, it is the truth.

Enma Ai, who was supposed to have disappeared into Hell, is resurrected as Hell Girl by possessing an ordinary high school girl, Mikage Yuzuki. Hell Girl asks the client, "If you send the other person to Hell, you will also go to Hell after you die. Do you still want to get revenge?" When the client makes a contract and unties the strings of the straw doll given to Hell Girl, the client is branded with the mark of Hell on his chest, and the contract is concluded.

The servants who investigate people's grudges and exact punishment are the three, Hitomuren, Hone Onna, and Wan-nyudo, and the new "Yamawaro" has been added, making a total of four. "Ippen, shindemir?" With these words as a signal, a small boat appears in another dimension, and those who have been hated by the boatman will fall down the river of hell.

Why was Ai resurrected? And why did she choose Yuzuki? What does Ai's words to Yuzuki, "I am inside you..." mean?

■Explanation

Based on the original work by Hiroshi Watanabe, it was broadcast as a TV anime in the fall of 2005 and has been met with rave reviews ever since. It was serialized in the girls' comic magazine Nakayoshi, and the TV anime continued with the second season, Hell Girl: Two Cages. It was also made into a drama on Nippon Television, and the Meido Cafe was created to commemorate the second season's broadcast, and its momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Now, in the fall of 2008, Hell Girl will be revived once again as a TV anime. Based on the first and second seasons, the third season will start with a new concept in which the main character possesses an ordinary high school girl named Mikage Yuzuki. The scene in which Mikage Yuzuki transforms into Enma Ai, accompanied by the agony of her emerging into a butterfly, is overwhelming, as if it represents the very suffering of life itself. The novel concept of the "grudges" that nest in people's hearts and the "revenge" required to clear that grudge, combined with the purely Japanese style of illustrations reminiscent of ancient Japanese ghost stories, is a work that perfectly matches this concept.

If you curse someone, you will dig two holes. Yama Ai asks, "If you send someone to hell, you will also go to hell after you die. Will you still seek revenge?" So, what would you do?

■Cast

・Enma Ai/Mamiko Noto・Hitome Ren/Masaya Matsukaze・Hone Onna/Takako Honda・Rin-Ryuudo/Takayuki Sugo・Kikuri/Kanako Sakai・Yuzuki Mikage/Satomi Sato・Yama-o/Hekiru Shiina・Narration/YOU
・Hiraishi Itsuko/Toyosaki Aki/Tange Hideto/Ishikawa Hideo/Kitayama Akira/Sasagawa Reiko/Yamaoka Seiji/Kase Yasuyuki/Hyakuta Masako/Imai Asami/Moriyama Jun/Takagaki Ayaharu/Yukawa Takeshi/Hoshi Soichiro/Nishida Susumu/Takahashi Hiroki/Niiyama Miwa/Kobayashi Sanae/Katase Ririka/Yahagi Sayuri/Moroboshi Kira/Takahashi Chiaki/Serizawa Yuna/Takamoto Megumi/Inuo Atsushi/Mizushima Hirotaka/Washizu Takateru/Shiraishi Minoru/Hatsumi Mioi/Goto Yuko/Shintani Michiru/Ichiryusai Sadatomo/Inao Kaede/Sasaki Nozomi/Ichimura Kazuya/Sanpei Yuuko/Saito Yukihiro/Kawada Shinji/Uesaka Rokuro/Chiba Susumu/Asaba Sumi/Masuda Yuki/Michio Yui/Masu Nozomi, Jin-ichi Nakayama / Daisuke Endo, Kengo Saegusa / Atsushi Imaruoka, Hiroto Ochi / Katsuhito Nomura, Kokoro Shinoyama / Shimu Hirota, Nobuo Nomura / Kappei Yamaguchi, Azusa Mayama / Suzuka Yuzuki, Akie Takasugi / Kanae Oki, Hidemi Kashiwagi / Haruka Tomatsu, Kinya Tsuzuki / Kazuya Nakai, Usagi Shinohara / Rie Kugimiya, Michito Shinohara / Takashi Hikita, Akihiro Nawa / Tomokazu Sugita, Koji Nakajima / Jun Kanno, Fujiko Ashiya / Yoshiko Fujita, Risaburo Ashiya / Tamio Ohki, Chiriko Hamano / Aoi Yuki, Aoi Shimura Kaname/Minako Kotobuki, Kaori Hyakki/Fuka Oota, Yukina Kurozuka/Makiko Nabei, Shinji Kikyo/Tetsuji Ota, Shogo Mizorogi/Kazuhiko Kishino, Kaito Kikuchi/Ikue Otani, Yuka Misono, Junko/Natsuki Kato, Fumio Mizuhara/Daisuke Sakaguchi, Tomohide Matsuda/Junji Majima

■ Main staff

・Original story/Hiroshi Watanabe
Original story: Hell Girl Project Planning: Koichiro Natsume, Masayuki Homma, Kenyoichi Kadotani, Hiroshi Hasegawa
・Series composition/Kenichi Kanemaki ・Character design/Mariko Oka ・Chief animation director/Mariko Oka, Yukiko Akiyama ・Art director/Noriyuki Ogi ・Color design/Shinji Matsumoto ・Director of photography/Akira Shimozaki ・Editor/Masahiro Matsumura ・Tie-up cooperation/Yuito Kimura ・Producers/Abe Ai, Matsuki Ai ・Planning cooperation/Hiroo Maruyama, Isao Sato, Satoshi Matsumoto ・Prop design/Goichi Iwahata ・Art material provided by/Emi Akiba ・Animation tool/Animo
・Video editing: Tokyo Development Laboratory (Ryoji Kishi, Toshiyuki Yamada)
Music: Yasuharu Takanashi, Hiromi Mizutani, Takeshi Fujisawa Music Production: Just Music Director: Fumiko Harada Sound Design: Minoru Yamada (Ena)
・Sound recording: Shoji Hata ・Dubbing director: Takahiro Omori ・Sound recording assistant: Noriko Kato ・Recording studio: Studio T&T
・Sound Production: Ducks Production (Tetsu Hirata, Junichi Inaba)
・Logo design: Akiko Yoshimura ・Publicity: Maki Sato, Hajime Sugata, Masaki Miyashita, Kayoko Kotani, Kazuko Yamashita ・Assistant producer: Kumiko Kato ・Materials provided by: Kyosai Kawanabe Memorial Museum, Kokusho Kankokai ・Cooperation: Masahiro Toyosumi, Hiroyuki Fujisawa, Toshihiro Fuchigami, Sono Takeuchi, Hanayo Isomura, Akiko Noguchi, Masuro Ueda, Takeshi Ochi, Asako Tomura, Rie Tsuzuki, Madoka Motoki, Makiko Naito, BIGLOBE
・Production Manager: Ryuji Moriya, Kimiko Yamaoka ・Production Chief: Kimiko Yamaoka ・Setting Production: Takeshi Kabumoto ・Director: Hiroshi Watanabe ・Animation Production: Studio DEEN
Produced by: San-Gane Production Committee (Aniplex, TOKYO MX, Wakasa Life, Studio Deen)

■ Main Characters

・Enma Ai "Hell Girl" who sends those she hates to hell. She is sent to hell, but returns to the human world.
・With eyes hidden in his head, he can peek anywhere. He is at Yuzuki's school as science teacher Ishimoto Ren. (When he is a straw doll: Blue)
・Hone Onna is originally a skeleton yokai with the appearance of a beautiful woman. She is good at seducing men with her sexy gestures, but she has a straightforward personality and at school she interacts with her students as a physical education teacher named Anna Sone. (When in straw doll form: red)
・Rin-Ryu-Do is actually a wheel-shaped monster that becomes Ai's vehicle to ride in the sky. She works as a school clerk at school. (When in straw doll form: Black)
Yuzuki Mikage is a third-year student at Saigawara Municipal Fourth Junior High School. Although she is an ordinary girl, she becomes deeply involved with Hell Communication.
Yamawaro: A new youkai who serves Hell Girl. He is usually a quiet boy. He has an obedient personality and often acts together with Kikuri. (When in straw doll form: yellow)
Kikuri: A young girl with many mysteries. She has an innocent personality and appears in front of Ai and her friends, meddling in their affairs and playing pranks on them.
・Takasugi Akie Yuzuki's best friend. She is bright and active, with a personality that is the polar opposite of Yuzuki.
・Egami Sora Yuzuki's classmate. Nicknamed the Amigos.
Bito Nozomi Yuzuki's classmate. Known as the Amigos.
・Tamayo Shiina Yuzuki's classmate. Known as the Amigos.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: The Stolen Girl (2008/10/04)
・Episode 2/Caged Bird (2008/10/11)
・Episode 3: Rotten Fruit (2008/10/18)
・Episode 4: Big Brother (2008/10/25)
・Episode 5/Utsusemi (2008/11/01)
・Episode 6/My Teacher (2008/11/08)
・Episode 7: Liar (2008/11/15)
・Episode 8/Next Door (2008/11/22)
・Episode 9: Stray Inari (2008/11/29)
・Episode 10/Goldfish in the Mirror (2008/12/06)
・Episode 11/Blurred Page (2008/12/13)
・Episode 12/Midsummer Graph (2008/12/20)
・Episode 13/Rokumon Toro (2008/12/27)
・Episode 14: The Corner of Hatred (2009/01/10)
・Episode 15: The Tortoise and the Hare (2009/01/17)
・Episode 16: The Trap of Temptation (2009/01/24)
・Episode 17: In the Straw (2009/01/31)
・Episode 18/Special Radio (2009/02/07)
・Episode 19: Snow, Moon, and Flowers (2009/02/14)
Episode 20: Doctor Hell vs. Hell Girl (2009/02/21)
・Episode 21: Behind the Scenes (2009/02/28)
・Episode 22: Flowers and the Moon (2009/03/07)
・Episode 23: Sunset Hill (2009/03/14)
・Episode 24/Kagerou (2009/03/21)
・Episode 25/Yuzuki (2009/03/28)
・Episode 26/Trajectory of the Soul (2009/04/04)

■ Related works

・Hell Girl ・Hell Girl: Two Cages ・Hell Girl Selection ・Hell Girl: The Night of the Night

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Moonflower
・Lyrics by Nana Kitade ・Composition by Velvet romica
Arrangement: Takayoshi Negishi Vocals: Nana Kitade

・ED1
・Ichinuke・Lyrics by Hitomi Mieno・Composition by Subaru Asami・Arrangement by Subaru Asami・Singer by Mamiko Noto

・IN1
・Summer Angel ・Lyrics by Hiroyuki Kawasaki ・Music by Kenichi Kanamaki ・Arrangement by Kenichi Kanamaki ・Singer by Jun Moriyama (Ayahi Takagaki)

・IN2
・Two Coral Reefs ・Lyrics by Hiroyuki Kawasaki ・Music by Kenichi Kanamaki ・Arrangement by Kenichi Kanamaki ・Singer by Jun Moriyama (Ayahi Takagaki)

Rating and Recommendation for Hell Girl: Three Vessels

"Hell Girl: Three Vessels" is a TV anime series that aired in the fall of 2008 and is based on a novel by the Hell Girl Project. The series was produced by Studio DEEN under the direction of Hiroshi Watanabe. It aired from October 4, 2008 to April 4, 2009, with a total of 26 episodes. It was available on UHF and Animax at different times depending on the station.

The story begins with a young girl named Ai, who is murdered and buried due to the customs of her village in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Unable to accept her unjust life, she returns to the world to exact revenge. However, in order to atone for her sins, Ai's soul is tasked with clearing people's grudges as Hell Girl. Eventually, Ai abandons this role and chooses to be murdered again as a human, but after being cast into Hell, she possesses an ordinary high school girl, Yuzuki Mikage, and is resurrected as Hell Girl.

The appeal of this work lies in the presence of Hell Girl, who clears people's grudges through a website called "Hell Communication," which can only be accessed at midnight. By making a contract with the girl and undoing the strings on a straw doll, clients can send their grudged enemy to hell, but in exchange, the client themselves will also go to hell after death, a heavy theme that is depicted in the work. This idea of ​​"if you curse someone, you dig two holes" poses deep questions to the viewer.

In the third season, a new concept was introduced in which the spirit possesses an ordinary high school girl named Mikage Yuzuki. The "transformation" scene from Yuzuki to Enma Ai is depicted with beautiful visuals that seem to symbolize the suffering of life, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the themes of "grudges" and "revenge" that dwell in people's hearts match beautifully with the purely Japanese style of illustrations that are reminiscent of ancient Japanese ghost stories, enhancing the atmosphere of the entire work.

The cast includes a stellar cast of voice actors, including Mamiko Noto as Enma Ai, Masaya Matsukaze as Ichimokuren, Takako Honda as Hone Onna, and Takayuki Sugo as Wan-nyudo. The individuality of each character is brought out by the performances of the voice actors, including Satomi Sato as Mikage Yuzuki and Hekiru Shiina as the newly added Yamawaro.

The main staff includes professionals from various fields, such as Hiroshi Watanabe (original concept), Mariko Oka (character design), and Yasuharu Takanashi, Hiromi Mizutani, and Takeshi Fujisawa (music). Music is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and many memorable songs are used, such as the opening theme "Tsukihana" and the ending theme "Ichinuke."

The main characters include Enma Aiya, who is resurrected as Hell Girl, and the other yokai who support her, such as Ichimokuren, Hone Onna, Wan-nyudo, and Yama-o. In addition, Mikage Yuzuki, who is depicted as an ordinary high school girl, her best friend Takasugi Akie, and her classmates the Amigos also play important roles.

The subtitles of each episode, such as "The Stolen Girl," "The Caged Bird," and "The Rotten Fruit," are often symbolic of the story's theme, drawing the viewer's interest. In particular, the episodes that mark the climax of the series, such as "Dr. Hell vs. Hell Girl," "Yuzuki," and "The Trail of the Soul," are not to be missed.

"Hell Girl: Three Vessels" is a sequel to the previous works in the series, "Hell Girl" and "Hell Girl: Two Cages," and there are also related works such as "Hell Girl Selection" and "Hell Girl: The Night Before Christmas." By watching these works together, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world of Hell Girl.

The theme songs and insert songs are also important elements that enhance the appeal of the work. The opening theme "Tsukihana" is sung by Kitade Nana, and the ending theme "Ichinuke" is sung by Noto Mamiko. The insert songs "Natsu no Angel" and "Futari no Sangosho" are sung by Moriyama Jun (Takagaki Ayahi), and express the emotions of the story.

"Hell Girl: Three Vessels" is a work that attracts viewers with its beautiful visuals and deep storyline, even while dealing with the heavy themes of resentment and revenge. In particular, the new concept of possessing an ordinary high school girl brings out new charms in the series. This work asks deep questions of the viewer, and is highly recommended for fans of horror anime and psychological dramas.