Hell Girl: Two Mirrors (Japan 2006)

Rating: ***
Review Date: 12/13/12

Contains 26 episodes

Legend has it if you have revenge in your heart and access Hell Link at midnight, you can summon Hell Girl to banish the object of your hate to Hell. However, the price for doing this also condemns the client to Hell, so such requests must be carefully considered. Picking up where the first season left off, "Two Mirrors" is predictable to a fault and is most interesting when it strays from the established formula. Unfortunately, the show starts to falter towards the end, with a continuous arc involving an innocent young boy who the townsfolk are using as a scapegoat for their various crimes. Ai ends up fulfilling her obligation to the Lord Of Hell, while damning herself to eternal darkness in the process.

It's pretty much more of the same, and the animation and voice work are of the same quality as the first season. Ai Enma is beautiful and continues to fascinate, and the series pulls a "Sailor Moon" maneuver by introducing a mysterious young girl named Kikuri who is always stirring up trouble. Ai's assistants play a much more prevalent role this time around, and it's delightful to learn more about them and their tragic pasts. In this regard, "Two Mirrors" is a bit more engaging than the first season, as there are more players involved who can compete with Ai's complete detachment and lack of emotion.