How far would you go for revenge? That's a question that FUNimation's latest series Hell Girl puts out there, front and center. You may have heard of it before if you have kept your finger on the pulse of what's popular in Japan. Known as Jigoku Shoujo in its original form, Hell Girl has gone on to garner a second season, manga, and live action version. That speaks volumes to how well it was received in Japan but how will it fair with the American audience?

With 26 episodes in its first season Hell Girl originally aired between 2005 and 2006. It's unfortunate that it took so long for the show to make its way here to the States but the wait was well worth it in my opinion. Studio Deen did a fantastic job on this show as the first volume showed. The writing was sharp, the sense of drama was a cut above, and throughout it all the creepy atmosphere really made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up at times.

The basic premise follows a mysterious website that people can only access at midnight. Have someone who pissed you off? Did an enemy do you wrong in a major way? Type the person's name in on the site and revenge will be yours. By logging on and doing such a thing you not only guarantee that the person in question will have a bad day but that they'll receive a one way ticket to hell. It's a comforting thought to keep in mind if you feel like really smiting someone; of course this comes at a price. The fine print within this contract is that even though you'll be dooming your tormentor you'll also be dooming yourself. By entering into the agreement you also condemn yourself to an eternity in hell when you die. Revenge doesn't look so great now does it?

The second volume of Hell Girl furthered the concept of the series and introduced some new characters into the fold. Granted we had to sit through two formulaic episodes prior to getting to the new dynamic but the payoff proved to be well worth it. A tabloid journalist named Hajime discovered www.hellcorrespondence.com and naturally took interest in Ai Enma's "services". Hajime's daughter, Tsugumi, also developed a strange connection to Enma that proved useful as the pair tracked down Hell Girl when she was on the job. The content of the series was roughly the same but having a new perspective helped shake things up a tad.

In the third installment furthers the trend set by the previous one and starts to become really interesting. The roles of Hajime and Tsugumi are elaborated upon in this volume and each of the episodes deals with them in some manner or another. Sure in between their section of the story there is someone who was wronged, called Hell Girl, and damned not only themselves but their nemesis as well, but the formula feels much fresher this time around.

After seeing the connection between the two I began having questions about Tsugumi's relationship with Enma as I'm sure many who saw the second volume did. While we're not given a full explanation this time around we do get to see some fun moments where Enma becomes less of a recluse and spends some time with Tsugumi. It all lends to an interesting discovery by Hajime that sets up some fine background for the show.

I always felt that it was tacky for hellcorrespondence.com to be a "go to" website for all of your hellish vengeful wishes. In the olden days before the advent of the internet Hajime discovers that Enma was still in business and that people have been cursing themselves for a very long time. Along these lines we also get to see what it's like for one of the cursed during their final moments. This revelation strengthens Hajime's resolve to stop people from using Enma's services but for the time being at least his efforts seem fruitless.

I had a heck of a time with the second volume of Hell Girl and I must say that the third was only better. Sure I must admit that each individual story isn't as compelling as the larger picture but there're still a ton of layers in this series. Hajime has become a very interesting character and you want to root for the guy though his attempts seem kind of futile in the long run. I can't wait to see what happens next and discover more of the mysteries surrounding Enma. This is a highly recommended series if you haven't had the opportunity to check it out yet!

Hell Girl is presented on DVD with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio and features a marvelous transfer. FUNimation did a fantastic job of bringing this show to DVD and though some of the typical problems like grain and compression appear is little to complain about. Colors in the show appear vibrant though I must admit that some of the gradients looked kind of funny in some scenes. This third volume continues the unique look of Hell Girl and promotes Studio Deen's prowess as far as producing anime is concerned. The art direction is second to none and as subdued as many scenes are the contrast helps to craft a fascinating atmosphere.

Like most current releases from FUNimation Hell Girl comes with Japanese and English 2.0 as well as a 5.1 English track. The dubbing quality for both languages is superb and I can honestly say that I didn't have a preference either way. The English track in particular impressed me with spot on emotion and pitch that matched what I expected it should. Technically speaking the 2.0 selections are competent for stereo inclusions but the 5.1's greater presence definitely impressed me. The directionality on the soundstage for effects was slightly more subdued than I would have liked but the overall quality of the audio was very pleasing.

This volume of Hell Girl features clean animations and trailers as you'd expect but there is a roundtable discussion with the Japanese voice cast included as well. The actors have a good time talking about the series and what's interesting about it so it's a fun watch if you have the time. There are also two additional art cards packed into the DVD case as well.

Hell Girl is original, intriguing, and empowering all at the same time. The creepy atmosphere really breathes life into the program and the quality of the writing helps craft interesting stories. This volume offers four episodes and expands upon Hajime's tale and how his life relates to Enma. The episodic content has given way to a fair amount of continuity and each episode feels as though its building towards something. This has become a powerful and engaging series that maintains a dark atmosphere many will love. If you haven't given this series a chance yet then you'll definitely want to add it to your list!

Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!