Hell Girl: Two Mirrors, Collection One

In this weird and unsettling Rod Serling–like series, the eponymous young lady, Ai Enma, receives website inquiries from people seeking help in carrying out the ultimate revenge. Ai has a unique talent—she can send individuals to Hell—but those who employ her must agree to one caveat: the price for condemning enemies to instant and eternal torment will be damnation when their own lives are over. Surprisingly, the desperate folks who meet with Ai accept these terms, after which an agreement ceremony seals the pact. Many of Ai's clients are teens and weak women who have been subjected to various levels of humiliation, although there are a number of other anguished souls willing to go to extremes to end their troubles. The most disturbing tale here involves a brother and sister whose relationship is wrecked because of his efforts to lure away her potential boyfriends—to the point that he resorts to transvestitism as a means of breaking up his sibling's affairs. The enigmatic Ai is one of the most original female characters in contemporary anime, and she's showcased in a series that boasts visually striking production design. Compiling the first 13 episodes of the 2006–07 second season in a two-disc set in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-14, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: Hell Girl: Two Mirrors, Collection Two is also newly available.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)