Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin

I'm not sure how we got interested in Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin (Hell Hall Spirit World Connection), a 1996 one-shot OVA. I had the R2J ISO in pile of raws and mentioned it to Perevodildo. He thought it looked interesting, particularly the artwork, and agreed it would make a good project. I sent the ISO to an encoder and got back a great-looking raw. This release is the result.

Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin is based on a long-running supernatural novel series by Kouzuki Hinawa. The OVA recounts two adventures of three elementary school terrors - Kanamori Tetsuji, the hot-headed ringleader; Niijima Ryoji, soft-hearted but a fast runner; and Shiina Yusuke, the brains of the group.

Collectively, they are known as The Three Great Troublemakers, or just The Brats. They fight off older boys who try to shake down elementary school kids and explore all the forbidden areas around their town. They are guided, and sometimes helped, by the spooky pharmacist of run-down Gokurakudo (known to all as Jigokudo or Hell Hall), who keeps an equally spooky black cat as a familiar.

In the first part, their guide points them at a tree in the forest, where a body is supposedly buried. After several misfires, the boys indeed find a corpse and get more than they bargained for.

In the second part, their guide describes how yokai possess people and consume their sanity. The boys come to suspect that one of their classmates is possessed and have to fight to save him from a grisly fate.

The plots are okay, but the OVA really stands out in other ways. The first differentiator is the character designs and artwork. The boys are far from standard anime models, with enlarged heads, spindly necks, and misproportioned bodies.

The old pharmacist has a shark's smile full of mangled teeth. The backgrounds are drawn starkly, with cross-hatched shadows and curving lines.

The second is the writing, which is snappy and compelling. Both artwork and writing keep the viewer engaged, beyond the the twists of the supernatural storylines.

Some translation notes: 

• The spell that Tetsuji is given to uncover the buried corpse is The Mantra of Light, a Buddhist prayer.
• The spell that Tetsuji is given to test for youkai is a kuji-in, a system of mudras (hand gestures) and mantras, possibly of Daoist origin.
• The spell that Tetsuji uses to trap the youkai is a mantra of Acala Vidyârâja, a buddha that appears holding a sword while chanting.
• The "sweet potato candy" that the boys consume at the Jigokudo is a real product. 

The voice cast includes:

• Nagasawa Miki (Niijima Ryoji) played the title role in Vampire Princess Miyu, Cream Panda in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise, Ayako in Black Jack 21, Mutio in Blue Submarine No.6, Helen in Claymore, Judy in Cowboy Bebop, Lisa in eX-Driver, Ayumi in Geobreeders, Izumi Maki in Martian Successor Nadesico, Kizna in Pilot Candidate, Ryou in Princess Nine, Shion in Seraphim Call, and Ibuki Maya in the Evangelion franchise.
• Takayama Minami (Shiina Yuusuke) starred as the title roles in Kiki's Delivery Service and Space Girl Yamamoto Yohko, and, most famously, played Conan Edogawa in the more than 1000 episodes, OVAs, movies, and specials of the Detective Conan franchise. She played Kuroyanagi Meiji in Chocchan Monogatari, Yuu in Cosmic Fantasy, Emi in Genji, Part 1, and you Guy in Heavy, all Orphan releases.
• Takano Urara (Kanamori Tetsushi, the fighter) played Marler in the Aa! Megami-sama franchise, Maria in the Sakura Wars franchise, Cocktail in Knights of Ramume, and Gloria in PriPara. She played Sushi Neko in Let's Nupu Nupu, Ken in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, and Sister Yumiko in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki II, and she  appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei volume 6, all Orphan releases.
• Nishikawa Ikuo (proprietor of Jigokudo) played the title role in Casshan, Robert Hana in Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Great Grandmother in Itoshi no Betty Monogatari, Tarou in Reideen the Brave, Benn Gunn in Treasure Island (movie), and Hagaromo in Yawara!. He appeared in A Ghost Story, an Orphan release.
• Ishii Kouji (Office Mitamura, the town policeman) played Fujisawa in the El Hazard franchise, Taiga in the GaoGaiGar franchise, Mitsukake in the Fushigi Yuugi franchise, John Blade in Sin: The Movie, Tanaka in Kachou Ouji: Hard Rock Save the Space, and Garterbelt in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. He also appeared as Miyoshi Isannyudo in the Sanada 10 special, Henry Hellgate in Alice in Cyberland, Hyman in Fire Emblem, and Minamoto no Tokitomo in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, all Orphan release.
• Touma Yumi (Yoshimoto, the possessed punk) played the title roles in Emma: A Victorian Romance and Baby Felix, and Urd in the Aa! Megami-sama franchise. She appeared in numerous Orphan releases, including Tezuka Osamu Works: Kyoto Animation Theater, Sotsugyou: Graduation, Boyfriend, Condition Green, Fukuyama Gekijou, Tezuka Osamu ga Kieta?!, Gude Crest, and Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Nareudesho.
• Masuda Yuki (Hayase) played Yuki in the two Ultra Nyan OVAs and appeared in Gakkou no Yuurei, volume 2, all Orphan releases. She also played Yanagi in Flame of Recca, Yuri in the Sakura Wars shows, and Nami in La Corda d'Oro.
• Tomizawa Michie (Kisaragi-sensei, the school nurse) played Linna Yamazaki in Bubblegum Crisis/Crash, Matsuzaka-sensei in Crayon Shin-chan, the nameless Office Lady in Oruchuban Ebichu, Sailor Mars in Sailor Moon, Mihoshi in Tenchi Muyo, Airi Komiyama in Those Who Hunt Elves, and Emi Ogasawara in Ghost Sweeper Mikami. She also played Umeko in Korogashi Ryota, Shitara Yuri in Let's Nupu Nupu and female Joker in Joker: Marginal City, all Orphan releas
• Ebara Masashi (demon) appeared in Shakugan no Shana, Nodame Cantabile, Metropolis. He also appeared in Sanada 10, Blazing Transfer Student, Akai Hayate, Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, Mikeneko Holmes,  Mahjong Hishouden: Naki no Ryuu, and Apfelland Monogatari, all Orphan releases. 

Satou Junichi (director) also directed Akuma-kun, Sailor Moon, Gatekeepers, Kaleido Star, Aria and its sequels, Phi Brain and its sequels, Kimama ni Idol, and many other renowned shows.

Perevodildo translated and timed the show. (He drops the additional vowels for long Japanese vowels; hence, Jigokudo in the script versus Jigokudou in the standard title.) Paul Geromini edited. I typeset and QCed. Nemesis also QCed. The raw was encoded by an anonymous friend from an R2J DVD ISO.

Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin is stylish, suspenseful, and fun. The main characters are not the usual mass-produced models, either in their design or behavior. The artwork is striking and memorable. Everyone who worked on the project enjoyed the it, and you will too. You can get the OVA from the usual torrent site.