Even Satan fears the wrath of Hozuki.
What They Say:
“Demons and Underwear and Crabs” & “The State of Hell, and This and That”
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The opening of Hozuki is still something else. I’m pretty sure it’s a take off of those company videos where they make the employees sing as some sort of morale building thing. I really wish they would translate the lyrics, but even without knowing what they’re saying it’s super catchy. I caught myself humming it earlier this week.
First off it’s back to the daily grind, with the two younger oni, Karauri and Nasubi, having a detailed discussion on the merits of underwear as they work to clean up the littered shores of the River Styx. This diverges into a discussion on misappropriating old music for modern jingles, with commentary from Hozuki, who is a fount of knowledge about all things. Meanwhile souls are tortured in the background and there’s a mishap with the monsters in the river. There are even some not-so-subtle cameos that even westerners should recognize. Basically, it’s a typical day at work.
I’m surprised to see that the show is maintaining continuity. The episodes are evenly divided into two stories, which would imply a more episodic structure. For the most part it is, but there’s a call back to the fact that Hozuki won a trip to Australia last episode and even brought back a souvenir for his boss.
The second half of this episode takes a turn for culture shock when Satan decides to visit the Eastern Hell with grand plans to someday take the place over. Lord Enma isn’t exactly an imposing figure unless you’re one of the sinners awaiting judgement, and Satan is a little underwhelmed. That is, until he has the pleasure of being lead on a whirlwind tour by Hozuki. The daily operations of Enma’s hell are a far cry from the Western hell apparently, but what’s truly shocking is Hozuki’s treatment of his boss. (Why am I not surprised that Satan appears to be a gamer? I’m shocked he merely berated his subordinate rather than torture them for that erased game save!)
Satan has the same aversion to the goldfish plants that I do, which is taken to the next level when one is brought out alive and whole to be chopped into sushi for a dinner. The whole visit ends on a ‘to serve man’ note, which leaves Satan fleeing for home and acting very unlike the imposing figure that he’s supposed to be. It turns out the whole thing was a misunderstanding caused by a simple spelling error, but leave it to Hozuki to strike fear into the heart of Satan himself.
To close things out, the ending changed… and I’m still not sure what’s going on there but it’s even more disturbing.
In Summary:
Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot last week with Hozuki. This second episode was far funnier and more accessible, and I can’t help but think that maybe they should have led off with these stories last week. It certainly would have won over more foreign viewers, especially with Satan’s visit and tour. I’m starting to be lulled into the frenetic yet routine pace of the show and its unique brand of absurdity. The animation is still pleasantly top-notch and the music is doing a fine job as well. If you liked what you saw last week but felt a little lost, you should give this second episode a look.
Episode Grade: B +
Streamed by: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment: 27” iMac running OS 10.8.4, via Safari 6.0.5, FIOS 15/5 Mbps connection. Your milage may vary.