Nine Swords

It's reminding me of the Final Destination movies. Damn every time some new information comes up someone gets killed. I wonder if it's some result of them talking about the phenomena.

I really wanted to like this series as much as you guys do, but it didn't work out so well for me. We don't get to find out the real premise of the story for more than two hours, and when we finally learn it in the fifth and sixth episodes it turns out to be... well, not enough of a payoff in my opinion to have been worth spending over two whole hours dealing with red herrings and withheld information. (Withholding crucial info is a trick that inexperienced writers often use when they are attempting to create suspense according to my old Writer's Digest magazines, while on the other hand giving the info freely and allowing the audience to think about the ramifications of it is actually the right way to create suspense and anticipation.) The stylistic aspects are well done and the creepiness factor is excellent, but the "curse" story isn't believable enough for me and the red herrings that were constantly dropped during the first four episodes really made me feel kind of annoyed and manipulated once I learned what was really going on. I actually would have found the story more easy to believe and enjoy if the red herrings about the girl had turned out to be true.

Yeah, I can't blame you there Fetter. I have a feeling that a lot of little things will come into being very important later on. I still think there is something about Mei Maskai just that no one has figured it out. Considering the number of kids that had brushes with death I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it turns out they were all some kind of un-living, and only one is the real living student. (Or some screwy ending like that.)

Some bits that get pointed out by foreshadowing, but not really explained yet:

• The girl who died at the hospital. Who is she? Was she a student? Is she related? Why did Mei bring a doll to her corpse?
• What the hell is up with Mei, Her Mother and all those damn doll? Additionally, What the hell is up with the store clerk?
• 15 Years ago, they stopped the deaths mid term. How though? (This becomes a main focus)
• The Librarian said he was immune to the curse. How? He was the home room teacher for years, just the same a the main character's aunt. Both have gone through years being apart of the class and nothing has happened to them. How?

This is all hinted at a being withheld. Like Fetter I can't help but feel like the 'true story' we are being fed bits at a time about is completely wrong.

I will say though the mystery, and the author's willingness to kill off core characters, and general frustration of misinformation is an addictive mix. Though if this goes on for 15 episodes with no answers... yeah

the girl Mei visited that died inthe hospital was her cousin.

I think the receptionist at the doll store is an animatronic doll. She says the same thing over and over.

I like the idea of them all being dead, that would be an interesting twist, mei has that special eye, that she says can see "things". maybe she can see dead people, like the 6th sense.

Sakakibara could also be dead and not know it. We meet him in the hospital with a collapsed lung. The phone call with his father, who mentions that he has been there much longer than sakakibara remembers was an interesting point.

I know a lot of people find all these loose ends frustrating, but I love them, and as long as it doesn't end like Lost, with so many unanswered, I'll be happy.