English Dub Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun “The Misaki Stairs Part 1”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

In an effort to cheer Nene up after hearing Hanako’s cryptic words about his past, her classmate Aoi tells her Nene about No.2 of the “seven wonders/mysteries” within their school known as the “Misaki Stairs”, a supposedly haunted staircase outside the art hall of the school where the fourth step is the entrance takes you to the “world of the dead” because anyone who enters is then shredded to pieces and has their blood dripped on the staircase at twilight. And out of sheer coincidence, Nene discovers that Aoi’s very existence has disappeared in the school the very next day, from her items to even everyone’s memories of her.

Frightened and confused, Nene enlists the help of both Hanako and Kou the young exorcist from the last episode who also reveals how his classmates Yokō and Satou ended up missing. Hanako guesses that the students have wandered into the afterlife realm known as the “boundaries”, areas of the Far Shore where apparitions and forgotten things reside separately from the Near Shore, where the living stay. Tied with the “seven wonders/mysteries” in the school that link to the spirit world, one of these gateways is the fourth step of the Misaki Stairs, guarded by the second mystery.

As the three venture further into the bizarre shrine-like environment, they are greeted by a phone call from the mystery herself, introducing herself as a schoolteacher named ‘Misaki” Who supposedly died there, and requests that they find her body parts. Finding one body part will open a single gate for them reaching towards the top of the boundary. Should they fail to do so within the time limit, a huge pair of scissors starts chasing them, along with faceless Japanese dolls. They resolve to destroy No.2’s “Yorishiro”, a precious object that gives power to the mystery so that she will relinquish her boundary. As they approach the final gate, The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Nene wonders who is the one making the phone calls if they need to find “Misaki”‘s specific body parts for her.

Our Take

The episode was alright with the usual amount of humor & suspense, but seeing Nene get “angry” at the boys was just amusing. Kou also seems to be a regular now so expecting to see a lot more of him must be quite a learning experience. I have to admit though, the afterlife has a surreal art style like blurring the lines of fiction and reality.

What also remains consistent is how much I love the ways Hanako toys with Kou. I find it interesting how at one point he’d say to Kou that he wouldn’t protect his ass in the spirit world but did anyway. Hanako obviously has more depth than meets the eye. He also has absolutely no reason to keep Nene or Kou around but does anyway. I’m starting to think he’s just lonely.

Overall, good animation & writing and it’s a good setup for a 2-part arc, and with this level of intensity, I can’t wait for part 2.