Character Profile: Fukumoto

Long before the Internet existed – at least for the last 400 years – Hell Correspondence existed. However, the way to contact it 50 years ago was a small advertisement located in the Missing Persons section of a newspaper's classified ads. But the space where the ad would be is usually blank, and only made itself known if someone seeing the ad had a strong sense of vengeance. Then it would appear – with a mailing address which someone would mail the name of the person to be avenged upon after midnight.

Fukumoto was an artist who found out about the legend from a story writer, Okaji, when the both of them worked for an erotic magazine, 'Flesh and Cherry Blossoms', that existed long before Japan's decency laws. Fukumoto didn't think much about it – until he came home one day and found Okaji in his apartment – after he had raped Fukumoto's wife! She later committed suicide afterwards. Knowing that Okaji had a gun and it would be useless to confront him, Fukumoto's quest for revenge allowed him to see the ad, which he mailed Okaji's name at midnight – and met Ai Emma. Okaji later died afterward.

Still trying to cope with the death of his wife, as well as his actions with Okaji, Fukumoto, who was normally an illustrator, felt obligated to write a story under the pen-name 'GoTo Hell' about what happened, but changing certain details, based upon his experiences. Calling it 'Purgatory Girl', he had submitted it to the editor of the magazine, who was struggling with how to cope with a deadline, as well as the death of Okaji. The illustration of the Purgatory Girl in the story, an accurate portrayal of Ai, however, was omitted for being too pure for the content of the magazine, and a more lurid illustration of his was substituted. For the most part, the story wasn't too well received by the readers as not sexually expressive. The magazine later went out-of-business.

Fukumoto then spent the next 50 years trying to cope with his coming date with Hell, either by billboard illustration, prayer, gambling, and finally volunteer work. He then spent his final years alone in an apartment in a run-down city – where he was approached by Hajime Shibata, who had learned of the magazine from a vision his daughter Tsugumi had, where she saw Ai visit a used book story and found the story. By that time, Fukumoto's health had deteriorated so much that he could die at any minute. He then told his story to the reporter, which he reckoned that possibly the reason he wrote 'Purgatory Girl' in the first place was that he wanted someone to know his story – someone like Hajime.

But the last part shocked even Hajime. Fukumoto then invited him to a small painting studio he had – which has dozens of paintings of Ai, as well as a large mural of the Hell Girl on the wall. As Fukumoto looked upon the mural, the eyes of Ai shed tears. Fukumoto then died shortly afterward, happy that Ai would cry for him.

The last Fukumoto was seen was on the boat to Hell. Seated in front of him, not rowing the boat this time, was Ai, still the same as the first time he saw her 50 years prior. When he asked her if there was any chance he could find Okaji when he got to Hell, Ai simply said it was doubtful, as Hell was a vast place.