Farewell, Amanojaku - The Arrival of Ohma

Episode 20: "Farewell, Amanojaku... The Descent of Ohma" is the twentieth and final episode of Ghost Stories.

Episode Ghost: Ouma

Synopsis[]

Amanojaku climatically chooses to save Satsuki and her friends in defeating the most powerful spirit they have yet faced: Ouma, the Spirit of Vengeance, who has reawakened almost every ghost the gang has put to sleep.

Cast[]

Plot[]

Lightning hits the temple, breaking the bonshō bell, which frees whatever spirit was inside.

The gang look out of the school window and see all the other kids and teachers heading to the old schoolhouse. They follow, but a barrier blocks Hajime, Momoko and Leo after Satsuki and Keiichirou have gone inside. Satsuki and Keiichirou end up trapped in the school with the others outside pounding on the door. Amanojaku shows up to berate them. He tells them that the new ghost is Ouma, a powerful ghost with a grudge against Satsuki’s mom for putting him to spiritual sleep. Amanojaku finds a way into the old schoolhouse for them.

They all meet up in the old schoolhouse. It is teeming with ghosts. Ouma has released all of the ones that had been trapped by Satsuki. Satsuki finds the entry for Ouma in the ghost diary, which has detailed directions for putting Ouma to spiritual sleep. Ouma then shows up and attacks. Amanojaku jumps in to block, as the kids flee to gather the items for the spell. Amanojaku fights with Ouma. As the cat is destroyed, Amanojuku emerges in his large spirit form. The kids are ready, and Satsuki chants the incantation, putting Ouma into spiritual sleep inside the bell of the clocktower.

With Amanojaku gone, they find the cat, Kaya, is okay, and is once again just a cat.

References named in the episode[]

The WB Television Network (commonly shortened to The WB, standing for Warner Bros.) was an American television network first launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner and the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of the Tribune Company, with the former acting as controlling partner. The network principally aired programs targeting teenagers and young adults between the ages of 12 and 34, with its children's division, Kids' WB, geared toward children ages 6 to 12. The WB was also sometimes referred to as the "Frog Network", in reference to a former mascot, Michigan J. Frog.
The Birds is a 1963 American natural horror-thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Loosely based on the 1952 story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, it focuses on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California, over the course of a few days.
Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows, of which he is a founding member and principal composer. Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records,^[4] released seven studio albums that have been certified gold or platinum,^[5] and been nominated for two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema.^[1] In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films,^[a] many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", he became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director despite five nominations.
Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American actress, animal rights activist, and former fashion model. She achieved worldwide recognition for her work in two of Alfred Hitchcock's classics: The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964). Hedren is noted as one of the most famous 'Hitchcock Blondes' and is now, along with Kim Novak and Eva Marie Saint, one of the last surviving leading stars from Hitchcock's filmography.
Ring (リング, Ringu) is a 1998 Japanese psychological supernatural horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, based on the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani and Hiroyuki Sanada, and follows a reporter who is racing to investigate the mystery behind a cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after watching it. It is titled The Ring (stylized as the Ring) in English in Japan and released as Ringu in North America and Ring: Circle of Evil in the Philippines.
The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) is a private American auto insurance company with headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It is the second largest auto insurer in the United States, after State Farm.^[4] GEICO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that provides coverage for more than 24 million motor vehicles owned by more than 15 million policy holders as of 2017. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The insurance agency sells policies through local agents, called GEICO Field Representatives, over the phone directly to the consumer via licensed insurance agents, and through their website. Its mascot is a gold dust day gecko with a Cockney accent, voiced by English actor Jake Wood. GEICO is well known in popular culture for its advertising, having made numerous commercials intended to entertain viewers.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her second soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). It was released as the first single from the album on March 27, 1990, by Sire Records. Madonna was inspired by vogue dancers and choreographers Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza from the Harlem "House Ball" community, the origin of the dance form, and they introduced "vogueing" to her at the Sound Factory club in New York City. "Vogue" is a house song which set trends in dance music in the 1990s with strong influences of 1970s disco within its composition. "Vogue" also contains a spoken section, in which Madonna name-checks various "Golden Age" Hollywood stars. Lyrically, the song is about enjoying oneself on the dance floor no matter who one is and it contains a theme of escapism. "Vogue" has appeared in a remixed form on two of Madonna's greatest hits compilations: The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).
Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow,^[1] is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He is known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the action heroic bloodshed films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled, and in the West for his roles as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Sao Feng in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. He mainly plays in drama films and has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor in Taiwan. Chow started his career in movies in 1976 with Goldig Films.
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film The Ten Commandments (1956), for which he received his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and the title role in Ben-Hur (1959), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.^[5] He also starred in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Secret of the Incas (1954), Touch of Evil (1958) with Orson Welles, The Big Country (1958), El Cid (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Khartoum (1966), Planet of the Apes (1968), The Omega Man (1971) and Soylent Green (1973).
Earthquake is a 1974 American ensemble disaster drama film directed and produced by Mark Robson^[3] and starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner. The plot concerns the struggle for survival after a catastrophic earthquake destroys most of the city of Los Angeles, California.
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription streaming service and production company. Launched on August 29, 1997, it offers a film and television series library through distribution deals as well as its own productions, known as Netflix Originals.
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. Richards possesses a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and electrical engineering, chemistry, all levels of physics, and human and alien biology. BusinessWeek listed Mister Fantastic as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics.^[1] He is the inventor of the spacecraft that was bombarded by cosmic radiation on its maiden voyage, granting the Fantastic Four their powers. Richards gained the ability to stretch his body into any shape he desires.
Spirited Away (Japanese: 千と千尋の神隠し, Hepburn: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, 'Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away') is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distributed by Toho.^[7] The film features the voices of Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, and Bunta Sugawara. Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore).^[8] After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.
Oprah Gail Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey;^[1] January 29, 1954) is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.^{[3][better source needed][4]} Dubbed the "Queen of All Media",^[5] she was the richest African-American of the 20th century,^[6][7] was once the world's only black billionaire,^[8] and the greatest black philanthropist in U.S. history.^[9][10] By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world.
James Frey (born September 12, 1969) is an American writer and businessman. His first two books, A Million Little Pieces (2003) and My Friend Leonard (2005), were bestsellers marketed as memoirs. Large parts of the stories were later found to be exaggerated or fabricated, sparking a media controversy.^[1] His 2008 novel Bright Shiny Morning was also a bestseller.
Jessica Marie Alba (/ˈælbə/ AL-bə; born April 28, 1981)^[1] is an American actress and businesswoman.^[2][3][4] She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 as the lead actress of the television series Dark Angel (2000–2002), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Fantastic Four (sometimes stylized as Fantastic 4) is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon and Kerry Washington.
Starlet Marie Jones (born March 24, 1962), better known as Star Jones, is an American lawyer, journalist, television personality, fashion designer, author, and women's and diversity advocate. She is best known as one of the first co-hosts on the ABC morning talk show The View, which she appeared on for nine seasons from 1997-98 through 2005-06. She was also one of sixteen contestants of the fourth installment of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011, coming in fifth place.
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia.
Madonna Louise Ciccone (/tʃɪˈkoʊni/; Italian: [tʃikˈkoːne]; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in popular culture and has often been referred to as the "Queen of Pop".^[3] Madonna is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while maintaining control over every aspect of her career.^[4] Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim.
“Express Yourself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was included on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), and Celebration (2009). "Express Yourself" was the first song that Madonna and producer Stephen Bray collaborated on for Like a Prayer. Written and produced by them, the song was a tribute to American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. The main inspiration behind the song is female empowerment, urging women never to go for second-best and to always express their inner feelings.
Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants originating in Irvine, California in 1962, by founder Glen Bell. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty and speciality items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2018, Taco Bell serves over two billion customers each year, at 7,072 restaurants, more than 93 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.
Krakatoa also transcribed Krakatau, is a caldera^[1] in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa Archipelago) comprising four islands. Two, Lang and Verlaten, are remnants of a previous volcanic edifice destroyed in eruptions long before the famous 1883 eruption; another, Rakata, is the remnant of a much larger island destroyed in the 1883 eruption.
"Game over" is a message in video games which signals to the player that the game and an attempt of playing the level has ended. It is usually received negatively in a situation where continued play is disallowed, such as losing all of one's lives or failing a critical objective. However, it sometimes also appears after the successful completion of a game, usually ones designed for arcades. The phrase has since been turned into quasi-slang, usually describing an event that will cause significant harm, injury, bad luck, or even death to a person.
“Game over, man!” Private Hudson actor Bill Paxton improvised his most famous line in 1986's Alien sequel Aliens, despite the actor not liking ad-libbing in general. Private Hudson's desperate utterance of “Game over, man!” remains one of Aliens' most enduringly popular quotes.
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the 105^[1] members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944,^[2] recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper,^[2] magazine and book publication, television and radio broadcasting) predominantly outside the U.S. The HFPA consists of about 105^[3] members from approximately 55 countries with a combined following of more than 250 million.^[4] It conducts the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Los Angeles every January, which honors notable examples of film and television and achievements in entertainment businesses.
Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the Rocky film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eight films in the franchise. He is depicted as a working class or poor Italian-American from the slums of Philadelphia who started out as a club fighter and “enforcer” for a local loan shark. He is portrayed as overcoming the obstacles that had occurred in his life and in his career as a professional boxer. While the story of his first film is loosely inspired by Chuck Wepner, a boxer who fought Muhammad Ali and lost on a TKO in the 15th round, the inspiration for the name, iconography and fighting style came from boxing legend Rocco Francis "Rocky Marciano" Marchegiano, though his surname coincidentally also resembles that of Middleweight Boxing Champion Thomas Rocco "Rocky Graziano" Barbella.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; /ˈpiːtə/, stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. The nonprofit corporation claims that PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally. Its slogan is "Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way."
Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alongside drummer Martin Chambers.
Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised ultimately from the Aramaic: אלעזר, Elʿāzār, cf. Heb. Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church,^[4] is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death. The Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions offer varying accounts of the later events of his life.
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into seasoned doctors while balancing personal and professional relationships. The title is an allusion to Gray's Anatomy, a classic human anatomy textbook first published in 1858 in London and written by Henry Gray.^[1] Shonda Rhimes developed the pilot and continued to write for the series until 2015. Krista Vernoff, who previously worked with Rhimes, is now the showrunner.^[2] Rhimes was also one of the executive producers alongside Betsy Beers, Mark Gordon, Krista Vernoff, Rob Corn, Mark Wilding, and Allan Heinberg, and recently, Ellen Pompeo. Although the series is set in Seattle, Washington, it is filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California.
Paroxetine, sold under the brand names Paxil and Seroxat among others, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class.^[5] It is used to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.^[5] It has also been used in the treatment of premature ejaculation and hot flashes due to menopause.^[5][6] It is taken by mouth.
Steven Foster is a writer and director, known for Gakkô no kaidan (2000), Gilgamesh (2003) and Sakigake!! Cromartie Kôkô (2003)

Gallery[]

Cultural References[]

"I like to think of this as the day we became the typical WB sitcom family with a dead mother." - Satsuki
The WB Television Network was a cable TV network operated by Warner Bros. from 1995 through 2006. It targeted the teen demographic with shows including the acclaimed ‘’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’’. Their sitcom about a family with a dead mother was Raising Dad, starring Bob Saget.
"Hey! Holy shades of Hitchcock." – Hajime
"Can I be Tippi Hedrin" – Satsuki
Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock made a 1963 horror film The Birds starring Tippi Hedrin.
"At least we’re not ripping off The Ring again. – Hajime
A lot of episodes are compared to horror movie The Ring
"Hey! There’s some weird red fog at the school, and I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico." – Leo.
This is a parody of an advertising campaign by Geico insurance company.
“Sometimes all I need is the air that I bleed." – Satsuki.
"This borrows a line from the song "The Air That I Breathe", which was a 1974 hit for the band ‘’The Hollies’’
"Say…. Ancient Chinese secret." – Keiichirou
This is a line from a commercial for Calgon detergent booster
"Misono, Aya, Chow Yun-fat." – Satsuki.
The first two names are her fellow students. Chow Yun-fat was a Hong Kong movie star.
"And no sign of Charlton Heston either. Ha ha ha ha. What? Nothing? Never mind. You kids go home and get Earthquake on Netflix." - Amanojaku
Charlton Heston is an actor famous for 1950’s epic movies such as Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. He starred in the 1974 disaster movie Earthquake. When this show aired, Netflix wasn't a streaming service. They provided DVD rentals by mail-order.
"What the hell is funny girl doing back?" – Satsuki
She says this while fleeing Babasare. Her nickname for Babasare was "Barbara Streisand", who won an Academy Award for the 1968 comedy film, Funny Girl
"Mrs. Brolin" – Keiichirou
Barbara Streisand was married to James Brolin
"It’s either the toilet ghost from Ep 2 or Reed Richards" – Hajime
Reed Richards was a Marvel superhero with elastic arms
"Shades of Spirited Away" – Hajime
Spirited Away was a 2001 Studio Ghibli film about a bathhouse for ghosts
"Because when I go on Oprah to sell this f---er, I don’t want to be called back in a week to be berated by that holier-that-though bazillionaire. Ya got me?" – Satsuki
Oprah Winfrey was a talk show host, and the richest African-American of the 20th Century.
"I mean, I think Fry’s an a--hole too, but you think Winfrey never gilded the lily?" – Satsuki
James Fry was a writer who was confronted by Oprah over fabrications in his personal memoir A Million Little Pieces
"This is worse than Supermarket Sweep" – Satsuki
Supermarket Sweep was a 1990s game show.
"I learned this from Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four" – Amanojaku
Fantastic Four was a 2005 Marvel superhero film starring Jessica Alba.
"I haven’t felt this bad since Star Jones' wedding. "I got a new gay husband"." – Amanojaku
Star Jones was a television personality who was one of the first hosts of talk show The View. In 2004 she married Al Reynolds, who would come out as bisexual in 2017.
"Is it just me or does this look amazingly like Madonna’s "Express Yourself" video" – Leo
Singer Madonna had a hit song, "Express Yourself"
"Don’t go for second best. Look for torches" – Satsuki
"Don’t go for second best” is a line from Madonna's song "Express Yourself"
"When is ADV going to start subtitling what you say" – Ouma
This references the English production company of Ghost Stories, ADV Films.
"Think Brokeback Mountain" - Ouma
Brokeback Mountain was a 2005 movie about a couple of gay cowboys
"Wish we had the budget for some really sappy pop song to go over this montage, but well, we ain't Lost or Grey's Anatomy" - Satsuki
Lost was a sci-fi/horror TV series by J.J. Abrams which first aired in 2004. Grey's Anatomy was a medical drama TV series which first aired in 2005.