Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (Volume 3) - Where Deities and Hermits Reside!

Hells Paradise Jigokuraku Volume 3 Cover

Gabimaru and Sagiri come across a girl, but when they try to stop her they are attacked by a walking tree. Back at the coast, Tenza and Nurugai are met by a strange being that dropped out of the sky. Time to run!

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku (Volume 3) – Where Deities and Hermits Reside!

What happened?

Gabimaru goes after the girl, leaving the others to take care of the tree monster. She might have some answer that will help them with their quest, and getting home to his wife is the number one priority for Gabimaru. However, the girl is fast and insanely strong. Gabimaru is starting to wonder if she’s even human. Amazingly, he catches her just as Yuzuriha manages to bring down the tree monster. However, it then speaks, pleading with them not to hurt the girl.

The tree monster takes them back to the village where he lives with the girl. They are proof that the Elixir of Life is real as they have both been living for more than a thousand years. Both were born on the island and have never left. No one that comes to the island leaves. They learn that the island is split into three distinct parts. The coastal area is where the deities live. They punish anyone that is not living up to their standards. Then, there’s the forest which is where the village is. No monsters come to this part. Finally, there is the innermost circle of the island which is where the hermits live. They control the elixir.

Meanwhile, Tenza and Nurugai come face to face with one of the hermits. It can change its appearance at will, switching between a male and female appearance. It attacks injuring Tenza. Then, his sensei swoops in and rescues them both. They try to flee, but the hermit is too fast. Eventually, Tenza sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape, much to the annoyance of the hermit who needs live humans to create the elixir. However, she has already thrown a couple into the pit where the flowers will bloom in them.

Hells Paradise Jigokuraku Volume 3 Zhu Jin reveals a new form to Gabimaru

What did you think?

It’s hard to believe that this was just one volume. There was so much covered and we still had time for two spectacular fights and a couple of smaller ones. The fight between Gabimaru and the hermit, Zhu Jin. He pushed it to the limits of its strength and while he was only saved by Mei, the island girl that lives with the tree monster, he managed to hurt it with one attack. It assumed he hadn’t noticed, but he did. He just didn’t work out what was different about the attack, but he will. Gabimaru is an incredible fighter, especially in how he analyses everything as it’s happening.

One thing that jumps out at me is the fact that no one is allowed to leave and yet, the Shogun had someone who had been on the island. Their face had bloomed into a flower which if we are to believe what we’ve been told by the tree monster, that’s how the hermits make the elixir. I’m thinking that maybe someone allowed the news to get out. One of the hermits maybe. Zhu Jin certainly doesn’t seem to like the way the others treat her.

I also worry that Gabimaru’s wife will be coming with the rest of his clan. I feel like she’ll either sneak in with them, which would be ridiculous for a group of ninjas not to notice or her father, the chieftain will bring her to make a point. He obviously doesn’t like Gabimaru and could even use his own daughter in his schemes. This is shaping up to be an outstanding story. There is no time to rest and I’m loving that.