Hell’s Paradise (Season One) – Jigokuraku
In order to gain a pardon from the Shogun and live out the rest of his life with his wife, Gabimaru agrees to go to the island of Shinsekyo and obtain the Elixir of Life. However, he’s not alone, and it’s not going to be easy!
Hell’s Paradise (Season One) – Jigokuraku
What did you watch?
Since I dived back into reading manga, I’ve found myself in a position that feels quite unnatural. I’ve always been an anime-first sort of person, but now I have come up against several anime where I have either finished the manga or am several volumes in. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is one of those situations. I started reading the manga in October 2022 and finished in June 2023. The anime started airing in April 2023 and by that time, I was five volumes in. As such, I decided that I would put the anime on hold until I had finished the manga, even though I knew that I needed to see it and had no doubts that it would be something I would enjoy. Well, I’ve seen it, so let’s see what I thought!
What happened?
Gabimaru the Hollow is a notorious shinobi who was betrayed by his clan and left to rot in a cell. Because of his actions, he was then sentenced to death, however, no matter what they tried, they could not kill him. He said he wanted to die, but did he really? Sagiri, an executioner from the Yamada Asaemon clan had been watching Gabimaru with interest. She was curious why he refused to die. She believed that he had a reason to live and that could be put to good use. In fact, the Shogun offered a pardon to anyone who would go to the island of Shinsekyo and return with the Elixir of Life. And, by anyone, he meant any one of the thirteen death row criminals that he had gathered together. They would each be accompanied by an Asaemon to watch over them, however, once on the island they were free to do what they needed to in order to obtain the Elixir of Life.
Sagiri had been assigned to watch over Gabimaru. She had to be prepared to execute him if the situation called for it, however, she felt like there was something different about him. Not long after arriving in the beautiful paradise of Shinsekyo, they were very quickly awoken by the harsh reality. This was not paradise – this was hell! Strange bugs crawled over everything with human-like appendages. Giant beings with the heads of animals staggered through the forest. When they found a human, they attacked without hesitation. That was fine with Gabimaru, he never hesitated to do anything he needed to do. After defeating several of these monsters, he turned on Sagiri, determined to kill her quickly and spare her the horrors of Shinsekyo. However, he couldn’t do it. He didn’t understand why he stopped or why he let her live, but he did. Maybe she would come in useful in his search for the Elixir of Life.
What did you think?
I knew I was going to love it and I was one hundred percent right. This was fantastic. Having come from the manga where everything is in black and white, I was a little put off by how colourful and bright the anime seemed, but that concern quickly faded away as I reconciled the images with the vibrant book covers. I think they absolutely nailed the feel of the place and how it really is a mix of Heaven and Hell. Of course, this ties in perfectly with the overall message of the story. It’s all about balance. Fast-slow, strong-weak, ruthless-compassionate. The strongest sword will break if it is inflexible. That’s what makes Sagiri so important to this story. She is the embodiment of this idea and it’s through her that Gabimaru learns that he is not confined to one role. He’s not just a vicious killer. I seriously can’t wait for the next season.
What was your favourite moment?
This season was packed full of incredible moments. I loved the scene where Sagiri and Gabimaru were fighting. The way it ended with him listening to the advice of his wife and allowing Sagiri to live was great. I also enjoyed the fight between Tenza and Zhu Jin at the beach as he sacrificed himself to allow Nurugai and Shion to escape. Then there was the way that Sagiri and Gabimaru teamed up to bring down the giant, Rokurouta, showcasing that need for balance in all things.
However, there was one moment that stood head and shoulders above everything else. Sagiri, Yuzuriha, Senta, and Houko had just entered Horai and found themselves facing Mu Dan. The fight was brutal and unrelenting. We learned a lot about each of the characters, especially when Shion and Nurugai showed up. However, the moment peaked just after the group emerged victorious. Senta had been infected by the plants and was on the verge of death. Sagiri didn’t want to give up on him, but Yuzuriha remained calm. She sat beside him and rested his head on her shoulder, whispering into his ear as his consciousness faded. He died in a safe and happy place thanks to Yuzuriha. Once again, we are shown the balance of things. Yuzuriha may be a kunoichi, trained to trick and deceive but she’s also more honest and forthright than anyone.
What was your least favourite moment?
The hardest thing was seeing Shion suffer when he realised that Tenza was doing the right thing in sacrificing himself. He’d spent all that time building Tenza up and helping him become the person he is today only to have to watch his pupil give up his life to save him. I’m sure Shion would have traded places in a heartbeat, but that was not possible. That was a real gut punch. That said, I love Shion’s sense of humour. He is so dry.
Who was your favourite character?
In the manga, Yuzuriha is easily my favourite character and she was excellent in this season of the anime, however, I remember completely falling for Sagiri in the beginning and this season reminded me why. I love that her inner conflict is what makes her strong. Genji noticed it too in the moments before he died. Sagiri embodies balance. He realised that her ability to link two opposing views is what makes her strong. He could see what she was capable of and that at least gave him some peace as he died.
One of the most interesting things about Sagiri and her relationship with Gabimaru is that it is completely non-romantic which is quite surprising for this sort of story, especially when we have two main characters who I’m sure will get shipped by the fandoms. Of course, all the manga readers know that Sagiri and Yuzuriha is the only ship to get behind… even if that may or may not ever happen… Anyhow, Sagiri is a fascinating character and someone that I could happily watch doing just about anything.
Who was your least favourite character?
In the manga, it took me a long time before I started to like Choubei and we’ve not really reached that point in the anime so it’s a pretty easy choice. He’s incredibly brash and overconfident… Well, is it overconfidence if he continually manages to back up his assertions? However, much like everything else that thrives in this story, Choubei is also a good example of balance. It may not be instantly obvious, but his love for his brother, Touma is what grounds him. It softens the edges but only a little and only when he’s dealing directly with Touma. If you’re also struggling with this character, he does get better.
Would you like some more?
I own all thirteen volumes of the manga and am ready to start reading them again as I wait for the second season. I’m also hoping that the next season will be longer, although I’d take another three or four seasons to get to the end because it really is worth it. It’s often hard to find a story that has a really satisfying ending. Hell’s Paradise, however, is one of those rare gems that manages to pull everything together and deliver a big finish. This is great news for the anime, especially as the series has already finished. I just hope they stick to the story and don’t decide to cut things short with an anime-only ending. This series should be epic if they stick to the path.
What have you learned?
I love the pacing of this story. Ironically, it too follows the theme of the story by balancing fast action-orientated scenes with slower more thoughtful moments. There’s enough in each episode to grab you and leave you desperate for more, but it also delivers clear and beautiful moments where we get to see the characters reveal themselves to us in a natural manner. This story is all about balance and it’s actually staggering to see just how well everything is balanced. The characters seem to form unions that brilliantly complement and contrast one another. Nothing felt out of place in this story. I absolutely loved this season and cannot wait for more.
Series Information
| English Title | Hell’s Paradise |
| Japanese Title | Jigokuraku |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Samurai |
| Demographic | Shounen |
Manga
Anime
| Season | Season One |
| Released | Spring 2023 |
| Animation Studios | MAPPA |
| Episodes | 13 |
Ah, this looks interesting.
It’s excellent! Well worth watching.