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Year: 2023
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Episodes: 13
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Have you ever been somewhere you wanted to go to only to find it a complete waste? A place that everyone raved about, only for you to think it is a complete hell on earth. It may be a paradise for others, but not yourself. What is that place that you’ve been to? The Devil made Hell his personal paradise and ruled over it. Hell’s Paradise is an anime where an almost indestructible ninja finds the will to live only to be thrown on an island filled with creatures that make it a living hell.
Overview
Gabimaru the Hollow is one of the strongest ninjas around. His blood-soaked life is filled with tales of his brutality as he stands on a mountain of corpses. During his latest mission, he was captured and sentenced to death, which Gabimaru would happily love. The only thing is that Gabimaru seems to be unable to die. After many attempts to execute him, Gabimaru is meant to rot in prison.
When Sagiri, a low-ranking member of the famed execution squad, Yamada Asaemon, is asked to take Gabimaru’s life, she learns that Gabimaru doesn’t want to die. Why? He loves his wife with all her heart and wants to grow old with her. With his resolve back in him, Sagiri gives him a chance for a full pardon for all his crimes. He will be free if he can travel to the island of Shinsekyo and obtain the Elixir of Life that grants immortality. Little does everyone know that the island has worse horrors than the actual world.
Review:
When looking for a new anime, I was on Netflix for some odd reason. Maybe it was because I wanted to see what Netflix had as anime. They have really upped their game in the anime genre section besides Bastard. When I landed on Hell’s Paradise, it seemed like a good anime from what I read.
I want to say that this anime is GOOD, and I feel like we are only scratching the surface of this anime. For the story, it revolves around Gabimaru and Sagiri. When the first episode was on, I thought it would be another boring anime where the person is telling their life story. That is what the first episode is. Gabimaru is the strongest ninja and wants to die but can’t. The dude seems indestructible. Sagiri looks like she is simply writing his tale while listening intently. When the time comes, Sagiri stands, pulls out her sword, and is about to behead Gabimaru. As Gabimaru looks on, he has a change of heart and unleashes his will to live. One of the subplots is Gabimaru’s quest to make it back to his wife. Even an elite assassin can find love.
The story goes into full force after that with the actual goal. The Shogunate gathers the deadliest criminals in the lands, where only twelve will go off with a handler to find the elixir of life. First, there is a battle royal about who is going, and things get bloody quickly. It’s a way to set the tone of this anime because shit was going down all over the place. That is the first part of the anime.
The second part is where everything just goes in the deep end. They are going to this island or land because someone came back full of flowers. It was pretty to look at but straight-up nasty. On the island, the criminals try to escape their handlers, only to find out the island is a land of nightmares. There are bugs with human faces. Walking humanoids that will make your skin shiver. They are not even the worst part. The elixir is real, but it is protected by beings considered gods of the lands, and they are it. They have powers that are unlike anything anyone has, and it is awesome to watch. What I like is that they are not completely invincible because once someone points out their ki or life force inside, they can predict the powers they use and defeat them. Oh, before I forget, the gods also change sexes and sleep with each other. That was the wildest part of the whole show.
I want to say that the violence and action in this anime are top-notch if you like that type of stuff because I sure do. This series is like Attack on Titan. People will die. If you think they are the main characters, there is a good chance they will not be around. First, the beginning, when Gabimaru wants to be killed, is violent because they don’t hide anything, and it is funny because his face is unimpressed. The violence really picks up during the criminals’ selection. You see the brutality and joy of the criminals as they kill each other. Heads are crushed, limbs torn off, and everything under the sun is shown. The true action comes when they fight against the island’s gods. I highly enjoyed those fights because they were wild with the transformations and even the death of one. One dude turned into a giant ass flower to kill everyone. That was crazy.
I must give it up that the animations was on point. This one was crisp and very appealing to the eye. Their use of colors and how they drew the characters were excellent. The anime isn’t all bright and happy; it is dull and gloomy, but that is what makes this anime fun to watch. When Gabimaru unleashes his fire ninjitsu, it is all shades of red and a little purple. The way the gods were designed and how they changed sexes were interesting but appealing. I like how the island has this mist-like fog around each scene on the island to give a sense of mystery. I praise the animation highly and hope season two is even better.
As far as the characters go, there are only two that you really need to know. First is the strongest and complete badass, Gabimaru. He might make his way to being one of my all-time favorite characters. He is the strongest ninja from Iwagakure and is known as Gabimaru the Hollow. This dude is a killer and can give a masterclass in it. He has an intellectual mind and when he figures something out or goes to the next level, he is terrifying. The second character is Sagiri. She was okay at first, but once you watch the show, you really sympathize with her. She is a master swordswoman of the illustrious Yamada Asaemon. She was the one to recruit Gabimaru and the one who is his handler. She is shown to be calm, but once you see that she is ranked last in her group and tries to overcome the fear of beheading, you feel for her.
Yo! Hell’s Paradise is an anime that has the potential to be an excellent anime. It still has a long way to go, but it has potential. It has two great main characters, a fascinating story, and great animation. Can’t wait until season two comes out.
