Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Premiere Proves MAPPA Can Do No Wrong

By Evan Valentine

Hell's Paradise: Jigakuraku is one of the biggest new anime series to arrive as a part of this year's anime spring season. With Studio MAPPA working on the likes of Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, and Jujutsu Kaisen to name a few, the story of Gabimaru the Hollow has hit the ground floor running with its first episode. Exploring a dark world wherein condemned criminals are sentenced to a mysterious supernatural island, the series won't be pulling any punches when it comes to its story and bloody action scenes.

The Hell's Paradise manga debuted in 2018 from creator Yuji Kaku, and it makes for an amazing series to be adapted for an anime. Wielding dynamic action scenes and a unique protagonist whose own body will not let him claim the death he is desperate for, the first episode gave viewers a good breakdown of who Gabimaru is and what he is looking to do in the series' future. Joined by Sagiri, a female executioner who is bound to her prisoner, the true test for MAPPA is from the disturbing creatures and surroundings of the creepy island where the condemned swordsmen will find themselves. While we haven't seen the full scope of the monsters that lie in wait, the disturbing imagery we've seen so far gives viewers an idea of what is to come.

Hell's Paradise: A Horror Show

The premiere episode of Hell's Paradise really plays on MAPPA's strengths, not just with some interesting action beats but the horrific casualties introduced from the island that Gabimaru and company will find themselves on. As was apparent in the previous installment of Attack on Titan, the animation studio responsible for both series has found a niche in creating beautiful violence that can sometimes make viewers uneasy. Here, with Gabimaru's adventure, the anime spring season might have found its best new entry. 

If you haven't had the opportunity to check out the first episode of the series featuring Gabimaru The Hollow, here's how Crunchyroll describes the series: "Gabimaru reigns as the strongest and most ruthless assassin in his village. But now finds himself on death row—with only one way out: retrieve the Elixir of Life from a sinister island. Longing for freedom, he accepts the challenge. But with fellow convicts vying for the same prize and demonic beasts lurking, how will Gabimaru survive this harrowing quest?"

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