Manga Review: Hell's Paradise
I can count on one hand the number of stories that have gripped me in the first few pages. Some of my all time favorite series have taken me several chapters, even volumes before I became truly hooked on their stories. If you’ve read The Lord of the Rings you know what I’m talking about. Yet on rare occasions, something will resonate with you immediately and you’ll know, this is a story just for you. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is just such a story.
Official Summary
Gabimaru the Hollow is one of the most vicious assassins ever to come out of the ninja village of Iwagakure. He’s ruthlessly efficient, but a betrayal results in him being handed a death sentence. He has only one hope—in order to earn his freedom, he must travel to a long-hidden island and recover an elixir that will make the shogun immortal. Failure is not an option. On this island, heaven and hell are just a hair’s breadth away.
Quick Information
Story and Art: Yuji Kaku
Publisher: Viz Media
Published: March 17, 2020
Genre: Action, Mystery, Horror
Rating: Mature
Series Status: Complete
Review
In the opening segment we are introduced to Gabimaru the Hallow, the best ninja from the Iwagakure village. But he's not in the middle of a mission, he's in prison waiting for his execution. We see multiple attempts of his execution such as an attempt to burn at the stake, decapitation, and even being torn apart. Nothing seems to kill the ninja despite Gabimaru professing not caring about being killed.
Gabimaru himself asks why he is unable to die despite being “hollow”. When forced to confront this question by Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, an executioner sent to finish the job started by the prison magistrate, he finds the answer to this question and his attachment to life. Through this he is given a chance at a pardon from the Shogun in exchange for retrieving the Elixir of Life from a newly discovered island.
After the base plot is established, we see Gabimaru and Sagiri travel to this strange island along with several other convicts hoping to receive that same pardon. The problem is only one of them can receive the pardon and bring back the elixir.
The events that unfold on the island are truly terrifying from start to finish. Brimming with action packed scenes, body horror, and a mystery that surrounds everything at its core, this manga really has something for everyone. Also for fair warning this isn’t a story for the faint of heart. Hell’s Paradise showcases people battling for their lives at every corner as the odds are continuously stacked against them. But it is also this strength to cling to life so fiercely which makes this series burn so brightly.
Character design is top tier as the entire cast of characters are given unique styles, personalities, and backgrounds. No two characters are alike and you will come to love all of them, well, mostly all of them. Yuji Kaku’s art style really accentuates the strange, weird, and horrific monstrosities found on the island. The violence and despair is vivid in each scene.
This is the second work of Yuji Kaku that I’ve read, the first being the canceled Ayashimon. I can say definitively, eve though I enjoyed Ayashimon, Hell’s Paradise is head and shoulders above that series. Still after seeing more of Yuji Kaku’s talent, I hope they do write another manga in the future.
For anime only fans there is a first season of Hell’s Paradise already out with a second season that just started this month. The studio behind the anime is MAPPA and while it may not be the best show the studio has created, it's still an entertaining watch. However, if any part of this review has interested you in the series, I recommend reading the manga.
I was on the edge of my seat as I devoured volume after volume of this Hell’s Paradise. Luckily for me I was able to binge read all thirteen volumes since the series is complete. While the ending didn’t resonate with me as strongly as the beginning did, I didn’t feel disappointed by it. It felt realistic given everything that happened throughout the story.
If you enjoy stories like Golden Kamuy, Claymore, or Ajin: Demi-Human, I highly recommend reading Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.