Pack your bags, because Hell’s Paradise is setting sail for Shinsenkyo again this winter season. The MAPPA and Twin Engine-produced anime is back on our screens, featuring our favorite criminals and executioner samurai. Season 2 picks up exactly where Season 1 left off, which is the perfect way to get right back into the thick of things.
Aptly titled “Dawn and Confusion,” it lets the audience finally get to see the true repercussions of Gabimaru (Chiaki Kobayash, The Summer Hikaru Died) overexerting himself in the finale of season one. He can’t recall his recent memories along with the reason for why he fights — a major part of his character since he’s a total wife guy. Because of this, Mei (Konomi Kohara) notices that Gabimaru’s tao isn’t the same as it was earlier, and it’s affecting how he fights against Chōbei (Ryōhei Kimura). Not only is he not as strong, but his lack of a reason to survive is blocking him from going all out as he did before.
The relationship between Sagiri (Yumiri Hanamori) and Yuzuriha (Rie Takahashi) is an underrated aspect of Hell’s Paradise that served as a wonderful highlight in Season 2 Episode 1. As two of the only women featured in the show, their relationship is particularly important.
Complicated relationships dictate the ensuing battles.
Throughout the episode, we see just how much Sagiri wants to help not only Gabimaru but Yuzuriha as well. On the other hand, it’s obvious that Yuzuriha finds Sagiri’s sincerity hard to love. Their relationship has grown in the handful of days that they have known each other, and it’s refreshing to see two women in this storytelling medium who aren’t being pitted against one another.
The relationships within Hell’s Paradise, but specifically this episode, are extremely complicated — especially when it comes to the Aza siblings. Chōbei and Tōma (Kensho Ono) very clearly have a codependent relationship since they were young. However, it exacerbates the imbalance in their relationship when they encounter Gabimaru and the rest of his crew.
While Tōma fights for Chōbei, Chōbei fights for himself. Their dynamic is put on blast with how Chōbei bosses Tōma even more so than usual, and how Tōma is obviously in his brother’s shadow. While Chōbei begins his transformation at the end of the episode because of how much he needs Tōma by his side, it’s clear that he doesn’t believe Tōma is strong enough to protect himself. He views Tōma as something he needs to protect, instead of someone who is equally as powerful as he is.
Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 excels with cohesive, vibrant animation.
A small, impressive detail about Episode 1 is the animation coloring. Each scene is bright, colorful, and well-lit, which is rare in anime with darker plots. Everything was easy to see, and even the scenes that took place inside, with darker tones, never appeared muddy or flat. It’s clear that the animators wanted to make sure that things were clear for the audience — this especially stands out in the fight scenes between several characters, where things could get very messy very quickly.
Jumping off of that, there are some issues with the animation in general. Maybe I’m being picky, but the animation in Hell’s Paradise Episode 1 seems a bit clunky. The fight scene between Gabimaru and Chōbei, in particular, is a bit awkward while watching. Especially when compared to how smooth the animation was in other scenes, such as the one with Sagiri and Yuzuriha.
There isn’t any fighting movement in the latter scene, but the movement that is there flows a lot more smoothly. The fight scene is almost similar to the fighting animation in season one of Dorohedoro, before the art team were able to smooth out the wrinkles with the 3D animation.
Gabimaru and Chōbei get the focus in an inevitable standoff.
Regardless, the fight scene was enjoyable to watch. The Gabimaru and Chōbei clash was inevitable to happen at some point, and even with the clunky animation, it was worth watching. If there is one thing Hell’s Paradise does well each time, it’s fight choreography. The fight between Gabimaru and Chōbei was the focus of the episode, and the animators made sure the audience clearly saw every move from both of them.
Even when the focus switched to Tōma and Gantetsusai, there was never any confusion on which character was doing what. This directly ties into the bright coloring and how clearly it captures each character’s movements, making the fight scenes that much more enjoyable.
Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 is a strong reintroduction to the series after a three-year break. We’re reunited with the characters we’ve been missing for so long, and they’re back with a bang. “Dawn and Confusion” is a great first episode back from MAPPA and Twin Engine. Even with some awkward animation, I fully expect that to be a one-off situation once the animators dust off the cobwebs.
Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Images courtesy of MAPPA / Crunchyroll.
REVIEW RATING
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Hell's Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 - 8/10
8/10
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