Get in, Gabimaru (Chiaki Kobayashi), we’re remembering why we’re on this weird island in the first place. Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 2 delivers on just how bizarre the world in the anime is, gives the audience an even deeper look into these characters, and reminds us just how important friendship is. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what makes life worth living?

Let’s focus on Mei for a moment. Episode 2 isn’t the first time the anime has shown what happens to her when she uses Tao. However, it is the first time we see how far her body can change with it. To protect Gabimaru, she uses enough of her own Tao to turn into a young adult, a complete shift from what the audience and the group in the anime have seen her as. For someone like Mei, this change is interesting to say the least. Up until the end of Season 1 and now in Season 2, Mei presents as a young girl, a stark difference from the rest of the cast.

It’s important to note that her speech pattern hasn’t changed despite her physical change. She’s still the Mei the group knows, but in a different body. This disconnect is a nice reminder that Mei is very different from the other Sennin and, if we’re being honest, still kind of immature compared to the others. Of course, she’s technically over 1,000 years old, but that doesn’t stop the group and the audience from viewing her as younger. Additionally, the comment about her attractiveness is in poor taste, but to be expected from criminals.

Toma and Chōbei demonstrate the strength of their bond.

Toma tries to bring Chōbei to his senses

Family dynamics in Hell’s Paradise are always so interesting to watch play out. Chōbei and Toma are, quite obviously, the focus of “Reality and Illusion” no matter which way you slice it. Their codependent relationship is the very thing that drives both of them, so when Chōbei, in his tao haze, accidentally harms Toma, the audience sees just how important their relationship is.

Up until this episode, it’s obvious how much Toma cares for Chōbei – going so far as to embed himself with the Yamada Clan in order to get back to him. But it wasn’t the same for Chōbei until now. His drive to keep his brother safe is evident in his fight with Gabimaru, revealing that he feels the same, if not more, toward Toma. Even when Mei saves Gabimaru, Chōbei tells Toma to wait for him since they’ll be separated for the time being. It’s a reminder of just how dedicated Chōbei is to keeping Toma safe.

It would be remiss not to mention Gabimaru and Sagiri’s relationship shift as well. While it’s clear from the Season 2 premiere that Sagiri refuses to leave the island without him, it’s only here that they show exactly why that is. Whether she openly admits it to the others or not, she views Gabimaru as a friend and an important ally. She says as much when approaching him to help heal his tao. This shift in their dynamic is obvious in how Sagiri approaches Gabimaru, ignoring all of his attempts to keep her away.

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 2 is a step up in terms of animation quality.

Sagiri in Hell's Paradise Season 2 Episode 2

But Sagiri knows that she might be the one who can help Gabimaru remember not only what the mission is, but also his wife. And who is Gabimaru if not a total wife guy? Now, she doesn’t heal him completely, but it’s a great way of showing how Tao can transfer from one person to another without using Bōchū Jutsu.

With that said, it’s easy to look at this through a romantic lens, but I think that’s lazy. The relationship between Sagiri and Gabimaru is an extremely close allyship. In any normal situation they’d simply be considered friends. Sagiri doesn’t view him as a criminal anymore, but she also doesn’t view him as anything other than platonic because of her respect for him wanting to get back to his wife.

Sometimes you blush around your friends and it doesn’t mean anything romantic!

Compared to Season 2 Episode 1, the animation is much better. Whatever awkward animation in the fight scenes isn’t present here. The animation feels smooth throughout, without any of the janky animation that plagued the fight choreography in the previous episode. MAPPA is known for its animation — and specifically its fighting animation. It’s nice to see that what happened in the premiere was a one-off situation. If the animation for the series is the same as it is here, it’s going to be a great season.

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 2 charges ahead with the same momentum as Episode 1. Built on the foundation of the premiere, it continues the strong start as the season embarks on the next leg of the journey. The double whammy of worldbuilding and character building is exactly what makes Hell’s Paradise a great series to watch. And while the episode ended on that cliffhanger, it was the perfect place to stop. Episode 3 is bound to pick up the pace even more, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where the anime takes us.

Hell’s Paradise season two is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Images courtesy of MAPPA and Crunchyroll.