Where’s Hulk Hogan when you need him to scream “brother” in your face because – that is what Hell’s Paradise Episode 7 was all about. The animators lock in with “Two People and One Person” by keeping to one central location and focusing on one fight. Additionally, a lot of true personalities reveal themselves. This is as close to a perfect episode as one can get.
Brother, my brother
Tōma and Chōbei are the stars of Episode 7, no ifs, ands, or buts about that. The Aza brothers are officially here and ready to slay, as they say. Their subtle unreliable narration throughout the series leads the audience to believe Tōma isn’t as strong as Chōbei, despite knowing the brothers led their group of bandits together. On top of that, the braid reveal does a great job taking viewers by surprise. Tōma’s creepy little smile and nose scar making their debut is the highlight of the episode. Finally, his true colors are on display for both the Tensen and the main party.
The Aza brothers ability to fight side by side is really special in Hell’s Paradise. Both of them have extreme fighting abilities when one-on-one, but “Two People and One Person” really shows how much better they are fighting by each other’s side. The title of the episode says it all — they’re two people, but are one person when they fight together. Both brothers cover the other’s blind spots, know where the other is going to be at any time, and can mimic one another’s moves. That sort of knowledge only comes from fighting side by side with someone for decades. It shows that the brothers shouldn’t be underestimated, because they know how to play the game better than other people.
Hats off to MAPPA and Twin Engine for nailing these two. This was a scene that I personally have been looking forward to and they did it right.
Hell’s Paradise Season 2, Episode 7 sees more masks falling off
It’s nice to see Fuchi get his flowers in Hell’s Paradise Episode 7. As one of the more underrated characters throughout the series so far, his freaky little weirdness finally gets to shine. It’s something that the series hints at, but never brought to the forefront like this. His desire to use Tao Fa as a research subject comes off, put simply, a little creepy. It’s obvious that he doesn’t see them as anything more than a means to an end. His drive to figure out life and how to extend the current lifespan is fascinating and the fact that he looks more innocent than his actual personality is the perfect gap moe for Hell’s Paradise. There’s a reason he was sent by the Asaemon and it’s exciting to also see his true self really come to light.
Gantetsusai also deserves recognition for not only attempting to go toe to toe with Tao Fa despite not being able to read tao and gouging his own eye out in order to level up. The last few minutes of the episode where he does that is absolutely amazing to watch. It’s so visceral and bloody and you want to look away, but can’t. Gantetsusai is such an intriguing character whose growth has been great to watch. And now that he’s able to sense tao, there’s no telling what he might be capable of doing on the island.
MAPPA staff continue to deserve a break
The animators for Episode 7 are not playing around. It’s obvious from the jump that this episode is one that they put a ton of hard work into. Both the MAPPA and Twin Engine animators made the fight choreography flow seamless for the entire episode. Every movement, whether large or small, was animated to the highest degree. Additionally, all of the animation outside of the fights was smooth as anything.
I’m just saying, those animators deserve a raise and a nice, long vacation after animating this episode.
This is, quite possibly, the strongest episode yet of Hell’s Paradise Season 2. “Two People and One Person” showcases everything that makes Hell’s Paradise peak: beautiful fight choreography, layered relationships, and the drive to keep living despite it all. Episode 7 shows all of this and more, proving that the animators know exactly what they’re doing with the story laid out in front of them. With two battles already started, their fight to leave the island in one piece might have gotten off to a bit of a rough start, but trust and believe that they’ll pull through.
Hell’s Paradise season two is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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Hell's Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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