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After waiting patiently for the Jigokuraku or Hell’s Paradise anime to premiere, anime enthusiasts are in for a treat. The anime premiered on April 1st, 2023, and can be streamed on Crunchyroll. At the current time of writing, there are 2 episodes. But onto the meat and potatoes. What is the first episode like? As you can imagine, in true anime fashion, we have an introduction to our main characters, Gabimaru and Sagiri. So, if you’re curious about the anime, follow this review on Jigokuraku’s first episode and if it’s better than the manga.
Review: Jigokuraku First Episode
While most first episodes start off a bit slow, Jigokuraku starts off with a bang. In the first 10 minutes, we already have four versions of execution styles in (for the most part) graphic detail. Why four, do you ask? That’s because Gabimaru, who appears to have no reason for living, resists each and every method used against him.
At the start of the anime, Gabimaru just seemed as if he had a body that was indestructible. This is not the case. As an elite shinobi, Gabimaru has mastered the art of ninjutsu, as such, has used this to survive his executions. That is until Sagiri arrived. When we first meet Sagiri, she introduces herself as a reporter, wanting to know more about Gabimaru and his reason for living.
After surviving all attempts at execution, Sagiri reaches a conclusion, Gabimaru does, in fact, have a reason for living, and that is his wife, Yui, who is still living in the Iwagakure Village. She then reintroduces herself as an elite executioner from the Yamada Clan.
Gabimaru, now scared for his life, now starts fighting back to prevent himself from being beheaded. However, all of this was a ruse to see if Gabimaru has an intense will to live. She then offers him a proposal to acquire the Elixir of Life from Shinsenkyo, and if he is successful, he will have a full pardon for all his crimes and live a peaceful life with Yui.
Is the Jigokuraku anime better than the Manga?
The age-old question: Does the anime live up to the Manga? A question such as this one can get many anime enthusiasts in the community heated because sometimes the anime will leave out important parts of the manga to make way for something else, or they butcher the scene entirely. Thankfully with Jigokuraku, the anime seems to better the manga (thank you, Mappa). With each fighting or execution scene is done perfectly, not to mention to gore and blood spatter.
There has been plenty of times when anime would forgo the obvious blood scene, and our characters would come out looking squeaky clean, save for a few scratches. This is definitely not the case for Jigokuraku, so if you’re expecting blood, you will see it and more! Our conclusion, if Jigokuraku anime is better than manga, is that it perfectly encapsulates the manga. While there will always be changes in a scene, Mappa has outdone itself once more.
And that’s it! We conclude our guide on Jigokuraku’s first episode review and if the anime is better than the manga. If you like anime with plenty of gore, check out this guide Vinland Saga Season 2, 2nd Cour Releases Opening and Ending Theme With New Trailers.