FEATURE: 5 Things To Know About Hell’s Paradise
The Crunchyroll Spring 2023 anime season is almost TOO full of good anime to watch. New series, returning series and all of those series from the last season that you still have to catch up on? Get ready to devote a few months of your life to a strict anime training program. One of the main exercises that you’ll be working on is watching Hell’s Paradise, a series that might be the one that I’m the most excited about.
Don’t know anything about Hell’s Paradise? That’s cool. I don’t want to spoil too much, so here are a few things that might serve as a good primer before you do a full dive into it.
It’s Based On A Manga By Yuji Kaku
Yuji Kaku is a mangaka that has managed to rack up an impressive array of work over the past few years. Along with one-shots like Memory Customs, he’s worked on three manga series: Fantasma, Hell’s Paradise and Ayashimon. Throughout it all, he’s kept up a trademark vibrancy and, in the case of Hell’s Paradise, a kind of energized intensity that makes his manga worth reading whether you’re catching it on a week-by-week basis or binging it all at once.
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The manga, titled Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, was originally released on Shueisha’s Jump+ website and app from 2018 to 2021 with the English language version being released by VIZ Media. The series concluded with 13 volumes.
It’s Got A Stellar Team Behind It
First of all, it’s being produced by MAPPA, a production company that really needs no introduction. Sarazanmai. Dorohedoro. The God of High School. Attack on Titan Final Season. Chainsaw Man. JUJUTSU KAISEN, which is on deck for a Summer 2023 release. You get it. Planning is being done by Twin Engine, who was behind the production of series like Vinland Saga and Dororo.
Hell’s Paradise’s director, Kaori Makita, has worked as an episode director on Attack on Titan Final Season and Banana Fish along with character designer Koji Hisaki who also worked on both of those series. Hisaki will also be working as chief animation director.
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Akira Kindaichi, who worked on Dororo, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a and To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts, will be working as lead writer with Yoshiaka Dewa working as the composer. Dewa is fresh off of Call of the Night and worked on The aquatope on white sand. Speaking of music, Hell’s Paradise’s opening theme “WORK” is by the wonderful Ringo Sheena and the group millennium parade (Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle).
In short, I think Hell’s Paradise is in good hands.
The Series Is A Bloody Good Time
Here’s Crunchyroll’s official description of the series to give you a taste:
The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life… as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive?
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A period piece! A cool guy given the always-awesome job of, “We’ll let you free from your death sentence if you do something awesome!” A battle royale scenario with supernatural elements including an Elixir of Life and monsters!
There’s a reason why this manga was so loved by its fans during its run. It’s action-packed, but it’s also got atmosphere to spare, and its spectrum of characters ranges from the kind and noble to the brutal and deranged. Not everyone is going to get off this island alive. And you know that Gabimaru is going to face the toughest trial of his life. But such a good protagonist requires a solid voice behind them.
The Main Character Is Voiced By A Very Prominent Young Voice Actor
Somehow Chiaki Kobayashi has found the time to voice the lead character in two big anime titles this season. He’s off to find the Elixer of Life as Gabimaru (Hell’s Paradise) and will be lifting weights in the woods and eating plenty of cream puffs as Mash Burnedead (MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES), so he’ll be pretty unavoidable soon. Wondering where you know him from? Probably from series like Moriarty The Patriot as Louis James Moriarty, Play It Cool, Guys as Hayate Ichikura and SK8 the Infinity as Langa Hasegawa.
The Rest of the Cast Is Stacked
Joining Kobayashi is a cast of undeniable talent.
Yumiri Hanamori (Ryuji Ayukawa in Blue Period, Nadeshiko Kagamihara in Laid-Back Camp and Ai Hayasaka in KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR) voices Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, Ryohei Kimura (Shintarou Nishihiro in Big Windup!, Shizuma Hoshigaki in BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS and Goriki in ODDTAXI) voices Aza Chobe and Kensho Ono (Ryunosuke Akutagawa in Bungo Stray Dogs, Tetsuya Kuroko in Kuroko’s Basketball and Canute in Vinland Saga) voices Yamada Asaemon Toma.
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But wait, there’s more! Rie Takahashi (Liliha in Kaina of the Great Snow Sea, Megumin in in KONOSUBA -God’s blessing on this wonderful world! and Tomo Aizawa in Tomo-chan Is a Girl!) voices Yuzuriha, Tetsu Inada (Sajin Komamura in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Endeavor in My Hero Academia and Alexis Kerib in SSSS.Gridman) voices Tamiya Gantetsusai and Aoi Ichikawa (Gurimi Igarashi in BLUELOCK, Mitsuru in DARLING in the FRANXX and Nagara in Sonny Boy) voices Yamada Asaemon Fuchi.
Hell’s Paradise is also set to be dubbed in different languages, including English and Hindi, so stay tuned for updates for those cast announcements.
Are you excited about Hell’s Paradise? What aspect are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!
Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter! His book, Monster Kids: How Pokemon Taught A Generation To Catch Them All, is available wherever books are sold.
