Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Gabimaru
地獄楽 (Jigokuraku)
Genre	Action Dark fantasy Psychological thriller
Manga
Written by	Yuji Kaku
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Viz Media
Imprint	Jump Comics+
Magazine	Shōnen Jump+
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	January 22, 2018 – January 25, 2021
Volumes	13
Anime television series
Directed by	Kaori Makita
Produced by	Nozomi Ishii
Written by	Akira Kindaichi
Music by	Yoshiaki Dewa
Studio	MAPPA
Licensed by	Crunchyroll Netflix
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	April 1, 2023 – present
Episodes	13

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (Japanese: 地獄楽, Hepburn: Jigokuraku) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. It was serialized weekly for free on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website from January 2018 to January 2021, with its chapters collected in 13 tankōbon volumes. Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America.

Set in the Edo period of Japan, it follows the ninja Gabimaru and the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri as they search for the elixir of immortality.

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by MAPPA aired from April to July 2023. A second season has been announced.

Plot

Captured during an assassination mission, Gabimaru the Hollow is sentenced to be executed, but nothing seems to kill him due to his superhuman body. Believing his love for his wife to be subconsciously keeping him alive, executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri offers him the chance to be pardoned of all crimes by the Shogunate if he finds the elixir of life on Shinsenkyo, a legendary realm recently discovered southwest of the Ryukyu Kingdom. After losing five expedition teams sent to the island, this time the Shogunate sends a group of death row convicts. The convicts are each given a Yamada Asaemon executioner, who they must return with in order to obtain the pardon.

Characters

Main characters

Gabimaru (画眉丸)

Voiced by: Chiaki Kobayashi (Japanese); Alejandro Saab (English)

Portrayed by: Tsubasa Kizu

The strongest ninja from Iwagakure, where he was taken from his parents as a child by the village chief and trained to become a killer. He is known as "Gabimaru the Hollow" (がらんの画眉丸, Garan no Gabimaru) for his lack of emotion during his gruesome work. However, he is very much in love with his wife, the village chief's peace-loving daughter who treats him with kindness. When he wanted to cut ties with the village and live a normal life with his wife, the chief arranged for him to be captured and sentenced to death.

Sagiri (佐切)

Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori (Japanese); Marisa Duran (English)

Portrayed by: Ayana Shiramoto

A master swordswoman from the famed Yamada Asaemon family of executioners, where she is one of the only two female executioners in the clan. She recruits Gabimaru for the expedition after seeing his talent and strong will to live. Sagiri is ranked last, 12th, in the Yamada Asaemon hierarchy.

Death-Row Criminals

Criminals that the Shogunate chose to embark on the journey to Shinsenkyo and find the Elixir of Life with an assigned Yamada Asaemon executioner.

Yuzuriha (杠)

Voiced by: Rie Takahashi (Japanese); Jill Harris (English)

Portrayed by: Yūri Ōta

A self-centered, female ninja who is known as "Yuzuriha of Keishu" (傾主の杠).

Aza Chōbei (亜左 弔兵衛, Aza Chōbē)

Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (Japanese); Nazeeh Tarsha (English)

Portrayed by: Yūnosuke Matsushima (first play), Hiroki Sana (second play)

A leader of a gang of bandits in Iyo Province, and Toma's older brother.

Tamiya Gantetsusai (民谷 巌鉄斎)

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese); Phil Parsons (English)

Portrayed by: Naoya Gо̄moto

A famous master swordsman on death row who is known as "Blade Dragon" (剣龍). Despite being somewhat lecherous and shallow, Gantetsusai's swordsmanship is unparalleled, as he can match many of the Yamada Asaemons in a duel. After the Shinsenkyo expedition, he is pardoned by the Shogunate and opens a swordsman dojo/medical clinic, the latter being a tribute to his executioner Fuchi.

Nurugai (ヌルガイ)

Voiced by: Makoto Koichi (Japanese); Cassie Ewulu (English)

Portrayed by: Azusa Yoshihama

The last of the Sanka people. Nurugai was put on death row after she accidentally lured Shogunate samurai to her village—as the Sanka were a symbol of rebellion against the Shogunate, despite living normally. Due to her physique and behavior, she is often mistaken for a boy.

Rokurota (六呂田)

Voiced by: Hinata Tadokoro (Japanese); Ray Hurd (English)

A fearsomely large and strong criminal. Nicknamed "The Giant of Bizen" (備前の巨人, Bizen no Kyojin), Rokurota is a mentally undeveloped man as he possesses the mind of a baby—as he is unable to speak and cry as such when he is hungry. He is feared for his immense strength, having killed many people with his bare hands, often with a single strike, including his parents, several villagers, and Yamada Asaemons Eizen and Genji. Following an intense fight with Gabimaru and Sagiri, Rokurota gets beheaded by the latter.

Yamada Asaemon

The Yamada Asaemon (山田浅ェ門) is a prestigious swordsmen dojo in Edo. They train sword testers to become fully-fledged executioners for the Shogunate. Once fully trained, each swordsman has their name preceded by the title "Yamada Asaemon."

Tōma (桐馬)

Voiced by: Kensho Ono (Japanese); Matt Shipman (English)

Portrayed by: Rui Tabuchi

The executioner assigned to Chōbei. He infiltrated the Yamada Asaemon in order to free Chōbei, who is his older brother.

Fuchi (付知)

Voiced by: Aoi Ichikawa (Japanese); Justin Briner (English)

Portrayed by: Yū Miyazaki

The executioner assigned to Gantetsusai. He has a blond bob cut, a high level of medical knowledge, and is ranked 9th in the Yamada Asaemon hierarchy.

Shion (士遠)

Voiced by: Chikahiro Kobayashi (Japanese); Reagan Murdock (English)

Portrayed by: Tarо̄ Nakamura

The executioner assigned to Akaginu. He is blind and ranked fourth in the Yamada Asaemon hierarchy.

Senta (仙汰)

Voiced by: Daiki Yamashita (Japanese); Jordan Dash Cruz (English)

Portrayed by: Satoru Mori

The fifth ranked executioner assigned to Yuzuriha. He is studious, chubby, wears glasses. He originally wanted to be an artist but was forced to train and become a Yamada Asaemon. He hated having to kill people which is why he turned to the study of religions and he becomes captivated by Yuzuriha's freedom of spirit.

Shugen (殊現)

Voiced by: Ryōta Suzuki

Portrayed by: Koji Kominami

Leader of the second team sent to acquire the elixir after the Shogunate becomes impatient with the first. He is ranked second in the Yamada Asaemon hierarchy.

Tenza (典坐)

Voiced by: Yūsuke Kobayashi (Japanese); Ben Balmaceda (English)

Portrayed by: Yūta Iiyama

The executioner assigned to Nurugai. He is ranked 10th in the Yamada Asaemon hierarchy.

Eizen (衛善)

Voiced by: Makoto Furukawa (Japanese); Cody Savoie (English)

The first ranked executioner and the head of the Yamada Asaemon during the first expedition.

Kishō (期聖)

Voiced by: Shun'ichi Toki (Japanese); Bradley Gareth (English)

Kishō is the 11th ranked executioner assigned to Warped Keiun.

Genji (源嗣)

Voiced by: Volcano Ōta (Japanese); Gabe Kunda (English)

Genji is the 8th ranked executioner assigned to Moro Makiya.

Jikka (ジッカ)

Portrayed by: Gaku Matsuda

The third ranked Asaemon who's known to be the laziest of the clan. After the Shinsenkyō expedition which involved the deaths of Eizen and Shugen, he became the current head of the Yamada Asaemon.

Isuzu (威鈴)

Isuzu is Genji's little sister and an unranked Asaemon in the Yamada clan. She was chosen to join Shugen and Jikka as part of the second team sent to acquire the elixir.

Kiyomaru (清丸)

Kiyomaru is an unranked Asaemon child, who was chosen to join Shugen and Jikka as part of the second team sent to acquire the elixir.

Shinsenkyō

Divine Paradise (神仙郷, Shinsenkyō), also known as Kotaku (こたく), is an island located within the southwest seas that is far beyond the Ryukyu Kingdom. The island is inhabited by monsters and had been said to possess the legendary Elixir of Life, which had been sought out by humans for centuries.

Lord Tensen (てんせん様, Tensen-sama)

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese); Ian Sinclair (Yang Form) (English)

Voiced by: Yūko Kaida (Japanese); Michelle Rojas (Yin Form) (English)

Portrayed by: Kensuke Takahashi (first play), Yoshihide Sasaki and Riona Tatemichi (second play)

The Tensen are powerful beings living in the Horai at the center of the island who have mastered the five levels of Tao, culminating in their ability to use qi to shift between yin and yang, female and male humanoid forms. Through the use of the elixir which they call Tan, their plant-like bodies are able to regenerate themselves, making them virtually immortal. They are served by Doshi, sentient half-human beings who are on the path to mastering Tao, and are a level above the mindless Soshin, who are monsters with the appearance of various deities and attack anyone who arrives on the island. Rien is the leader of the group, while the other members are called Zhu Jin, Mu Dan, Ran, Gui Fa, Tao Fa and Ju Fa.

Mei (メイ)

Voiced by: Konomi Kohara (Japanese); Macy Anne Johnson (English)

Portrayed by: Rio Sawada and Aoba Kо̄jо̄

A mysterious little girl with limited ability to speak who lives on the island. She has the powers of the Tensen but has been used by the yang Doshi as a yin sexual "training partner" against her will for centuries.

Hōko (木人)

Voiced by: Chō (Japanese); Jim Foronda (English)

Hōko is the last living member of the Hōko, a race of immortals that once inhabited Eishū, the outer layers of the island. Hōko's entire body was made up of tree bark due to the effects of the Arborification taking over his former body.

Iwagakure

Iwagakure, meaning Village Hidden in Stones (石隠の里, Iwagakure no Sato) was a well-known shinobi village in Japan until its termination by the shogun.

Iwagakure Chief (石隠衆長 おさ, Iwagakure Osa)

Voiced by: Mugihito (Japanese); Bill Jenkins (English)

The chief is the merciless leader of Iwagakure, as well as the father of Yui.

Yui (ユイ)

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Skyler McIntosh (English)

The eighth daughter of the Village Chief and Gabimaru's wife.

Shija (シジャ)

Shija is a Iwagakure shinobi chosen to potentially succeed Gabimaru of the alias Gabimaru and position as number one Iwagakure shinobi.

Ginkakubō (銀閣坊)

Ginkakubō is a jōnin-class shinobi of Iwagakure, who uses the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate others.

Kumokiri (雲霧)

Kumokiri is a jōnin-class shinobi of Iwagakure, who uses ninjutsu to manipulate his hair or nearby rocks.

Production

Yuji Kaku originated Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku from a framework that had "several pairs of people whose interests aren't aligned [being] thrown into an enclosed space and forced to work together." The story was initially about children sent to a youth detention center and the lawyers fighting for them. But through discussions with his editor, the setting was dropped and they added different characters to the same framework, which was kept because Kaku has always liked the way human relationships change and wanted to write a story about that. He felt a Shinsenkyo setting would work with any type of story and be easy to write, and thought it would be more interesting if a character "who isn't supposed to die" finds themselves in a near-death situation.

The storyboards for the first three chapters of the manga were brought to the Shōnen Jump+ editorial staff in 2017. A big fan of Kaku's art since Fantasma in Jump Square, Hideaki Sakakibara enthusiastically volunteered to take on the series and became its second editor with chapters two and three. He believed that Hell's Paradise was the "mainstream battle fantasy" series that Shōnen Jump+ was still lacking and could become a best-seller in print. Sakakibara was initially concerned with the "multi-protagonist story" of the prisoners, executioners, and the island's creatures. Although he thought having the Battle Royale-style story in a manga would be interesting, he worried it would cause a badly paced story where they would have to split up the pages between characters and be unable to show the main characters' actions as much. However, he credits Kaku's genius at quickly and simply introducing characters and his drawing talent for making it all work.

Kaku and Sakakibara planned out what was going to happen in sets of 10 chapters, or a whole volume. At first, Kaku wrote the story with Gabimaru as the protagonist and with a focus on his growth. But while writing, he realized the themes had shifted towards the Middle Way, paradoxes, and conflict and felt it should be Sagiri who deals with those, "so for me, Sagiri became the protagonist of the latter half". The editor gave Kaku free rein as far as illustrations were concerned. Sakakibara said that from the first chapter the series has had "extreme" illustrations, which has resulted in popularity among readers, but made it hard for new readers to get into. Towards the end of 2019, he and Kaku were trying to earn more female readers. With Kaku having been a former manga editor himself, Sakakibara said it is easy to communicate things to him as the artist is quick to figure out what he means. However, Kaku admitted that this has caused him to unconsciously hold back creatively by thinking objectively like an editor. As his first serial on a digital platform, Kaku said he was conscious of how speech bubbles and text needed to be larger for smartphones and drew double-page spreads so that looking at one page at a time did not feel strange.

Kaku created details and backstories for every character in Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, regardless of whether or not they were actually included in the series. He always intended for Gabimaru, with his extreme attachment to love, and Sagiri, with her concerns about being a woman, to have the same values as someone living in the 2020s, saying, "Despite condemned criminals and executioners being difficult characters to empathize with, if they share our perspective, then we feel close to them, and they stand out as unique characters" in the Edo period, when people had totally different ideas about ethics and human rights. When Kaku first described the character Shion to Sakakibara, the editor imagined him like Kazuo Kiriyama from Battle Royale. But after talking it over, Shion became the kind teacher he is in the manga, while the crazy personality was given to Shugen instead.

Yukinobu Tatsu, the author of Dandadan, was one of the assistants of the manga.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku began weekly serialization on the Shōnen Jump+ application and website on January 22, 2018. The series ended with the 127th chapter on January 25, 2021. The chapters were collected and published in 13 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha between December 4, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Shueisha also simultaneously published the series in English for free on the Manga Plus app and website. Special chapters were published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 6, 2018, and June 10, 2019. A special one-shot, titled "Forest of Misfortune" (勿怪の森, Mokke no Mori), was published on Shōnen Jump+ on April 8, 2023.

Jigokuraku ~Saikyō no Nukenin Gaman no Gabimaru~ (じごくらく 〜最強の抜け忍 がまんの画眉丸〜), a comedic spin-off manga created by Ōhashi, began serialization on Shōnen Jump+ on January 20, 2020. It ended with the 21st chapter on June 29, 2020. The chapters were collected and published into a single tankōbon volume on September 4, 2020.

Viz Media began publishing the manga in English digitally on its website on May 17, 2018. The 13 volumes were published in print from March 17, 2020, to March 15, 2022. The series has been published digitally in vertical scrolling format on the Webtoon online platform since October 21, 2024.

Volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	April 4, 2018	978-4-08-881471-1	March 17, 2020	978-1-9747-1320-2
Chapters 1–6
2	June 4, 2018	978-4-08-881502-2	May 19, 2020	978-1-9747-1321-9
Chapters 7–16
3	August 3, 2018	978-4-08-881546-6	July 21, 2020	978-1-9747-1322-6
Chapters 17–26
4	November 2, 2018	978-4-08-881601-2	September 15, 2020	978-1-9747-1323-3
Chapters 27–36
5	March 4, 2019	978-4-08-881697-5	November 17, 2020	978-1-9747-1324-0
Chapters 37–46
6	June 4, 2019	978-4-08-881803-0	January 19, 2021	978-1-9747-1325-7
Chapters 47–56
7	September 4, 2019	978-4-08-882056-9	March 16, 2021	978-1-9747-1877-1
Chapters 57–66
8	December 4, 2019	978-4-08-882148-1	May 18, 2021	978-1-9747-1878-8
Chapters 67–76
9	March 4, 2020	978-4-08-882230-3	July 20, 2021	978-1-97-471530-5
Chapters 77–86
10	June 4, 2020	978-4-08-882338-6	September 21, 2021	978-1-9747-2099-6
Chapters 87–96
11	September 4, 2020	978-4-08-882407-9	November 16, 2021	978-1-9747-2282-2
Chapters 97–106
12	December 4, 2020	978-4-08-882523-6	January 18, 2022	978-1-9747-2464-2
Chapters 107–116
13	April 30, 2021	978-4-08-882583-0	March 15, 2022	978-1-9747-2851-0
Chapters 117–127

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced by Weekly Shōnen Jump in January 2021. It is produced by MAPPA and directed by Kaori Makita, with Akira Kindaichi writing the scripts, Koji Hisaki designing the characters, and Yoshiaki Dewa composing the music. The series aired from April 1 to July 1, 2023, on TV Tokyo and other networks. The opening theme song is "Work" by Ringo Sheena and Millennium Parade, while the ending theme song is "Kamihitoe" by Uru. Crunchyroll streamed the series worldwide outside of Asia, while Netflix has streamed the series in Asia Pacific (excluding Mainland China, Australia, New Zealand).

A second season was announced after the airing of the thirteenth episode.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Storyboarded by	Original air date
1	"The Death Row Convict and the Executioner" Transliteration: "Shizaijin to Shikkōnin" (Japanese: 死罪人と執行人)	Kaori Makita	Kaori Makita	April 1, 2023 (2023-04-01)
A shinobi named Gabimaru foils attempted executions by beheading and burning and curses his inability to die. He explains to his interrogator that he underwent Iwagakure village shinobi training such that he developed a superhuman body and became an efficient killer. He says he was married to the clan chief’s daughter, but after he asked the chief for permission to leave, he was betrayed to the authorities. After more fruitless attempts to execute him, Gabimaru faces his interrogator who is revealed to be Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, a Yamada clan sword-tester and executioner. Sensing her skill as a calm and efficient executioner, Gabimaru experiences fear and fights back, especially after Sagiri asserts that he is still deeply in love with his wife. Sagiri abruptly offers a full pardon and government protection for himself and his wife in exchange for fulfilling a death-defying mission. He must go to Shinsenkyo, a legendary land rumored to hold the Elixir of Immortality and retrieve the elixir in competition with other death row criminals. The promise of a peaceful life with his beloved wife prompts Gabimaru to agree unhesitatingly.
2	"Screening and Choosing" Transliteration: "Senbetsu to Sentaku" (Japanese: 選別と選択)	Yasuhiro Geshi	Kazuki Akane	April 8, 2023 (2023-04-08)
Sagiri recalls her early training as an executioner and the difficulty she has had overcoming her fear and hesitation. The over 30 blindfolded condemned criminals who have volunteered for the mission are given their instructions by the 11th Sei-i Taishogun, Nariyoshi Tokugawa. They are shown an officer who returned from an earlier expedition but is no longer human, with flowers blooming from his body. They will be each be accompanied by a Yamada Asaemon; however, they are told to reduce their numbers which causes a killing spree. While the shogun delights in the carnage before him Gabimaru addresses him, saying there must be a better way to make the selection. The shogun’s head guard offers a place on the mission to anyone who kills Gabimaru who is then reluctantly forced to fight for his life, brutally killing his attackers with his tied-up hands. As the names of the ten prisoners selected to go on the mission are read out, including Gabimaru, Sagiri realizes that her problem is not overcoming her fear of killing, but accepting the burden of responsibility for the lives she takes.
3	"Weakness and Strength" Transliteration: "Yowasa to Tsuyosa" (Japanese: 弱さと強さ)	Kayona Yamada	Soji Ninomiya	April 15, 2023 (2023-04-15)
Gabimaru believes that the elixir of immortality, Tokijiku no Kagunomi, does exist after seeing the chief of the Iwagakure survive a series of fatal injuries. As he and Sagiri arrive in the shore of their destination, he tells her that the elixir may not come from this place. Suddenly they come under attack from the condemned criminal Twisted Keiun, a weapons expert accompanied by the Yamada Asaemon Kisho. Gabimaru survives all of his attacks and brutally kills Keiun with his own weapons, even with his hands tied at Sagiri's insistence. As Kisho heads back to the boat with Keiun's severed head, he tells Sagiri that the criminals have already began killing each other and predicts that shortly almost all will be eliminated, however this only means that the Iwagakure will be sent in their place. After Kisho's departure, Gabimaru attacks Sagiri with a sword so he can find the elixir unhindered but finds himself unable to deliver the killing blow. They both realize that he is not hollow and still has emotions as a result of his love for his wife - that accepting emotions is not a weakness but a strength. Elsewhere, the criminal Tamiya Gantetsusai is stung by what looks like a human-faced butterfly and quickly severs his left-hand which withers and sprouts flowers. Both he and Gabimaru are confronted by strange monsters and simultaneously surrounded by bizarre creatures.
4	"Hell and Paradise" Transliteration: "Jigoku to Gokuraku" (Japanese: 地獄と極楽)	Tetsuya Wakano	Tetsuya Wakano	April 22, 2023 (2023-04-22)
Gantetsusai tells his Yamada Asaemon Fuchi why he was sentenced to death, and sets out to eliminate the other criminals to simplify his search for the elixir. Meanwhile, Gabimaru and Sagiri who are being menaced by various huge fantastical creatures with Buddha-like features. When one attacks and injures Gabimaru, he realizes that they are surrounded and confronted by numerous opponents with unknown abilities. He throws caution to the wind and acting only on instinct for survival, attacks them. He destroys most of them, uncharacteristically protecting Sagiri in the process, until Yamada Asaemon Genji arrives and assists, accompanied by Yamada Asaemon Senta with the ninja criminal Yuzuriha. Yuzuriha offers to work with Gabimaru in exchange for information she gathered on the creatures by experimenting on Moro Makiya the Apostate before she killed him, leaving Genji without his charge. As they talk, Sagiri loses consciousness and collapses. Meanwhile, Aza Chōbei and his younger brother Yamada Asaemon Toma face a similar group of monsters. Aza is feels he is in control of the situation until he is wounded and Toma is captured. He then cuts the monsters to pieces a berserker rage.
5	"The Samurai and the Woman" Transliteration: "Samurai to Onna" (Japanese: 侍と女)	Shū Watanabe	Shigeyuki Miya	April 29, 2023 (2023-04-29)
Sagiri wakes up to find they have moved away from the butterflies whose poisonous scales caused her to faint. Gabimaru tell the others that while exploring alone, he discovered that many plants on the island were former samurai sent by the shogun. Senta also shares knowledge he gained since arriving. Genji suggests that he replace Sagiri in guarding Gabimaru as she lacks battle skills but she refuses. Meanwhile, Yamada Asaemon Tenza tries to leave the island by boat with the criminal Nurugai, last of the Sanka people, but they are blocked by a graveyard of samurai ships. They are attacked by monsters and as they try to escape across the wrecks, they come across Yamada Asaemon Kisho, still alive but with flowers sprouting from his body. Nurugai loses heart with the guilt of feeling responsible for the demise of the Sanka and waits to die, but Tenza refuses to give up and together they fight their way back to the island. While drying their clothes, Tenza discovers that Nurugai is a young woman. They decide to circle the Island to see if they can find an escape route. Gabimaru gives Sagiri the confidence to stand her ground and become a samurai against Genji's instance that she should become a wife and mother. Suddenly Rokurota, the Giant of Bizen, appears and tears a large piece out of Genji's body.
6	"Heart and Reason" Transliteration: "Kokoro to Kotowari" (Japanese: 心と理（ことわり）)	Yasuhiro Geshi	Yasuhiro Geshi	May 6, 2023 (2023-05-06)
Genji is fatally wounded but when Sagiri tries to help him, he tells her to run. Just as the monstrous Rokurota is about to attack her, she is saved by Gabimaru. Gabimaru tries to assesses Rokurota's abilities but he is unable to find any weakness. The dying Genji realizes that Sagiri as treading the middle path between, heart and reason, weakness and strength, and gives her his blade. She uses it to slice off one of Rokurota's fingers, and together she and Gabimaru attack him however they are completely overwhelmed. Gabimaru is forced to use his Ninpo Ascetic Blaze Mode techniques to attack Rokurota with balls of flame. The jungle catches fire, producing smoke which starves Rokurota of oxygen and he collapses to his knees, enabling Sagiri to decapitate him. The island's giant monsters are attracted by the flames so Gabimaru and Sagiri free from the inferno in the direction from which the monsters came. They both realize that the sooner they find the elixir, the more lives can be saved and the quicker they can leave the island. They meet up with Senta and the ninja criminal Yuzuriha and the small group arrives at a village. Meanwhile, after slaughtering the monsters who attacked them, Chobei Aza and his younger brother Toma come across two naked androgynous lovers kissing in the jungle.
7	"Flowers and Offerings" Transliteration: "Hana to Nie" (Japanese: 花と贄)	Kento Shintani	Risako Yoshida	May 13, 2023 (2023-05-13)
Chobei and Toma are confronted by the two Tensen who see as humans as interlopers. Gabimaru's group encounters a young girl, but when he pursues her he finds that she has powerful abilities and is protected by a large wooden being. After they are both defeated by Gabimaru and Yuzuriha, the being offers to take them to a village. At the village, the wooden being Hoko and his young companion, Mei, offer them fruit and he tells them that they call the place Kotaku on the island of Shinsenkyo. The island is divided into three regions, the shore and forest is called "Eishu", the village is in "Hojo", and the elixir "Tan" is located in the central region of mists called "Horai" which is inhabited by the god-like Tensen who are immortal. Meanwhile, Chobei and Toma are easily defeated by the two lovers who are Tensen, and the brothers are dropped into a pit to be turned into flowers and become the source of Tan. At Sagiri's prompting, Gabimaru takes time to bathe and recalls his wife's advice to relax in order to be prepared for the battle ahead.
8	"Student and Master" Transliteration: "Deshi to Shi" (Japanese: 弟子と師)	Fumito Yamada	Kaori Makita	May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20)
Tenza recalls his early life as a street urchin when he was taken in as a student by the master Yamada Asaemon Shion who recognized his potential. Tenza and Nurugai continue their circuit of the island, but are interrupted by an androgynous Tensen flame-colored hair which easily casts Tenza aside. Tenza uses his speed to slice at the Tensen, severing its head, but it regenerates itself and pursues them. They are saved momentarily by the blind but experienced Shion who again decapitates the Tensen. He explains that he killed the criminal Akaginu when she tried to seduce him, but then he could not find a current to lead him off the island. Suddenly, the Tensen strikes again, striking Shion in the throat and when Tenza attacks with his sword, he receives a fatal blow. In a last desperate effort to save Shion and Nurugai, Tenza attacks the Tensen with his bare hands giving his life so that they can escape.
9	"Gods and People" Transliteration: "Kami to Hito" (Japanese: 神と人)	Ryūta Yamamoto	Jun Shishido	June 3, 2023 (2023-06-03)
Gabimaru becomes impatient and heads off alone towards Horai at the center of the island, passing immobile trees chanting sutras. He reaches a temple where he is confronted by the same Tensen who killed Tenza. Gabimaru uses all his skills and techniques against the Tensen but it quickly regenerates itself, so in desperation he launches multiple rapid attacks which eventually succeed. As the Tensen expires, it is consumed by flowers which form a large half-plant and half-human monster. The monster attacks and grabs Gabimaru who recalling his training, uses his remaining energy to deal the strongest attack he can, creating a reprieve and is then rescued by Mei. Hoko offers to take Sagiri and the others to Horai and look for Mei. Meanwhile, the seven Tensen - Shangdi Samantabhadra, Dadi Aksho, Jiujun Amoghavajra, Sagacious Dasheng Ratna, Yuanjun Tathata, Gonggong Manjusri and Deified Dijun Cundi - gather to review the situation and partake of the elixir. Hoko offers to take the others to find Mei and Gabimaru, and explains that all humans who inhabited the island were eventually transformed into plants. As Gabimaru recovers consciousness he is met by Tamiya Gantetsusai and Yamada Asaemon Fuchi.
10	"Yin and Yang" Transliteration: "In to Yō" (Japanese: 陰と陽)	Tarō Kubo Yūki Nishihata	Tetsuya Wakano	June 10, 2023 (2023-06-10)
In his present condition, Gabimaru is too weak to battle Gantetsusai and Fuchi, and after he describes the Tensen and their powers they agree to collaborate. Meanwhile, Senta concludes that the island is not the real Shinsenkyo, and the mixed-up deities are not real gods, similar to the construct of Moro Makiya, the founder of a new religion who is plotting to overthrow the shogun, thus theorizing that someone created the island. Gabimaru questions Mei about the Tensen and she mentions they possess Tao while at the same time Hoko tells his group about Tao and how it is like the flow of qi, a combination of yin and yang and centered on the lower dantian, below the naval. Elsewhere, while Nurugai presses Shion to teach her how to use a sword they come under attack from a group of mindless monsters. Meanwhile, Chobei slowly drags Tomi from the pit of grasping flowers where they are met by a Doshi, a sentient monster unlike the mindless Soshin, who has been sent to investigate the human interlopers. Chobei attacks the Doshi while Tomi slashes at an approaching group of Soshin, however the Doshi strikes Chobei a deadly blow.
11	"Weak and Strong" Transliteration: "Yowai to Tsuyoi" (Japanese: 弱イと強イ)	Yasuhiro Geshi	Shigeyuki Miya	June 17, 2023 (2023-06-17)
Even though Chobei was dealt a fatal blow, he recovers to attack the Doshi again. This time he seems to have acquired some regenerative ability after being in the pit of flowers and is also able to detect the Tao within the Doshi and defeat it. Elsewhere, as Gabimaru and Gantetsusai fight the Soshin, Mei repeats the words, strong and weak. Suddenly, a half-human, half-insect Doshi appears to capture Mei whom he wants to return to the Horai. Gabimaru uncharacteristically acts to protect her but he and Gantetsusai come under attack from swarms of insects. Fuchi understands what Mei is saying and explains to Gabimaru that Tao is a balance weakness and strength, so to see the Tao emanating from the Doshi, he must acknowledge his weaker side. Gabimaru struggles to do so, but he begins to see the Tao flowing around the two Doshi and is able to defeat them. Meanwhile, Hoko leads Sagiri and the others to the gates of the Horai where a Tensen with magenta hair summarily removes Hoko's wooden head.
12	"Umbrella and Ink" Transliteration: "Kasa to Sumi" (Japanese: 傘と墨)	Teruyuki Ōmine	Jun Shishido	June 24, 2023 (2023-06-24)
The Tensen is revealed to be the peony Jiujun Amoghavajra and says that Tan is not an elixir, because if humans consume it they turn into plants. In lightning fast movements, Yuzuriha slashes Amoghavajra to pieces, and then tries to poison it, but the Tensen regenerates itself each time. Eventually, Sagiri, Senta and Yuzuriha utilize their own knowledge and experience of Tao to jointly attack and defeat the Tensen although it leaves them injured and exhausted. Some time later, as Senta proposes that they find a way to save the other members of the expedition, the Tensen becomes a giant flower and fires a dart-like projectile at Yuzuriha. Senta throws himself in front of her and is hit instead. He begins sprouting flowers and imagines that he is painting a picture of a dancing Yuzuriha holding a parasol. The monster then fires a series of darts at the two women which are intercepted by Shion who suddenly appears to save them.
13	"Dreams and Reality" Transliteration: "Yume to Utsutsu" (Japanese: 夢と現)	Kaori Makita Yasuhiro Geshi	Jun Shishido Teruyuki Ōmine	July 1, 2023 (2023-07-01)
Shion explains to Sagiri that he is using his awareness of Tao to counteract the power of the Tensen, however he is unable to defeat it himself and is wounded by its darts. Nurugai cuts the sprouting flowers from Senta, temporarily reviving him, then Sagiri and Nurugai both attack the Tensen from the front enabling Shion to attack from behind. They are unsuccessful until Senta suggests they attack its ovule which is the vulnerable point of the plant-like Tensen. The badly wounded Shion manages to then strike a killing blow with his sword, and Yuzuriha consoles Senta as he dies. Sagiri proposes the Yamada Asaemon and criminals must cooperate if they are to leave the island alive. As they discuss their next steps, both Shion and Yuzuriha question Sagiri's relationship with Gabimaru, and speculate that what motivates him may be a deception. Meanwhile, Gabimaru awakens after collapsing from exhaustion and finds that he cannot remember the name or face of his wife.

Other media

A novel adaptation, Jigokuraku: Utakata no Yume (地獄楽 うたかたの夢), was written by Sakaku Hishikawa and published on September 4, 2019. A second novel, Jigokuraku: Namima no Tsuioku (地獄楽 波間の追憶), followed on April 4, 2023. Shueisha published Jigokuraku: Kaitai Shinsho (地獄楽 解体新書) on April 30, 2021. The "fan book" includes character profiles, concept art, new manga stories, and an interview with Tatsuki Fujimoto.

An exhibition of Kaku's manuscripts and illustrations from the series was held at Tokyo Manga Salon Trigger from November 3–9, 2018. Another exhibition was held at Tower Records in Shibuya from August 29 to September 22, 2020, where collaborative goods designed just for the event were sold.

Gabimaru is a playable character in the July 2022 Nintendo Switch video game Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions.

A stage play adaptation of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku ran at Hulic Hall in Tokyo from February 16–26, 2023. A second play, titled Hell's Paradise -Final Chapter-, ran at Theatre 1010 in Tokyo and at the TT Hall of the Cool Japan Park in Osaka from February 15–25, 2024.

Reception

Manga

Sales

In August 2018, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku was cited as the most popular series on Shōnen Jump+. Over 1 million copies of the series were in circulation by June 2019, a number that grew to 2.5 million by August 2020, and more than 3.6 million by April 2021. By December 2022, the manga had sold over 4 million copies. Volume two of the series sold 16,328 copies during its first week of release. Volume four sold 20,139 its first week, while volume five sold 45,912 copies. The thirteenth and final volume of the series sold 39,759 copies in its first week.

Critical reception

Publishers Weekly wrote that the mysterious first volume and Kaku's detailed illustrations, which they found to be reminiscent of Junji Ito's horror manga and give the series an unsettling, gruesome charm, start the series off with promise. Reviewing the first chapter for The Fandom Post, Chris Beveridge gave it a B grade for its artwork, interesting ideas and covering a lot of ground in its setup so it can move forward. The end reveal reminded him of the novel Annihilation. However, he felt the structure was a little awkward and expressed concern that it would fall into the "usual manga storytelling traps." In a review of the second collected volume, Beveridge's colleague Richard Gutierrez said that while the nightmarishly beautiful images and action might be what initially draws in readers, it is the "underlying complex character construction within this sadistic story which forces us to stay."

Leroy Douresseaux called Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku volume 1 as one of the best first volumes of a manga tankōbon/graphic novel that he has ever read in a 9/10 review for Comic Book Bin. He stated that Kaku enthralls readers with the mysteries of the island while his illustrations are "like taking some of the most shocking art from the legendary EC Comics' horror titles and multiplying it by the power of 10." Kiara Halls of Comic Book Resources called the first volume a "great, emotional bloodbath" that provides "bloody, classic shonen action with uncommonly sincere emotional depth." She explained that while establishing the relationship between Sagiri and Gabimaru forms the crux of the volume, it's an uncommon one as their bond is "of mutual respect formed by an emotional connection," not of dominance or lust. That coupled with "solid, detailed art and supernatural intrigue," had Halls call the series a potential breakout hit.

Reviewing the first volume for Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman and Faye Hopper both gave it 3.5 stars out of 5. Both critics praised the main characters Sagiri and Gabimaru and their relationship, with Hopper stating the way their struggles mirror and allow each other to empathize and grow despite their opposed roles is executed with "thoughtfulness and real power, and imbues a gritty, gory seinen with heart." Silverman felt that despite containing some elements derivative of other works, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku manages to make them into "a story worth paying attention to" and is entertaining. Hopper wrote that while the violent manga is not for everyone, it has terrific, macabre art, a solid hook, and rich characters, and she admires it for showing how "casual, uncritical brutality hurts the soul, and that revulsion to it is normal and should be accepted."

Accolades

With 16,510 votes, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku came in at eleventh place in the Web Manga Category of the 2018 Next Manga Awards, organized by Niconico and Da Vinci magazine. The series ranked fourth on Honya Club's Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2018 list, compiled by surveying 1,100 professional bookstore employees in Japan. In the 2019 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, which surveys people in the manga and publishing industry, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku was one of the three series tied for sixteenth place on its list of the best manga series for male readers.

Anime

Critical reception

Digital Spy's Ali Griffiths described in his review of the series' premiere that Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku makes up a group affectionately known as the "dark trio of shōnen" by anime fans along with Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man due to their similar tone and themes, especially compared with their peppier peers. Ali praised the show's character-building, action, animation, visuals, humor, and the handling of Gabimaru's versions of his story which tells about "how he's feeling and what he wishes he'd done differently". He felt that some fans might found that the opening episode of the series was a little slow, but stating that "the way it centers the backstory of its protagonist and immediately emphasises the relationship between Gabimaru and Sagiri is emblematic of the kind of character-first action show they're hoping it will be."

MrAJCosplay of Anime News Network reviewed the first three episodes of the series. While praising the anime for its colors, sound design and animation, he considered Sagiri's character as "strong" and endeared on how she can see right through Gabimaru's façade. He felt that "her decision regarding walking down the path of an executioner and characterization as a stickler for the rules wasn't the direction he expected the show to go." Her introduction in episodes two and three was considered to be a "little inconsistent", although he needs more time to root her. He also noting that Gabimaru was one of his favorite characters, while he found the character's backstory as "sweet" due to the subversion of his mentality.

Accolades

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku ranked third in the anime category of Yahoo! Japan Search Awards, based on the number of searches for a particular term compared to the year before. The series was nominated at the 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in eight categories: Best New Series, Best Fantasy, Best Art Direction (e-caesar), Best Character Design (Kouji Hisaki), Best Opening Sequence and Best Anime Song ("Work" by Ringo Sheena and Millennium Parade), Best Voice Artist Performance – English (Marisa Duran as Sagiri Yamada Asaemon), and Best Voice Artist Performance – French (Yoan Sover as Gabimaru).

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official manga website at Shōnen Jump+ (in Japanese)
• Official manga website at Viz Media page
• Official stage play website (in Japanese)
• Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku at IMDb