Hell’s Paradise Season 1 Review: The Power and Fragility of Life

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When I first started up Hell’s Paradise, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. All I knew was that it had an interesting title, which made me click on the show. Well, after experiencing the whole season, I’m glad I made that decision to watch the anime. With a fun cast of characters, an interesting story, and with a mysterious setting, I had fun tuning in each week.

Hell’s Paradise was a surprisingly fun anime to watch. When I first started the season, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but as the season progressed, my intrigue in the show kept increasing. With a unique cast of characters with unique abilities, to the mystery behind the Elixir of Life, there was plenty to keep me entertained. For anyone hoping to watch, be aware that there is a lot of blood in the show.

So, before I get into the review, I do want to warn you that there may be some slight spoilers. Now, with that warning out of the way, let’s get started.

First thing’s first, I have to say that the cast was quite unique. In Hell’s Paradise, we follow a ninja named Gabimaru. After being captured by the authorities, he is sent to Shinsenkyo to find the Elixir of Life to receive pardon for his crimes. After receiving his pardon, Gabimaru gets to return to his wife. Gabimaru himself was quite the interesting character. In most anime, the protagonist is usually super overpowered, and in this case, Gabimaru seems to possess some superhuman abilities. But even with his strength, he still exhibits a human side to character, which helps balance out everything.

Alongside Gabimaru, he is followed to the island with his executioner, Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Sagiri is almost the opposite to Gabimaru. Where Gabimaru is confident and strong, Sagiri wavers in her conviction. Although she has goals she wishes to overcome, the weight of being an executioner is a heavy burden she carries. Through her time on Shinsenkyo, she does eventually find a way to move forward.

When it comes to supporting cast, the story follows a few different groups of characters. In the story, criminals are sent to the island to find the Elixir of Life. On the island, each criminal is accompanied by an executioner from the Asaemon clan. One group is a pair of siblings who will do anything to survive. Here, the older brother is a criminal, while his younger brother is a trained executioner. Even though the younger brother is assigned to watch over his older brother, the two end up covering each other so they both will survive.

Another group follows a great swordsman, whose goal is to be the strongest. There are some more, but I don’t want to spoil all of them. But, what I like about this cast is that everyone is unique and has unique abilities that they use to survive in Shinsenkyo. Even though Gabimaru is strong, the others are strong enough so that they don’t overshadow each other. Besides their abilities, I also like their interactions between each other. They all start off hostile in their pairs, but eventually warm up to each other out of necessity of survival.

When it comes to plot and setting, I believe that Hell’s Paradise does excellent in this category as well. For one, Shinsenkyo is an island wrapped in mystery and violence. Not only is this place home to the Elixir of Life, but it also hosts insects with human faces that can turn people in flowers. This creepy place combined with a colourful palette gives the perfect balance of heaven and hell.

The plot perfectly used this setting to its advantage as well. Having the story follow the characters as they learn more about this mysterious place was interesting, as it let the audience try and figure out what’s happening at the same time as the characters themselves. The plot also features a good amount of twists and fights. Using this island as the backdrop to some of the bigger fights in the season worked perfectly.

The final thing I want to mention is that the show is quite gory. There is plenty of blood. Almost constantly. So, if blood isn’t your thing, I would stay away. If it is, might I suggest Demon Slayer next.

If you are looking for a story a great plot and some epic world building, maybe lacking some of the gore, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation might be the pick. While I have reviewed the manga, there is also a tv series.

Overall, Hell’s Paradise was a fun watch. With an interesting cast of characters, a captivating plot, and a mysterious setting, there’s a lot this anime has that will keep you hooked. If you’re into shonen type of anime, I’d give this one a chance.