Episode 4 of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku gave more insight into the conditions on Shinsenkyо̄, as well as more into the character of Yuzuriha, the kunoichi arrested after her instigation of and participation in the raid on Sagiwa Castle. Evidently self-serving and not averse to betraying those she chooses to align herself with, Yuzuriha as a character is interesting given her use of the tools of manipulation, seduction, charm and murder to lessen the distance between herself and her goals, making her an example of a femme fatale.
However, Yuzuriha isn't the only Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku who is both seductive and deadly; however, there is something particularly interesting about her that makes her charm offensive exceptionally effective. Just what is the reason for Yuzuriha's allure?
Fatale-ity
As Yuzuriha once noted herself, she and Gabimaru are birds of a feather given their involvement in the same trade. The word "kunoichi", is used in reference to female/feminine ninja/shinobi or practitioners of "ninpo". A 17th century book dedicated to information related to ninja training known as the Bansenshūkai, which is thought to contain knowledge from the Iga and Kо̄ga regions, makes reference to feminine ninja techniques and philosophies largely built around infiltration and espionage. This would require individuals who were exceptional manipulators, as well as seductive on some level, which explains Yuzuriha's baseline personality and her approach when it comes to interacting with the male characters she comes across on the island.
A femme fatale (French for "deadly woman") is a female character archetype that is characterized by her beauty, incredible intelligence and seductive prowess, as well as mystery. She is a woman with a mesmerizing charm who uses her attractiveness to lead her lovers to ruin. She is the kind of woman who leads all those who are caught by her charm to disaster, and the archetype is the embodiment of various negative tropes about women, leading to its categorization as an element of sexist male fantasy by many. The trope is incredibly old, and various figures, both real and fictional, have been categorized as femme fatales, including Greek mythology's Clytemnestra; Lilith in Judeo-Mesopotamian myth; and also Catwoman from the Batman comics. Some notable anime examples include legendary characters like Tomie from the eponymous story by Junji Itо̄; Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop; Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist and Rize Kamishiro from the Tokyo Ghoul series. Like these great characters, Yuzuriha has depth brought on from her motivations – to survive the ordeal so that she can get the Elixir of Life to her sick little sister.
Danger
Whatever energy Yuzuriha gives off is certainly a mysterious and yet dangerous kind that makes one curious but aware of an underlying dishonesty. What completes Yuzuriha's characterization in episode 4 of Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku is the mysterious circumstances of the death of her collaborator and fellow death-row convict, Makiya Moro. Yuzuriha offers Gabimaru and company some interesting information regarding the nature of the chimera-like threats that surround them on the island, and when asked about Makiya, she phrases her response in a way that removes her from his death, all while visuals of the truth are displayed on screen. Gabimaru, having been trained in the art of ninjutsu understands that his fellow ninja is hiding major details in her recount of events, which immediately makes it clear that Yuzuriha is not to be trusted, regardless of what she says. Her ability to betray her collaborators without a second thought in order to get ahead is a basic factor in the character of a femme fatale and at no point is it ever confused that Yuzuriha will do anything it takes to find the Elixir of Life and get that pardon.
The Art of Seduction
One of the major themes in Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku is the patriarchal beliefs of Edo Japan and their impact on the lives of women, mostly explored through Yui and Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. There are clear differences in the depictions of women in the series, with Yui and Sagiri being the depiction of one kind of pushback against the hegemony of masculinity, while Yuzuriha and the "Cannibal Courtesan" Akaginu representing a femininity that is far more sexual and sexualised in its depiction; however, this happens on a spectrum upon which Akaginu is more on-the-nose in her representation of the femme fatale character trope (given that she literally eats her mate much like the Latrodectus genus of spider, more commonly known as "Widows"). Akaginu's reputation for being a literal and metaphorical man-eater would make her the obvious choice if the narrative undoubtedly needed a femme fatale character at all; however, it is Yuzuriha who is better-equipped to perform this role, and the fact that she is not as boldly sexualized as Akaginu is a huge reason for that.
While Akaginu's seductive curvature is made front and centre, with ample cleavage guiding the eye towards erogenous zones given her line of work as a courtesan, Yuzuriha's sexuality is far more flirtatious than it is sexually zealous. Her outfit, while designed for her work as a ninja, has moments such as the open chest area and slits that run down the hips and open up the outer thighs of the pants, which serve as Yuzuriha's own dose of sexualization. The fact that like Akaginu, Yuzuriha also guides the eye to her breasts but executes it differently allows for a close comparison of how either of them approach seduction as an art. The suggestive nature of Yuzuriha's outfit is where the aforementioned flirtation resides, as the audience can see where their eyes are being guided; however, her outfit covers more of Yuzuriha's figure, making her advances a little more discreet. Discretion very essence of what makes a good covert agent like a ninja, and Yuzuriha's playful personality creates a kind of tension that is largely charged by sensuality; a different but ultimately potent kind of sexual undercurrent.