MAPPA has big things planned for 2023, between Vinland Saga Season 2, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, and the conclusion of Attack on Titan, the first special of which has already been released. However, just in time for Spring, they have a new adaptation of a lesser-known manga titled Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, by Yuuji Kaku, a former assistant of Chainsaw Man's writer, Tatsuki Fujimoto.
Jigokuraku was serialized in Shonen Jump+ between January 2018 and ran until the start of 2021, totaling 13 volumes and 128 chapters. Set in the Edo period, the story follows an expedition to a mysterious island teeming with terrors, as death row inmates fight to find a treasure in return for their freedom.
The Tale of Gabimaru The Hollow
Gabimaru the Hollow is a ninja who is set up by his allies and put on death row and the weary killer is willing to accept death. Unfortunately, his body doesn't feel the same, and he is unable to be executed. In truth, he wishes to live so that he can be with his wife. His executioner, Asaemon the Decapitator, makes him a proposal.
At the order of the Shogunate, death row inmates are sent to an island in search of an elixir of life in exchange for a pardon. Gabimaru is only one of a number of inmates given this chance and will have to fight against the monstrosities on this island "paradise" in order to get back to his beloved, but his fellow inmates might not be cooperative.
The anime was first teased back in early 2022 and the first teaser amassed over 3 million views, establishing a strong aesthetic from the get-go. Its juxtaposition of demonic naturalistic horrors bathed in such vibrant, heavenly colors creates a unique look that has made Jigokuraku quite the anticipated visual feast.
Additionally, the diverse cast of characters is another draw, each one an inmate with a striking design and specialty, all kept in line by equally striking executioners on their tails. The series will explore the inmates' pasts, the sins that put them on death row, and how they reconcile those sins in the face of horrors that at first appear as divine punishment for their crimes.
The Staff of Jigokuraku
Jigokuraku is directed by Kaori Makita, who has had a long history at MAPPA. They've been an episode director on Yuri on Ice, Banana Fish, Sarazanmai, Attack on Titan, and Kakegurui Twin. The Boys' Love film Twittering Birds Never Fly and its OVA, Don't Stay Gold, were also directed by them. Makita's career has only been on the incline, and this looks to be one of their biggest projects yet.
Another MAPPA regular, Ayako Suenaga is a color designer who has worked on many of the same projects as Makita, including Twittering Birds Never Fly at Studio GRIZZLY. Judging by the trailers thus far, color is one of the core visual tenets of Jigokuraku, and the balance of its vibrancy with the grim horrors throughout will be an impressive feat if done well.
Akitsugu Hisagi is pulling double duty as the character designer and animation director. Hisagi's career is extensive, primarily as a key animator, but they've served as AD on episodes of Baccano, Soul Eater, Durarara, and even Attack on Titan: The Final Season, among others. Between their reputation and the production timeline of this series, it bodes well for the animation.
Concerns About The Animation
In a previous article on Jigokuraku, we covered concerns about the second trailer for the anime from December 2022. In particular, the speculation that the trailer was pre-animated, and therefore not representative of the final product. For context, pre-animation refers to creating animation specifically for a trailer rather than taking clips from the actual series.
This was done for the trailer for Attack on Titan: The Final Season, which led many to be disappointed with the actual animation of the series when it aired. The same happened with Chainsaw Man, although the final product was well-received. However, in early March, a new trailer for Jigokuraku showed new footage along with that of previous trailers.
Needless to say, it's getting harder to tell if past speculation was accurate or not, and we won't be certain until the show airs. The detailed staff list at the end of the trailers suggested that these were constructed from the ground up, but as the series is premiering on April 1, either the skeptics were pleasantly wrong, or it is going feel like a very unfortunate April Fools' joke.
Staying optimistic, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku's marketing has been incredibly enticing and the fantastical horrors awaiting the cast have the potential for some rich character development and great action. It has the potential to be one of the season's unexpected hits, assuming its quality isn't sacrificed for larger projects down MAPPA's pipeline.