Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku v1

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
By Yuji Kaku
Review by Mida

Gabimaru the Hollow is a ruthless ninja, imprisoned and sentenced to death after betraying his tribe. Despite his claim that he doesn’t care about life, he realises he has one thing to live for: he just wants to see his wife again. His only hope of salvation? Travel to a mythical island alongside other convicts, as well as his assigned executioner, and return with the Elixir of Life.

This manga is absolutely incredible. After finally finishing it, I can safely say that it is one of my favourite series that I have ever picked up. After a tense start, Gabimaru is wrenched out of the natural world into a psychedelic dreamscape. The island they travel to is full of nightmares, with fantastic designs inspired by religious artwork – which ties into the story itself, rather than just being an aesthetic touch.

The story is exquisitely paced, with moments of calm that linger until stagnant, or fight scenes that roar along at breakneck speeds. But the one thing that shines the strongest of all in this series are the characters. Every criminal has an assigned executioner to supervise them, and every duo is as distinct as the last. While every individual is working against the rest, they’re all so exquisitely fleshed out that I got invested in the whole group. Gabimaru and Sagiri, his executioner, are our focal characters, but I found myself keeping an eye out for characters we’d only met once or twice, as well as those whose deaths impacted the rest of the series.

With Gabimaru’s surprisingly wholesome motivations, wonderful art and a fantastically distinct setting, Hell’s Paradise is possibly my favourite manga that I have finished this year. I had already read a few volumes, then stayed up ridiculously late one night because I couldn’t bear to leave it unfinished. It’s truly one of a kind and I can’t recommend it enough. Highly recommended for fans of battle royale stories, fans of Jujutsu Kaisen or readers wanting a dark evolution to Naruto.

Note: Not for younger readers, contains adult themes and graphic violence.