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For a dark shonen anime,Hell’s Paradise: Jigokurakuhas a distinct absence of mob characters. Every character and monster are designed with purpose and intent behind them, with careful attention to detail.
Mob characters, however, are often used to create an atmosphere and to represent the “ordinary people” in the anime.Hell’s Paradisedoes not care for either. Gabimaru, the protagonist, is on a mission on Kotaku that could mean life or death for him. The monsters, however, do not play around.
This was a conscious choice by the mangaka, Yuji Kaku, and the director ofHell’s Paradise,Naoki Makita. Without the inclusion of mob characters, how were they supposed to create an environment of dread and fear?
The monsters of Kotaku filled in those gaps perfectly. They might have power in numbers but their visual style is horrifying enough to create a sense of eeriness and they successfully unsettle the viewers.
HowHell’s Paradiseavoids looking empty and weak
Kotaku is already a daunting and mysterious island filled with unknown threats. While the protagonist and others are supposed to look for the Elixir of Life, they encounter some of the strangest creatures they could have never imagined: the Soshin and the Monshin of Kotaku.
The designs of these monsters vary. They can be a morphed version of an animal, giant colossal humanoids with strange features, or even purely demonic. The Soshin and Monshin don’t have any intelligence, as far as we know, but they do protect the island of Kotaku.
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When asked about the Soshin and Monshin, particularly about their inhuman movements, Kaori Makita explains the intention behind it. Inan interview with Real Sound, she states:
First of all, there aren’t many mob characters in Jigokuraku. In that environment, we defeat the Soshin and Monshin, so we were particularly careful not to look weak.So we were conscious of the impact of their hugeness, their fear, and the oppressive feeling when they surround the characters.However, visually there are some parts that are like a punchline, so while we used designs that are true to the original work, we focused on the colors of the Soshin and Monshin to pursue a feeling of strangeness.
The attention to detail Makita and her team implemented into the designs of the monsters made all the difference. The Soshin and Monshin, alongside the Tensen, are the antagonists ofHell’s Paradise.However, these monsters are meant to be the more inhumane, eerie side of the story.
Hell’s Paradiseis one of the best dark shonen manga to come out recently
Beyond the premise and the monsters,Hell’s Paradisehas done an excellent job with the themes of life and death.Arborification, in particular, makes viewers equally horrified and intrigued. That’s not the end of it.
The visual style ofHell’s Paradiseis like no other. It’s vibrant and colorful and yet makes you feel fear like no other dark shonen manga can.
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While the story might beYuji Kakuand a credit to his brilliant writing, Kaori Makita has done an excellent job executing his vision. No other animation style would’ve worked forHell’s Paradiseif not for her direction.
Hell’s Paradiseis available on Crunchyroll.
Bidisha Mitra
Articles Published :802
Bidisha is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with over 700 published articles. With over 7 years of writing experience, she’s versatile and adept. When she’s not writing, she’s also a voice actor on the side.Bidisha is currently continuing to learn Japanese and gets more fluent everyday. Her expertise is One Piece, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Haikyuu, but has been watching anime for over a decade. She was previously a Content Writer reviewing the latest Kpop music.
