The story revolves around Kaiman, who does not remember who he was before he was transfigured by a Magic user. This transformation left him with a reptile's head, and a desire to find out the truth about who he really is. Accompanied by Nikaido, his female companion, he tracks down Magic Users in "The Hole" and unceremoniously chomps down on their head, hoping to find out who it was that put him in this state. One by one, they witness this "second man" inside the head of Kaiman, and after pulling them back out of his mouth he asks them all a question... "What did the guy inside my head say?"
~~~All of my reviews contain __spoilers __for the reviewed material. This is your only warning. ~~~ -------- *Dorohedoro* is something of an ideal seasonal. Well-made, interesting entries into undersung genres tend to make the best seasonal anime short of actual capital-I Important shows, and *Dorohedoro* is indeed that. Trafficking in the same broad blood-n’-mud action-seinen aesthetic as things like the more serious *No Guns Life*, *Dorohedoro* puts a distinctly oddball twist on that genre. The series is set in a fairly detailed constructed world--or rather, a pair of them. Our heroes, the lizard-headed Caiman and his BFF/possible-romantic-interest-but-we-haven’t-really-gotten-there-yet the blonde Nikaido, hail from the town of Hole, a city full of ordinary humans that just so happen to be preyed upon by the mysterious mask-wearing sorcerers who live in the next dimension over. img880(https://i.imgur.com/MLflp1a.png) img880(https://i.imgur.com/PNxp9uu.png) The show splits its time about evenly between these two settings, both are quite distinct, as much from each other as from general cliche. The series’ plot is complex enough (and just plain weird enough) that summing up the plot beat by beat risks lapsing into dry recapping, but the generality of it is that our protagonists are split between the “Hole group” centered around Caiman and Nikaido, and a second “Sorcerer group” introduced a bit later on who live in the Sorcerers’ world. These characters are largely the henchmen of wizard/mob boss En, who has punk rocker hair and can turn anything he breathes on into mushrooms. img880(https://i.imgur.com/BAAZOPN.png) *This is what villains should look like, just for the record.* ----- Over the series’ twelve episodes (which cover less than a quarter of the manga, which ran for nearly 20 years from 2000 to 2018), Caiman’s quest to figure out what sorcerer turned his head into that of a lizard’s and moreover, *why*, dovetails into larger intrigue that involves the En group, some of Nikaido’s own secrets, and dozens of other things. Along the way we get to witness some of the better CGI to hit TV anime in recent years, not to mention some wonderfully gory action scenes that are guaranteed to make you wince at least once. The directing (courtesy of Yuuichirou Hayashi) keeps the whole thing tight, preventing it from getting lost in its own admittedly wide-ranging plot. To say the series is a little gonzo feels like underselling it. The whole thing is delightfully out-there. Original mangaka Q Hayashida has a talent for this kind of thing, and it colors the entire work. This is actually something that helps the series keep from falling prey to the common problem of over self-seriousness in this kind of work. There’s a healthy dose of humor in here. Both classic slapstick and more bizarre running gags. My personal favorite being a roach-man named Johnson. He’s introduced early on as a monster-of-the-week, and is defeated, only to later return as a sort-of ally capable of saying the word “Shocking!” and nothing else. Dumb? Yes, but that’s not a bad thing here. img880(https://i.imgur.com/eq3Xlg5.png) *Even the series' gorier moments are often cut with humor to take the edge off.* ---- The other main thing that keeps *Dorohedoro* ticking is its character writing. You wouldn’t necessarily assume that something that stars a lizardman and is this hyper-violent would *be* particularly well-written, but the characters come alive through their motivations and backstories. There’s a hard-to-qualify “realness” to the characters that makes even the villains a joy to watch--something that’s quite easy to do wrong, especially in this genre. If it seems like there’s not much else to say about *Dorohedoro*, that’s only because it’s so good in such a self-evident way. This is a series that is often content to speak for itself. ------
~~~~~~Dorohedoro Es un Gore en un mundo de magos y no magos, donde se marca claramente la discriminación entre las dos razas, la violencia y la sangre son el plato principal en esta obra y el segundo plato la amistad, aunque este es menos relevante para la misma. Historia: 9/10 La historia tiene un toque de misterio al presentar al personaje principal como alguien que ha perdido sus recuerdos y su apariencia humana quedando con una horrible cabeza de “Caimán” remplazando la que alguna vez fue una cara humana, razón por la cual hará lo que sea para recuperar sus recuerdos y forma original, en este punto la amistad hace su aparición con la amiga que lo acompaña en este viaje por encontrar sus recuerdos, logrando así un dúo de protagonistas los cuales se muestran bastante fuertes frente al promedio de los demás magos y humanos de ese mundo. La trama respecto a la pregunta de ¿qué te dijo el chico dentro de mi cabeza? le da un toque de misterio bastante perturbador, siniestro e interesante, enriquecido cada vez mas la curiosidad sobre el pasado del personaje, sin embargó en el desarrollo del anime se ve claramente que no solo el personaje principal tiene una buena historia, sino que la protagonista su compañera y los antagonistas también tienen historias interesantes las cuales crean un nido de gran misterio bañado en sangre que te hace querer saber más, sin duda el fuerte de este anime es la historia y la misma se desarrolla a un buen ritmo a través de estos primeros 12 capítulos. Características de los personajes: 8/10 Los característica y personalidades de los personajes principales héroes como antagonistas se van desvelando cada vez más claro a través de la historia dejando marcada la impresión de cada uno de ellos en el espectador, es fácil aun con tan pocos capítulos poder describir e identificar a fondo como es cada personaje, sin embargo aun queda mucho por saber de cada uno de ellos. Animación y arte: 3/10 Tristemente este apartado es muy muy malo de lo peor que he visto este año no es que tenga nada en contra de “NETFLIX” pero cuando mire que eran colaboradores del anime recordé lo que hicieron con el anime “AJIN” cuyo manga es muy bueno una historia con mucho potencial pero no temo decirlo “NETFLIX” hizo una muy mala adaptación anime del mismo, algo similar paso acá, sin embargo la historia compensa lo grotesco y mediocre de la animación y el arte, ver caminar a los personajes alejándose de las escenas era un dolor para mis ojos. Disfrute: 7/10 Lo disfrute la historia me permitió disfrutarlo, de no ser así habría sido imposible ver esa mediocre animación, pero como siempre digo en mis reseñas cumplió su cometido de entretener me tubo enganchado mirando los 12 capítulos de corrido y eso solo se logra cuando hay un gran disfrute en lo que se está mirado. En general: 7/10 Es un gore que vale la pena ver su historia es muy interesante y presenta cierta oxigenación al anime y específicamente a este genero ya que hace mucho no veía un gore que valiera la pena recomendar, lo recomiendo, pero no es de mis favoritos como para verlo una segunda vez es unos años, tristemente la animación me defraudo mucho y por ultimo pero no menos importante, la música del inicio y final de capitulo me gustaron mucho obviamente hablo de los ritmos, por que la letra no es que mi nivel de japones actual me permita comprender mucho, sin embargo el ritmo es muy parecido a lo que escucho normalmente. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/Mff05mG.png)~~~ Dorohedoro is a [twenty three volume long manga](https://anilist.co/manga/31133/Dorohedoro/) by [Q Hayashida](https://anilist.co/staff/98024/Q-Hayashida) that is packed from beginning to end with weirdness, quite often over the top yet imaginative gore, and an ensemble cast of sorcerers with fucked up magic. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/uE8vUgt.jpg)~~~ And also a lizard man who murders sorcerers to death with a knife usually after chomping on their head to force them to be seen by the man who lives within his mouth. Upon seemingly the moment this manga ended after going for eighteen years, it was announced that there would be an anime adaptation by the studio [MAPPA](https://anilist.co/studio/569/MAPPA). Immediately, I was awash with two very different emotions. Unbridled excitement with a deep undercurrent of overwhelming dread. After all, the last time I was probably this excited for an upcoming anime adaptation was [Berserk 2016](https://anilist.co/anime/21560/Berserk/). ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/dWkjMLN.gif)~~~ And back then before it actually aired, I remember my often repeated mantra being along the lines of _“even though it’s CG, it still has the potential of being an at least okay adaptation.”_ And of course, because of how ___absolutely horrible___ it turned out, that’s how I ended up starting to review anime on this site. ...So it’s super refreshing that I don’t have to write that exact same review again four years later with Dorohedoro. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/GJ38IM4.gif)~~~ ___ #“Unadaptable”# img440(https://i.imgur.com/se9a86r.png) That’s the word that would come to my mind when I tried to imagine… a whole bunch of scenes from Dorohedoro being animated. ~~Before the anime was even announced, mind you.~~ I couldn’t imagine it in my head without sanding away the artstyle or the overwhelming darkness of the Hole. Or the absolute lunacy of day to day life in the Sorcerer world. How would they handle this scene? How would they handle this character? How would they handle this moment? img440(https://i.imgur.com/WPL4hTx.png) Then the anime aired and I had a hammer repeatedly bashed into my skull until those thoughts ceased. Very quickly indeed, this adaptation proved to have an incredibly firm hold on the admittedly very odd tone of Dorohedoro. Like the general setting of this series is a town comprised of humans who have been victim to sorcerers, having their lives ruined or completely altered as they suddenly find themselves with the head of a lizard, missing a couple of limbs, or worse. img440(https://i.imgur.com/XO9GbOC.png) You would think comedy wouldn’t belong in a series with a setting like that, yet it is. It’s present throughout the entire manga. And I thought it’d be pretty difficult to nail it down in animated form, yet the light hearted and more comical tone of the series is just as present and perfectly handled as the manga. img440(https://i.imgur.com/yGckk3K.png) ...But then every once in a while, we get a nice little dream sequence of say... a blood covered mystery fellow emerging from the jaws of our favorite lizard man. img440(https://i.imgur.com/mJfWXnn.png) In my opinion, the staff that worked on this adaptation were handed what I thought would have been an insurmountable task. Or at the very least, a task that could have been handled wrong in dozens and dozens of different ways. Maybe I'm beating a dead horse here because I've been *disappointed so many times,* but it's just amazing to me that they actually managed to nail the spirit and the tone of Dorohedoro so perfectly. img440(https://i.imgur.com/otCv2Vs.png) ___ #Ensemble Cast# Dorohedoro is probably home to one of my favorite cast of characters ever. Like if you ask me, hey, who's your favorite Dorohedoro character? My gut reaction is probably Shin. The sorcerer donning a heart mask whose magic, get this, doesn't even kill you. It just cuts you into pieces. While keeping you alive. img440(https://i.imgur.com/fWjcpoc.png) So to actually kill people he just hammers them to death. How about Noi? Shin's partner? Well, she's the healing sorcerer. On the brink of death? She'll just vomit some smoke your way and bam, good as new. So you would think this would cause her to do pretty much nothing but heal the other characters throughout the series but... well... img440(https://i.imgur.com/NeMoIkX.gif) ...Let's move on. There's En, who is basically the head of the Sorcerer world. And his magic is... mushrooms. img440(https://i.imgur.com/YjO1YGG.png) _To be honest, in the manga, I didn't even like En that much. ~~BUT HE LOOKS SO FUCKING COOL IN THE ANIME.~~_ He can turn things and people into mushrooms. And he's essentially the head figure of the Sorcerers. He has his own mansion, he's got a movie about himself he's making, he had a ramen chain until there was a bunch of cases of food poisoning via the mushrooms... I mean he even has his own goddamned song. *And it's just him singing about mushrooms.* youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psBZTRSu7so) As if that wasn't enough, he also even has a pet catlike creature (?) who can bring the dead back to life. img440(https://i.imgur.com/VOGM5cU.png) And I could just keep going. I mean, I'm still on Sorcerers. I haven't even gotten to the lizard. And he's the main character! It'd just be quicker to just jump to characters I don't like so much. That of course being Ebisu and Chota. ~~Chota doesn't have that much time in the anime so he's not that much of a bother here. Although, seeing his smoke animated was cool.~~ I never really liked Ebisu in the manga because for sure to an extent, her character is moreso comedic relief than anything else. Not that you can blame her for it. img440(https://i.imgur.com/rPObqUg.png) After having a traumatic experience where a lizard literally chomps your face off, you'd probably never be the same too. ...That being said, her being animated and voiced adds a whole lot to her various shenanigans. ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/F7hYeCP.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/cNA21uH.png)~~~ ___ #Fine Tuned Chaos# img440(https://i.imgur.com/aKofRnR.png) The heart of this series is chaos. Pure, simple, and unadulterated chaos. Yes, there is still a plot to be followed from beginning to end, but I would definitely urge you to not take it *too* seriously ~~(though I very much enjoyed it myself)~~ and just revel in the ___chaos.___ I mean if you watch this and get to the part where there is a baseball game held in the Hole, you'll get exactly what I'm saying. img440(https://i.imgur.com/UxzuA0r.png) As one of the members of a team is literally just a gigantic talking cockroach. There's also the Frankenstein'd corpse of Fujita's partner who Caiman ~~(the lizard)~~ murdered in the very first episode. As can be gathered from what we see of the daily life in the Hole, a lot of Sorcerers are complete assholes and definitely deserve to be knifed to death by a lizard. That being said, it's kinda hard to not feel bad for Fujita. Still in mourning for his dead partner and oh there he is, playing baseball... ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/6W0b4yM.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/LSM7lvx.png)~~~ Though, probably the earliest piece of world building that caused my love of Dorohedoro is because of all of the fucked up magic from the Sorcerers, the Hole has a certain event every year. It's called the Day of the Living Dead. ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/kFHc0Ad.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/Aqr438M.png)~~~ On this special night, corpses just get up and start walking around and brainlessly attacking whoever they see. And one thing this series makes abundantly clear from start to finish is that ___there are a lot of fucking corpses in the Hole.___ img440(https://i.imgur.com/qGGHAIB.png) My favorite thing about this is everybody treats it as completely normal. Rather, it's a contest. The plates you retrieve from downed zombies, you can redeem for various prizes. Really, the only ones who find the fact that the living dead are roaming the streets strange is sorcerers. And they're the chief cause of it! img440(https://i.imgur.com/HsjrTs2.png) ___ #Conclusion# Dorohedoro is one of my utmost favorite action manga. Would I consider it my #1? No, but I simultaneously can't really say that the other ones I hold above it have what Dorohedoro has going for it. img440(https://i.imgur.com/Fo47Nwd.png) *No other series have I seen a character catch a man's brain with a baseball cap after cutting his head open with a spear. Also, there's a lot of lizard chomping people. And that's pretty great.* And for the anime adaptation to capture the spirit of Dorohedoro so wholeheartedly and to include so many scenes from the manga where I would go "yeah I'd fuckin' love to see this animated" and then go "wow, they didn't ruin it!" is amazing. img440(https://i.imgur.com/1hXhhnL.png) ~~I basically already said this exact line verbatim earlier in the review but I'm not removing it to drive the point home.~~ It's a __100 out of 100__ for me, but I acknowledge it may not be that for other people. I, on the other hand, will desperately be hoping for a second season every day until it's announced. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/yhkCJoH.gif)~~~
___The Great___ The Soundtrack: The soundtrack for Dorohedoro is honestly one of the best I’ve heard. (K)now Name did an excellent job in delivering an eclectic mix of an OST that honestly reflects the identity of the anime like nothing else. Its atmospheric tracks manage to flawlessly indicate and dictate the tone of the show. Dark and gloomy, yet exciting? Check. Darkly funny? Check. Mysteriously absurd? Check. If the show has a specific vibe at any point in time, you can bet that there’s a track in there that conveys it perfectly. The op is nice enough, and the 6 different EDs (both the op and the eds are performed, again, by (K)now name) are all instant bops. The sound is honestly by far one of the strongest aspects of this show. The comedy/the novelty: I certainly wouldn’t say that the humour in Dorohedoro is for everyone. It’s _extremely_ dark at times and generally involves a lot of gore. However, for those who like black humour and the like, this anime is an absolute treasure trove. It’s not just that the humour is messed up, but the delivery is subtle and excellent, and coupled with the general atmosphere of the show manages to create a truly delectable sense of absurdity that stays with you during your watch. ___The Good___ The characters: The characters, their depth, and the way they develop is something that’s truly unique to Dorohedoro. Let me get this clear right off the bat. If you’re looking for characters that are relatable, this ain’t it, chief. The characters are pretty damn absurd to the point of barely resembling normal humans in most aspects, and this applies to every single one of them. However what is gained from the tradeoff is an entire cast of wonderfully weird characters that are used to living in an equally absurd world, with some of the strangest character dynamics I’ve ever beheld. The show starts out by giving the impression that at least the line between protagonist and antagonist will stay clear in a show with such murky morality, but even that turns out not to really be the case, as the story is quick to flip in focus from character to character, and quickly blurs the line between “good guy” and “bad guy”, to the point where you’re honestly left without a side to root for and just watch the spectacle unfold before your eyes. The Worldbuilding: The world is Dorohedoro is excellently built, or rather, both the worlds are fleshed out in a very natural and satisfying way, with us learning about new things every episode without any episode apart from the first-ever really feeling like an info dump. The world also leaves space for plenty of nooks and crannies, with some of them being explored, while others remain open for future exploration. Dorohedoro manages to find the balance between having too little worldbuilding and leaving viewers unsatisfied and having too much and leaving them fatigued. All in all, the worldbuilding is quite satisfying in Dorohedoro, despite it not being the main feature of the show. The Aesthetic/ The backgrounds (art): Dorohedoro manages to give off a very grimy, grunge aesthetic, and it’s one that fits the show to a T. The backgrounds are well-drawn and the Janky CGI…kinda fits right in with the general vibe. Immersion/Atmosphere: A combination of a splendid soundtrack, fresh, unique, and interesting characters, as well as a generally good aesthetic, make Dorohedoro a really immersive show. It’s pretty to find oneself lost in its world when watching it. ___The Average___ The action: Well, as the category would indicate, most of the action scenes in Dorohedoro are actually quite average. There’s certainly a lot of gore, but nothing in the action/gore department particularly stands out as memorable. This might have affected my evaluation higher had this been an action-oriented show, but despite having an abundance of fights, these fights are honestly mostly just a secondary focus in the show. The story: I won’t lie. The story isn’t anything mind-blowing. It’s certainly far from being stale but doesn’t offer anything of worth in itself either. Although whether this will still be the case remains to be seen, as Dorohedoro is far from having adapted all of the manga, and this seems to be mostly a setup phase, with the ending clearly leaving room for more adaptations. It’s not the story itself, but rather the characters and atmosphere coupled with it that make it stand out. And of course, the CGI doesn’t help in this aspect. Pacing: Again, this is something that’s mostly average. It’s notable that it does adapt a significant amount of chapters of the manga without coming across as rushed, but that’s not to say the pacing couldn’t be better, since it still mostly leans towards the faster side, and one could get lost quite easily if one’s not paying attention to it. ___The Bad___ Character Design: Well, here comes the part that the show is infamous for. The character design in concept isn’t too bad… but this show IS a show that attempts to mix 2D and 3D together...and while it does succeed, for the most part, the characters do feel stiff and in the case of Caiman simply bad at times. And of course, there’s the general problem of CGI characters being more expressionless, which is the case here. Thankfully the jank at least blends in somewhat with the atmosphere and the aesthetic, which makes it watchable and less of a problem as the show goes on. ___The Terrible___ There’s nothing really to put here. As mentioned before, the CGI is definitely a dealbreaker to some, but it’s honestly not too bad as far as CGI in anime goes. ___Conclusion___ If you’re someone who enjoys black humour, or just absurdity in anime in general, this should be a must-watch. An excellent soundtrack paired with a show that generally performs pretty damn well in most aspects, save the janky CGI characters. I’d definitely highly recommend this show. I can’t guarantee everyone will enjoy it, but I can guarantee a unique experience.
L'exercice de mettre des mots sur ce qui a pourtant été une de mes meilleures expériences en matière d'anime, n'est pas chose aisée. En effet, comment analyser cet improbable melting-pot qui mélange Fantasy, magie, horreur, action et humour ? Comment décrire le sentiment que j'ai eu devant certains décors gothiquo-victoriano-dieselpunk ? Comment dire ce qu'on ressent devant cette œuvre, dont les influences semblent venir de partout et nulle part à la foi ? Tentons d'y aller pas à pas, sans s'égarer. Avant toute chose, un merci profond et sincère à MAPPA, qui ont abattu un boulot monstrueux sur cette adaptation. Je n'avais lu que quelques scans pour avoir un effet de comparaison en commençant, et force est d'admettre que le niveau est stratosphérique au point de m'avoir fais réalisé quelque chose. Le studio MAPPA, avec Dorohedoro, confirme une nouvelle fois que quand il y a talent, passion et envie d'innover, on peut dépasser le simple état de fait d'avoir posé une voix, du geste et des couleurs sur un manga. On transcende le matériau de base, et on produit une œuvre à la fois radicalement différente mais pourtant fidèle à son matériau. On montre qu'un studio d'animation n'est pas simplement une étape de fabrication, une sorte d'usine ou l'on pose des muscles sur un squelette (le manga) pour le faire s'agiter devant des consommateurs passifs. Si on le veut, on peut y ajouter une peau, un visage, et même une âme. Pour que ce corps vienne alors à nous, consommateur, et nous demande : Qu'est ce qu'une série d'animation , au delà d'un corps ? Je sais bien que Dorohedoro est loin d'être le premier à poser cette question, et MAPPA est loin d'être le premier studio à s'essayer à l'exercice. Pour autant, malgré la foule d'animes avec les mêmes caractéristiques que j'ai pu visionner, cette révélation s'est faite avec Dorohedoro. Allez savoir pourquoi. Cet anime est donc un magnifique pense bête dans l'histoire de l'animation pour rappeler une nouvelle fois son rôle : Divertir, oui. Mais aussi émerveiller et dépasser son état, pour aller au delà. Pour revenir en détails sur ce qui m'a plu dans Dorohedoro, il faut parler de la VF (pour changer un peu) qui est absolument géniale et est même bien meilleure que la VO, à mon avis. Il faut parler de l'animation 3D excellente et sans bavures, s'intégrant à merveille derrière les décors auquel un soin tout particulier a été apporté. Il faut bien sûr parler de l'histoire, complètement burlesque et absurde de A à Z, ne cessant de nous faire rire par son enchaînement ininterrompu de situations comiques, de combats ultra violents et de moments de pure contemplation. Ne pas oublier les musiques, notamment les OP et ED, aux sonorités orientales mélangés à de la transe et qui s'accorde à merveille dans cet univers. Dorohedoro, c'est un magnifique bordel organisé. Un coup de pied dans la gueule. Une dose de bonne humeur. Un plaisir qui ne dure que 13 épisodes, court et intense.
>_Inside the alligator's mouth. Never better said than earlier 2020, when a "curious" play was released to say the least; and is that this series (which I admit to leave infirst instance) is a journey into madness, with a more bizarre bizarro world of subjects above and who spend their days volándose brains ... It As well as, after resigning myself and starting with the end of the year count, I have ended up giving myself to said madness and thanks to this, I have been able to enjoy something great and full of fun, and yes, I mean nothing more and nothing less than to the chaos called ...Dorohedoro._ ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qrDGFOKZTFw/X8Fo3QSXgiI/AAAAAAAAFNU/njTOpbotiFowXRxFW9-zjbnHA-F7XA8yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Caratula.png)~~~ Dorohedoro presents the story of Kaiman, a man cursed to carry a reptile head. That is why our green protagonist spends his days wandering the streets of the desolate city of Hole, his home, in order to hunt sorcerers, who use the city as a testing ground, cursing left and right at anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. But as I said, the thing is that Kaiman, accompanied by his friend (and personal chef expert in martial arts) Nikaido, goes, hunts and ... "bites" each sorcerer in order to find the one who cursed him and thus recover his memory, which by the way, he also lost next to his human head. And this would have no major inconvenience if it were not because, after gobbling a sorcerer and letting his partner escape, Kaiman and Nikaido will begin to be sought out by En-san, the head of the sorcerers and who will send his thugs Shin and Noi after the steps of the reptile and the girl. __~~~Blood over here, a head flying over there ...~~~__ Few seconds pass for the series to show us what the matter is about, because as soon as the thing goes, we already see our leading duo massacring "literally" a couple of novice wizards: a bite, a head inside Kaiman, a question, an unwanted answer and a dismembered body, all in less than 3 minutes ... __Welcome to Dorohedoro__. ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0EexRsQODbQ/X4rmzjgaenI/AAAAAAAADko/DZZakQgmO44u31SNT-UbxnxjuZ5c88bHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w286-h400/Dise%25C3%25B1o%2Bsin%2Bt%25C3%25ADtulo%2B%25286%2529.gif)~~~ And here is that the narrative axis on which we will focus is none other than violence, because although the background is the search for Kaiman and Nikaido, the truth is that the series is addictive due to that violent and uncontrolled madness that we shows, impregnating each episode with sequences full of blood, risque comments, flying viscera or flying heads, all accompanied by an omnipresent comedy that manages to get us several laughs, more for the absurdity of the situation, than because it is really funny . And this is enhanced by its characters, each one crazier than the last; from our protagonist and his comic way of being, killing here and there, while grieving for his lack of identity and past; Nikaido who serves as a companion and support for Kaiman, and who also takes on an important background with the passage of history, and even others such as Doc, or the little talkative "Johnson" who will contribute their comic vision to each situation, with everything and baseball game included. __~~~Antagonists ... Leading?~~~ __ However, I have to say ... as much as I have liked the duo of Kaiman and Nikaido, the real stars of the show are the antagonist couple: our favorite thugs, the cool and "calm" Shin and his particular "Robin" the amazing and imposing Noi. And it is that these 2 not only have the inherent violence of the series, but also that necessary background on which to base themselves and that in their case, is that of their past, the way they met and their companionship, both in moments common (and quite funny) as in the battle sequences, achieving a dynamic that looks natural and that will leave us excited with each intervention they have. It's like watching a Jules-Vincent duo from the movie Pulp Fiction . And fortunately this ability to catch us also expands to the rest of the "bad" characters from the elegant, imposing and Affectionate? mushroom lover: Chief En-san, even the other pair of wizards made up of the unkempt Ebisu (aka the skull girl) and the weak but courageous Fujita, who, without approaching the Shin-Noi duo, have an adequate development in their relationship, not without going ridiculous after ridiculous ... ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54d2smq4uf4/X4rmwi-PHWI/AAAAAAAADkk/sHGgG_xagycbZW92kkmk64dbGlRkJBg8ACLcBGAsYHQ/w286-h400/Dise%25C3%25B1o%2Bsin%2Bt%25C3%25ADtulo%2B%25285%2529.gif)~~~ In spite of everything, Dorohedoro cannot say that it is a series for everyone, and it is precisely because of what its appearance means: from the dark of its settings, the bizarre and "feisty" in the character design, as well as the violence makes explicit in the series that, without being something never seen, it can be shocking to more than one with a dislike for viscera and blood. Likewise, and I think this is the reason why several of us left the series in the first instance, it is the marked difference with respect to the manga. However, I would like to defend this point and it is that, after all, adapting Dorohedoro as such was extremely difficult due to the obvious difference between ink and animation, which is why I believe that in this case, despite not being the same, yes manages to form its own identity as an Anime. And yes, that means that the technical aspect in Dorohedoro works, and I must say it very well. But to understand this, again, say that its original source was already peculiar and bizarre, so adapting it was a challenge outside the standards. That is why MAPPA uses the (so hated) 3D CGI technique here , which I think is a success due to the amount of expressions in its characters that, otherwise, could have been like Kakegurui (for example). And speaking of character design, courtesy of Tomohiro KishiWe are facing a fairly loose and rough line, thus achieving the essence of the manga and giving the characters that hardness and untidy in their features (Kaiman is the most obvious change) but without that meaning few details. In the same way, the wardrobe of each one stands out, especially their various masks (omnipresent in the magical world) which present enough details and impact to identify each character, becoming a visual delight; the clothes also work and in the case of Shin o Noi, it accentuates the rawness of the work by being permanently covered in blood. Even the demons (few but present) are well designed, giving them that air of filth and evil. The scenarios on the other hand are just as effective and manage to recreate in an extraordinary way the world of Dorohedoro, that place that is Hole, full of decadence, flickering lights and buildings that seem about to collapse, with the feeling that every corner can be the end of your way. And even better are the backgrounds of the magical world, contradicting what has been seen until then and changing the shadows and the ruin of Hole for the colors and the more stylized and textured buildings, such as En-san's palace for example. An extraordinary world of dark fantasy. ~~~img(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YSQvkBeua1c/X4o40TimvbI/AAAAAAAADPE/rwhJmPZSiu4wtMyQqeUpVDOm8EO6iwdswCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h458/image.png)~~~ The OST also works very well on Dorohedoro, making it one of its strongest points. And it is that we are before pieces full of genius and that will enter our ears like a small hammer jingling, and believe me, that will stay there for a long time. Pieces like the great "VICTIM" or the crazy "EL CORAZÓN" make us feel as if we were going directly to a toxic waste factory with the car stereo at full volume (excuse my crude example), a whole acid trip, the same happens with the funniest songs, case of the rhythmic "FUNNY FAMILY" that makes us dance to the smooth rhythm of the blood jumping everywhere. Regarding his vocal pieces, I have to say that despite not liking him the first time, the OP has become one of my weaknesses of the year, entitled "Welcome to Chaos" by (K) NoW_NAME , it is a piece full of energy, with an implicit psychedelic that, without startling or taking control at any time, does manage to accelerate our ears along with its visual. And then there is the ED of the series ... Or rather the ED, because Dorohedoro has no less than 6 closing pieces, being: "Who am I?" (eps 1-2, 7) "Night SURFING" (eps 3-4) "DDDD" (eps 5-6) "Strange Meat Pie" (eps 8-9) "SECONDs FLY""404" all from the same band and each one more rhythmic than the previous one, as well as unique in terms of their visuals, managing to match the rhythm of the episode that precedes them; yes, my favorite is the first one with everything and its light flashing. This OST is quite a show, weird, yes, but a show all the same. ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZakLovr1VC4/X4rmc9xuP9I/AAAAAAAADkc/dWvFjA6Cmlchgj51gLqiwnQLaBBXKsyMACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h224/tumblr_46d8165c1037bd1cccd0f3259c859c74_78a56c4b_500.gif)~~~ ___Dorohedoro is a series that can be summarized as "walking madness", with a story as bizarre as its characters and moments as spectacular as they are bloody, that leave little to the imagination and that, thanks to this, traps us in its dark universe from the first minute , making us want to see more and more and leaving us as crazy as the story itself. With an animation that despite (or thanks) to its 3D / 2D mix has a high level, a soundtrack that fits perfectly with the bizarre and some protagonists (and antagonists) that will make us laugh at every moment, Dorohedoro is simply one of those works that cannot be missed ... Even if we have to get into the mouth of the alligator.___ >__If You liked this review, you can check more content on my personal blog https://13fotogramas.blogspot.com/__
A stylistic masterpiece! A uniquely flavored anime with a striking atmosphere that carefully balances gothic, punk, and grunge aesthetics with humor, warmth, and relatability. Even though the storyline is not the most layered or thought-provoking, the charisma of the world that Dorohedoro immerses you in keeps you invested in the anime nonetheless. The way this world is presented is just so aesthetically creative and intriguing – I couldn't get enough of it. The split between the Hole and the Sorcerer's World is ambiguous and provoking. It makes me curious about the history of the world and what caused the rift between the two of them. Hell-based themes are prevalent in both of the worlds, which works within the context of the anime as a stylistic choice, but also prompts more questions. I can deduce how the world works through context – for example, the distinction between the different tiers of sorcerers and devils – but I can't get to the bottom of what exactly makes the world tick. The mystery of it all keeps me engaged and wanting to know more. I thought the characters were also brilliantly designed, working seamlessly within the world and written in a way that oozes "cool" and "alternative" but likable nonetheless. While they are a bit one-dimensional in many cases (looking at you, Nikaido), the energy that each character adds to the big picture is tantamount. I think the pairing of Caiman with Nikaido works very well, but the antagonist duo of Shin and Noi work even better. One can tell that there is some subtlety to their relationship, although they are obviously foils of that of our main protagonist duo. That being said, I don't feel as if there is much depth to these characters, and that a few episodes in, you can get a good idea of each one. They are all quite transparent. That is one potential critique of the anime – it lacks depth. There doesn't seem to be any thoughtful thematic messaging, nor are there any motifs that challenge the reader in any way. However, I argue that this is not exactly a bad thing, as the anime gives us more than enough for us to keep us satisfied through all the eye candy and visual aesthetic. The nature of this anime being a mystery, the central plot does a great job at hooking you in, as the anime does a good job bringing back the audience to the main problem at hand (hard to miss with the giant lizard head). I'm willing to forgive some of the questionable plot devices (Noi's end-all-be-all healing for example) because of how enjoyable the show is to watch! It's a shame that we haven't gotten Season 2 yet because I'm hooked! Stylistically and creatively, this has to be one of my favorite watches in a while!
Overview: Lizardman with a naked man popping up when lizard gives head? Well that’s pretty much what this is. The mystery aspect that is somewhat answered by the end is who the man is inside of him and who caiman used to be before the lizard incident. Story is there, while at the same time not really there. Things happen, stuff progresses yet nothing happens at the same time. It is a very strange story with progression yet no progression by the end. The viewer is left in the same position they were when they first started the show. Sort of contrasts well with the world that has been built up and the craziness of the show itself. Basic premise and mystery is that our boi Caiman got his head turned into a lizard. How [?], one might ask. Well in this world there is a place called `The Hole`. The Hole is a city, or I guess place that certain sorcerers go to. When they go, they go to fuck around with the people by casting their magic on them. They are the test subjects for their own pleasure or experiments. Once they are done, they simply go back to their world. Caiman is one of the victims, or at least is assumed to be one of the victims from his point of view. He does not know quite what happened and its heavily inferred in this season to be the case. Simple overview of Caimans past is he was minding his own business and then bam, man in ally, Caimon headless, Caiman wake up, Caiman not headless no more, Caiman lizard head unlocked, Caiman immune to magic now. Nikaido finds Caiman, Nikaido brings Caiman to doc. Nikaido also cooks dumplings, Caiman like dumpling. Caiman not original name and was given this name by Nikaido. Nikaido and Caiman friends. As eps progress, they not friends but still friends in the end. Nikaido without spoiling is a loose love interest, it’s a bit strange and weird. She has a dark past that isn’t too well explored in this season. Still so many questions. This overview is really all over the place and wont make too much sense until after viewing everything lol. Anyways, a man named En is from the other world, the world that is not The Hole. En is king tut type of person and is searching for a partner. A partner that can control time so that he can attempt to fix a mistake/wrong that occurred in the past. He is a revenge story and main antagonistish. There are clear both sides and depending on the side taken either position is easily defended as the righteous ones. With these 2 groups, Caiman and Ens, they are both trying to solve a problem they have. With both problems shown to be heavily linked to one anothers past. En is head of the sorcerers that go to The Hole. En keeps sending more sorcerers to try and kill Caiman since Caiman has been going around killing all of the sorcerers sent into the city. Caiman, has 2 paths of reversing the lizard head magic. One being kill the sorcerer that cast it on him, hence why he has been on a killing frenzy to hopefully kill the right one and poof he is *fixed*. Other option being that he finds out information of who the person is that did this to him and have them reverse it. However, with sorcerers in caimans world being the main killers and ones that torment his people… that is not a likely solution and one he could care less about. Moreso since he is amnesia struck after the incident that made him like he is now. Rest of the details would be in regards to world building and such that happens episode to episode. Really not a lot that happens. First half is exploring The Hole, while the second half is exploring the sorcerers world. Both parts have their sub characters for each side. These characters are fleshed out enough to be cared about while not being pushed to be too important. Visuals/Music: Visuals are quite different. It is MAPPA however, and MAPPA knows anime. While it is CGI based, it is a very well done mix between the backgrounds and foregrounds. After the first episode, the viewer should be used to it. Animation of characters is still eh… mainly due to the CGI and how it works. It flows nicely with the aesthetic of the show though by not looking out of place too much. The fight scenes are not shy to show blood, guts and gore, sort of a MAPPA signature of not backing down from the intense moments. It is not over the top, and is also done in a way that is good enough to match with the rest of the show while keeping immersion. There was not a point where immersion should be broken due to CGI related problems. Pausing on most scenes with backgrounds is pleasing. Backgrounds being in the instances of Caiman in bed waking up and the room itself holding a lot of detail, pausing when they are in an alleyway and observing how the walls are architected or even the panning landscapes of the city itself. With better CGI implementation to get rid of the jankiness of the movements feeling wrong or off at times being the main complaint and main reason it wouldn’t be perfect visuals for what the show is. All the music and OSTs are very nice too. They are not amazing yet do not need to be. They are good for the scenes, keep the viewer immersed while not seeming out of place. Sound effects and OST’s are done right. Topping off with multiple ending songs, 6 to be exact. Each with their own feeling that goes with the episode. It is pretty crazy to have this many for such a short show. Only one opening but that honestly doesn’t matter too much since every ending song is on par with the openings quality. Very easy to listen through the ending before the next ep and realize the ending is already over. The visuals for the second endings first few seconds are probably my favorite. The forth are a close second. Both very simplistic where one is Caiman walking and the other is a *family pet*of En looking around. Can go either way with all of them though, all great songs. Final Thoughts: Dorohedoro is a strange one. It is an easy recommendation to most people though. There is a lot of craziness that happens and the characters from both Ens side and Caimans side offer a pleasant contrast with eachother. Especially when they interact. The baseball game episode was one of the standout funny moments. The show itself could easily be a lot better or pop off so to speak. There is a lot of potential with all the world building that had been done. If the main casts characters would be fleshed out more with a better story progression it would easily go up in ranks. Main turnoff will be the CGI for most. Although I would say that the CGI here is quite easy to get used to and overlook due to the experience and ride this anime will bring. It really does have a cult classic feeling to it even though it is not a classic yet. Final thing is that all of the personas and how easygoing really sheds off onto the viewer with every ep. Especially with how smooth Caiman is with things that happen, namely his new job interaction that happens mid series when he goes to the sorcerers world lol. Characters (main) – 3/5 Characters (sub) – 3/5 Enjoyment – 3/5 Visuals – 4/5 Music – 4/5 Story – 3/5 ```Overall Ratings - Rec: 3/5 Raw: 66%```