Dororo

CodeBlazeFate

*Given the nature of the series itself, it’s hard for me to discuss it without at least mentioning mild spoilers. Also, there’s a RWBY spoiler in here. Proceed with caution.* With the exception of One Punch Man Season 2, Dororo is probably the most deflating anime I’ve seen so far in 2019. That’s honestly a real shame cuz on top of being a popular retelling of an anime from the ’60s, it's a 2000s samurai anime displaced in time. Furthermore, one of the main protagonists fights demons and samurai with swords for limbs! That sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? Then halfway through the show, you realize the cool moments are rendered moot and surrounded by mediocrity. Even worse, the show lost a lot of stream after peaking early on, causing the second half to become especially bothersome given the lackluster writing that permeates it. If nothing else, Dororo makes for a generally well-produced spectacle of samurai battles and bloodbaths. Even outside of the fight scenes, there are some incredibly well-animated sequences, like whenever demonic lightning would flash or when people or demons were burnt to ashes. At their best, the battles are crisp, fluid, and decently choreographed, with lots of sakuga moments where characters clash blades and get hacked to pieces. At their worst, they’re short, barely animated, and often replaced by animation shortcuts like static character portraits flashing in one after another, or slash marks on a black screen being followed up by a lack of anything satisfying, juicy, or vivid. The production values also worsen throughout the third quarter of the show in general, with bad CGI water, unriveting choreography and barely-animated fight scenes, several awkward shots and animation cuts, and overall inferior character models and animation throughout. None of this is horrible, not even the infamous episode 15 barring a few terrible sequences, but it does show that the production is a tad uneven. As for the character designs, at least for most of the main duo, they’re fairly attractive and mostly on-model barring a few stylistic changes throughout episodes and fight scenes (which are as hit or miss as the episodes themselves). Most of the secondary and tertiary characters are not very distinct or interesting and suffer from off-model syndrome a tad more, but it’s never anything heinous. As for the designs of the demons that are slain throughout the show, the only interesting ones were the ghost foxes that appeared halfway into the show, as well as a possessed horse near the end of the show. I also like the monochrome aesthetic, as it complements the atmosphere and designs of the show, especially when the animation kicks into high gear. It’s probably one of MAPPA’s more well-produced titles, even if nothing here is especially exciting. That’s where most of the compliments end, as the writing leaves a lot to be desired. I like the idea they were going with. It would have been interesting to see how the episodic stories impact Dororo and especially Hyakkimaru in their journey to slay demons and regain the latter’s humanity and body parts, which were robbed from him at birth. Having their escapades intertwine with the story of a falling kingdom and a family whose secrets unravel as specific members learn of Hyakkimaru’s survival could have been exciting. An overarching narrative where the characters often deal with episodic occurrences is certainly nothing bad, nor anything groundbreaking. One-off episodes are a great way of allowing for action spectacles and powerful moments that could impact character arcs tremendously. They also allow for more diverse narratives and world-building. Series such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Moribito are excellent examples of this. Dororo fails in all regards here, as most of the stories follow the exact same narrative beats and character archetypes, causing the side stories to lose any identity and worth by the second half. The show has a disconcerting number of one-off femme fatales, ridiculous psychopaths working with demons, and rambunctious kids wandering around to find a mother or sister figure they care about, both in the main story and the one-off episodes and arcs. If the one-off characters were more interesting and varied, or if the protagonists were more engaging, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Another major issue is how none of the side stories leave any real impact on our main duo. The only thing of note in most of these is how Hyakkimaru gets his body parts back. They did have an arc where Hyakkimaru had to deal with the shock of having ears again, forcing him to slowly and painfully adjust to the act of hearing. Had the series explored that concept with his other body parts and spaced them out better to allow for said exploration, I likely would have cared about Hyakkimaru a lot more. Sadly, at most, we get one-off lines about the differences in what he can do with his swords, only for him to still do the same things he always did, but with one less sword limb or with longer reach. Even worse, most of his developments after that point feel less gradual or tactile, and more “start and stop”. The worst examples are when in between episodes 12 and 13, he goes from barely uttering words to forming a complete sentence, or when in episode 20, he flips out due to a demon not granting him a body part back (an occurrence that has happened a few times by this point) and becomes a raging beast who wants his body and Dororo back during the final arc of the show before arbitrarily becoming more level-headed again in the finale. Backtracking to the non-impact issue, in the fifth episode, Hyakkimaru finds himself being taken care of by someone who he ends up having an affection towards. Meanwhile, Dororo interacts with her and the kids she’s taking care of, all while giving Hyakkimaru time to recover. At the end of episode 6, everyone who took care of them there dies, and Hyakkimaru goes on a rampage, killing almost everyone who murdered them. You’d think such an event would leave an impact on both of them, especially Hyakkimaru who finally found someone else he cared about that could help him. Apart from minor flashbacks in the middle of Dororo getting angry at someone, and a scene of another secondary character comforting Dororo, it means absolutely nothing and doesn’t get referenced in any meaningful way. I’m left with flashbacks to RWBY, when in Volume 3 Ruby watches Roman Torchwick get eaten after beating her up and challenging her heroic idealism with talk of how cold and nihilistic reality is. This scene comes between the death of two of her friends for an added gut punch. This is prime real estate for her to develop as a character (the main one at that) before Volume 4 completely has her going nowhere with this outside of two scenes of her feeling scared and horrible for what happened, causing her to completely abandon this idea outside of one scene in Volume 5 where she brings up the deaths of her friends. Hell, even that had more of an impact than what happened in this arc, which is still the most emotionally resonant arc in the series! None of this would matter too much if the characters were dynamic and colorful, cuz that would make it so even if an episode is only there for variety, it’s still engaging. Unfortunately, Dororo’s characters barely go beyond their character archetypes, and the ones who aren’t stock characters often leave a lot to be desired. I already discussed how poorly they handled Hyakkimaru’s development, which is a real shame since there are moments where he comes off as fun, even adorable with how he has to learn to really socialize with others on a level beyond that of a toddler. Dororo, by contrast, is far more lighthearted, sometimes even naive regarding “right and wrong”, as she’s a child. She’s an orphan that has watched her parents die and seen villages burn, and that completely clashes with how naive she is and how horrifying such violence seems to her in the first leg of the show, but she’s still a child. Speaking of clashing, her character trait of being a street rat who regularly attempts to swindle people or make a quick buck makes some of her more gullible actions in later episodes (15) seem entirely out of place. She has two sides to her that are fundamentally at odds with one another at times, resulting in a character that feels weak, on top of feeling shallow. That shallowness is compounded by the lack of development, a trait which only Hyakkimaru and one of the antagonists have any kind of access to (as dodgy as their development is). I know that a lack of character development is one of the tackiest, most misused complaints thrown at an anime, but when the characters are this shallow, and none of the side stories leave any kind of impact on a pair of characters consisting of a child and a person slowly gaining back and developing his humanity, I'm left begging for something, anything to change before completely checking out by episode 18. I’m barely gonna touch on the side characters, even Hyakkimaru’s family and the people that serve them, as they’re mostly just boring character archetypes like the suffering mom, the warlord who cares about his nation almost as much as he does his reign over them, and the edgy, jealous younger brother who constantly tries to prove himself in order to not feel overshadowed. There’s also the wise, badass old man with some sense of humor. To be fair, the show does a fine enough job not screwing these characters up with dumb decision-making or erratic personality shifts, at least for the most part. It’s just that it’s hard to care about characters who are on autopilot, just as it’s hard to care about our main characters. There is one exception to the lack of character shifts, that being when in episode 12 Hyakkimaru’s brother suddenly goes from someone torn on the moral quandary of his brother’s life vs the nation that thrived off his unwilling sacrifice, to someone hell-bent on killing him after failing to end a deal between the demons who cursed Hyakkimaru, and his father who made a pact with them for the sake of power and a prosperous nation. Apart from that moment, you can predict every character’s archetype and actions the moment you see them. The only recurring character with anything to him is the guy that took care of Hyakkimaru for most of his life: Jukai. He has a genuinely horrific backstory that informs his somber nature and constant need to seek out ways for his craft to be used in ways that compliment life, something he feels he’s stuck with due to not having the right to die like everyone around him does. At this point, I’ll just list a few other issues with the writing. The characters arbitrarily doing stupid things for the sake of the plot in the second half, such as Dororo randomly falling for a trap door in a seemingly abandoned shack in episode 15 despite her being a trickster character who would never be this gullible, or Hyakkimaru not even thinking to chisel the rock trapping Dororo’s arm to free her as she’s drowning in episode 20. The old man conveniently shows up as a deus ex machina, and his first instinct is to chisel the rock and that lets Dororo get out of there, making this problem all the more aggravating. In the second half of the show, Hyakkimaru somehow knows where an important character is and tracks them down offscreen, not once, but twice despite there being nothing presented to the audience or to Hyakkimaru himself that could feasibly allow him to track them down. In episode 15, a village is consumed by fire and it’s blamed on an underground oil spill reacting to a moth demon randomly crashing onto a watch tower with a torch which subsequently exploded, except there’s no way it could have affected the oil in order to cause the fire to consume the village. The show also constantly beats you over the head regarding how tragic things are, and it often has the narrator or character reiterating what they’re doing. Apart from one spoiler-heavy moment a bunch of characters could have easily avoided if they had any sense of urgency, these are the only real big issues I can think of regarding issues with bad writing. The episodic narratives are generally fine enough on their own. It’s just that most of them feel rather samey and end up not mattering. The overarching narrative, despite being on autopilot, isn’t necessarily badly written either. It’s just unengaging thanks to the main character arc that drives the plot not being handled well and the characters being on autopilot. That just leaves the music, which is somehow my least favorite part of the show. The background OST has decent tone-setting tracks, but nothing memorable. Half the time, I didn’t even know there was a soundtrack. Then we have the OPs and EDs. I hate them all to varying degrees. The vocals in all of them are unbelievably grating, especially the first OP, which is probably one of my most hated anime songs of all time, let alone this year. The second OP is probably the most disappointing, as it starts off with a kickass grunge-like guitar solo for about 6 seconds before completely shifting gears and eventually succumbing to the problem of bad vocals. Unlike the EDs, the OPs stick, but it’s not out of me finding any appeal in them. I expected Dororo would lose steam eventually given what I had heard, but I wasn’t prepared for how the show ultimately became less than the sum of its parts. Apart from a few specific complaints, both the overarching narrative and the episodic and bi-episodic narratives are fine. It’s just that anything potentially interesting or emotionally resonant is completely undermined by a lack of cohesion between these two elements and how little impact anything seems to have. The characters certainly don’t help, as those that aren’t shallow archetypes aren’t handled with enough care for their plights to matter. The inconsistent spectacles aren’t enough to carry a show that feels so bog-standard and at-odds with itself. As a result, I largely stopped caring after a while, and that’s one of the worst feelings a promising show can inflict. There are moments where it picks up and the spectacle and emotions speak for themselves, but by the second half, I was usually either bored or on autopilot. I may not hate or dislike the show, nor do I think it’s terrible, but I’m left wondering why I bothered before asking myself what could have been.

Lenlo

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/NT9wxPy.png)~~~ In the modern anime sphere, getting a complete story, start to finish, is a rare thing. As is getting an adaptation for an older work. _Dororo_ however has, through the grace of Twin Engine, managed to get both of these. Based on the 1967 manga of the same name by legendary Mangaka Osamu Tezuka, _Dororo_ takes the viewer back to a time before tropes were commonplace. Predating _Berserk_ by almost 20 years, with many of the same themes. A story much darker than what fit's is original art style and time period, it truly is a series out of time. But how does this story, canceled after only 4 volumes with largely anime original content, fare in the modern anime sphere? Well, let's dive in and find out. As always, spoilers after this point. __Quick Warning__: There are spoilers past this line. For a better formatted version, feel free to head to my blog [here](http://starcrossedanime.com/dororo-anime-review-55-100/). Also __Disclaimer:__ I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Carry on. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/wB0Bo0G.png)~~~ # ~~~__Animation/Art__~~~ Starting off, the most obvious, how does _Dororo_ look? Personally, I enjoyed the style decent bit. _Dororo_ does a lot with it's thin lines and muted color palette. Waiting for the moment of maximum effect before it bathes you in light and color. Making important scenes standout from the rest. Outside of these scenes, _Dororo_ takes a very natural approach to color. With numerous greens and browns for its landscape and environment. Occasionally this can be rather dull, as it all bleeds together into a drab scene. Or during some flashbacks where everything is forced into a muted grey-scale. But for the most part, I find _Dororo_ to have generally appealing stills and style. Allowing one to take at least one shot from each episode as a background for your PC or something. No, the issue's don't come up until _Dororo_ starts to move. In motion, _Dororo_ is a series of reasonable highs and abysmal lows. The series is at it's best whenever Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru are on screen together. Really pulling out all the stops for any of their confrontations, or the occasional demon. However, outside of these rare confrontations, _Dororo's_ animation is just not appealing. In particular the feet and hands are just blobs, and the complex designs on outfits and such often lead to issues. However, the big issues don't begin until the 2nd cour. After a fantastic mid-season finale, _Dororo_ just... falls apart. Even managing to produce an episode on par with Gurren Lagann's infamous Episode 4, made by the same director, Osamu Kobayashi. To put it simply, I hope this man never touches an episode of a series I like ever again. Because _Dororo_ never truly recovered after he got his hand's on it. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/sbInKqV.png)~~~ # ~~~__Direction__~~~ As far as Direction goes, scene composition, imagery and all of that, I think _Dororo_ did quite well. On more than one occasion, the framing of a scene saved it from whatever animation or art issue it might have had. With numerous scenes that, already looking good, were elevated by the framing of it all. Take the image above, which could have been a simple sunset. Yet Director of Photography Yoshihisa Ooyama helped make it so much more. Framing the sun in the center, all the tree's bowing or leaning away from it, illuminating the battlefield. Because of its more natural color palette of greens and browns, when _Dororo_ throws in these splashes of color, it often does a whole lot. Lighting and giving the scene a whole new meaning. It's not perfect of course, but it is very pretty. I have a few issues with _Dororo's_ visual style, excluding the animation. The first is the heavy reliance on flashbacks. These were novel initially. The grey-scale combined with the singular bursts of color. Whether it be the blue from the flower, or red from the fire, they drew the attention and were interesting. Eventually though _Dororo_ was throwing so many of them at us I began to find it a bit exhausting. The other issue I have is _Dororo's_ occasional over reliance on filters. This is really a case by case basis, and I am sure what I point out here might not match up for some. However, occasionally _Dororo_ would just totally blow out a scene with the lighting or bloom filter. Forcing everything into a weird sort of heavy contrast. Occasionally it worked, occasionally it didn't. In spite of this though, I am overall content with _Dororo_ here. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/5ScrA1V.png)~~~ # ~~~__Story/World__~~~ Now though we can get on to the meat of the series, _Dororo's_ story. As a whole, I quite enjoy it, the concept is fresh for it's time. You can see it's influence on works to come after it, such as _Berserk_ I believe, as well. The premise of Hyakkimaru having lost his body, and having to effectively destroy a land and its people to retrieve it, is solid. As are the themes explored of "one life for many", "human greed", "dependency" and "family". _Dororo_ has a lot on its plate and for the most part, I think it tackles them all well. Neither side is ever presented as singularly right or wrong, generally leaving it up to the viewer to decide. And more than once the Demons hunted are shown to be more than bland evil monsters. However, where _Dororo_ stumbles is in it's execution of this solid premise. For me, the biggest issue _Dororo_ faces is that it meanders. In the first cour, this was fine. Everything was getting established, characters were introduced and stakes were set. However after a terrific mid-season finale, where battle lines are drawn and family drama is initiated _Dororo_ just... goes back to meandering episodically? The demons hunted in the second half could have been tied much closer to the core family drama. Meanwhile Daigo's family could have used much more screen-time to better establish their struggles and position. As it is, _Dororo_ returns to an episodic format that only makes sense if it still had the original manga's 48 demon count. As it is, all tension just drops off a cliff, not to be seen for another 8 episodes. It's a terrible shame, and a terrible waste of an otherwise solid premise. At least Mio's story happened before _Dororo_ fell apart. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/5oHWDbD.png)~~~ # ~~~__Characters__~~~ Luckily for _Dororo_, it's roster of characters help carry it through this rough patch. Most of the leads were, at the very least, decent. With the likes of Tahomaru, Hyakkimaru and Mio being standout stars of the series for me. The two brothers play off of each other very well, both being different extremes of the same issue. Using violence to solve their problems, one believing himself selfless, the other just wanting what he believes is his. Both being incomplete, suffering from different but similar issues in their upbringing, basically growing up without parental love. That _Dororo_ chose to focus on them was fantastic, and really carried the series whenever the two were clashing. Physically or morally. Mio I also enjoyed, as her story was perhaps the best, most well contained single arc in the series for me. Mio set Hyakkimaru's descent in motion, and it was my favorite tragedy in a long time. However, once you leave this core set of characters, _Dororo_ starts to falter a bit. Daigo felt very hollow, as we didn't get to see near enough of him. His story closed out well, but only because of how it fit into Hyakkimaru's, and not through his own merit. Meanwhile, Nui and Junkai suffer similar fates. Both are still better than Daigo of course, but both also seem to exist just to die tragically at the end. Which doesn't mesh well with the overall "happy" ending of _Dororo_. The biggest offender of it all though, for me, are the side characters. Because of _Dororo's_ meandering, there are so many stories and side characters that only exist for 2-3 episodes at most. Never to be heard from or seen again. It's a lot of fat that could have been cut in my opinion. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/5MI51qx.png)~~~ # ~~~__Ending__~~~ Finally, the ending. Oof the ending. Perhaps the most conflicted I have felt about this show across it's run. Part of it, involving the brothers Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru, was great. Their fight across the castle was well animated and they stayed true to their characters until the end. Hyakkimaru's confrontation of Daigo was well done as well, giving an underrepresented character a good ending. However, everything after that just felt to... happy? Convenient? _Dororo_ has had tragedy after tragedy throughout it's run until this point, yet at the very end, it goes for the happy ending. Using a time-skip to jump over any grief or new experience's of Hyakkimaru. Cutting straight to an ambiguous future with Dororo herself. It was as if it was rushing through everything to finish up. Lightly touching on everything that needed more time to cool before closing out. Part of this ties back into Nui and Junkai, who feel rather shoehorned in. Their existence at the end makes sense, they are the two characters who Hyakkimaru has been conflicted about in the past. Loving them both as his "mother", they along with Dororo are the reason he remains human at all. Yet, they seemingly appeared at the precise location they were needed out of nowhere, just to die. The entire burning castle around them, yet there is not urgency, they just... sit there and accept it. Oh sure, it made for some great screen-caps and was a pretty ending. But it just didn't feel... right. I suppose my main issue with the ending all ties back into this: It's to happy. I was hoping for, expecting, a greater tragedy than what we got. You can read more specific thoughts on the ending [here](http://psgels.net/2019/06/25/dororo-24-dororo-and-hyakkimaru/), if you so choose. ~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/p0M5FMb.png)~~~ # ~~~__Conclusion__~~~ So, all in all, how was _Dororo_? Personally, I believe it to be worth your time. It's not perfect, the middle 10-12 episodes are a bit of a slog to get through at times. A lot of the series' potential got lost in the episodic demon killing, without any clear path forward for the plot. With many of these episodic stories not connecting up as well as they needed to. However, what is there is unique. It's a story from another time in Manga, before a lot of modern tropes took hold. _Dororo_ is like a look into the past for anime, with all the flaws and blemishes that accompany the era. If you're looking for something different, you could do much worse than _Dororo_.

Animeenthusiast

___Dororo___, set in the Edo period in Japan, is the tale of the boy, Hyakkimaru, who loses most of his limbs due to his father offering him as a sacrifice to demons to attain power. My opinions are of someone who hasn't read the manga so people stating the manga was better is something I can't relate with. If you like the manga so much, stick with the manga. Whenever an anime will try to stray from its beloved source's plot a substantial amount of people will definitely have an understandable issue with it. But for me, this anime did more than enough for me to fall head over heels for it. And I ask you to view it for what it is, instead of what you expected it to be. # Characters: Dororo's main cast is filled with fleshed out three dimensional characters that you won't feel only one way about. There are no 'love them or hate them' characters here. It challenges you and makes you think about who's right and who's wrong. Through the characters, the story presents a question of what it means to be on the right path. Should you follow the way of Buddha and live a life where you give everything up? Or should you seek power and risk becoming a demon? Will you conquer pain by going against what makes you suffer? Or should you let go? Or as most people do, live a life fighting these two sides and try to achieve a balance for the rest of your life while running a risk of being devoured by pain? One of the main characters has an answer for the last question: if you have heart then you can win against your demons. What the show does brilliantly is not state which path is the right one. It rather leaves it up to the viewer to decide as it shows Daigo following the path of strength, Biwamaru follow the path of Buddha and Dororo follow the path of balance between two extremes, as the show put it. Honestly the characters are the best part of the anime and what makes me feel hollow as being someone who has finished the show and can't follow his beloved characters on their journey. # Story: This is the most refreshing aspect of the anime. The story of Dororo is a beautiful one that sets itself apart in the world of anime and doesn't disappoint throughout it's 24 episodes. Each episode feels necessary and acts as limbs to help support the series as it takes us on a journey that ends as it starts, amazingly. But here is the only slightly negative thing that I can say about the show: some aspects of it feel a bit rushed that i feel should have been given a little more time and detail. One thing that sticks out is the realization that Tahomaru comes to in the last fight between him and Hyakkimaru before he gives back Hyakkimaru's eyes. But that's just nitpicking as i fully understand the sacrifice the writers had to make to fit the runtime. # Animation: Dororo has a beautiful and unique visual tone to it from start to finish and the fight scenes were detailed, thought-out and thrilling. The whole show felt seamless and fluid in terms of quality. The characters designs were very different from the manga to fit the times but I think they did a great job. Also, loved the homage to the original manga that this anime is based on in the second opening which i loved immensely. Overall, I think this is a masterpiece which has become one of my favorites of all time. I may be speaking too early but that's just how i feel. It brilliantly showed just the perfect story with just the perfect characters to make me cherish it as much as i do my other favorites.

Bola08

*** ~~~Dororo, uma história de maldições e vingança.~~~ ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/4X0XYux.jpg)~~~ ~~~ ......Coisa lindaaaaa...... ~~~ *** >A história se baseia em um menino (Hyakkimaru) que tem sua vida amaldiçoada pelo bem de sua aldeia. Em seu nascimento ele tem seu corpo dado os demônios (cada parte do corpo fica com um demônio diferente) em forma de acordo de paz para que a aldeia prosperasse, era para ele ter morrido mas sua força de vontade lhe fez viver. Ele se encontra com Dororo uma criança que lhe ajuda em tudo que ele precisa. Ao longo da jornada ele matará demônios incessantemente até recuperar tudo que lhe foi tirado. Hyakkimaru juntamente com Dororo lhe darão umótimo entretenimento. Guys, não botava fé nesse anime, mas me surpreendeu muito. Já começa com uma ótima premissa: "vingança - demônios", uma dupla perfeita na minha opinião. À.... também tem uma pitada de "lhe protegerei meu amigoooooo" que realmente encaixou como uma luva para o anime. O Anime já começa com os demônios botando pra fud#@ (sentido conotativo) o corpo do Hyakkimaru, o mlk nasceu feio... Nss. *** ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/CHLBd4f.jpg)~~~ *** >Cada membro/parte foi consumido para por um demônio: - Perna. - Braço. - Olho. - Ouvido. - Nariz. - Boca. - A face. >Para que o Hyakkimaru consiga recuperar seu corpo ele precisa matar os demônios detentores das devidas partes. Era pra ele ter morrido mas... né, tem que fazer jus de protogonista (ainda tenho dúvidas se é ele ou o Dororo, o anime deixa BEM aberto...). Aí ele é criado pelo Jukai: *** ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/JBi2uZc.jpg)~~~ *** Um soldado(?!) que torturava e crucificava os inimigos na guerra, e após bastante tempo percebeu que não era aquilo que ele queria para sua vida, e desde então começou a tentar se redimir, colocando próteses nos cadáveres dos mortos para que eles pudessem descansar em paz. E.... quem diria... em meio a suas condolências ele encontra o Hyakkimaru e, como ele estava desmembrado e ainda vivo, Jukai decide cuidar dele. Aí é blábláblá: "Cria próteses para o Hyakkimaru, o mesmo aprende a viver sem ter os 5 sentidos, começa a lutar como um guerreiro". Isso vai até o Hyakkimaru decidir ir embora caçar os demônios para recuperar seu corpo. Em meio á uma dessas suas jornadas de vingança ele encontra-se com uma criança, Dororo. *** ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/M9ERHVt.jpg)~~~ *** Como ele ainda não tinha os sentidos, simplesmente ignora o Dororo (ignora bonito, o mlk tá apanhando e ele passa reto), mas como Dororo é persistente, ele começa a tentar ter uma relação de amizade com Hyakkimaru, a amizade só fica clara mesmo lá pro meio do anime. No início Dororo só acompanhava o Hyakkimaru em sua jornada por causa que ele percebeu que o Hyakkimaru era diferente. >Daí em diante é só eles caçando demônios, visitando outras aldeias em busca de dinheiro (de demônios também), conhecendo outras pessoas... Em meio a sua jornada eles encontram um velho samurai/monge que é cego mas.... possui a mesma habilidade de Hyakkimaru de ver a alma das pessoas. Ele é tipo um MESTRE DOS MAGOS no Anime, sempre aparece aleatoriamente no anime e vaza logo em seguida, mas sempre dando conselhos para ajudar-lhes na jornada. *** ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/RXXYFmE.png)~~~ *** Aí é mais blábláblá... Aí chega no final do Anime (sem dar spoilers), ele finalmente tem a chance de conseguir a sua vingança contra quem o fez ficar assim... (família unida da por@#). *** ~~~º~~~ ~~~Review final...~~~ ~~~º~~~ *** Particularmente achei esse anime muito bom, assisti com olhos de um mero espectador mas em meio a ele, me tornei um apreciador. Ele pode até ter umas enrolações, mas nada que seja desnecessário. Não acho que ele se tornou cansativo em algum momento, por causa que ele não é somente focado na missão de vingança, eles também desbravam as cidades espalhadas pelo reino. Viajam fazendo amizades e é sempre interessante como eles conseguem superar as dificuldades e como, também, fazem seus laços de amizade se tornarem mais fortes a cada jornada. Recomendo esse anime, seu enredo pode agrada-los. ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/jCngL4C.png)~~~ ***

quirklessfanboy

I'm not one for reviews, for they require a lot of forethought and the arrangement of thoughts in a concise manner, but there's something about Dororo that's giving me strange feelings and I have to pen these thoughts before they're lost forever. I went in blind. Didn't even know that there was a prequel to this. I discovered Dororo by looking at the fandoms list of a user on ao3 and decided to google it. Skimming my eyes over the description and the cute kid in the torn green jacket and spiky ponytail, I decided to go for it. Big mistake, because maybe if I'd looked at the tags I would have been significantly less scarred than I am now. Dororo is an exercise, of sorts, in morality. Throughout the show, you will witness characters struggling with the choices they make, the choices others have made which leave you constantly wondering whether or not what they did right. There's a lot of grey areas here and I found myself not being able to completely side with anyone. Aside from Daigo, he can rot in his guilt for all I care. The show pulled no punches in regards to what humans are capable of. Oh yeah, at some points I found myself open mouthed with shock at some of the scenes. Namely, Mio and the orphans. Midoro. Mutsu and Hyogo. A quite sadness for Nui, Tahomaru and Jukai. It started out as promising but I feel like the show lost all steam in the second half. The writing seemed almost lazy at some points. The acts of cruelty in the later half seemed more for show than as tools that lent to the plot. Things seemed so muddled and messy in the second half that I was surprised by the events in the last episode. For I was convinced that Hyakkimaru would die or Dororo would. That things would go to absolute shit. Another thing to note is the irony of Hyakkimaru regaining his humanity only to become inhumane at some point. But he didn't completely lose himself and for that... maybe I'm a bit relieved. Biwamaru was another interesting character. I found myself to have gotten a bit fond of the old man by the end of the series and was rather pleased he made it out alive. Other than that, I don't really have much to say. I can't even tell if I hate or like the anime... just that Dororo, as a character, grew on me and the relationship between her and Hyakkimaru is something to be cherished. Another thing I'd like to point out is to look up Dororo for certain triggers and stuff because this is not a show for the fainthearted or squeamish.

TheGruesomeGoblin

~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/e27LVlz.png)~~~ Dororo is an anime from 2019 and it is an adaptation of the [manga of the same name](https://anilist.co/manga/31658/Dororo/) by [Osamu Tezuka](https://anilist.co/staff/96938/Osamu-Tezuka). Fifty years ago was the [original anime adaptation](https://anilist.co/anime/5760/Dororo) of Dororo. But of course, I'm here to talk about the new 2019 anime. The 2019 anime by [Mappa](https://anilist.co/studio/569/MAPPA) most certainly is an adaptation of the original manga. But I would definitely refer to it more as a reimagining than a straight adaptation. In so that while the original was plenty dark already, this anime really focuses on being a dark and gritty action series. img440(https://i.imgur.com/v7UgciC.png) It's weird to talk about this as again, a lot of the really dark elements of Dororo 2019 are of course ripped straight from the original. As all forms of Dororo of course start out the same exact way. A lord by the name of Daigo Kagemitsu sacrifices the body of his first born son to demons. He chucks a mere baby to the demons for their blessing upon him and his land. And aforementioned baby loses all of his body parts. img440(https://i.imgur.com/EW7KJQq.png) His arms, his legs, his eyes, his skin... nearly everything. Leaving naught but a misshapen creature merely clinging to life. Then after being found and saved by a wandering medicine seller, this cursed and abandoned child is eventually fitted with prosthetic limbs and body parts. Then when the demons come knocking, Hyakkimaru is fitted with blades in his prosthetic limbs, enabling him to combat the demons and spirits that hound him. And thus, he begins his journey of killing demons to reclaim his many lost body parts. ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/LISg6EW.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/3s2SOgE.png)~~~ ...After everything I’ve just described, I think you could agree that doing this series in a darker way essentially writes itself. You dim down a lot of the comedy and/or light hearted moments that were present in the manga and give the demons a more gritty appearance, and you’re basically there. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/RUBOnlD.gif)~~~ Additionally, Hyakkimaru’s character is completely different in the 2019 version. As he doesn’t even get his voice back until Dororo is already traveling with him. Even then, he is still much quieter. So much so that rather than his pesky sidekick, Dororo is essentially his handler so to speak. As Hyakkimaru is solely focused on finding more demons to kill to get his body parts back than actually interacting with others. Not that he could at all at the start. No eyes, no voice, no ears, no nose, can't feel anything because obviously he has no skin... ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/DCr6ofT.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/yjysShh.png)~~~ The 2019 anime really makes use of this element. Because in the manga as well as the original anime, Hyakkimaru basically could still communicate and see. Even when he didn't have his actual voice, he could speak telepathically. Taking that away and really focusing on all the different prosthetic pieces that composes of Hyakkimaru's body immediately results in a completely different character. Additionally, Dororo 2019 actually gives us a look at how Hyakkimaru sees the world. img440(https://i.imgur.com/uShCBgW.png) Except for the auras of other living beings, Hyakkimaru vision is pretty much complete darkness. The auras of demons are of course red, which enables Hyakkimaru to be capable of telling what is a target and what isn't. img440(https://i.imgur.com/GD0KuJ3.png) Due to various plot circumstances, Hyakkimaru actually ends up turning his blades towards humans and kills several of them at a point. This causes his aura to pick up a tinge of red. That adds a whole new layer implicating that through these violent battles against demonkind as well as humanity, Hyakkimaru actually is risking his humanity. While I feel this element of this adaptation could have been utilized a bit more overall, I did like all of those moments where we saw Hyakkimaru or the elderly monk’s vision of the auras. img440(https://i.imgur.com/yFXcr7d.png) But after *so* much ominous foreshadowing about Hyakkimaru potentially losing his humanity, I kind of shrugged after a while. Okay yes, obviously, killing humans is bad. But there’s no shortage of samurai that are just complete assholes in Dororo. Maybe it *IS* a bit demonic to think that yeah okay they deserved to die. But they certainly didn't do themselves any favors... Additionally, that brings me to another element of this version of Dororo… img440(https://i.imgur.com/A67WGDR.png) Daigo Kagemitsu and his land are way more expanded on in the 2019 version, as well as the actual effects of his deal with the demons. This also goes for his second son, Tahomaru. My appreciation for this anime only grew even further when I went back and watched the 1969 version which of course, focuses much more on Hyakkimaru and Dororo wandering around and battling different monsters. ~~Daigo's villain level is even dialed back a bit. Certainly, he's still selfish and did a horrible thing to Hyakkimaru, but part of his motivation in Dororo 2019 was improving his land for his people as it was repeatedly wracked by war and droughts. Daigo in 1969 was completely irredeemable.~~ Because you know, they could have just done the "monster a week" thing again exactly. I mean hell, they *do* do that. But I loved the expanding on Hyakkimaru's family and showing us the land of Daigo worsening as more and more demons are killed by Hyakkimaru. img440(https://i.imgur.com/lWwe1ow.png) It doesn't necessarily work 100% of the time... ~!Did get a little frustrated when various characters implied that Hyakkimaru was being the selfish one by continually snatching back his body parts. Eventually, the show justified these moments as a character rightfully finally pointed out that the tranquility and prosperity their land enjoyed was literally brought about by sacrificing the body of an infant child to a swarm of demons.!~ ...but I'm of the opinion that if you're going to remake something... then at least do it in a different way. Unless of course if the original itself was bad, then yeah, do the exact same thing but try and actually fix it in the process if you can. This was of course not the case with Dororo 1969. Leading to two pretty different adaptations of the same manga that I enjoyed about the same, but admittedly, I enjoyed each for different reasons. Like it's hard to think of the last action series I watched and thought "wow that's so fucking cool" more than when I saw this mute, pale, and emotionless Hyakkimaru pull his prosthetic arms off to reveal swords and just dive off a bridge to fuck up a sludge demon. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/LQKhvcr.gif)~~~ ...This probably goes without saying, but I do definitely like the remake version of Hyakkimaru more than the original. The "more realistic approach" of Dororo 2019 really makes Hyakkimaru more... I don't want to use the word frightening but... As I mentioned before, even in the original manga Hyakkimaru can basically still more or less talk. ~~Admittedly, he's not actually really talking but still.~~ This version, by the time we join him on his journey, he still doesn't even have a real face. img440(https://i.imgur.com/PX5l2vk.png) ~~Seeing Hyakkimaru's exposed and skinless face rightfully causes Dororo a bit more of a fright than the original Hyakkimaru simply popping out his fake eyeballs.~~ img440(https://i.imgur.com/aiMZhpB.png) ___ #Conclusion# img440(https://i.imgur.com/62gPzjB.png) Dororo 2019 is personally one of my favorite series to come out of this year. But at the same time, it's more than that. It's proof that a remake or a new adaptation of a previously adapted series doesn't have to be a soulless attempt at... well, a remake. You can take the material and go in a different direction with it. Put a different spin on it. ~~And also simultaneously adapt stuff that the original couldn't because the manga wasn't finished at the time.~~ img440(https://i.imgur.com/x1rdxHk.png) If done well and with the effort put into it, it can actually function and stand on its own as another yet separate adaptation of the manga. Even when I did bring up Dororo 1969 in this review, it was not to Dororo 2019's detriment. As a matter of fact, as I've more or less stated at this point, I enjoyed parts of Dororo 2019 more than I did Dororo 1969. But of course, it was because of Dororo 2019 that I went back and watched Dororo 1969. Admittedly at first, I just wanted to compare the two. But I gradually found that they don't really need to be compared. They both have their own flaws, but they're both different and respectable enough adaptations of the original Osamu Tezuka manga. Except how *dare* you have Nota show up just to get bullied. img440(https://i.imgur.com/vEvHc69.png) ~~Nota wasn't even in the original ma~~ Dororo 2019 is a darker and more modern (obviously) take that has a much heavier emphasis on the action of the series and I loved it to bits. Even if approaching the end there was a point where I felt they needed to rein it back in a little bit when ~!Tahomaru and his servants literally got the demons to allow them to use Hyakkimaru's own arms and eyes in their final battle against him. I think that was the schlockiest the series ever managed to get. Mind you, I still loved it.!~ ...But yeah, I love Dororo 2019. And Dororo 1969. And the original manga, though I still ~~shamefully~~ haven't finished reading the whole thing at the time of this review. Dororo 2019 is a __9.5 out of 10__ for me. ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/8KK7IBc.png)~~~ ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/6rCDXNN.png)~~~

M1xY

~~~Osamu Tezuka é um nome extremamente influente no Japão. Considerado por muitos como o "Pai do Mangá Moderno", suas histórias serviram e ainda servem como grande fonte de inspiração para milhares de obras ao redor do mundo. E como minha primeira experiência com algo diretamente ligado a sua pessoa, Dororo realmente parecia muito digno da fama de seu autor. Uma pena que desperdiçaram muito desse potencial ao optarem diversas vezes por escolhas pouco compreensíveis.~~~ Dororo aborda a história de uma aventura com notáveis traços de crueldade que se passa durante o Período Sengoku no Japão feudal, uma época marcada por seus conflitos brutais entre samurais. Dentro desse contexto, monstros sobrenaturais e demônios do folclore japonês existem e concedem pactos em troca de desejos. O protagonista é Hyakkimaru, uma vítima de um desses pactos feito por seu próprio pai que ansiava por poder para salvar sua terra. Em troca de ser o líder de uma região, ele ofereceu o corpo do filho para 12 demônios devorarem. Após seu nascimento, o menino não tinha membros, nariz, olhos, orelhas ou pele, mas ainda assim, ele vive. Esta criança é descartada em um rio e esquecida, mas por sorte, ele é salvo por um curandeiro que lhe fornece próteses e armas, permitindo que ele sobreviva e se proteja nesse mundo. O menino cresce e, embora não possa ver, ouvir ou sentir nada, ele deve derrotar os demônios que o levaram como sacrifício. Com a morte de cada um, ele recupera uma parte do corpo que é dele por direito. Por muitos anos, ele vagueia sozinho, até que conhece um garoto órfão chamado Dororo, que o acompanhará em sua jornada. Ambos agora devem lutar por sua sobrevivência e humanidade em um mundo implacável, infestado de demônios e assolado por uma constante guerra. Antes de tudo, é importante avisar que essa review contém spoilers de determinados pontos de Dororo que podem comprometer sua experiência. Por sua conta em risco, prossigamos com a análise. ~~~ img(https://pa1.narvii.com/7200/49f80fa06aa8c8500d2ee22fe51b6dd2ce6dde52r1-540-302_hq.gif) ~~~ A premissa trás a ideia de uma obra mais sombria, com o que vem a ser uma jornada do Hyakkimaru para reivindicar o que é seu por direito. O começo é competente o suficiente para encaminhar a trama rapidamente, apresentando toda a base dos acontecimentos do passado do Hyakkimaru e da complicada relação que teve com sua família. Tão rápido quanto, é na hora de percebermos qual o estilo narrativo que será adotado, este sendo muito mais voltado para um estilo episódico, onde pequenas histórias são criadas para dar algum contexto a cada demônio que forem enfrentando, sendo algumas realmente interessantes e outras extremamente supérfluas ou dispensáveis. Por sua vez, a adaptação neste ponto é seguramente o auge da série, pois parecia que o estúdio MAPPA estava realmente comprometido em adaptar o mangá do Osamu Tezuka. A mudança dos design, as edições no texto, as alterações de algumas cenas, até mesmo a qualidade da produção, tudo isso demonstrava certo empenho em dar uma nova cara digna para a obra, mas preservando a essência da história original. O tom mais cômico e caricato davam lugar a uma atmosfera mais séria e depressiva, ao demonstrar uma terra completamente hostil, infértil e sem vida assolada pelas constantes guerras, corroborando com a premissa apresentada até então e dando maior peso a trama central. Com isso, conseguiram proporcionar alguns episódios ricos com bons conflitos de ideias e temáticas pontuais, que abordavam as consequências daquele mundo do ponto de vista micro. De uma simples criança que perdeu o contato com sua família, até uma jovem que precisou se prostituir para poder comprar comida para alimentar as crianças que cuidava. Acompanhar episódios com esse tipo de background era realmente envolvente, e perceber todas as nuances disso colocadas na tela era muito estimulante. Ao mesmo tempo, a junção desses momentos com a trama central era bastante competente. Mesmo que a estrutura de "monstro semanal" tornasse a narrativa bem previsível e um pouco automatizada, ainda percebia-se um senso gradativo de avanço no decorrer da história. Cada monstro eliminado era mais uma parte do corpo recuperada, então a jornada estava caminhando de algum modo. Além disso, essa jornada trazia uma forte conexão para com um dos conflitos mais interessantes proporcionados por essa obra, que é a busca da humanidade do Hyakkimaru. Essa é uma temática que já vimos em várias outras obras, mas que se feita da maneira certa, pode proporcionar experiências magníficas ao desenvolver-se. O problema é que, se no começo tudo isso era muito bem desenvolvido e cativante, o mesmo não pode-se dizer do rumo tomado do meio para frente. Como dito antes, a trama segue numa estrutura episódica de "monstro semanal". Geralmente isso consistia em acompanharmos Hyakkimaru e Dororo chegando em alguma vila ou região específica, descobrindo um problema que envolvesse algum demônio ou monstro, eliminando-o e, ocasionalmente, recuperando alguma parte de seu corpo no processo. Esse modelo acaba reduzindo grandes avanços na história, pois é necessário substituí-la por tramas e personagens completamente novos em cada episódio, o que tira o foco do que deveria ser o principal na obra. Porém, isso não parecia um problema a princípio, já que havia um contexto maior sendo trabalhado para adicionar um desenvolvimento constante aos personagens, essas sendo as várias experiências abordadas pelas guerras. Por mais que monstros e demônios existissem, as guerras eram as principais responsáveis por tirarem a possibilidade de uma boa vida, não só dos protagonistas, mas de todos que foram envolvidos nela, e de começo, esse parecia ser o verdadeiro cerne da questão. Ela não parecia ser uma simples história do Hyakkimaru recuperando seu corpo, mas sim da junção de várias histórias de pessoas afetadas pela guerra. A retratação de tempo difíceis trazia uma situação desoladora, onde todo personagem apresentava uma experiência trágica com a guerra, o que enriquecia o texto e tornava a experiência mais crível e imersiva. Acompanhar a história particular de cada vila e todos os problemas que seus habitantes enfrentavam tinha como propósito proporcionar perspectivas diferentes para moldar o caráter dos protagonistas, e isso era o grande charme da sua primeira metade. Era incrivelmente interessante acompanhar nossa dupla de protagonistas sendo moldados por tais experiências, então acaba sendo bem difícil de aceitar a mudança desse foco para algo como um conflito familiar do Hyakkimaru, que estava cheio de personagens arquetípicos e sem qualquer qualidade notável para se mencionar. Esses conflitos já vinham sendo levemente construídos e encaminhados, mas após o encerramento de sua primeira metade, eles ganharam mais destaque e acabaram se tornando no verdadeiro foco da trama dali em diante. Somos apresentados a terrível relação com seu pai, Daigo, que após ter noção de que seu filho estava vivo e que era o responsável pela prosperidade de sua terra estar acabando, está completamente empenhado em matar seu próprio sangue para que tudo isso se encerre e sua terra prospere novamente. Alinhado com isso, a sua mãe acaba sendo a pobre coitada que é influenciada para que não questione as atitudes de Daigo, mesmo que internamente ela anseie em reaver seu filho. Por sua vez, Tahomaru parece a princípio alguém disposto a compreender o lado de seu irmão, mas devido a influências de seu pai e motivado por um ciúme que foi cultivado a vida toda, ele acaba ajudando na tentativa de matá-lo, mesmo que não ache certo o que fizeram com seu irmão. As motivações de cada um são apresentadas, mas todas simplesmente permanecem imóveis até o fim. Todo esse conflito familiar é muito mal explorado, pois já não bastasse serem completos arquétipos inseridos nesse contexto familiar, ainda não conseguiram entregar algo perto do nível de qualidade da temática abordada em sua primeira parte. Seu pai, o grande foco dos problemas, sequer proporciona algum embate, deixando tudo nas mão do Tahomaru, que fica encarregado de dar o devido fim ao seu irmão. Porém, o mesmo age com uma rasa motivação, e por causa de seu enorme ciúme não muito compreensivo, fica impossível de abordarem uma relação que não seja através de uma batalha até a morte, limitando bastante a variedade de confrontos ou o embate de ideias entre os dois. Já sua mãe que realmente parecia se importar com ele, fica apenas se lamentando durante o anime inteiro, apenas tomando alguma atitude no fim e que nem influencia algo de fato, sendo completamente inútil durante toda a obra. Chega a ser quase incompreensível essa troca de foco, onde abandonam uma proposta muito mais promissora e que poderia andar junto do estilo episódico da série sem muitos problemas, por um drama familiar que beira o ridículo e é cheio de personagens batidos e sem muita inspiração. Entretanto, mesmo que toda a família do Hyakkimaru seja um completo desperdício, ao menos o conjunto de personagens principais servem bem aos seus propósitos e apresentam conflitos suficientemente interessantes. Por sua infância completamente distinta de qualquer outra, Hyakkimaru é praticamente uma folha em branco. Não possui traços de personalidade, nem aparenta ter emoções, sendo quase um boneco movido unicamente para matar demônios. Seu conflito familiar pode não ser bem explorado, mas sua criação de personalidade supre essa lacuna por boa parte do show. A medida que a trama avança, que mais demônios são derrotados e mais partes são recuperadas, somos apresentados a situações que geram um desenvolvimento constante em sua criação de caráter, moldando sua visão sobre aquele mundo e as pessoas que o cercam. Dororo por outro lado, já tinha um background suficientemente interessante no começo da obra para manter sua presença relevante. Pelo seu passado trágico, perdendo todos os parentes que tinha, acabou tendo que aprender a se virar sozinho. Sua relação com o Hyakkimaru é harmônica, onde cada um ajuda em algo que o outro não é capaz. O Hyakkimaru luta e protege, enquanto Dororo articula e interage, tornando um indispensável ao outro. Porém, o problema dessa relação é que, enquanto um deles é desenvolvido e vira o foco da trama, o outro praticamente não tem importância e vira apenas um personagem de apoio para servir de acordo com sua função na relação dos dois. Por conta disso, Dororo saiu muito prejudicado ao fim, pois em diversos momentos, a história se foca unicamente nos conflitos do Hyakkimaru, privando uma melhor exploração de sua subtrama. Já quando o mesmo ganho o foco, Hyakkimaru praticamente desaparece da obra, com algum conflito desinteressante sendo abordado apenas para justificar sua ausência. Outra falha miserável que cometem são os episódios secundários que não tem qualquer utilidade em sua segunda metade. Por mais que no começo da obra, alguns desses episódios proporcionassem situações tão ricas para o desenvolvimento de nossos personagens centrais, como um choro de tristeza de uma mulher ser a primeira coisa que o Hyakkimaru escuta após matar o seu irmão ou quando Dororo descobre que a mulher que conheceu precisava se prostituir para sustentar as crianças que cuidava, em outros momentos eles não tinham qualquer impacto na vida dos dois, e em um certo ponto dessa segunda metade, fica quase evidente que esses episódios servem apenas para entregar as partes restantes do corpo do Hyakkimaru. Não demonstravam quase nenhum empenho em alinhar tais episódios com a trama central e muito menos davam algum foco para desenvolver situações particularmente intrigantes como na primeira metade. Tais momentos magníficos que tinham a capacidade de abordar situações tão únicas para os dois acabaram ficando cada vez mais escassos, fazendo com que eu me importasse cada vez menos com a jornada que estava próxima ao fim, o que por sua vez, torna toda a sequência final irrelevante para mim, pois naquele momento, eu já não me importava com o drama familiar do Hyakkimaru e muito menos com o próprio conflito dele. Algo que pode ser difícil de entender são algumas lógicas por trás do funcionamento de certos elementos nessa obra, em especial, do Hyakkimaru. Como seria possível um recém-nascido sem vários órgãos importantes conseguir sobreviver e lutar daquele jeito? Ou então, como próteses de madeira conseguem realizar movimentos tão precisos, uma vez que não tem qualquer ligação com os nervos? Perguntas desse tipo rondam a obra, mas se por acaso você esperava alguma explicação bem detalhada e convincente para isso, é evidente que saiu decepcionado. A série não toma quase nenhum tempo para explicar tais coisas, sendo de extrema importância a suspensão da descrença para uma melhor experiência. No entanto, é importante ressaltar que por mais que possa parecer inicialmente ruim, a ausência de explicações acabou sendo algo positivo aqui. Independente de quanta ginástica mental você faça, seria impossível chegar a uma lógica por trás de tal funcionamento. Logo, não perder tempo com qualquer explicação furada e apenas seguir em frente se mostra bem mais eficiente, onde acabam justificando certas decisões com elementos religiosos e sobrenaturais apenas para ter algum fundamento um pouco mais crível, o que num geral, funciona o bastante para evitar um acumulo de perguntas. Quando a qualidade da produção, ela tem seus méritos em algumas áreas, como na trilha sonora por exemplo, que trazia um estilo de batida com tambores que ficava bem inserida dentro de cada cena. Já dublagem e alguns dos efeitos sonoros eram bem amadores, o que incomodava em alguns pontos, mas que não parecia ser algo tão necessário de qualidade, então me afetou pouco num geral. Mas sem dúvidas, o maior ponto negativo da parte técnica foi a sua animação. Algo que particularmente me assusta foi o declínio inexplicável da sua qualidade. Se no começo o visual e a direção eram promissores e tinham certo valor, o mesmo não se pode dizer de como ela decorreu em sua segunda metade. A qualidade da animação decaiu rapidamente e a coreografia de luta ficou sem qualquer inspiração. Um confronto que deveria ser algo épico e marcante era resolvido com um simples corte de espada, que de tão mal feito parecia ter sido animado ao arrastar um boneco PNG dentro de uma imagem no Paint. Já os cenários em aquarela davam uma estética monocromática interessante e a palheta de cores mais cinzenta corroborava bem com a atmosfera inicial da obra, mas com o tempo, ficou praticamente impossível de não notar a péssima ligação com os personagens quando esses eram inseridos em cena. O estúdio MAPPA simplesmente abandonou aquela empolgação inicial, onde pareciam melhorar tudo que podiam, e contentaram-se com uma abordagem medíocre e sem qualquer charme, transformando o que era promissor em um completo desperdício. Dororo pode ser facilmente resumido em um grande desperdício, pois tinha uma apresentação instigante, com uma história trazendo um tom sombrio e uma temática envolvente, mas que ficou cansada em seu decorrer, desenvolveu-se extremamente mal em sua segunda metade e o resultado foi contentar-se com a mediocridade de resoluções rasas e de pouquíssimo efeito, onde acabava sempre perdendo seu foco daquilo que realmente importava. Diversos motivos podem aparecer para justificar tal declínio, desde a fragilidade do próprio material original, até mesmo o tamanho alongado de 24 episódios, onde muito conteúdo poderia ser cortado para condensar e manter a qualidade do texto. Independente disso tudo, o resultado está aí e não há mais o que fazer. Mesmo após diversas reflexões, decepção é o único sentimento que permanece em meus pensamentos. A quantidade de boas ideias descartadas me entristecem, pois eu realmente acreditava que Dororo tinha potencial para marcar a década... Tezuka merecia isso!

Igiveyouheadpat

Dororo was certainly an interesting show but I felt like it could've been done much better. I would say that this show had tons of potential and it didn't live up to all of it. However, that's not to say that I didn't have a good time with the show. I began watching all the way back in February but put in on-hold until recently, last month to be specific. Back when I saw this is spring, I went into this one completely blind with no expectations. This was not only the first seasonal anime that I've watched to completion but also my first episodic and historical animu, which is quite cool. But the thing is that I wasn’t the biggest fan of this style of episodic direction. This makes it so that a lot of episodes are worse in terms of animation quality and following the plot than others. I felt like they should’ve cut down some episodes and focused more on its plot, which I felt was the best thing about this show. I felt like Dororo really delivered plotwise. That they’re two kids that have had to grow up in a tough and unfair environment felt brutal and made the world of Dororo bleak, heavy and dark. One of them being sacrificed by his own father, who is the ruler of the whole country, and the other one becoming an orphan by the age of 9 and having to cope and survive with no money or shelter. It makes you empathize with them easier and when you see them succeed it makes your heart warm up, like f.ex with Hyakkimaru slowly gaining back his limbs and senses. Like I stated before, my biggest complaint is that it felt like the plot could’ve been more focused and tighter, since some episodes went off into completely different directions, almost feeling like a filler in a long-running shounen show like f.ex Naruto or Dragon Ball. The style and atmosphere of the show were calming yet cold-hearted and brutal. Even though the world in this show is not a world you would want to live in, it’s tough and brutal with demons, monsters, and people killing each other for land or food, samurai getting eaten alive, but it still looks pretty gorgeous to me, with its mountains, I also loved the style they were speaking in, it fits well into the Sengoku period in Japan and it sounds pleasant to the eardrums. Most of the characters were great, there was still an old man who went around with a stick giving random advice to Hyakkimaru and Dororo, I mean how often do you see that type of character in an anime? Hyakkimaru was by far my favorite character in the show by his characterization being really strong. He has a wish to fulfill, to regain his body, that’s sick. His family however sucks and he has to fight against them in order to fight. I really like Dororo, except for her screaming Aniki she was the humanity that Hyakkimaru needed. Because she is a kid, she lacked some characterization but the whole thing about her having this map on her back was the coolest thing about her and a really great plot device as well. I would say that the fighting in Dororo, it’s not Brotherhood-tier, but it looked really good and all of the fight scenes between Hyakkimaru and his brother were the best ones in the show. It felt like the animators really pour their hearts and souls into making those scenes. The show had an amazing final conclusion that was satisfying and had a time skip that you might not be prepared for, so yes this is a slight spoiler but it’s the last 10 minutes so it doesn't really matter all too much. Overall, I liked Dororo quite a lot. But, I heavily disliked the episodic style of the show because of them focusing less on the plot and more on unnecessary side characters that won’t appear later. And since Dororo had such a ridiculously good plot, it felt like wasted potential to me for not fully utilizing it. It could also be because episodic shows might be more character-driven and looser, which I suppose a lot of episodic shows are. Then again, I have to watch more episodic stuff to draw any conclusion.

tom99

Bonjour à tous, on se retrouve aujourd'hui pour faire le point sur cette anime : __Dororo__. Pour commencer, Dororo, c'est l'histoire d'un enfant qui est dévorer part des démons à la suite d'un pacte que son père a fait. Au départ, je n'étais pas vraiment dedans, car je ne suis pas trop dans les histoires de démons et autres folklores japonais, mais je me suis dit que je ne perdais rien à regarder cette anime, vu les bonnes critiques dessus. J'ai donc continué et vraiment bien aimé l'anime car, c'est un très bon shonen, ça c'est sûr, mais je trouve aussi qu'il y a une grande dimension humaine dans l'oeuvre. Dans cette anime, je vous assure que vous pourrez y trouver des combats à vous couper le souffle, Hyakkimaru est op, mais franchement, ça importe peu à l'histoire. ~~~img(https://media.senscritique.com/media/000018119648/1200/Dororo.jpg)~~~ Car je trouve que le plus intéressant, c'est de voir la relation entre Hyakkimaru et Dororo évolué, mais aussi de voir que Hyakkimaru récupère ce qu'il lui à été pris avec une volonté indéfectible. De plus, je me suis retrouvé attiré dans leurs aventures assez rapidement et j'ai fini l'anime en 2 jours. Sinon, côté graphisme, au départ, je trouvais que les couleurs étaient vraiment tristes, il n'y avait que du gris ou d'autres couleurs ternes, avec un peu de rouge pour le sang qui rapporte un côté dramatique aux différentes scènes. J'ai bien apprécié, le fait que les couleurs évolues en même temps que l’aventure de nos 2 ou 3 personnages principaux et surtout en fonction des nouvelles émotions que Hyakkimaru découvre et expérimente. ~!J'ai été un peu surpris d'apprendre que Dororo était une fille, mais j'ai été un peu déçu qu'a la fin Hyakkimaru ne retrouve pas Dororo et que l'on voit leur retrouvaille quand ils auraient un peu grandi !~ Ce que j'ai vraiment aimé aussi, c'est le personnage de Dororo qui est là pour ramener un peu de comédie, d'innocence et de pureté vu que c'est un enfant. Le fait qu'il agisse un peu comme le manager d'Hyakkimaru est vraiment drôle. Ce personnage permet de ne pas avoir que des scènes tristes ou dramatique, ça nous permet de remonter la tête hors de l'eau pour respirer de temps en temps. ~!j'ai aussi trouvé ça dommage que l'on ne sache pas si la mère biologique d'Hyakkimari, Jukai et Tahoumaru se sont sorti du château à temps!~ ~~~img(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/JB7gulOp7YbH0GKRoneLLw5lxh-ffDkfuiGHWDKBkutq9v95hgCIqHhzFwmkbt1mSRapLuPr2i68yt0YP9AyzNkC0xM4QI9G-RZ3M7x0-cNu0ZndSw)~~~ ___Conclusion :___ __Dororo__ est vraiment un bon anime qui est un shonen avec ces combats, mais également un peu historique, car nous voyageons dans le japon féodal avec nos personnages, où nous voyons les différents problèmes que la population japonaise à connus dans ces temps troublés. De plus, il y a aussi une dimension sentimental avec l'évolution d'Hyakkimaru et Dororo dans leurs comportements. Bref, pour finir, je vous le conseille vivement, il y aura de superbes combats, des sentiments, des doutes et de l'Histoire du Japon. ~~~img(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zPyMCh9vf4/XIdoFZlrAZI/AAAAAAAAD3c/PKbZj5eHHFwQ5BXyBysywfoFEZ0RdMxKgCKgBGAs/w914-h514-p-k-no-nu/dororo-hyakkimaru-dororo-anime-uhdpaper.com-4K-11.jpg)~~~ PS : ceci n'est que mon avis personnel. Je ne vous empêche pas d'avoir un point de vue différent du mien. Je pense que tous les points de vue sont à prendre en compte tant qu'ils sont argumenté.

moistmossyroc

**Overview:** The story takes place in japan where a lord is willing to do anything to see his country proper. He makes a contract with several demons to obtain his goal at the cost of having them devour his first newborn child. The child Hyakkimaru lives due to one of the demons failing to take the last body part of his. With Hyakkimaru still maintaining one piece of his body, he ages and is then forced to fight said demons that took his body away to reclaim them while learning about his origin family. Of course, with the origin family realizing he is still alive wants to finish the job to maintain what they believe to be an everlasting prosperity and peace for the land. **Visuals/Music:** Every episode except for one of the arcs has some excellent animation from the color palette they chose to set the tone, to the details/styling of background/foregrounds and motion of the characters in fights. Mappa has really kicked out another top-notch production. Disregarding the arc that was animated poorly, there are no complaints and only praise. All things considered the poor animation of that arc appears worse than it is due to the high standard they set. Comparing it to other shows that have aired this year and it would be considered on par and sometimes better still. The OST’s that played throughout are placed well and do the job as expected with setting the mood and immersing the viewer as they should. The first opening and both the endings though are where it goes beyond. First opening done by Ziyoou-vachi, is the first song I have heard by them but has seen its replay button basically broken and downloaded the first day along with the other 2. Amazarashi does the first ending, has done songs for Boku no Hero and Tokyo ghoul, he was able to produce another great song that was able to meld well with the show itself and was perfect for the endings for the first half. Would sit there and listen through the entire song play as you took in the ep. Second ending was done by Yamiyo, another singer I have not heard before that produced a song that carried well from the first one. AKG did the second opening but this was one of the instances that I found them to be quite disappointing. From the visuals of op 2 to the song itself, just didn’t have as strong of a foundation the first one did… but the first op set the bar quite high. It was an alright song but fell short is all. **Final Thoughts:** If the show was going to be split into 2 separate seasons, the ratings would be very different as the way the first half went was excellent. The second half after the first encounter with the mom happened the entire shows quality tanked hard in comparison. By no means is the second half bad but it is something that comparing the first and second half make the viewer wonder what happened behind the scenes to cause such a discrepancy. The problem that the second half of the show has is all of the characters actions are very forced and not fluid in why their actions are what they become. After the first major encounter all the characters basically flipped a switch and were forced into roles that the plot demanded. With the plot driving the characters it harmed the story as the first part was more of the characters driving what was happening. The lord is the main person I would say that stayed true to his character to the end… The mom had a revelation, so her progression was understandable. Hyakkimaru and Tohomaru though… sigh to say the least lol Definitely recommend to people wanting a good show. There is a fair amount of blood and death so for those not wanting to see that, avoid otherwise it will be quite the ride, especially the first half. First half will have you on the edge of the seat the entire time. Characters (main) – 4/5 Characters (sub) – 3.5/5 Enjoyment – 3/5 Visuals – 5/5 Music – 4/5 Story – 4/5 ```Overall Ratings - Rec: 3/5 Raw: 78%```

Calxylian

Dororo is a manga by Osamu Tezuka released in 1967 and adapted into an anime in 1969. The manga was also adapted into a live-action film in 2007 and a video game for the PlayStation 2 entitled Blood Will Tell. The anime is also produced by Tezuka Productions and MAPPA, famous for several anime titles such as Inuyashiki, Rage of Bahamut, and Yuri on Ice. Meanwhile, Tezuka Productions is a studio founded by Tezuka himself and has produced many legendary anime such as Astro Boy and Black Jack. The presence of these two studios provides a new color for the anime.

Dororo itself tells the story of a child whose father sacrificed for the sake of power. Daigo Kagemitsu, Hyakkimaru's father, asks 48 demons for help to give him the power to rule over all of Japan. However, there is a condition that Kagemitsu, namely, a sacrifice, must fulfill. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. Hyakkimaru was born without his 48 limbs, thrown into the river, and found by Jukai, a doctor who can make artificial limbs. However, wherever Hyakkimaru is, there will always be a demon who wants his life. The bloody adventure begins. However, on the way, he met a little thief named Dororo, who would later help Hyakkimaru on every trip.

In short, Dororo offers an exciting adventure wrapped in a fierce battle between demons and humans. The story takes place in the Sengoku period, where every nobleman fought for power, creating wars everywhere. It adds to the background of an increasingly dark atmosphere equipped with various tragedies.

Considering that Dororo is a classic anime remake, Kazuhiro Furuhashi made various changes in the story and characters. For example, in the classic version, Hyakkimaru himself had met Biwamaru before meeting Dororo, who advised him to stay happy even though he had no limbs and continue living. In the remake version, the opposite happens, where Hyakkimaru meets Dororo first before Biwamaru. In addition, in the old version, Dororo himself was beaten by the river for stealing food from a group of bandits, while in the latest version, she was beaten for selling goods stolen by a group of bandits.

Another detail is the priest figure at the temple where the demon resides whom Daigo killed when he meditated in the old version. In the remake version, the priest is killed immediately before Daigo meditates. Hyakkimaru can talk, whereas he can't talk in the new version. What has not changed is Hyakkimaru's extraordinary ability and has a kind of extrasensory perception in both versions. In addition, the remake version displays a fresher visual but does not necessarily throw away the characteristic illustration style of Tezuka himself. Another point that should not be missed is the beautiful landscape of the place typical of the Middle Ages in Japan, plus the background sound and voice actors add plus points in this remake version.

Furuhashi wants to build Hyakkimaru's character from zero to hero in the remake version. It brings up a realistic character, especially Hyakkimaru seems to have no emotions. Gradually, his emotions build up as the story progresses, creating a more cruel, brutal, and harsh impression on each presented story. In contrast to Tezuka, who portrays Hyakkimaru as a sad and emotional figure, he struggles to regain his purpose in life at some point in his life.

With the new formula, Furuhashi met the audience, especially those who love intense combat actions, without further ado. However, some aspects feel missing. In the old version, Tezuka displays many moral messages wrapped in emotions, such as when Dororo meets a hungry priest and asks for help. She said, why didn't the priest steal. However, the priest said that stealing other people's food is shameful. Whereas in the remake version, the message feels as if it is covered by a more intense battle, even though, in truth, the message is there to be conveyed. For example, helping selflessly shown by Jukai or learning to be independent, Dororo showed when he wanted to feed a puppy. However, an important point that should not be forgotten is the idea of why Dororo was present, namely to convey a message from Tezuka to the audience, especially children, that violence and war in any form will bring misery and destruction.

Almost every character in Dororo faces some challenge and dilemma in the lives of the two protagonists: Hyakkimaru and Dororo. The anime clarifies that it's not an easy world to hallucinate. A massacre with bloody content established itself as fantasy, or history, in very dark modifications. Monster is characterized by a mix of classic and modern designs while taking ideas from folk tales. The sense of gray morality explored in each episode will undoubtedly be controversial and contentious.

Dororo is not a complicated anime. Elements of every dark fantasy unite classic adventure, uniting itself as a visual masterpiece with its aesthetics and its perfectly matched use of black-and-white coloring. The show does not have a single pointless meaning for fighting. Nothing goes to waste, and the series isn't played forcibly with dialogue and character interactions, which is questionable, especially when it comes to humor. On the contrary, the chemistry between characters is the main center of the anime. The modern adaptation will easily make people interested in the audience who likes dark fantasy.

ClxmzyKid

The feudal world of Dororo is a harsh one. It does not romanticize the samurai era whatsoever. There was a time when a samurai’s primary goal was collecting the heads of enemies, even if it meant taking them by force from allies. After all, the survivor tells the tale. The country is in a state of desolation – Hyakkimaru father and lord performed the sacrifice to bring prosperity to his state. Samurai or peasant, honor is a scare resource when starvation grips the soul. Dororo’s parents were victims of a battle, an inconsequential skirmish in the grand scheme of things, fought over scraps of power. He now travels with Hyakkimaru in search of demons to slay and food to survive, all the while making the most of life. There is so much to like about Dororo. The titular character is likeable from the very first. I love his energy and craftiness. The contrast between him and Hyakkimaru is a perfect balance between the former’s bubbly personality and the latter’s silence. The perfect foil. Hyakkimaru wouldn’t have worked as a protagonist without him. Speaking of, I love the design of Hyakkimaru with the prosthetics, blades hidden inside his arms, and the way he regrows bit by bit. When a new leg shoots out after a kill, it’s painful yet great to watch. The more he regrows, the more human he becomes and learns about the world around him. Smell and sound are a surprise. However, he becomes more obsessed with the next kill the closer he gets to completion. His arc is fantastic, culminating in a crazy scenario that I don’t even want to hint at. Dororo gripped me from the start. If you want a prime example of how to do a first episode, watch this anime. There are no exposition dumps, no out of place humor (we all know another studio would have forced a boob grab or some such cliché), and the showing of the characters, their motivations, and the world is spot on. Then we have the world. The watercolor environments give such a rustic, quaint feel that you wish you could roam that countryside. That is, until you face a demon, or worse, the samurai. I can imagine the Japanese tourist board setting up walking tours to visit the modern equivalent, safe from horrors of course. The charming feel to the world was a great decision, for it lulls the audience into thinking perhaps things aren’t so bad, perhaps they have found peace. Then reality hits and all goes to hell. The variety of demons and the way they fit into this world – like a mini fairy tale each episode – is fantastic. Some are simple beasts of instinct, while others are cunning. There’s always something new over the next mountain. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that the action is exciting with great animation. Doesn’t hold back on gore either. Now, I don’t recommend this as a binge show. Much like Mushi-shi, it’s best to let it sink in every few episodes. I watched Dororo over the course of two months – hence the delay on this request – and would not have had it any other way. The episodic structure (until the final stretch) facilitates this method. Dororo gets better with each episode. Each piece of the puzzles comes together to make one of the decade’s best anime.

GrandMasterWaifu

~~~Preface:~~~ The deep dive I endeavor to produce is intended to further enhance others as-well-as my own appreciation for the subtle minutia and vague intricacies littered throughout “Dororo”. In the aftermath of one’s watchthrough I seek to enlighten them on the depth of storytelling built into one of my all time favorite anime’s. Many of the translations I will cover are more applicable to the english abridged/dubbed version, but without further ado, enjoy my rants and ravings. ~~~Mysteriously My Own:~~~ Have you ever been in a situation that felt familiar but you couldn’t figure out why? Caught in a hypnotic trance over an undeniable inkling of a pre-conceptualization. Déjà vu is a term often used when defining a form of recall/recognition in a past, present or future event. In my case, I’ve experienced this many times throughout my life as I’m sure countless others have. I must’ve been in High School placing this timeline of events in roughly 2013-2018, but I’d experienced a recurring dream often enough to identify and remember exact details. This dream was of a great fire breaking out within a castle, stemming along the walls, setting ablaze the interwoven paths along a mountainside. This burning fortress would later become recognizable to me as Daigō Kagemitsu castle, marking the end of Hyakkimaru’s bitter struggle. For the reason above I can’t help but find a semblance of myself within the anime as if it is profoundly my own by some twist of lucid imagination. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/8Ha8peX.png)~~~ ~~~Synopsis:~~~ Set in the Sengoku period of Japan, the region presided over by the daimyō Daigō Kagemitsu is fraught with famine, plague, drought, war, and various natural disasters. These acts of judgment tantamount to the will of a higher power leave the land and its people on the verge of collapse. In a desperate attempt to seize renown, wealth, and prosperity, lord Daigo seeks a deal with 12 demon gods. These gods, presumably sealed away long ago by previous members of the clan, are offered anything which belongs to him and given sanction to roam free, committing atrocities along the countryside. This land would henceforth be known to outsiders as the land of demons. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdnZxOGltMGc4ZWtoM2d5ejRjaTkyZGlvbmxjZDgxYjAwa3FpM3gwaCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/LxY1EvZTa8HHxqeDvq/giphy.gif)~~~ A deal is struck and the firstborn child of the Daigo clan, moments after conception, is stricken by a thunderous clap of supernatural phenomena. At the moment of impact the goddess of mercy statue loses its head, halting the flagrant endeavor to reap all the child has. Hidden behind the veil of cloth cloaking the newborn infant, we discover a being cursed to live an existence lacking senses, limbs and other essential internal and external components required when defining the natural appearance of a human being. While assumed to be dead on arrival, the baby breathes life as if to cling and grasp at what it’s owed. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbnhmYnZtcGhpNXZrMWV6bmp1NGI4NTI1eTFya2t3cWY1OXo1aWx2YyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/zHCqXBdH2fpxILWhxO/giphy.gif)~~~ Sent afloat by an empathetic midwife, the child bathed in demon god flames is set on a path determinable only by the will of fate and destiny. Drifting along the current of a narrow channel, the boat is guided ashore, residing solemnly on the reed covered banks of a steep pathway. To the surprise of Jukai, a prosthetic craftsman seeking retribution and atonement, a child like no-other comes into view as he peers over the rails of a rickety wooden boat. Not a trace of damnation in his eyes, he innocently cradles a marvel of sheer will and determination betwixt unsure arms. ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNmhsNjlpOTAyd3FkOHIxMXM3NThnN3dkbzA3a203a2ZkZXIwbHh3ZCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/jumaSMscgwVIp5fu0l/giphy.gif)~~~ Crafting, integrating, and developing elements of the boy's missing body, Jukai would give this scornful being a name – Hyakkimaru. Translating directly to “Demon child” or more accurately at this phase in his life “Little Monster”. This is referenced later on when Hyakkimaru’s mother silently mutters under her breath, piercing words from her lips, like daggers to the heart “I know not who has named you, but your name tells much of how you have lived”. Due to this innately corrupt nature, he possesses an unusual disposition through which Yokai are drawn to consume his already fleeting and discarded continuation. In light of this aversion, his adoptive father decides to move forward with training in the way of the sword. Over the years Hyakkimaru would grow in talent, skill, strength and aptitude for the art of swordsmanship. Eventually fueling an overwhelming obsession for retrieving what was wrongfully taken. Unbeknownst to him, these constitutional chains would drive forth an instinct “like a wounded beast, hiding in his cave” leaving Hyakkimaru to be the arbiter of his own fate and determine what type of beast would dawn from within the cave when the raging battle of retribution had receded in its finality. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/wFzu7oF.png)~~~ Following a departure from the only home ever he's known, a grueling journey testing Hyakkimaru’s adversity to the winds of change, an expedition opening the windows to the soul, and an experience afflicting the destiny of an entire people would be thrust upon the glass pedestal of one man. Together with Dororo, a war orphan, we discover the multitude of colors residing within the soul, the counterbalance of peace and indignation hidden amongst a damaged people, and the ethical dilemma striking down upon a society aflutter with the impending doom of eradication. Growing as we tour the countryside our bad batch of heroes defeat throes of Yokai and Demons Gods, slowly returning Hyakkmaru to his original self piece by bloody piece. In this proclamation of self renewal they uncover the wicked intentions carried out by the people of the land and the sway fear, love, and power hold over the hearts of man. Culminating in the near-complete restoration of Hyakkimarus body, a confrontation arises between all those connected to him, intertwined via the pipeline of life. As if each dipping their toes in the waters of destiny, arrive separately of their own accord to the summit of Daigo’s castle. Intentions being as thick as mud, some seek retribution, others atonement, and for some the chance of a brighter future. Together yet apart they oppose the originators of sin in an attempt to reclaim the outlying remnants of what is rightfully Hyakkkimaru's and gather what he is owed for his innumerable sacrifices. Tragedy after tragedy erupts as if to the beat of a drum, for the path least traveled is heavy with the weight of burden. Those who have wronged the cursed child have no choice but to lay down their lives and accept the penance of death. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/o5R3Uq9.png)~~~ “Even if you do go out there and defeat all the demon gods you want, it will not end up changing the world very much”. So what is peace? What was revenge? And what came out of the cave when all was said and done…? ~~~STORY HISTORY~~~ Originally pitched in 1968, Dororo was a television series based on the manga of the same name by Osamu Tezuka, released in 1969. Produced in black and white the airing ran for 26 episodes unlike 2019’s 24 episode run. The crux of the issue revolving around the first series was the cancellation of Tezuka’s manga prior to its tonal-shift towards Dororo's "coming-of-age" story. This meant most early plot lines centered on Hyakkimaru's battles with supernatural monsters, leading early viewers to consider Hyakkimaru as the only main character. As seen in the revamp, it's a story about growing together rather than apart, which takes Tezuka’s finished establishment of the story into account. To me, this is proof a remake or reanimation of a previously adapted series doesn't have to be a soulless attempt or a money grab, but rather can focus on the grandeur of it all by analyzing content either missed or applied senselessly in the original. In addition, the cohort of demons numbered 48, each specializing in a particular body part. In this series we presume the final demon failed to take Hyakkimaru’s heart, whereas in 2019’s newly adapted story, the final demon failed to take his life (Heart symbolizing Life between the two recreations). This massive difference is due to the demon count being nixed down to 12 instead of the initial 48, meaning we can assume Hyakkimaru possesses all of his internal organs. While the heart is used to symbolize life between the two, it's a far cry to say you’d survive at all missing that many internal features of the human body. Whether you believe this fact discounts his determination to survive, or vice versa, it being a more realistic approach to the story. The fact of the matter remains the same, Hyakkimaru must survive and persevere to reclaim what was taken as these trials and tribulations continue to impede the purity of his soul. Another obvious distinction lies in our character design, primarily with Hyakkimaru. The initial sketch presents him as a beefed up, muscle bound, brute. The revitalization being an antithesis, depicting him as thinner, less healthy, haggard and lengthy like a feral animal. I believe the change represents a correlation in body and mental state, his figure looking just as starved as his heart and mind, desperately seeking family and the semblance of a normal life. ~~~img400(https://www.intoxianime.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PicsArt_03-12-12.21.01.png)~~~ ~~~12 DEMON GODS:~~~ ~~~(Monsters have actual names but they’re only referenced in the manga. For ease-of-understanding sake I’ll use their portrayed delineations as seen in the animation.)~~~ ~~~Act 1:~~~ ~~~- (Episodes 1-12) - ~~~ ~~~Episode 1: Floating Debris - Skin Episode 2: Bandai - Touch/Nervous System Episode 3: Predator - Right Leg Episode 4: Demon Sword - Hearing (Ears) Episode 6: Sand Beetle - Voice Episode 8: Centipede - Smell (Nose)~~~ ~~~Act 2:~~~ ~~~- (Episodes 13-20) -~~~ ~~~Episode 15: Moth - Spine Episode 16: Shark - Left Leg~~~ ~~~Final Act:~~~ ~~~- (Episodes 21-24) -~~~ ~~~Mitsu/Hyogo - Left/Right Arms Tahoumaru - Left/Right Eyes~~~ ~~~Extra Info:~~~ ~~~Episode 1: 12th Demon God - Presumably failed to take Hyakkimaru’s life (Internal Organs/Heart) due to intervention on the goddess of mercy's behalf.~~~ ~~~WORLD BUILDING~~~ Structured episodically to focus on individual climaxes, Dororo seeks to foundationally reinforce aspects previously brought to our attention. Whether it be the color of a soul, the state of the region, a traumatic event, or the ambitions of a character, we are perpetually reintroduced to these occurrences throughout the series to make the world and characters feel more interwoven with the fabric of our story. Small lines in the dialogue also help depict the current tone. Lines such as “Human lives were hardly worth more than a stone on the ground”, gives insight as to the value of human life when war, famine, drought and disease are prevalent, but more so I feel it speaks to the climate between peoples. War torn environments such as in episodes five and six strengthen the portrait of loss and oblivion. The scariest kind of people are those who have nothing to lose, and yet there are those who find the joy in life and seek the little meanings hidden behind larger truths. Family is everything, but family can also be your undoing. Mio in an attempt to save her family damned them. Hyakkimaru’s family in an attempt to save the land damned him. The message here is to keep fighting no matter the cost, there are so many gray lines in “Dororo” because everyone is fighting to survive in one way or another, and it’s always at the cost of others whether intentional or not. The foundation of the world is built upon some losing and others gaining which presents the crippling sentiment of tragedy where no side is entirely correct. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/JDHMZWW.png)~~~ Once again we see the morbidity of the world in how Hibukuro and Ojiya chose to raise Dororo. Striking true at the nature of man, her parents opt to keep the brigands misinformed regarding their child's gender. Alluding to the malicious intent, strife and turbulence that plagued the region, the decision was made with Dororo’s future in mind. This turbulence is further validated one tale at a time as we witness the debauchery of those desperately pursuing a future, afraid of dying or losing everything that’s dear. The culmination of these events expands the world and dynamically alters the procedure by which it operates. Perceivable to the audience as a warped system devouring itself as hate begets hate and betrayal rivals disdain. The architecture of Dororo is founded upon the dejected nature of the environment thrust upon the populace. ~~~DIALOGUE~~~ The dialogue on this watch is a slow burn due to Hyakkimaru's circumstances but that makes it all the better as he discovers his own voice so-to-say. The narrative is flawless in its tailoring of worldly concepts regarding the realm of man and beast and the thin line between power and peace. With characters designed to uplift and others to upheave the status quo, ultimately affecting the delineation of present circumstances. This helps move the story along and continuously evolve with the events transpiring, flawlessly complimenting the main cast's emotional and physical growth. ~~~MUSIC~~~ Use of tone and audio help build suspense, tension, drama, atmosphere, and paint a vivid image of just how a character may feel in any given situation. The layering throughout Dororo helps the series better resonate with the audience by enhancing scenes intended to evoke emotion, not only on a basic level but to a degree in which it’s felt on a deeper countenance. Transporting the viewer into the role of our characters we can sense the longing, loathing, and love being emitted vehemently in an attempt to find or eviscerate each conflict of vivacious emotion. ~~~CHARACTER DEPTH~~~ While this is a deep dive, every side character is written to the extent that we only need to seek to understand a few. This is because all accountable play massive roles in the subjugation of their own demons. Simultaneously acting to root and affirm the ambitions and motivations of both Hyakkimaru and Dororo. Our main cast, consisting of the two aforementioned members, are fleshed out three dimensional characters presented in a way which sparks a contention of the mind. We are forced to decide by our own standards, what principles conduct our mode of thought? Where do we ourselves draw the ethical line in the sand? Despite the ensemble containing its fair share of villains, there is no 'loving them or hating them’ as the two sides to this coin have a gray line both vague and obtuse in clarity. Every action, no matter how heinous or righteous, carries merit in its value. Dororo challenges its audience to step back and ponder whether there’s truly a right and a wrong to the circumstances presented. ~~~CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT~~~ ~~~Hyakkimaru and Dororo~~~ What makes Dororo so great is its seamless use of tandem development. Using two characters both rooted in tragedy to mold one another and tie up loose ends, closing out full circle arcs. Hyakkimaru starts out as a peerless wanderer devoid of outlying thought beyond reclaiming what’s his. Somewhere along his time roaming the countryside he makes contact with a young ne'er-do-well reselling stolen merchandise, after saving said person, they become tied at the hip. Part of me feels as if Dororo’s reasoning for following Hyakkimaru speaks volumes to the cruelty and crippling loneliness she’d felt since parting with her mother in the field of dragon lilies. As if not a single soul had shown her kindness or mercy in her travels. Distancing herself emotionally from humanity because trusting someone hurt more, hence why she chose to steal. However, the day Dororo was saved was akin to a fairy tale white night moment, where her savior whisks her away from not only the current situation but also the dangers in her heart. ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMnVhd3N2b3hsYzhsaTRicnZ4eWN5d3FlZzJ2ODRobW5hd2V0MHdxZSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/KhUS9mKoLCFla8YjQ0/giphy.gif)~~~ Dororo ever persistent on recruiting Hyakkimaru in her “Business” pursuits, would begin her journey of self discovery alongside the beast trapped in a cave. Naive to the world of demons, Dororo learns that looks can be deceiving, coming to understand the unique vision Hyakkimaru and Biwamaru possess. By this time I assume Dororo is nothing more than a shadow following Hyakkimaru around, he carries no attachment or sentimentality towards her, outside of the fact she’s a human with a pure soul. Eventually, we come to see a side of Hyakkimaru other than the stone cold killer experienced thus far. Regaining his sense of sound he becomes frail and drawn away as noise becomes too much to process. This leads him to Mio, a sex worker fighting the samurai in her own way to provide for those at the abandoned temple. Her singing comforts him and he learns to rely on someone in a time of uneasiness, this also happens to be the catalyst for his entire character arc. When Mio is slaughtered he loses someone that cared for him, he goes ballistic – inconsolable for the loss of someone we assume he cared about, as a slight romantic tension was hinted at. I believe this loss painted “his shadow” in a new light as he saw Dororo as a companion who was caring for him in her own way. Hidden meaning: I tried to dissect the song as a poem, reading into the elucidation of a deeper context. (Feel free to skip this, I was hypothesizing here) “I found a red flower and pulled it" >Red flower representing Hyakkimaru, plucking him from the dark path he’d ventured down "I found a red flower for her" >Her meaning Dororo, the red flower representing someone she can rely on and trust "Where shall I place this crimson treasure " >How do they feel towards one another? Do they need each other? "Nowhere other than in her hair” >To care for someone like Hyakkimaru never has before, he will stand by Dororo’s side. ~~~img300(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNzdhbGxodDgydmg1ZTY3OWM5M3Q0bGllaXFhM2c5cG9idHRndjRpdyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/fj75FxtrfwP7cJpyaj/giphy.gif)~~~ Prior to this episode, Hyakkimaru didn’t kill Dororo while she wielded the demon sword but rather chose to expertly knock the sword away. I see this as him separating light from dark, still wanting to save a human but not because it was Dororo specifically. From episode 6 onward she is cared for in a way where her qualms and concerns are listened to such as when she recommends they search at night for the Demon God, or eat herbs to prolong hunger from setting in. Hyakkimaru listens to Dororo whereas previously the words, feelings, and emotions, to use an expression, had “fallen on deaf ears”. Despite the monk telling us he can understand her in his own way. ~~~img300(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdnpwNXR3d3d0NW41eGtjYnFjcDlucjh0dHgzNHA0cjhqaGNoMTQ5cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ozPGwcVuIzblEVR7Uj/giphy.gif)~~~ Concluding Act 1, “The Tale of the Banmon” sequence is defined by its signs of upheaval. Hyakkimaru confronts and learns he is the subject of a deal between the Daimyo and the Demon gods, has a younger brother, and a mother who would still pray for him. However a grim reality thwarts these newfound perplexities. At first Hyakkimaru is excited and surprised to have a younger brother, although at the moment of truth Tahoumaru betrays and condemns Hyakkimaru as the only demon who threatens Daigo. Our break in the clouds per-say is a mother, Nuinokata, who comes forth forging her own atonement by attempting to repent with her death. She cries out “I cannot save you”, the same line Jukai, Dororo’s adoptive father will tell him further down the line. They cannot follow him on the road he’s paved for the path he follows is not so easily tread. What I find intriguing is that his true parents, in my eyes being Jokai and Nuinokata, can’t do anything but watch the path they’ve set him on. Both being an accomplice to murder whether it be the attempted execution of your child or helping train said person to liquidate in a similar fashion. Each is guilty of the same crime in a different form and seek atonement for such. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbzdzM3JqZjI4a3dpMDI3cXl2ZWt4dXRncTAydG81YWtldmxhNDNncSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/6bbHNy447EUlbPjZZy/giphy.gif)~~~ Dororo references her mother on multiple occasions in the company of Hyakkimaru and on many instances reveals the harsh reality of events leading up to her demise. It’s not a far cry to say the death of her mother weighs heavily on her psyche, much more than her father but I don’t think that's for any overly personal reason such as hate or resentment. I think her mother was there more often than her father who raided, ambushed and fought against samurai and so she developed a closer bond. In Episode 13 “The Tale of the Blank-faced Acala” Dororo is easily deceived, wanting so badly for her mother to return that she is blinded to reality. Another learning opportunity here, “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”. We never see Dororo make the same mistake after this incident because she almost got her and Hyakimaru killed when they faced Bandai and again with the cursed sculpture. Both instances resulting in the near-immediate end to big bros life and dream of being whole for the first time. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/gO0Fy2y.png) img300(https://i.imgur.com/bPtwmIw.png)~~~ To me episodes 14 & 15 serve the purpose of making us think “What is this all for?”. A village suffers for the actions of their past but innocent bystanders also fall to the wayside in ruin based on consequences, no fault of their own. While I love every episode, these two are probably bottom of the barrel for me in terms of overall impact. We’d already experienced a village sacrificing lives for prosperity, so the depth of it was mainly the repeated tragedy’s of those left with nowhere else to turn. An us vs. the world perspective which mirrors Hyakimaru and Dororo in their fight to defeat the demon gods, but at the potential cost of the land and its people. So who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong? An “are we any better than them?”mentality. ~~~img300(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOGQyOXZjZjZsM2NheTcyOTFjZWVucHl1NnVzcGRpZjY2ZmZkdHVvaiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3nxkk0xrFFbyLVrlbS/giphy.gif)~~~ Some of my favorite character growth happens within episodes 16,17, and 18 which I consider to be a three part saga. Both Dororo and Hyakkimari show the strength of what they’ve come to know and what they mean to one another. In episode 16 “The Tale of Shiranui'' we see Dororo abducted by Itachi, the brigand who sold her father and troop out, as they search for the gold her father hid. A stash so valuable it has the power to change a nation. On the way, they are ensnared in a trap, on the verge of defeat and morale depleting fast. Showing the courage and willpower to survive from her father, she pays homage to his lessons. Also showing she’s grown throughout the series because her mothers death taught her the value in fighting necessary battles to stay alive. I feel this is why she connects and admires Hyakkimaru. Worthwhile to state Dororo equally learned where to draw her own line from her mother, this is why she will always attempt to stop Hyakkimaru when his mind snaps and he goes berserk. While the mother and daughters lines are drawn differently (won’t sell body vs. won't kill), she takes an extra page from Mio’s book, if we recall the conversation leading to the reply “Mama was admirable, but so are you for staying alive”. It’s clear that preservation trumps all at least in the grand scheme of completing her journey with Hyakkimaru. Anyways – Dororo stands tall, giving rise to valor and bravery as she devises a plan and jumps headfirst into the jaws of danger. What remains of the crew finds safety as they make landfall and set up camp. But all has not been forgotten. Jet black truths come to light as we discover a tattoo was given to both Dororo and her mother Ojiya, dividing a map. An encrypted map divulging the location and whereabouts of the cave of gold. The jarring reality is that it took Itachi desecrating Ojiya's grave and stripping Dororo, to uncover the completed map. Originally Hyakkimaru was the only known character alive to encounter the truth of Dororo’s gender, a fact which changed absolutely nothing for him. The beauty in this is that despite the mother and fathers best intentions to protect their daughters chastity, innocence, and safety, it was never in danger with Hyakkimaru because a person is more than their gender to him. He perceives a deeper countenance. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/axwEr5i.png) img300(https://i.imgur.com/CPRqeGs.png)~~~ The meat and potatoes fall here in episode 17 and 18. Dororo and Hyakkimaru, having been through so much, are seized by the hands of fate. Whether they know it or not their lives are intertwined in the life and death struggle for acceptance and love, something they have for one another but not for themselves at this point. We jump into episode 17 “the Tale of Questions and Answers” as Hyakkimaru is seen slaying a monster and unilaterally reuniting with his father, whom he hasn’t seen since his initial departure marking the beginning of his journey. I don’t believe he was out looking for Dororo at this point, in fact it’s not until he’s pushed into a conversational corner by his adoptive father, Jokai, that Hyakkimaru’s feelings in regards to Dororo come full circle. Believing at first he needed a new prosthetic leg to fight demons, he comes to realize the leg serves a greater purpose. Perhaps he requires his leg not to fight demons, but to fulfill what he truly desires – To find Dororo. ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExN2hhM25yYXRoc25lZHl3em94b25qcTM5MHQzOXhuMzFkczZ0bzl0byZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/PoE1vAhr3q3Dx1LNIU/giphy.gif)~~~ In the same episode we have an emotional moment between father and son. Jukai states that “he is nobody” to which Hyakkmaru extends an arm out to Jukai and says “I know what you are. You’re “Mama””. Hyakimaru internalizes what a parent should be vicariously through Dororo. Yet another example of Hyakkimaru actively listening despite not actively replying. I also want to note that “mama” is used with quotation marks further referencing Dororo’s mother when she speaks of her. Jumping back to the Island, Dororo announces that “big bro will save me” exemplifying the complete faith she has in Hyakkimaru. I connect this passage with Hyakkkimaru’s, in that they both reach a similar conclusion. In their heart of hearts, they’ll be there for one another. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/z3Uyp0I.png)~~~ This’ll be a small section as it’s only a tiny little tidbit for episode 19 “The Tale of the Amanojaku”. The main crux here is Dororo being jealous of Okawa. Up until this point we knew how Dororo’s character felt in relation to Hyakkimaru. He serves as a brother figure or companion. Or so we thought! It’s not too far beyond the realm of imagination to say Dororo feels stronger emotions than maybe she herself had realized. In reality children tend to confuse feelings of love and romance when they idolize someone, however, I don’t think that’s the case here. The episode centers more around “coming to terms” with your emotions towards a particular person. We do love some good foreshadowing, but I think it also shows the depth of Dororo’s resolve. The journey isn’t complete and knowing Hyakkimaru, he couldn’t truly be happy being semi-intact. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeTdhbTlzZHd0Y21sc2dhcWptMG45ZHVzNW5iMGhleDByM3pnMnF6dCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/XHWL5se4JihC1hV5vj/giphy.gif)~~~ Motivating the events shifting Hyakkimaru’s entire mode of thought, episode 20 “The Tale of the Nue” intensifies the plot, pushing us ever-closer towards the climax of our journey. Not much to say about the villain besides him being another corrupted human tainted by the ambitions he once held. Foundationally, I believe there’s a single incident that transpires, leading Hyakkimaru deeper into the cave than he’s ever gone before. When both characters are thrust off a collapsing cliff edge, Dororo becomes pinned in place by a large boulder. Surrounded by what appears to be a formation similar to that of a dried hospring, water erupts from the ground filling the shallow pool of earth entrapping Dororo. As the water rises, surpassing the fringe of Dororo’s head, Hyakkimari adamantly heaves at the seemingly immovable object. Striking in multiple vain attempts Hyakkimari eventually shatters his arm disabling the use of both tactile and weaponry features. Shortly after proclaiming he’d needed his limbs for Dororo, they’d become pointless. Paling in comparison to the real thing, he could do nothing but watch helplessly as his best friend drowned. Destiny and fate play a huge role in this series as seen in the recurring reunions between our duo and Biwamaru. As fate would have it, Biwamaru arrives, plunging his instrumental sword into a gap, leveraging the rock just enough to release Dororo from her watery grave. At the exact moment she is pulled clear, the blade snaps. Similar to when a pedal falls or a glass cracks, the sword breaking stood for impending doom. ~~~img300(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNDI4Y3Rmcmk4aGptMWd6aHBrdmlkYWFjMm8xcXh0dHo1cTY1NXA5ayZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/28xDRR0yM7MttG3uKy/giphy.gif)~~~ Post haste, without a word of gratitude uttered, Hyakkimaru storms up the hill to Nue and the Demon God. Defeating both without reward, he walks onward, soaked head to toe in blood. When asked where he’s going, Hyakkimaru delivers a line so cold it sends shivers up my spine. He replies “Daigo – After all that’s where my body is”. It’s at this point Hyakkimaru has had enough of the wicked games he’s played thus far. He wants what he’s rightfully owed and wants it now. Otherwise how else can he protect the one he holds dearest. It’s almost as if losing one more thing would send him over the edge, and being so close to losing Dororo changed his entire mental scape concerning the progress of his restoration. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNmpxcm1lbXoxeDByYXQ4bDZoYWd2MGhwenJjZXQ5MHo1M25kbDBjYyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/08rjKtcnkw5yPsWYzT/giphy.gif)~~~ I’ll discuss the icing on the character growth cake in the “Final Act”. ~~~ADDITIONAL CAST~~~ ~~~Biwamaru~~~ A blind monk traveling alone with nothing but a wooden lute. A samurai of a bygone era, he conceals his sword within the instrument he carries. Also doubling as the narrator, Biwamaru is a plot device used to carry the story along, tangibly playing a role in our adventure. Being a source of guidance, fate intertwines him and Hyakkimaru often when times seem bleak. While often sitting back saddle he’s responsible for saving Hyakkimaru’s life on multiple occasions, even dating as far back as the cast off in episode 1. ~~~img300(https://ilovevg.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/dororo-152917-1024x576.jpg)~~~ Kanj - What I love most is that Biwa isn't a translation but an actual japanese instrument. Biwamaru, verbatim, is a Wooden Lute. The exact instrument he carries around in the show, almost like an identity. This could parallel the fact that he’s no longer tied to a lord and thus in no longer a samurai. As a ronin he has no identity other than his Wooden Loot. The one form of identification and confirmation of his existence that he still carries, potentially from long ago. ~~~Jukai:~~~ Adoptive father of Hyakkimaru. Fought in a war overseas once serving Lord Shiba, a ruthless tyrant, infatuated by war and power. Eventually traveling to a new land, he aspires to start his life anew. While we uncover no more than a basic background from Jukai’s past, it's made apparent he cherishes the day for which he can redeem himself and wash his blood stained hands. Our first impressions of him are sown through his deeds as a healer and prosthetics craftsman, going as far as to offer treatments for free. Jukai finds and trains Hyakkimaru to the detriment of his own psyche, wondering if he himself has only brought more death to the world. While he himself claims that he cannot save Hyakkimaru, similar to Nui-No-Kata, it’s apparent to see the naivete in these words. With proper training in the arts, emotional support growing up, and a steadfast determination to raise a boy not-his-own, Hyakkimaru never would have survived long enough to save himself. ~~~img300(https://simkl.in/episodes/76/7694662fa11195113_w.jpg)~~~ Kanji - Jukai can be otherwise expressed as “Sea of Trees” potentially referring to his time in the war. He’s moreover lost in a sea of the bodies he's condemned but trees are used instead to symbolize that he is still living despite being caught in the expanse of his wrongs. ~~~Nuinotaka:~~~ Mother to Hyakkimaru and Tahoumaru, wife of Kagemistu Daigo, and current lady presiding over the land of Daigo. A faithful servant of Buddah/Goddess of Mercy, much of her story revolves around the silent/sheltered support of her long lost son Hyakkimaru. Praying everyday for his safety knowing she herself cannot save him. Although it could be argued her faith and devotion to the Goddess of Mercy is what prompted the interference in the demon's deal, ultimately saving him and sparing his life in the first place. ~~~img300(https://randomc.net/image/Dororo/Dororo%20-%2022%20-%20Large%2011.jpg)~~~ Kanji - “Nui” meaning sewing, “No” acting as a modifier and “Taka” taken to mean hawk. To me this could be interpreted as one who seeks to repair what has been torn but is cursed to watch from afar. ~~~Tahoumaru:~~~ Second born son of the Daigo clan and heir to the region. Hyakkimaru’s younger brother plays the second antagonist in our story. ~~~img300(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/f7/f4/d4f7f44f55d074e6828e58b5adfb0cf3.jpg)~~~ Kanji - Taho translates to “Edge of the lake” and Maru being a common suffix for “small”. I don’t think the kanji for “Maru” means anything in this instance as many characters also contain the latter addition to their names. I believe “edge of the lake” to correlate with the distant confusion surrounding Tahoumaru’s relationship with Hyakkimaru. As if standing on the precipice of sin and acceptance, Tahoumaru is forced to walk a razor's edge either supporting the brother he never knew, or the father he blindly admires. ~~~Kagemistu Daigo:~~~ Father to Hyakkimaru and Tahoumaru, husband of Nui-no-kata, and reigning lord over the land of Daigo. ~~~img300(https://static.fandomspot.com/images/06/16512/13-daigo-kagemitsu-dororo-anime.jpg)~~~ Kanji - Doesn’t deserve to have “kage” as the first kanji characters if I’m referencing Naruto. But Kage means “Shadow” and Mitsu, although it has many meanings, I chose to interpret as “reflection”. Altogether meaning Shadowy reflection which could then be further derived as evil personified/ demon in human form. Ironically enough Hyakkimaru is painted by Daigo to be the only demon left to defeat but there's beauty in the mirror imagery here as lord Daigo could also be considered the only demon left to defeat. Two different world views simultaneously colliding, not being too far off from one another in all actually. Another great example of the gray line Dororo incorporates. Goes to show, one must “Seek to understand before they are understood”. There is unnecessary tragedy caused through misunderstanding and lack of empathy. ~~~COLORS OF THE SOUL~~~ Quite possibly the most overlooked aspect of Dororo is the inquisitive meaning behind a soul's color. Moreover the individual interpretations of what one’s color may actually be. Throughout the journey we surmise the intentions of a character via Hyakkimaru or the monk's (Biwamaru’s) ability to gauge the soul based on its color or hue. This unique aptitude, used as a pseudo sight, can be attributed to their lack of eyesight thereof. On many occasions we have the opportunity to see how characters view each other, and on even fewer, how they view themselves. For example Hyakkimaru Views Dororo as a soft, gray, unsullied flame. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/5GscSNs.png) ~~~ Whereas a Demon god reflects the deep red color of blood. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/ZiTaWnQ.png)~~~ Should also be pointed out that besides typical atmospheric indicators giving away the problematic intentions of a newly introduced character, we are familiarized very early on with the look of someone who’s murdered or had a hand in deaths deal. Demonstrated in episode two “The Tale of Bandai '' when we glimpse the soul of a villager whom is in cahoots with a Demon God, leading helpless passerby to their demise. This is visually represented through the tinged aura being at its core gray but with red and black speckles being attributing to their crimes. Moving forward this is reiterated through subtle reinforcement so that the audience itself can peer through the same sightless lens and deduce the scheme at hand. Extremely minute and visualized through a “blink and you’ll miss it moment”, the hypothesis I carry is regarding how Hyakkimaru views himself vs. how others view him. As we are narrated to believe – plants, animals, humans, objects, etc, all give off a hue indicating a form of threat level or neutrality in some way. So, one may think a prosthetic would carry a different shade from the rest of the body, however, it is in fact considered to be one and the same unlike the demon sword referenced in the image above. While the person themself doesn’t necessarily need to be corrupt but rather are corrupted, the inverse can be said. Being whole with the parts and objects one wields is also possible. Below is an image from Episode 3 “The Tale of Jukai '' where Hyakkimaru is trained up in the way of the sword. This would be the prequel story or background prior to episodes 1 & 2 which details/ montages the start of his arduous revenge. This image is how Hyakkimaru views the color of his soul at the start of his journey. ~~~img300(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeTBmZjNpdTJzeXJuM3BydDBlNjZocXg2bGM4NHc2YThiODlxaWsxdyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/WT2Tkqfnr6OEOrfQPA/giphy.gif)~~~ To others, such as Biwamaru, “Demon god flames are the embers left behind from his whole ordeal” and this is the appearance he takes on. This also reinforces the theory that his prosthetic arm giving off a grass green tint would be considered part of a whole as Biwamaru views him likewise as one color. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/JNyxQcp.png)~~~ Within the same episode “The Tale of the Nannys`’s Song, part 2” Hyakkimaru has taken the lives of man and demon alike. This is notated the next time he comes into contact with our monk as it’s stated he sees the blood of men has been spilled by Hyakkimaru’s hands. However, despite others believing Hyakkimaru to be a beast in a cave, a demon child, or an obstacle threatening the peace of an entire people, he considers his cause to be just. This can be seen in episode 17 “The Tale of Questions and Answers” when his first person perspective renders a pure grass green tint, despite the degradation of his morals. ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExanFhN2l5cW8yaHVpM3BoeXRubzBqcTgxbTMweGZiaGR0ejB3ODN5biZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/uZbAA2Ci5Bh2zyzUhZ/giphy.gif)~~~ I’ll tie the rest of this section in with the ending as I accredit Hyakkimaru’s decision to leave parallel’s this theory. ~~~WHOLLY GOOD vs. WHOLLY BAD ~~~ Drawing a line of uncertainty What makes something good and what makes something bad? Dororo (The 2019 series) forces us to take an introspective glance at the question while we walk a tightrope, oftentimes assessing the gray line between the two. On the surface we see multiple instances of cases just like this. For example Dororo’s unsullied flame comes across as a calm gray, untainted by the red/black of death. On the other hand, we have the Demon Gods appearing blood red by nature. Tainted by the lives they’ve mercilessly taken and despicable deeds they’ve carried out. It’s hard to say what truly disturbs the color of one's soul. The most likely answer is selfish intent, in other words, morality gone astray to the point where lives are nothing more than a means to an end. We know for certain a person's perception of themselves has nothing to do with the color they exude, likewise actions taken out of selfless intent. Mio is a perfect example because while she sold her body and felt as if Hyakkimaru was peering into a dirty soul, she in truth wore a flame as unpolluted as Dororo’s. Her purpose being for a better life, not only for herself, but the orphans fostering together who dreamed a similar dream. Bad being a term inapplicable with the bias and prejudice people may carry, as other opinions don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things – In consideration to the color of the soul. Despite the term “bad” being subjective, it’s balanced on a double sided scale against beings and people with much worse intentions. The weight of one’s actions can then be surmised to affect one’s color only by the character of said actions. The subtle inbetween, providing “food for thought” is the change of sides whether it be good to bad or vice versa. In episode 7 “The Tale of the Spider Woman” a demon is comforted and given shelter while in a weakened state. With initial intentions to drain the human of life (Not necessarily kill) we see the growing fondness and softening of the demon spiders constitution towards the individual in question. Over the course of the episode we see these changes take root, as selflessness wins over the heart of a demon, melting away the sole desire for an isolated existence hunting humans. By the end, the blood red hue transitioned into a yellow/green tint, symbolizing that even those who are once deemed unsalvageable and corrupted, can still recast the deck they’re dealt. ~~~img300(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExd3RseGQ4amVtaWJoNzlrNmoxYjg0a2E3cnQzbWYzbHhlZmg4M2xpYiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/eXq0g0aN3kUFbE6YfB/giphy.gif)~~~ ~~~FINAL ACT~~~ ~~~Episode 21~~~ A full frontal assault of characterization and development is thrown our way in the final act, so buckle-up buckaroo. From a few reviews I’ve read, people tend to believe the final arc was sloppy in its use of the 12th demon god and its powers. Personally, I believe it was akin to a boss fight with multiple phases strewn throughout, each phase delving deeper into the meaningful characterization of cast members, who up until this point, could’ve been considered minor players in the story. Plotline A: Presaging the imminent return of her son, Nuinokata stares solemnly at her husband, saying “The peaceful times in this land are coming to an end”. We see the full weight of Hyakkimaru’s burdens come center stage as anger and hate cloud his judgment and cast fear and love to the wayside. From episode 6 onward, Hyakkimaru has been attentive and paid heed to Dororo’s concerns/grievances with respect to his deteriorating mental state. Yet neither blind to nor listening to Dororo, Hyakkimaru blatantly dismisses the sincerity of her words, all for the sake of the body waiting for him in Daigo. The interactions between Dororo and Hyakkimaru in the opening collection of scenes is heartbreaking. Initially attempting to reach him through emotional constructs such as sentiments towards his mother, the comment Dororo makes is sharply retorted with a stern “If they get in my way, they’re dead”. Later reinforcing these claims Hyakkimaru threatens a bystander, sword to throat, for warning him of the tumultuous affairs transpiring in the land of Daigo. Actions aside, a few things are clear for our titular character, the first being his hot-headed determination to collect the final missing pieces of his body, and the other is Dororo’s unwavering loyalty. When Dororo asks what he’ll do when he’s all alone, Hyakkimaru replies “I will have you there”. If at least a few more things become clear, it is that Dororo is Hyakkiamru’s worldly attachment, the last bastion of hope tying him to what little humanity is left inside. Also, killing humans is nothing but a means to an end, a way of furthering himself at the expense of others. When I last spoke of this exact predicament, it referenced one key inference about a condition for tainting the color of one's soul. We will also find in the final act that Hyakkimaru is no longer attributed to a demon, but rather a Demon God. It’s a minor change in dialogue, but with major symbolic affects connected to the tempering of his soul. Plotline B: Tahoumaru’s arc progresses on in the penultimate events leading to our conclusion. His dialogue is heartless and rigid, leaving no room for doubt in regards to his feelings toward Hyakkimaru. Convinced his brother is the scourge of Daigo, Tahoumaru pleads with his father - “If we do not rid ourselves of him now, then we will never again be allowed to govern the land of Daigo in peace.” The man hunt begins. Promising to stay as Tahoumarus “right hand” (Mitsu) and “left hand” (Hyogo) they will serve until his ambitions are met. Later both Mitsu’s right and Hyogo’s left arm are severed in a fight against Hyakkimaru. This marks the first domino to fall the moment Hyakimaru entered Daigo’s territory. Also foreshadows the clash of ambitions, one set formed through blood, sweat and tears (Metaphorically cause Hyakkimaru lacks eyes, and most likely tear ducts) and the other a legacy, passed down from father to son. Which will triumph when push comes to shove? Losing these arms also set forth the proceedings for the 12th demon god’s intervention/manifestation into the realm of man. Besides that I don’t know how much worth Tahoumaru’s counterparts losing their limbs had. More of a plot driving action used to bring Mitsu’s disease to light, leading to the Hall of Hell deal and so on and so forth. To me it was comedic justice for hypocritically believing Hyakkimaru to be deserving of nothing after losing everything. Coincidentally happening hours after her motivational right/left arm speech. But I’ll discuss these two characters' finality in more detail later. ~~~img300(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMm9oOHM0bGUzYjR3dWFmMHB0emJiNDk2eXA1a3YxbzE1ODgwdnNsMCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/EJfhEOteBlt1B0jaPx/giphy.gif)~~~ Nuinokata’s character development is subtle yet beautiful. Always teetering on the precipice between duties of the state and matters of the heart. After she frees Dororo we discover Nuinokata had to make a choice. Continue on as a devout worshiper or become the wife of a lord/ a mother. ~~~Episode 22~~~ Plotline A: Similar to the opening sequence of episode 21, we see the bond Hyakkimaru has built with Dororo. Forgetting about his body the moment Dororo is in danger, Hyakkimaru screams “I will get you back!” If this show does anything great, it’s the way it reinforces concepts, facts, actions or statements made. It’s apparent to see, Hyyakkimaru’s flame corrodes faster at the loss of Dororo than it does feeding off the desire for his body. Further evidence reflecting his inner desire to have Dororo at his side. Moreover we see the conflicting lapse in determination for his initial priority. When it comes to Dororo, there is no moral line Hyakkimaru would not cross, even working with a demon. While having similar objectives, both sought nothing more than to be reunited with the ones they loved (Demon Horse and Hyakkimaru). ~~~img300(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbmJuZ3YzaWt5cnJpdWplODZwZzFwNGpkdmt5eDlsZjh2NWdlM3hiYyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/DNupcjYWDfdwSbA0nr/giphy.gif)~~~ Also begs the question, how close Hyakkimaru himself is to becoming a demon? In an excellent use of reinforcement we can recall episode 6, where the spider is able to alter its soul. I believe this hints at there never being a point of no return. There is always a chance at redemption no matter what state you’re in. So even if the demon god flame inside Hyakkimaru becomes stronger consuming him, there’s still a way back – a way back to Dororo. “If you remain true to your heart, you won’t lose who you really are” - Dororo ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZnpyYTZ3eXhmb25pcm16c2VobHpsbmhqMm9naHRxam9nanE0M2ZhaSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/4SWJvWYFn08WIcx4Lj/giphy.gif)~~~ Plotline B: Nuinokata begins to abandon her title as the lady of a lord and instead follows the virtues of the goddess once more. She wishes not for a shortcut to this redemption, refusing Dororo’s offer. An offer to negotiate the validity/righteousness of her actions in the wake of Hyakkimaru. Nuinokate has so many enthralling quotes throughout these final episodes that it’s hard to incorporate all of them! “What we are doing is wrong, there’s no need to use a child as a shield.” > Learning from her past mistake, committed many years prior when she sat idly by when the lord used Hyakkimaru as a shield for the land. It should be said that she didn’t actually “Sit idly by”. Nuinokata vehemently opposed the injustice carried out, trying to cling onto Hyakkimaru when he was stripped from her arms, running to the marshland where he was set to be drowned, and praying everyday thereafter for his safety. On a personal note she feels as if she abandoned her son, not being able to take action until Hyakkimaru was out of reach, and then being condemned to stand idly by. “I abandoned Hyakkimaru, choosing the land of Daigo and its people instead. As a lord's wife I do not regret my choice” >Nuinokata chooses her words carefully if we read between the lines. Her statement signifying the ulterior mode of thought – As a mother and follower of the faith she greatly regrets her choice “I feel I’ve come to understand one thing, all I wanted was to see him again. One more time. As for what I must do when that time comes, a mother will know” >While foreshadowing the final episode viewers may be able to notice that Nui accepts that the end of her life may be near, surging down the same river where Hyakkimaru’s life began. Nuinokata is seen smiling on two occasions. First when Dororo holds her close and calls her mother and the next when volunteering to help the invalids. Further showing that Nuinokata never covetted her title as “lady” and in doing so, demonstrates her true nature as both a woman of faith and as someone who desires to be a good mother. ~~~img300(https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdWY1azI4OWFxd3F3Nnp0Z3Y5Z2s2ejQ0ZWhnbjljM3czOW43bTE2OCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/Ndf5gjVfLax5LkCFNx/giphy.gif) img300(https://i.imgur.com/5o0AEk3.png)~~~ As Dororo speaks to the men on the cliff, they chastise the samurai in a manner similar to how her father once had. Now witnessing similar convictions through a clear lense many years later, she seeks to resolve the conflict in a different way. Not through brute force as her father once had, but by utilizing power of a different kind. (Cape of Gold) ~~~Episode 23~~~ Panning across the remainder of Hyakkimaru’s limbs, the antagonists attempt to besmirch and diminish his resolve, spinning the hypocrisy ingrained into their own existence. Whether speaking existentially or literally Mitsu and Hyogo’s past grievances seem to have been warped profoundly to a degree on par with a personality none their own. I believe this to be a symptom of the 12th Demon’s possession as it contorts the validity of inner thoughts, fanning the flame of violence. ~~~img300(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExajN0Mnd4cGI2b2d1eHJ0azNnY3Y0NGlod3RndTk2aXB1bnh1dzdwdCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ZqPogXMIJRB1eUKVk6/giphy.gif)~~~ Orphaned at a young age due to the samurai, the brother and sister duo are saved by lord Kagemitsu. At first I wondered if it was Daigo’s men who’d slaughtered the village, in an attempt to brainwash the siblings. After further deliberation I think he defeated an army at the time, freeing the war prisoners, which only helped to persuade the children as his principles of peace and freedom aligned with their own desires at the time. Either way they’re brainwashed into believing his ambitions are pure and devoid of wrong. While having their own inner contemplations regarding the suppression efforts during the epidemic and Tahoumaru’s mission, they’re steadfast in their resolve to the party who gave them life. Having lost everything only to have been given “everything” back, the siblings miss the empathetic mark with their snide remarks. Conversely, Hyakkimaru, losing everything, had to fight to regain what was his. Screaming “Those are mine!” Hyogo retorts: “They were never yours to begin with” As Mitsu follows suit with: “We are here to reclaim what’s ours” Shoot me if I’m wrong but this doesn’t sound like they’re characters at all. I 100% believe the Demon God has possessed them and is interjecting on its own behalf. My thought process is only further validated when the siblings are mutilated and reanimate, corpses still pressing onward. ~~~img300(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExaHN2Mm4xeTBkc2Q0eW1nc2FlNDN4d25sd29nMGlvcXQxZ2U3OXl4OCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/O6D0MgYPyADL2VZ66l/giphy.gif)~~~ Sharing similarities to Hyakkimaru and Tahoumarus argument: “Those are mine!” - “You are wrong! These are Daigos eyes now and Daigos limbs, you’re entire body will become Daigo's flesh and blood” The antagonists still partially hold onto their lives, but no longer have a will entirely of their own. Speaking and acting not of their own accord, or at least not exclusively. Now doesn’t this sound like some grand master plan to transform Daigo into the land of Demons? Almost as if the lord was being conned all along… I have a running hypothesis, nothing more, about the “Hall of Hell”. This accursed shrine being the source of destruction all along. The forefathers of the land/ancestors unwittingly cursed the region by sealing the Demon Gods within their territory. Their demonic lust for blood and influence still trickling out of the temple, resulted in the perpetual devastation ravaging the land. Consummating the growing thought of a contract like a parasite invading the mind. Sequentially necessitating the release from their subjugation. Resulting in the storyline unfolding before us. Back to the story. I find it somewhat tragic Hyogo once told Tahoumaru: “Young master we would even follow you to hell” Only for a Demon horse dawned in hellfire to metaphorically send them to the underworld via the flames of hell. I’m also alluding to Tahoumaru’s own death wrapped in flames. The cause of death here doesn’t strike me as coincidental but visually representative. Nearing the end of episode 23 Nuinokata and Dororo have a couple lines I find interesting. Nuinokata: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few yet peace built on the sacrifice of someone else is offly fragile.” I love how this line condenses the entire plot into a single turn of phrase. There was never a chance that this scheme was going to work, it was merely a farce, a crutch waiting to give out. Continuing to break from her gilded cage, Nuinokata has no choice but to ascend the mountain for the two who are fighting are her sons. Always walking a gray line, Nuinokata nears the climax of her character arc. No longer binded by guilt to confront her sons and repair what was torn, she says in one last burst before heading off, “I must go to them as their mother”. Dororo: “I’m not alone, you are with me too! So let the demon gods have your eyes, hands, legs or whatever! If you want eyes I’ll be your eyes, I’ll be your limbs, I’ll be anything you need. Please don't become a demon, don’t give yourself away!” Just as Hyakkimaru had sided with a demon and given into the demon god flames to save Dororo, she was ready to do anything for him. "A hero would sacrifice you to save the world, but a villain would sacrifice the world to save you" - AOT ~~~Episode 24~~~ Fighting through the halls and levels of Castle Daigo, the disparity between the lives Hyakkimaru and Tahoumaru lived becomes ever apparent. Condescendingly drawing attention to the objective love he received mentioning HIS room, HIS desk, HIS horse, HIS father gave to him as a gift. The proof of Tahoumarus existence only recognizable through the materialistic boons bestowed by others. Hyakkimaru only ever knowing the gift of life but even then having to fight tooth and nail to make it as far as he had. Clinging to something so fragile it could be taken away at any moment, conversely Tahoumaru never having the fear of losing what he himself had not worked for. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/l7jpU2W.png)~~~ Tahoumaru missing his heart (The part of Hyakkimaru that should’ve been taken by the 12th demon) we could debate whether Tahoumaru is even alive at this point, being possessed partially by the 12th demon god, it isn’t his own will that keeps him moving, but rather the burning hate the god fuels. Essentially becoming a Demon God himself, the very bane of what he once sought to eradicate. Successionally losing all he has throughout the series, just as Hyakkimaru had. Hyakkimaru seeing himself in his brother, spares his life now equating what Tahoumaru is going through to the life he endured. The parallel here being that Tahoumaru became a demon god, but doesn’t see himself as such. If Tahoumaru is to consider himself human, doesn’t that mean Hyakkimaru must be human as well. Speaking through battle Tahoumaru comes to truly understand his brother, returning the last of what the 12th Demon god held over Hyakkimaru — his eyes. In doing so, finishes his redemption arc, releasing the misplaced hate that’d been lit by someone other than himself. In doing so, also relinquishes the control the demon god holds over him. Hate no longer needs to beget hate. ~~~img300(https://i.imgur.com/v6mo1Gt.png)~~~ Niunokata and Jukai physically save Hyakimaru giving value to the words previously uttered. (ie. “I can’t save you”). Seeing him again, one last time, a mother knows what she must do. Nuinokata professes her love to Hyakkimaru for the first time. Hyakkimaru reciprocating and recognizing the level of sincerity and compassion a mother should hold, reiterates the title “mother” for the second time in the series. Correctly placing his emotions as both Jukai and Nuinkata are seen one last time as picturesque parents. Both finding atonement for the wrongs they’d dealt in life, Jukai mutters the epitaph to his weary soul “With this — finally”. Closing out both his own as well as Nuinokata’s arc. ~~~img300(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExb3g4NXViYnl4NHhoaTBhOXpuZXdpbWZ6Ymw2MThydGR1cTg5aGU4aCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/fDen6ANjtRydznfCpF/giphy.gif)~~~ Sparing Kagemitsu’s life (I won’t call Lord Daigo his father because at this point the show has already enunciated who Hyakkimaru views as his true parents. The first thing Hyakkimaru sees being Jukai and Nuinokata can be visually interpreted as such, as he’d never actually seen his father by birth until now). Giving the man who’d scorned his existence the choice at life, a choice he himself was never given, leaves Kagemitsu a Goddess of Mercy statue. The imagery here being the demons he’ll need to overcome as a direct consequence to his actions. Hyakkimaru having shattered the original statue, using up all the mercy it could bear to protect him from his own demons. We now part with a man more suited to the title “Last Demon”. Being more demon now than Hyakkimaru as the metaphorical roles reverse. “The sky is pretty” “Dororo is also pretty” This line touched me because up until this point he’d only sensed Dororo’s unsullied/untainted soul and now he can visually compare her beauty to something as faultless and clear as a blue sky. ~~~ENDING EXPLAINED~~~ Dororo may have one of the most stunning, exemplary, thought provoking, and visually indicative endings I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. “Human — what is a human? I am…” Sentence unfinished, we are left with the impression Hyakkimaru himself is unsure what he is at this point. For the first time understanding what he had become, in order to be “whole”. In my eyes Hyakkimaru was whole all along, but lacked the physical manifestation of what it means to be complete. However by the end he gains this physical body, a body by which he can touch and see, but becomes empty on the inside, unsure of the husk left behind in the aftermath of his pursuits. This is a primary determinant for leaving at the end. “He stood up all of a sudden and left saying he had something to check on…” Dororo assumes it’s to make sure his body is working but I presume it is much less straightforward than it appears. We begin our final curtain call as Hyakkimaru is seen on a distant hill opening the pouch branded with the Daigo family crest. Within lies the golden grain intended to symbolize prosperity and growth. A stone Buddha statue coupling this preview to further insinuate safe travels on the journey of enlightenment he seeks to undertake. Stoick and stone faced in the mire of a destitute existence, Hyakkimaru pushed onward. Giving no traceable reaction when called “a beast in a cave”, I believe Hyakkimaru was internalizing these words all along, waiting till the end so he himself could see what comes out of the cave. This reasoning being his primary motive for abandoning Dororo at the end, because before he can live as a human he must first discover what it is to be one. Otherwise Dororo will never be safe with him at her side, instead of the other way around as it’s been (Her at his side). Hyakkimaru must rediscover himself in the world, a world that wouldn’t change much even if the demons were defeated. He needs to know that the being coming out of the cave isn’t a demon, but someone capable of feeling, helping, and comprehending complexities beyond himself. “What we do not obtain by our own hands we cannot protect” ~~~img300(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMjM3d3hub2w2b2NhcGQxcG42eHMyejRuaHIxN2ZkMmV4MWdwempqbyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/MG7chd1x22LYbuaCNN/giphy.gif)~~~ The curtain folds as Dororo transforms before our eyes running across the bridge leading outward towards the world. Hyakkimaru is seen returning on the other side, a wide grin painted across his face and a gentle complexion reflecting the inner peace and resolution he’d found while discovering his new self. A field of golden wheat glistens in the background to indicate both a time of prolonged peace with the end of the warring states period and a metaphor for Hyakimaru’s completed arc, now being whole inside and out. ~~~Bonus:~~~ Dororo looks like Mio so on a more lighthearted note which plays along with the ending theme – Hyakkimaru has a type.