Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Episode 2 – A lady executioner and her bloody past

This article contains major spoilers for Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Episode 2.

Hell’s Paradise Episode 2 titled ‘Screening and Choosing’ opens with a young Sagiri Asemon, who is inspired by her father’s painless stroke, which was devoid of any emotion. She was fascinated by how her father could behead people without feeling any guilt or remorse. Seeing Sagiri’s point of view is really interesting, as executioners are usually portrayed as heartless and sometimes even evil.

Sagiri’s past takes centre stage in Hell’s Paradise Episode 2

One of the highlights of this episode is the character development of Sagiri Asemon. Her past and family background are revealed, adding depth and complexity to her personality. We witness her struggle with her duty as an executioner and the guilt and fear that come with it. She is determined to carry out her duty but realizes that she needs to learn from Gabimaru about the weight of taking a life. Despite being targeted as a woman, she refuses to let anyone underestimate her, showing that this isn’t a story about gender roles.

Brutal battle royale ensues in Hell’s Paradise Episode 2

In another scene, all the criminals selected for the Shinsekyo expedition are gathered in one place and given instructions about their mission to retrieve the Elixir of Life from Shinsekyo. They are then shown the only sergeant who returned from Shinsekyo, who no longer remained human and had flowers blooming all over his body. The anime is brutal, and this episode is no exception. The convicts are instructed to reduce their numbers because of the limited number of Asemons and space on the boat, leading to a full-blown battle royal among the convicts, and it was exciting to see Gabimaru in action. (Also Read: Hell’s Paradise, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen: The dark side of Shonen anime)

Gabimaru initially tried to avoid killing but ultimately had to defend himself by ripping throats out with his teeth. It showed how complex his character is and how he doesn’t want to kill but will if he has to.

Sagiri’s journey: Overcoming fear and finding the weight of taking a life

The battle royal among the criminals leads to the development of Sagiri’s character. She is trying to live up to the idea of the Yamada Asaemon and behead people as effectively as her father does, but she can’t seem to overcome her fear of killing people. She is invested in this journey as a means of finding someone she can truly cut perfectly, which might be Gabimaru. Sagiri realizes that if you’re going to kill, you need to bear the weight of that kill and not treat it like a game.

Setting the stage: The adventure begins on Shinsenkyo

As the dust settles from the savage battle royale, the ten convicts who emerge victorious set sail towards their ultimate destination: the mysterious island of Shinsekyo. Accompanied by their stern handlers, the ragtag group braves the treacherous waters ahead, unsure of what twisted fate awaits them in Paradise.

The episode sets up the characters and the premise, and now the real adventure begins on the island of Shinsenkyo. Mappa has done an excellent job of handling the extreme violence in the source material, and it will be exciting to see how they handle the upcoming episodes. Gabimaru and Sagiri are shaping up to be great complex characters, and fans can’t wait to see what’s next. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy dark anime, it’s a must-watch episode 2 of Jigokuraku is a must-watch.