A new dark fantasy anime is on the way for fans who like horror and some gore-filled shows. Earlier, series like Akame ga Kill, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hellsing Ultimate, etc., managed to make a name for themselves in this genre. Now, fans will soon see the anime version of “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” which has the potential to be one of the best anime of next year. Jigokuraku has everything from thrilling mysteries, strange adventures, deep characters to some rare but heart-touching moments.

Fans have given a lot of love to its manga series for the last two years and now it’s their turn to receive what they yearned for, which is an anime adaptation. So, when will Hell’s Paradise make its debut on screens? Keep on reading to know.

Anime Announcement

On January 25, 2021, the eighth issue of Weekly Shonen Jump revealed that Yuuji Kaku’s Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku manga series is getting an anime adaptation. It was the best time to announce this news as it was the same day when the manga published its conclusive chapter.

The fans were really happy about the anime adaptation, but at the same time, they were also saddened to say goodbye to their favorite manga series. It was also revealed that MAPPA animation studio would take the command of animating this show.

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku: Official PV & Plot

On December 19, 2021, the official site and Mappa studio released the first official PV for Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku. Along with the PV, the main staff of the series was also introduced. The list of these staff members can be seen below.

• Directed by Kaori Makita
• Series composition by Kazuaki Kaneda
• Character design by Akira Kindaichi
• Music by Yoshiaki Dewa
• Animation Production by MAPPA &
• Produced by Twin Engine.

By the look of the PV, it seems like MAPPA has adapted at least the first 26 chapters. The trailer begins with the boat carrying the “infected body” that returned from Paradise. The series protagonist, Gabimaru is an emotionless assassin ninja from Iwagakure Village. He was betrayed and penalized with execution because he wanted to free himself from the scourge that has burdened him ever since he was pushed into the dark world by the Chief of the Village. But one day, the Chief introduces her daughter Yui to Gabimaru and asks them to marry.

Gabimaru found salvation in his wife who accepted him without a condition. But those happy days were only for moments. To fulfill his dream of living a peaceful life with his wife, Gabimaru wanted to quit being a shinobi. Upon expressing the same, he was thrown out and given to be executed by the chief himself, forcing him to run away.

A glimpse of his wife can also be seen in the PV. After getting caught he was handed over for his punishment for his sins to Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Sagiri is in charge of Gabimaru’s execution and belongs to a family of the Asaemon clan which was famous for performing “a painless” and peaceful execution. But being a woman, she was always discriminated against by her companions. Those who are aware of her potential but always get disappointed because of her wavering and hesitant heart. This situation led to Sagiri being held back by her tribe.

After all failed execution attempts, Gabimaru was teamed up with some other ruthless criminal on death row by Shogun for a special mission to search the Elixir of Eternal life on Paradise Island. The reward for completing this mission was the annulment of the death penalty. Hoping to see his wife again, Gabimaru accepts the mission. In order to make sure criminals don’t run away nor keep the elixir for themselves, an executioner of the Asaemon family is assigned to each criminal. The executioner are ordered to slice off their neck if criminals attempt anything else. Gabimaru and Sagiri & many different pairs of sinners and executioners set out to find the treasure worth more than their life.

The PV and story proceed directly to the visuals of 7 Tensen’s who are the Immortal Gods of the Islan. The legend says that they overlook and seek immortality in their own way and are the antagonist of the series. They live in the center of the island which is called The Paradise.

As the PV proceeds, the monsters “Soshin” are also introduced. They are humans who are affected by the Island’s strange environment. The notable thing was that there wasn’t any voice artist performing any character in the PV, which is also reasonable because the Cast announcement hasn’t been made yet.

The first promotional video of Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku has a gruesome feel, but Mappa has been able to deliver well-detailed art. The animation also appears to be great, and the PV gives off a spooky vibe that later changes into an epic saga of adventure and mysteries.

Manga

The original manga, Jigokuraku, was written & illustrated by Yuji Kaku & published by Shueisha on Shōnen Jump+. The manga started on January 22, 2018, and finished on January 25, 2021,  after completing 127 chapters and 13 volumes.

The manga already has more than 3.7 million copies in circulation as of April 2021. The series became a sensation in youth in no time. It grabbed 11th place in the Web Manga Category of the 2018 Next Manga Awards with 16,510 votes. Along with winning a fourth-place on Honya Club’s Nationwide Bookstore Employees’ Recommended Comics of 2018 list. Its spooky, creepy yet mesmerizing art, which resembles quite of Ito Junji’s style, has taken the fans into its own world.

The series also received two more adaptations. The first one is Jigokuraku: Utakata no Yome Alternative, a light novel adaptation of a single volume and 6 chapters only, which was written by Sakaku Hishikawa and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. Whereas, the second one is a spin-off comedy manga adaptation that was published in Shonen Jump+. It was written & illustrated by Oohashi. 

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku: Release Date

Everyone is getting desperate to know when they will get to see the premiere of this upcoming dark fantasy anime series. It seems like the dubbing hasn’t been done yet, and the makers announced its cast as well. The announcement of the cast will probably take place in January 2022. Therefore, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku might come out in Spring or Summer next year.