Forum - View topicHell's Paradise (TV) (w/ index).
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Edjwald
 Posts: 3510 |
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I was a bit startled when it really hit me that the events of season 1 really only took place in the course of 2 days. As powerful as some of the members of the first expedition have gotten, they don't really have that much of a head start once the second party starts coming to terms with the tao thing on their own.
It feels like most of the last two episodes were setting up a huge Shengen/Gabimaru showdown. Speaking of chaos, I'm not sure the sides will remain stable. It feels like Shion and Sagi won't betray the bonds they've made with the convicted criminals (convicted regardless of the varying degrees of actual guilt), and Mai and Blade Dragon seem unlikely to backstab, but I'm not so sure that Fuchi wouldn't side with Shengen if it was the purely rational thing to do, and I'm pretty sure Yuzuruwhoha would betray Gabimaru over to the shinobi in a heartbeat if it increased her odds of escape. She'd stick her tongue out and go "Teehee, sorry about that" while serving him up on a platter. I think? I expect the amoral slacker dude (Jikka?) will twist and turn like a garden snake as events progress. And of course, the brothers care only about themselves. Loving it. Last edited by Edjwald on Mon Feb 02, 2026 5:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#17
So the clan's number two is really a murderous psychopath kept in check by the number one and his job description as official executioner. To top it off, he's easily the best warrior amongst their ranks having learnt from the other specialists their unique selling points and incorporated them into his skillset. Although he's extremely nice to his fellow clansmen and treats those higher up the hierarchy with deference, anyone outside of his compatriots he will deal with mercilessly and without remorse. Even the unusual outfit he wears compared to his peers is recognition from the Shogunate for butchering a Yakuza family to get the head to cough up information. Since he's already set on butchering everything and everyone on the island, the pioneer group are better off staying away from him and their ninja allies. So far he's the only one who can tear apart the guardians with his bare hands which even Gabimaru didn't attempt on his first encounter. The Iwagakure reinforcements are on their own mission to kill Gabimaru, and they are better hunters than the four executioners. To top it off, they're just as slavishly loyal to the Iwagakure chief maxims on expendable assets fulfilling the prescribed mission. On his own, the old Gabimaru would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the elite three mixed in with the footsoldiers, but with the Tao knowledge he has it might not be as one-sided as it would otherwise have been. The new Iwagakure leader Shija has a biography up on YouTube. Male VA who absolutely wanted to take up the role, yet the voice given is pitched higher and can be discerned as female. Biography even says the sex is undetermined and unless the Hanya mask is somehow taken off viewers likely won't know this ninja's true identity. Interesting how Jikka is ranked number three in the hierarchy despite his complete disinterest in the mission and general lack of propriety. Shion is ranked fourth and has proven his martial skills in season one; Jikka is far less capable as a clan successor compared to Shion yet is still ranked higher. Even the mini anime on YouTube sees Shugen confess he never quite figured out when Jikka first enrolled as a clan student. It says a lot about Jikka, yet he refuses to draw his sword and Shugen gave an interesting remark about how he could draw it to defend himself yet refuses to do so. All this while Aza Choubei has thrown in his lot with the rest of the Tensen and is participating in some strange ritual to get their conversion of the Japanese mainland into life force underway. The immortals will win unless the first and second waves don't decide to annihilate each other, but there's a way to go before we get to see a showdown between the different factions, let alone a final confrontation with the Tensen leader Rien and the clone army that can be deployed. |
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ACｘS
 Posts: 1226 |
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4:
Do you notice something remarkable? It's the contrasting situation between Shengen's team and Gabimaru's team. Shengen's team, which is made up of the Yamada Clan and the ninjas, are sticking together, but they are driven by self-interest and are waiting for the right chance to achieve it. Gabimaru's team, with each member originally driven by self-interest, eventually decided to stick together to achieve an otherwise common goal. Two teams with similar motives but different outcomes. Another example of contrast? The personalities of the main characters for each team. Shengen and the ninjas are fundamentalists to their beliefs. Gabimaru and the Yamada clan in his team were just like that at first, but have changed since stepping on the island. This entire episode has literally been about how ironically similar yet different the two teams are. It's fascinating. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 17 (S02E04): The Samurai Code and Carnage ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4997 |
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S2 E5:
Boy were they transparent with the disaster flag regarding the snatch the elixer and escape plan. They mentioned that they would be off the island soon like three times and due to it the flag could not have been any more red. The lessons from sensei Gabi and Yuzuriha only made it worse since you could feel that things would never be that easy. I do wonder about Touma though, one of the Tensen could easily kill him in the fight and surely Choubei would not want that. That big flower was a nice bit of nightmare fuel. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
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I'm assuming that the favor Choubei asked for (the one we never got to hear) would be that his brother be spared, unless this is some elaborate double cross on Choubei's part.
I don't really see why they brought Toma into the group to be honest. The two brothers have done nothing but crap on everybody but each other every chance they get. My prediction (shakes magic eight ball) is that the first expedition survivors will do better than expected, Mei and Gabimaru will both have some sort of dramatic transfigurations, and then when the first expedition survivors are all just about cooked anyhow, the second expedition team will cause a huge fustercluck. But as to any specifics about how badly people are going to get #$%^@ed up or how many deaths or amputations or strange metamorphoses will occur, reply is hazy, try again later... |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#18
Episode split into two parts, with most of the focus on Gabimaru's group as they prepare to infiltrate the inner palace, grab what they came for and then leave the island in the only non-violent way possible. It's not a bad plan, and given the limited amount of time they had to organise and prepare, it might have worked had the Tensen acted in a manner befitting those unaware of an impending raid. The problem is Aza Choubei has thrown in his lot with the Tensen and given up the element of surprise so crucial for the raid to succeed. Although the original plan called for the participants to run for it if they encountered the Tensen, that may not even be possible. The good news for viewers is there's a series of battles set up for the weeks to come as the Tensen move to claim their prizes. If anything, the Gabimaru party has one weapon which can be used against the Tensen now they the infiltration plan has gone belly up: knowing what their elements are and what their targets are affiliated with. I don't know if Mei described the appearance of her former colleagues off camera to the rest of the party, so for the time being only the Gabimaru four know who they're up against and whether they have a fighting chance of victory. This also applies to the Shion pair but for a different reason: Shion can sense his opponent's Tao and can tell he and Nurugai are up for a rematch. The Gantetsusai trio will have to make do, but it so happens Touma is with them so he might be abducted specifically to honour Choubei's demand. That leaves the pair with their different elements, so they're at the biggest risk of losing unless it's a favourable matchup. It's so very mainland Chinese of the Tensen to call their great work Pan Gu, the progenitor from Chinese mythology. It looks to me as an enormous Tao factory fueled by hundreds of human corpses. Aza Choubei ends up undergoing torture for body parts to feed it, but thanks to his regeneration it is simply a very painful experience and nothing that won't cripple him permanently like normal humans. There's a bit of humour in this episode, what with Gabimaru and Yuzuriha borrowing the late Senta's spectacles for teaching purposes much to Fuchi's chagrin and Mei giving a shoulder massage to Gantetsusai and then futilely trying to stop him from falling for Touma's trolling. It takes the edge off what is otherwise high stakes for the Gabimaru group, and they're higher than ever now that the group's very survival is at stake. Even if they do somehow overcome or evade the Tensen, the Shugen pursuit group is rapidly catching up on them. They'll need to overcome them as well to escape and that is unlikely if they somehow win pyrrhic victories against the Tensen. For their part, the Shugen group isn't monolithic and the shinobi reinforcements will drop everything to kill Gabimaru as soon as he's sighted. More work for Gabimaru, but he's stronger than he was prior to stepping foot on the island and if the Tensen don't kill him he has every chance on his own against the Iwagakure reinforcements. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 1226 |
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5:
So much planning put into place, all undone because of Choubei ratting them out. Not surprised, to be honest. The only question mark is the condition he had for Tensen, which I imagine is letting Touma leave the island unscathed. The other wild card is Shengen and his team. They might throw a wrench in Tensen's works. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[ep. 18]
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Harleyquin
Posts: 3443 |
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#19
This is the start of the end game, and unfortunately looking at what's left to cover and the remaining airtime it is almost certain this adaptation needs a third season to finish the entire story. I cannot see how they will conclude three sets of duels adequately in the remaining airtime on top of the showdown with Rien and the pursuit group. First up is Gabimaru and Yuzuriha against Ran. Thanks to Aza Choubei fully cooperating with the Tensen and coughing up the names of all of the first expedition's members the Tensen are also aware of their opponents' elemental affinities and can pick and choose matchups accordingly thanks to Ran being capable of interior realignment of the interiors seemingly at will. There's a limit to the optimal matchups available because of manpower and element constraints, but the Tensen have chosen to focus on neutralising the most dangerous opponent Gabimaru by putting him against the one Tensen he cannot kill despite his advanced training and new found knowledge. That said, Rien has severely underestimated the other combatants' Tao capabilities, and even with real-time monitoring he might well regret his decision not to arrange the other non-Gabimaru matchups more tightly if the other pairings outperform his expectations. Considering this is three days in universe since the first group landed, the level of understanding Gabimaru has of the mechanics behind the Tensen superhuman powers is nothing short of extraordinary. What I found striking is Gabimaru emphasising how the progress he made in finding weaknesses into the Tensen was predicated on the different aspects discovered or applied by the other members. The Gabimaru before arrival worked alone and would never acknowledge aid not assistance from the others, so it's a huge deal that he publicly acknowedges the debt owed to his current companions for their respective contributions. Of course, the duel between Ran and his opponents is what most are here to watch. It doesn't disappoint; the contrast is clear with a Tensen who focuses on Taiji physical movement as the driver of Tao generation and how it synergizes better in actual combat compared to one focusing on alchemy and corpse manipulation. I especially likes the shock on Ran's face when Gabimaru actually landed a clean hit which wounded him despite their Tao affinities being completely in Ran's favour. Having Yuzuriha at his side turns out to be the clincher as she is the only one capable of killing Ran provided she can land the vital blow. Although difficult,.the pair indeed have enough in their box of tools to force Ran into his monster plant transformation to finish the ritual. Mudan was bad enough, but this is another level of unfairness that overwhelms both of them. Despite Gabimaru not going all out in the typical Iwagakure tactic of victory or death, I can't see either of them surviving without plot armour or intervention from the unharmed Sagiri and Mei. This week's post episode YouTube short video is also surprising informative. Nurugai's thesis on Tao affinity and the impact on personality turns out to be surprisingly accurate, since Mei affirms it applies to the mating Tensen pair well. Not everyone fits the archetype, but it's a charming aside to what is an otherwise important aspect most discussed during the battle set pieces. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4997 |
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I expected things to turn out badly given that the Tensen have it all planned out with their trap but this week really was just one big slap in the face. The gang is up against opponents who have the advantage in every single aspect and as Ran showed with his flower mode even Gabi who is the most skilled of them is simply outclassed. That bodes badly for the other duels and Gabi needs to be bailed out or get a sudden power up (again).
Also, if this is the start of the end game than the series is a fair bit shorter than I expected it to be. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
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Everybody else has pretty much said what I wanted to say. Well....I will say that this is the first episode where I thought that the female ninja makes a great ally...as long as she's not trying to backstab you or run away.
I can think of at least two wildcards. |
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ACｘS
Posts: 1226 |
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6:
Gabimaru and Yuzuriha planned everything from the get-go, and even knew that things could—and probably would—go wrong. In the end, it boiled down to their top priority: who would they save if things went south? Both said themselves, yet Gabimaru chose to save Yuzuriha. That's quite a detour from his original motive, and I think that will have an effect eventually, even beyond his apparent demise. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
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It's been obvious for a long, long time that this show is simply one big excuse to discuss the subject of tao. Tao this and tao that. Tao, tao, tao. Any drinking game that involved using the word tao as an imbibing trigger would result in fatal alcohol poisoning. The problem facing our pro-tao-ganists is tao mumbo jumbo, the answer to their problem will be tao mumbo jumbo. Whee.
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 12058 Location: Frisco, TX |
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[ep. 19]
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