The Spring 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Dorohedoro Season 2

In the lawless district known as Hole, sorcerers from another world use its residents as guinea pigs for their twisted magic. Caiman is one of those victims—left with a lizard head and no memory of his past, he's now on a brutal quest for answers. To reclaim his true face and forgotten past, he and his partner Nikaido hunt sorcerers, hoping to uncover the truth behind his transformation.

Dorohedoro Season 2 is based on the manga series by Q Hayashida. The anime series is streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll on Wednesdays.

As a general rule of thumb, I think that if it's been less than two years since the last season of whatever show it is you're watching has aired, recaps are nice, but not strictly necessary. Two-to-four years, it's probably a good idea—doubly so if it's a more story-heavy show. But if it's been more than four years, recaps—even if only short ones—should, in my opinion, be required. And Dorohedoro season 2, which is airing a full six years after the first season, is exemplary in why I think that's the case. For better or for worse, this show has a lot of moving parts, and gives you a lot to chew on (cue imagery of Caiman sticking more heads in his mouth). There are, in other words, a lot of important things you could forget—even if unintentionally—just due to the sheer volume of important things there are. So the fact that a show with as much going on in it as this one just sort of jumps in as though it's only been a few months not only takes one off-guard, but also, all but guarantees you'll find yourself thinking something along the lines of, “Is this a new character, or am I just forgetting this guy?” or, “Wait, why is so-and-so here?” at least once between these three episodes. Not my favorite way to kick off a series as cool as Dorohedoro, but whatever. Disgruntled as I am, moving on.

And speaking of there already being three episodes at the ready—frankly, I have mixed feelings on extended premieres. On one hand, I've seen some that've helped to launch their series in a great way, only allowed by having more time (Oshi no Ko springs to mind). But then, on the other end of the spectrum, that can also be a curse at times. If you leave the premiere feeling like there was no reason for it to be extended, it's easy to get a feeling like this wasn't earned, that might leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Moreover, if the premiere is too long, it's easy to lose motivation to watch something you might've otherwise have checked out.

So where does that leave Dorohedoro season 2? Do I think an extended premiere works here? Well, not to sound like a broken record, but it would've worked a lot better with a recap. On one hand, it's very obvious why it's kicking off with three episodes: So much has changed since the first season, and that first episode doesn't give us any Caiman or Nikaido. So by giving us three episodes, we can see what's going on with all three of our main groups, and it's a great way to get excited about what everyone's doing. That being said, you know what else might help people feel excited about what everyone's doing? Having a fresher memory of it. Even if that first episode only gave us three minutes of recap, I think it would've done so much to enhance these episodes. I'll never stop being annoyed by this, since it feels like it should've been so obvious given how long it's been, and how rich the story of Dorohedoro is.

This might be why, at least partially, the third episode is so much better than the other two—so much of it is spent either in lucid dream or flashback, that it feels a bit easier on the brain. Although, I wouldn't dare to shortchange it by not also mentioning that the scene where Caiman started remembering things was excellent (that eerie scream, with the weird pitch stuff going on—loved it), it gave us some great comedic moments, and also let us learn a lot about the beautifully illustrated Kowloon Walled City-esque world our characters live in. Up until now, I had never really considered what a school would look like in the context of this show.

And speaking of the things I like—nay, love—about this premiere: As always, Dorohedoro doesn't hold back when it comes to gore and hyperviolence. When Noi kicked that one guy's head and it started bouncing around like a basketball? Perfection. That starting animation of Caiman's body ripping in two, where we can see all his bones and organs? Delightfully over-detailed. I love it. I'm a simple person: I see buckets upon buckets of blood, especially if it's being splattered around in cartoonish ways, I clap. The more it reminds me of Final Destination or Another, the better. Absolute cinema. And in 2026, nobody's doing blood and guts like Dorohedoro, and I absolutely adore that about this series. So while it's obviously been taking me a moment to ease back into the story—and I'm sure, with time, I'll find myself caring more about it—if nothing else, the gore is keeping me going.