Hell's Paradise Season 2

Episode 11

After this episode, all of the sectioned off battles with the Tensen have officially finished, and is it weird for me to say that I felt like this was the weakest one? Don't get me wrong, the animation was still phenomenal, and I will always love how this show utilizes Gabimaru's fire ninjutsu. The different splashes of colors and the way that the screen lights up will always be exhilarating. Plus, the fact that the fire and flashes were used for a legitimate combat purpose was also really interesting. I feel like I needed to suspend my disbelief a little bit about the fight actually lasting an hour long, because depending on where everybody is after this fight is over, I feel like that would imply all of the other fights took roughly that long as well, and that doesn't feel accurate to me. There might be some time dilation going on to make everything line up a certain way, but it's a relatively simple thing for me to buy from a practical standpoint.

It feels like this episode more or less abandoned the initially seeded idea that Gabimaru's wife might just be a figment of his imagination. I never bought that when the show brought it up as a possibility, so I can't say I'm complaining that it's not here. Still, it feels weird that the first half of this episode is dedicated to him reflecting on how his wife's influence has changed him, but whether or not she's real anymore doesn't really come up. I like how this ties into the idea that Gabimaru is really willing to see her under any means necessary, even if he has to sacrifice his humanity, and I think the show has done a good enough job establishing that his wife would still love him, even if he didn't come back completely human. She seems like a kind woman, but she's also practical about how messed up the world is.

This episode also gives a bit more context to Chobei's character and how he ended up turning into the weird mutation that he did. The flowers that produce Tao energy that the Tensen have been utilizing for both their own immortality and for the elixir of life can theoretically be consumed by anybody. It's just not a good idea because it can very easily overtake the body to turn it into plant creatures. Ironically, the show makes it a point to clarify how it is arguably easier to control the flower when you are on death's door because the flower focuses on fixing your body before it has a chance to get to your mind. I do actually really like the plant tattoo that is spreading over Gabimaru's body, and I'm curious what kind of creature he's going to turn into by the end of the series.

However, one thing that didn't resonate with me that much at the end of this episode was the focus on Yuzuriha. There could've been a lot more of an emotional buildup to her sacrifice. I feel like the series was trying to paint her death as a tragic twist since she was using her Tao to keep herself alive, and I do like how the series does ultimately pay off her selfish boasting to just be a façade. I also like the reveal that her body is actually a lot more scarred than how she originally appeared, as she maintained this illusion that she was always trying to appear more in control of situations than she actually was. But her death feels way too rushed to leave an emotional impact, which is a shame because the other fights balanced that character development with the combat almost perfectly. I would have liked more focus on her character before that final moment rather than just cramming it into the last couple of minutes of the episode. Still, with another Tensen defeated, the power balance has shifted. The question is, what will the new visitors add to the dynamic?

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