Genre: Historical, Folklore
Status: Completed
Episodes: 24
Available: Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IckF9FKw_MU)
Rating: 8.5/10
Synopsis:
The anime talks of a tale of a guy named Hyakkimaru, who because of his father's wish made with the demons, was sacrificed from the prosperity of the land. However, he survives due to his mother's protection but at the cost of losing all his facial features, body parts, and emotions. He is cast down a river only to be found by Jukai, a surgeon and prosthetic maker who saves him and teaches him to fight. One day he is attacked by a demon and after killing it, regains one of his body parts. To regain his remaining body parts, Hyakkimaru sets off on a journey to destroy the demons his father had made a pact with. He is joined along the way by a young orphaned thief named Dororo who accompanies him on his journey.
This is a re-adaptation of a famous manga, Dororo, written by Osamu Tezuka in the 1960s. There has been 1969 TV show, film, and video game made based on this series. It stars Tomokazu Sugita who has also voices Gintoki in Gintama and Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Dororo is voiced by Rio Suzuki who has starred in other TV drama productions.
Trailer:
Personal thoughts:
As someone who has heard of Dororo but not well versed with the story, I found the story quite intriguing. It was much darker and more sinister than I had originally thought being familiar with the more cartoony characters I associated with Dororo. The story is very compelling and very unique. Each character has their own little story. It really brings forth some interesting themes such as whether it is just to sacrifice the life of one individual for the sake of others. There are also a lot of religious nuances wrestling ideas such as prosperity through faith vs. hard work. The OP is absolutely addicting. I know I've listened to it on repeat for 2-3 hrs while studying. The artwork and animation is stellar. For a story that is 50+ years old, MAPPA and Tenzuka Productions did an amazing job. There isn't a lot of dialogue at the beginning and Dororo does a lot of the narrating but Hyakkimaru's expressionless face says it all. If you enjoy historical tales of samurais, folklore, and demon slaying, then this is the type of anime for you. I would highly recommend giving it a try.
Episode 1:
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