So welcome back to another week of our manga recommendation series. You have read the title, you already know this week’s recommendation is Jigokuraku. So, I found out about this manga very recently when I learned that Mappa is making an anime for this series. How many projects is Mappa gonna take on though? They are already so busy and I heard from a rather sus source that they are also doing Vinland Saga Season 2. This is cause for concern but, we are not here to talk about that today.
Today we are only here to talk about the manga. So I got curious after seeing the trailer and picked Jigokuraku up and I loved it. So here is why you should check it out this week.
Introduction
Jigokuraku is a Shonen manga written and illustrated by Kaku Yuuji. It was serialized in Shonen Jump+ from 22nd January 2018 to 25th January 2021. It is 13 volumes or 128 chapters long; which is pretty short for a shonen manga. It is kind of inspired by historical events/characters but in the end, it is still fiction; doesn’t mean it’s not good though.
Jigokuraku is awesome because of the fast pacing, awesome fights, and the unseeable plot twists. It is one of the most underrated mangas of all time in my opinion and really more people should check it out. Like only 24k people have rated it on MAL. Let me get into further details.
Plot
Jigokuraku is about the Ninja Gabimaru the Hollow. Gabimaru is about to be executed but, he doesn’t want to die because of his wife. The chief executioner of the Shogunate, Asaemon sees this and asks Gabimaru to join her on a journey to an island south of Japan. Agreeing to grant him a full pardon if he goes with her.
The island though isn’t as simple as it seems. It is believed to be Paradise and Asaemon is searching for the elixir of life there. Pretty standard plot for a shonen manga but as I say, a standard plot can be great if done well. Jigokuraku is a very good example of that. The plot is really fast-paced, nothing is stretched any more than it needs to be and the plot twists constantly keep you on the edge.
Characters
I love how Gabimaru is written. He pretends to be very edgy and stuff but, he really cares for his wife. He thought he has no reason to live but, then he remembers about his wife and refuses to die. Gabimaru may be my favorite but Jigokuraku has a good share of characters and it focuses on each of them really well. For something so short, the character development in Jigokuraku sure is amazing.
Art
The art is freaking awesome. The design of the island, character, and scenery is just amazing. The world looks so amazing at all times; it looks like some painter made the world and I am not jesting. The art is very gripping and very intense once the fighting begins. The fights are also amazingly drawn and paced. I love every moment of it. It may not be god-tier like Boichi, Obata, or Kubo but it is still up there.
Why you should check out Jigokuraku?
Quick pointers on why you should check out this manga.
- Simple yet very interesting plot
- Amazing art
- Short to read
- Awesome cast of characters and good character development
Conclusion
That is all for now. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Jigokuraku was a very pleasant surprise for me. I didn’t think I’d end up liking it as much as I did so I really recommend that you check it out too. Also, another great manga Chihayafuru is coming to an end sadly. I’d like to talk about the whole Mappa situation the next week so stay tuned for that and yeah, see ya!
