Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is an action-adventure manga set in Historical Japan by Yuji Kaku. Gabimaru the Hollow is an assassin who has been consigned to his death when he is offered a chance to escape this fate. He must find an elixir of immortality on an island filled with other prisoners who also wish to escape execution. Asaemon Sagiri is an executioner assigned to Gabimaru. She is, however, afraid of killing and the lives she takes weigh heavy on her. She acts as Gabimaru’s warden on the island and intends to use this opportunity to both fulfil her duty, as well as understand Gabimaru’s ability to not let the lives he’s taken affect him.

The art style for this manga is excellent. The thick lines and well-done double panels really serve as a strong point of this manga. The use of metaphorical imagery in using images of bodies hanging off characters to convey how killing weighs on them is a well thought out choice and is an impactful way to show their, especially Sagiri’s, emotional state. All the imagery is very good, and I find that all the characters, even ones who die, have unique and interesting designs that convey a lot of personality.

The storytelling is decent so far. I found that the concept of a battle royale for the elixir carried the story for me. The way the narrator was used at the beginning of the story helped set the tone perfectly. Most of the dialogue is strong, however a lot of characters, Gabimaru especially, convey their personality through telling us it instead of showing it. One scene particularly is from chapter 2 where Gabimaru confronts the emperor. I found this scene to be somewhat out of place. Beyond this Gabimaru and Sagiri’s backstories were very strong. The first chapter really got me to like Gabimaru’s character, while simultaneously getting me invested in the manga. The pacing felt off to me at some points, particularly between chapter 2 and 3. This transition felt jarring. Otherwise, I had very few issues.

The strongpoints of this manga are the art, the characters, character designs and the overall plot of the story is very interesting. The weaknesses are some instances of odd pacing and scenes that tell not show details egregiously.

If I had to compare this to a manga, Cage of Eden has a similar plot. If one likes action manga with brutal fighting or survival games, I recommend this manga.

In conclusion, I like this volume. The overall plot is very interesting and despite some nit-picks, I look forward to reading volume 2. I’d give it a 4.2/5 rating.

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