Introduction
“Dororo” is a captivating anime that takes you on a journey through a brutal depiction of samurai times, even without the monsters.
The story revolves around a child named Hyakkimaru, who was born with a terrible curse and his journey to defeat the demons that cursed him.
The plot has so much depth to it, and it tells its story with great pacing. Hyakkimaru is a likable and empathetic character, making him one of the easiest characters to cheer on for.
The art is dark and moody, which adds so much to the atmosphere.
A Gritty Depiction of the Samurai Era
The anime does not romanticize the samurai era whatsoever. There was a time when a samurai’s primary goal was collecting the heads of enemies, even if it meant taking them by force from allies.
After all, the survivor tells the tale. The country is in a state of desolation – Hyakkimaru’s father and lord performed the sacrifice to bring prosperity to his state.
Samurai or peasant, honor is a scarce resource when starvation grips the soul.
The Blend of Old School and Modern Animation
“Dororo” is a dark fantasy adventurous tale with supernatural elements and dealing with characters’ emotional journey of discovery.
From its very few episodes, you can notice an old school feeling that blends with modern quality productions.
The original series had a much simpler animation style with cartoony character designs and black and white quality.
MAPPA and Tezuka Productions decided to take their style to bring these characters to modern standards.
Character Development: Hyakkimaru's Journey
The more Hyakkimaru regrows, the more human he becomes and learns about the world around him.
However, he becomes more obsessed with the next kill the closer he gets to completion. His arc is fantastic, culminating in a crazy scenario that I don’t even want to hint at.
A Perfect Blend of Realism and Folklore
“Dororo” is a great mix between realism and old Japanese folktale, and a great mix between action, drama, and mystery. Everything this anime does is shockingly well.
The animation is smooth, the writing is great, and most importantly the atmosphere is unparalleled.
The world is immersive and deep, and while the main character himself can’t speak a word it’s incredible how much you’re able to feel for him and everything he’s going through.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Dororo” is a refreshing-sad yet encouraging take on samurai-themed anime in decades. It’s heartwarming, filled with emotions and meaning highly intact in us as human beings.
It’s one of the best historical anime series out there folks, you just gotta check this out!
