There's a certain quality about bloody battle manga like Gantz and Attack on Titan where it feels like our main characters could die at any moment. They're an addictive subgenre, and to those hungry for another blood-soaked title that they can sink their teeth into, look no further than Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. The series began serialization in Shonen Jump+ in 2018 and ended its run in January 2021 with 13 collected volumes. Hell's Paradise is a dark and bloody action manga seeping with style and tension and it's exactly what you should make your next manga binge.
Hell's Paradise opens on the execution of Gabimaru the Hollow, a master ninja, infamous for his cold-bloodedness during his missions and complete lack of empathy for those he slaughters. Gabimaru is about to be beheaded, but the blade simply snaps on impact with his neck. The ninja on death row seems apathetic about living, but every execution attempt, from being burned at the stake to being pulled apart by cattle, ends in complete failure. During his imprisonment, he starts talking with a record keeper about his life with the Iwagakure shinobi clan and how he was married to the chief's daughter. It's then revealed the record keeper is actually an executioner from a famous clan of blade testers and offers Gabimaru an opportunity to earn his freedom.
Existing in the southwest seas is a mysterious island known as Shinsenkyo, known for its beautiful floral environment. Rumor has it that an elixir of life exists somewhere on this island, said to grant immortality to whoever drinks it. However, the island itself is a complete mystery as anyone who returns from there comes back as a smiling corpse overgrown with flowers. To earn his freedom and return to his wife, Gabimaru must venture to Shinsenkyo, along with several other death row criminals, and bring back the elixir of life for the shogun.
What gets you invested in Hell's Paradise quickly is that no time is wasted in these early chapters. Chapter one establishes Gabimaru, Chapter two introduces the rest of the supporting cast made of the criminals and executioners being sent on this voyage, and by chapter three, we have already made landfall on this mysterious island. It's set a high bar of a goal in mind, and from there, its 127 chapter run is in service of achieving that goal. There's no filler or fluff that slows down the pacing of this suicide mission, and the manga is still able to explore its characters and world to its fullest potential.
Furthermore, while it has a more serious tone, Hell's Paradise definitely strikes that Suicide Squad feel if you're still craving it after the most recent James Gunn movie. Initially, 40 or so prisoners are selected for this deadly excursion, except instead of having bombs implanted in their heads, each inmate is paired alongside one of the Yamada Asaemon clan. They are all master executioners famous for their ability to decapitate a person in a single swing without any pain. Should a prisoner try to escape, attack their executioner, or provoke them in any way, their partner will kill them before they even realize it.
Like Suicide Squad you get the feeling right away that anyone in this cast could die at any moment, not just from what may be hiding on this island but from the very men and women they are partnered alongside, and that really makes for a tense read as you're never sure when you can drop your guard, just like these very prisoners.
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Take Gabimaru's partner, Sagiri, for example. Sagiri is unique in that she is one of the very few female executions in the Yamada Asaemon clan, and that has unfairly earned her a lot of contempt from some of her more "traditionalist" relatives. While a bit inexperienced, Sagiri is no slouch when it comes to the blade. She's skilled enough to keep Gabimaru on his guard, and her strict and diligent personality bounces off the easygoing ninja quite well.
Sagiri isn't the only compelling character in this roster, either; even the MC, Gabimaru, has more going on than he first lets on. Gabimaru was raised to be the ultimate killing machine for his clan, which is how he earned the nickname "The Hollow," but married life was what opened his heart to emotion. Gabimaru's wife made him feel things he used to think were unnecessary. She taught him what it meant to be human and that, ultimately, he doesn't have to live a life soaked in blood if he doesn't want to.
This is why Gabimaru is on this deathtrap of an island in search of an elixir that may not even be real. All so that he can return to his wife and start a life that she can proud of. It's a simple motivation, but an earnest as well, especially in how he states it so boldly in the face of the overwhelming obstacles he faces on this island.
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The rest of the supporting cast all bring a fun and unique perspective to this situation. The fun-loving kunoichi, Yuzuhira, is a realist about their circumstances, but crafty enough to know how to use the people around her to her advantage. The Bandit King, Aza Chobei, is fearless no matter what he faces and is prepared to rip and tear everything in his path just to have the elixir of life for himself. Even the other executioners like Tenza and Shion, who carry honor and compassion in their hearts, can see that these convicts are more than criminals, and can put aside their differences in service of survival.
Of course, what elevates this series is how strongly it's communicated that this really is a suicide mission for these characters, as deeper, they venture into the island, the more dangerous it becomes. Yuji Kaku brings out the most horrific and unnatural designs into the ecology and wildlife of Shinsekyo. From the unnatural human-faced insects that inhabit the forest, to the more bizarre monsters that seem to share commonality with both Tao and Buddhist symbolism, to even what lies at the heart of this island, waiting and watching the humans have come here.
As of writing this, the series has concluded, and 10 of its 13 total physical volumes have already received western releases. If you'd like a more affordable way to test if the series is for you or not, all 127 chapters of the series are also available to read on the Viz Media website with a Shonen Jump subscription of $2 a month. If you're looking for a solid battle manga with some excellent art, fun characters, and a tense atmosphere, give Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku a shot.
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