I loved the concept of the story and the artwork, yet sometimes it felt a bit jumbled to follow along. Overall, it was a fascinating read.

Thank you to Viz Media and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This was an interesting book. The story started off slowly with an attempted execution and then veers into a path I would not have expected. The mystery aspect of the plot drew me in. And while it started slow I got to the end of volume 1 and immediately wanted to see what would happen in volume 2. If you are a fan of "Attack on TItan" I could definitely see you picking up and thoroughly enjoying this title.

The artwork was really well done, but that was about the only thing I enjoyed from this manga. I liked the idea of the story, but thought that it could and should have been carried out better. The gore/torture didn't really bother me, but I didn't enjoy the characters and that ultimately killed it for me.

The premise of the book is interesting. The character was one-dimensional at first, but broke out of that pretty quickly. It's a ninja & battle royale type series, with a very powerful protagonist who wants to get back to his wife. There's a ridiculous amount of gore, body horror, and torture in this manga, which threw me off. This is definitely not my type of manga/book/series, unfortunately, so I gave it 2 stars and won't continue reading it. However, if that's your thing, you'll likely enjoy this book. The art style is cool, and fitting for this manga. The plot was confusing, and so were some of the main characters. Not everything was explained clearly, and the reader doesn't get to know the characters very well before the main part of the plot is introduced.

Gabimaru the Hollow is a ninja well-known for his detachment and lack of feelings. He is also seemingly immortal. He is set to be executed but is given a chance at a pardon from the Shogunate if he finds and retrieves the Elixir of Life. I absolutely loved this story. It is so creative and well-written. The main character is likable despite being a trained killer and I am anxious for the next volume so I can find out what happens next.

If I ever imagined the child of Kakashi (Naruto) and Danzai (Bungo Stray Dogs), then I’m pretty sure Gabimaru the Hallow would be the result. He doesn’t understand emotions well, is very hard to kill, and still manages to have cute moments while being buried in blood. I read the first volume of Gabimaru’s story, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, so fast I forgot that I was meant to be reviewing this book not just reading for pleasure.
I will admit, I wasn’t expecting so much horror or blood, but that made Hell’s Paradise way better. The intense scenes made me feel the emotions stronger than I would have otherwise. On my second read-through, I realized that, despite there being two main characters, Gabimaru’s story is the main focus (at least in the first book). This isn’t a bad thing as it allows readers to really get into the story and teases more backstory for the second character. I also realized that Gabimaru isn’t just going on an adventure, he’s on an Epic quest. Like the Odyssey, the initial crew dwindles and they meet fantastic monsters.
I can’t wait to read more as this artistry continues! If you like horror, fantasy, and any powerful/emotionless characters like Kakashi or Danzai, I recommend you read it too!

Hell's Paradise Volume 1:Jigokuraku by Yuji Kaku

1 star

This should've been right up my alley. I am conflicted. Is horror manga not for me? I doubt it because I love Attack on Titan and Death Note, but this was not it. I wanted to love this, but I low-key kind of despised it. The concept has promise. We follow a man who is known as The Hollow and is about to be executed. Every execution attempt does not work and the woman interviewing him reveals why. He still wants to live even though he claims otherwise and he is being given the opportunity to be pardoned of his crimes if he travels to an island that is supposed to be Paradise. However, every time they send people out for expeditions they don't come back. Or if they do they aren't humans anymore, but flowers. Interesting premise, but I didn't care for the art style and it didn't work for me. Maybe I would prefer the anime, but even then I don't think so because the plot did not interest me and I could care less. I am sad. This could've been really good, but I think the storyline is what killed it for me. Also, what's up the random sexualized drawings of woman's boobs and butts. Why were they randomly naked in title sequences? What purpose did this serve, but to continue to perpetuate my issues with the sexualization of women in comics and graphic novels? It made NO SENSE and it had nothing to do with the plot or storyline. I am confused. Anyway, this was a flop and I don't even care if he ever gets back to his wife nor what is really going on the island. I am unbothered and sad because I was supposed to like this one.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1

Character Scale: 1

Plotastic Scale: 1

Art Scale: 1

Cover Thoughts: The colors are beautiful. I love the cover, but it's the only art in this whole 200 page manga that I cared about.

Thank you, Netgalley and Viz Media, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my! I couldn't put this down! I requested the second volume right away! If you love Naruto, then you may like this. But this is darker than Naruto when it comes to the ninjutsu. Gabimaru, the Hollow, is attached to nothing or so he thought. During his many executions, he can not seem to die until a Female decapitator by the name of Asaemon the Beheader, comes to grant his wish. Gabimaru realizes that is he isn't hollow. He has an attachment to the one people who love him unconditionally, his wife. Gabimaru is recruited by Asaemon the Beheader to go on a quest to find the elixir of life; by completing, this quest Gabimaru will be pardoned and reunite with his wife.

Naruto meets Made in Abyss with serious dark vibes and violence


Read this! You will be hooked within the first pages of this manga. You will want to buy or scour the internet for the rest of the volumes—definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

A manga full of violence and gore, but I was drawn to it. The convicts and their escorts and the weird island, most of all the art style is good enough to draw me in. and I loved every second of it! This is one of my new favorites and I can't wait to tel everyone I know to read it!

Not for me. Another historical shonen with violence and gore. Not for me. Another historical shonen with violence and gore.

One of the better mangas I've read! I like the art style a lot. I wish it was in full color like the cover (which is gorgeous!) but I still enjoyed it. Lots of action and the main character grew on me after a while. Some panels were better than others when it came to the art style, and I found the panels with more scenery or not any people tended to be a lot higher quality, so it was a little frustrating to have the back and forth quality shifts. The closeups of our main character were pretty bad sometimes.

I did really enjoy the story though. Pretty exciting. And the pages that marked the new chapters were gorgeous! Overall I think I'll give this 3.5 stars.

What does a ninja, convicts on death row, and their executioner guards do on an impossible island quest to find an Elixir of Life? It's a battle royale in the survival of the fittest with deceptions and betrayals galore!

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As a fan of the ongoing FREE simulpub on Viz Media's website and Manga Plus (global), I was extremely pleased to see this series finally available in print! It's also fun to see if they had any hints of who was going to survive to last up to the current chapters from the beginning too.

It's a gory ride of a read with nonsensical things happening left and right and not knowing who will survive this slaughterfest of an island. Super-powered ninja Gabimaru is on death row but he finds the will to live after several attempts to kill him. In exchange for a pardon of all crimes, he is guarded by Sagiri, who is a female Yamada Asaemon executioner, and sent on an impossible quest to Shinsenkyo with other prisoners and Yamada Asaemon guards.

My favorite part of the book was the monsters that appear at the end with their grotesque combo of human and plant/bug features. The story has some gory action scenes (not crazy insane, but still out of this world) and horror in form of the great unknown of a hostile environment quest. The scariest part of the series is not knowing what overpowered thing will show up next and nobody is safe from death.

The artwork is very good! You won't be disappointed. The horrific scenes where the bodies are blooming flowers and have deranged faces will stay in your memory for quite a while. I particularly enjoyed the potential death scenarios from each person's killer intent, where they know they could possibly be killed and then they back down. Another part of the art that I liked was the allegory for the toll of killing people has on your psyche, with Sagiri struggling with dead souls climbing up her body after she executes them and then mirroring it with Gabimaru's rabid style of killing and no regrets in selling his soul to kill others in the glimpse through the reflection of her sword.

Extra perks in the volume include Hell's Paradise Fashion Review of all the characters between chapters.

Overall, great translation, but the story doesn't envelop you completely by the end of the volume so it gets ★★★★☆. I would recommend picking this up when volume 2 comes out for the most satisfying binge with more strange monsters and battles. If you want to read ahead, you can also read the entire series legally online if you have a Shonen Jump membership for $1.99/month!

Note: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing this e-arc!

This manga was very good. The idea is something i'm very intrigued by. I think it's one of my favorite tropes, the idea of a slow burn elimination plot. The characters are complex right from the start. And the art is very good.

4 stars

This is such an interesting concept. Between the background story of the beheaders and the prisoners, it’s so different. It makes me more curious what will happen in later volumes. Plus the whole island is so cool as well.

I liked this one.

The first 60+ pages is just the government trying to kill Gabimaru the Hollow after his ninja clan betrayed him, leaving him to die because he asked to be retired from service in order to spend more time with his wife. However, Gabimaru seems to unconsciously be resisting them at every turn. He claims he wants to die, but the act cannot be completed until an expert sword executioner comes to observe him, identifies his problem and offers him absolution from his actions if he can just bring back the elixir of life.

Things start to heat up from there as the competition arrives, each paired up with their own executioner to keep them from bailing. Action sequences are quick and to the point with some gaps in the movement, probably to convey just how quick and efficient these killers are to the reader.

The art is fairly detailed and well drawn. Lots of gore for those who love it, dark and bold. Action words do eat up a fair chunk of the art space on occasion however. Some people might not like that.

For me personally, I enjoyed the balance of gore, background history, and talk. Gabimaru the Hollow's reason for wanting to live makes him seem...sweet, deep down. More like an actual person than just a killing machine, which I think was the point of it.

Definitely look forward to getting my hands on the next volume and continuing the series!

This is so weird and so different and SO dark!
Gabimaru is an infamous ninja. Known as "the hollow" he is thought to be impossible to kill. In fact, he has been sentenced to death but the emperor's men are finding it REALLY hard to kill him. So instead they give him a task: find and bring back the elixir of life. The problem is, the elixir is supposed to be hidden on a fantastical island paradise - from which men keep coming back either in pieces, or appearing to be turning into plants. Also, the emperor is sending a bunch of other condemned criminals to find the elixir and compete to be the only one left standing (thus getting a pardon).
The island is SUPER creepy too.. but I won't say more. Just that I REALLY liked this one

I really liked the plot of Hell's Paradise: Jigojuraku. The characters are likable, if a little cliche at times. The artwork is momotly good but it sometimes gets busy and hard to discern what the image is. The plot more than made up for it and I look forward to seeing what happens to the characters next.

Wow. I cannot wait for volume 2 to be out. The story has me completely intrigued. An assassin is finally caught. He is Gabimaru the Empty and he just wants to die. Or does he? The first part of the book is his captors trying to execute him and I love it. No matter what they do he won't die. So, they bring in a special beheader who makes him a deal. Go on a quest and they will let him go live a peaceful life. It has everything you want in a good quest story. There are high stakes and the art is beautiful. Such a good book.

I really enjoyed this. It was fast paced and clear. The world building was interesting and the characters are dynamic. The art was cool. I'm super curious to see where the plot is going. Definitely want to read the next one.

<em>Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku</em> wasn't what I expected, and every time I thought I had a handle on what it was going to be it changed again. The initial premise gave me hope for "Suicide Squad, but in the forest from Annihilation"; the emperor has assembled a group of prisoners who have a choice between being executed or searching for the elixir of life on a mysterious island that will either kill them or turn them into living flower beds. Cool, sure, that could be interesting. Except that they also need to kill each other because only one person can win a royal pardon (and the emperor likes watching people die!). Cool, so it's gonna be the fantasy version of Battle Royale then? No, because all but maybe five characters get killed off-screen.

What I'm saying is that it feels a little disjointed. Each individual part of the set-up could lead to something cool, whether it's the ninja whose wife is slowly convincing him to be a human being, or the executioner who wants to learn how to kill without regrets, or the body horror island! They just didn't seem to gel together into a coherent whole for me. A lot of the dramatic moments that I would have expected to take a volume on their own – alliances being made and broken, for example – happen off-page. It's <em>weird</em>. The art is mostly fine, although there are some panels that I had to squint at to parse – yes, that butterfly does have a human face, and yes it's <em>exactly</em> as nope as that sounds! – and I have Questions about the choice to manifest the executioner's guilt as skeletons latching onto her naked body. I assume it's an ero-guro thing, which would make sense with the amount of body horror and gore here, but it still pings weirdly.

I might keep reading this, but honestly all of my emotional investment is in the two female characters, and I'm pretty sure that this isn't going to end well for either of them.

[Caution warning: gore, murder, abuse, mutilation, body horror] [This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley]