Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 2 (2)

This series continues to impress - creepy, atmospheric, strong characterizations, and a story that you really don't know where it will go. Although the focus on the first book was the pairing of Gabimaru and Sagiri, we are also given more backstory on several other characters as well. At the heart, though, is the mysterious island - is it truly real or have they died and gone to hell? Story: Their first day on the island as been terrifying - with a constant slate of monsters big and small as well as the small band of psychotic and dangerous fellow prisoners. As Gabimaru the Hollow and his handler, Sagiri, fight to find the elixir that will save Gabimaru, they begin to question the nature of the island. An unlikely alliance with a fellow ninja and her two handlers could spell luck or disaster as it plays out. I really appreciate that we get perspectives from the other criminals. Each has a unique relationship with their handler and all seem to want to survive for interesting reasons. Also interesting is that the mindless killers/psycopaths seem to be the ones dying first, leaving the more interesting and conflicting guys to create scary alliances. Each perspective also gives us a different view and opinion on the island - the most interesting one this volume coming from a pair trying to escape by boat. There is a lot of character growth for Sagiri in this chapter as her gender is used to disgrace her and force her out of the path of the Samurai. As well, she begins to understand more her weaknesses compared to someone as efficient at killing as Gabimaru. This is definitely a horror manga but there is a lot here to really invest a reader. Interesting characters, lots of backstory, a huge mystery, and plenty of action. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

The story picks up exactly where the first volume left off, with Gabimaru The Hollow on an enigmatic island with a band of vicious criminals. As established in that first volume, Gabimaru s a skilled ninja who is incapable of dying, despite witnessing several torturous methods of execution attempted against him. He was sent to the island to compete for a pardon to be released from his ninja duties and live a normal life. It is clear that the insidious creatures on the island are no match to Gabimaru in the initial chapter, but he may meet his match in the newly introduced Yuzuriha and her feminine wiles. We then meet more individuals on the island and learn their backstory in flashbacks. I always enjoy the use of flashbacks, so that was a good edition to this volume. There is an interesting underlying theme of one’s internal motivations for living and the actions they choose. Gender roles also play a role in the character’s lives in a prevalent way. There is a good deal of violence and combat in this volume, but not as much as the first installment. There is also nudity featured in this one. I enjoyed the first volume in this manga series and was excited for further installments to be published. For me, this collection of chapters 7-16 in the story was not as enjoyable as the first volume as it felt slow. I know second books in series are often not as good due to having to set the stage for more to occur later, but with nine already published volumes, I would have thought this would have been more similar to the first book in terms of content and underlying meaning. This does end on a cliffhanger and as I’m still invested in the story, I’ll be on the lookout for volume three. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a PDF of this title for review.

Jumps off the first volume perfectly and this series is honestly amazing

I bought this for my daughter in law and she loves it.