Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku

There is no other manga like Hell's Paradise, and there is no other creator like Yuji Kaku. His art has the ability to take people's breath away, and Hell's Paradise is a one-of-a-kind historical manga. Because it's a shonen manga, you can expect a lot of raw action, fantastical creature design, cartoonish character writing, and a high-stakes plot.

This stunning manga is set at the end of Japan's Edo period, and the protagonist, Gabimaru the Hollow, is a young, merciless, legendary ninja from the Iwagakure clan. Gabimaru's head is on the executioner's block when the story begins. The executioner in question is Sagiri, a samurai executioner from the Yamada Asaemon clan. Fortunately for Gabimaru, Sagiri offers him an ultimatum: a pardon for his crimes and a life of freedom in exchange for a dangerous mission on the shogun's behalf.

Gabimaru and Sagiri will be taken on a mission to an uninhabited island off Japan's southwest coast. This island is said to be Shinsenkyo, a legendary paradise. However, almost no one who has visited the island has ever returned. Those who have been transformed into half-dead creatures with flowers and branches sprouting from their bodies are monstrous. Hell's Paradise is a mash-up of historical and fantasy manga, with a focus on the fantastic. But it's the attention to historical detail that makes it appealing to history buffs. Caleb Cook, the master translator, has done an excellent job on this one. And at the end of each volume, you are given a page full of facts about the manga's history, culture, and language.

Author: Yuji Kaku

Original run: January 22, 2018 – January 25, 2021
Volumes: 13

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/hells-paradise-manga/s?k=hells+paradise+manga