The ninja romantic action drama "Jigokuraku," which was hugely popular when it was serialized in "Shonen Jump+," is finally being made into an anime. When it was serialized, it was mostly in black and white, so I had to imagine the colors of the bizarre island scenery and creatures in my head. When I saw the trailer that has already been released, I was surprised to see a world filled with far more vivid colors than I had imagined. When I imagine this bloody story unfolding in such a colorful world, it will surely be an incredible work, like a Hell and Paradise mandala manifested. Here we introduce all the information that has been released so far about the staff who produced this work and the voice actors who will breathe life into the characters!
Produced by MAPPA, the studio behind "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Chainsaw Man"
MAPPA, the animation production company known for hits like "Dororo," "Zombie Land Saga," "Jujutsu Kaisen," and "Chainsaw Man," is also producing the "Jigokuraku" anime. Originally founded in 2011 with the sole purpose of somehow bringing Fumiyo Kono's "In This Corner of the World" to the world, the company already had a different mindset and resolve. The production of "In This Corner of the World" apparently involved significant funding challenges, but as you all know, it became a massive hit after its release, with an incredibly long run. There's probably no need to explain the rapid success that followed, but just to mention the main ones, there's a slew of hit and talked-about titles, including "Ushio and Tora," "Yuri!!! on ICE," "Kakegurui," "Zombie Land Saga," "Dororo," "Dorohedoro," "Attack on Titan," "Jujutsu Kaisen," and "Chainsaw Man." With such talented people in charge of production, expectations are only growing for the anime version of "Hell's Paradise."
The director is Kaori Makita, known for "Twittering Birds Never Fly" and "Kakegurui Twin."
Kaori Makita has been chosen to direct "Hell's Paradise." Her directorial debut was "Twittering Birds Never Fly," a feature film adaptation of a BL manga set in the world of the Yakuza. This is the first film under Fuji TV's newly established BL-focused anime label, "BLUE LYNX." Prior to this, she directed "Tekyu," created the setting for "Terror in Resonance" and "Punchline," and directed "DAYS," "Shoukoku no Altair," and "BANANA FISH." The director is an up-and-coming director, this being his third film after "Twittering Birds Never Fly" and "Kakegurui Twin." From reading interviews, it seems he has a particular attention to detail in depicting the realism of small details, such as cigarette smoke or the way a shirt wrinkles, so it will be interesting to see how this attention to detail is expressed in the otherworldly, vibrantly colored world of "Hell's Paradise."
The character designs are by Hiroyuki Ito, who has worked on "Attack on Titan The Final Season" and "Durarara!!" Akitsugu Kuki, who served as animation director for "Jigokuraku" and other anime series
Akitsugu Kuki, character designer for the "Jigokuraku" anime, is a veteran freelance animator who has worked on numerous projects as animation director, storyboarder, character designer, and director. His notable works include "Baccano!", "Soul Eater", "Natsume's Book of Friends", "Durarara!", "Terror in Resonance", "One-Punch Man", "Yuri!!! on ICE", "BANANA FISH", and "Attack on Titan: The Final Season". As an ensemble drama, "Hell's Paradise" will have more characters than a normal story, but from looking at the characters that have already been announced, they have been very well adapted into anime characters while retaining the good points of the original characters, so expectations are building for the designs of other characters that will likely be introduced in the future.
The music is by Yoshiaki Dewa, who has worked on numerous TV drama and anime soundtracks.
The music for "Hell's Paradise" is by Yoshiaki Dewa, who has worked on numerous anime soundtracks, opening and ending themes, and other works, including the TV dramas "Hidari-Hikiki no Ellen" and "Village Vanguard," as well as "Yofukashi no Uta," "Heiken Sedai no Idaten-tachi," and "Shiroi Sand no Aquatope." Personally, the most memorable of these are the soundtrack for "Flying Witch," "Sayonara Gokko," sung by amazarashi as the ending theme for "Dororo," and "Borderline," the second opening theme for "86," also by amazarashi. Dewa-san is also a support member for amazarashi, and seems to be deeply involved in arranging and producing. I remember that the soundtrack for "Flying Witch" was very restrained and well-made, despite the atmosphere feeling like it respected the world of the work, so I'm very curious to see what the soundtrack for "Hell's Paradise," a bloody hellish mandala, will be like.
The opening theme for "Jigokuraku" is "W●RK" by millenium parade and Shiina Ringo.
"W●RK" is the opening theme for "Jigokuraku," a collaboration between millenium parade, a music project led by King Gnu core member and cellist Daiki Tsuneta, formed in 2019, and the Heisei era's most famous diva, Shiina Ringo. The song, written specifically for "Jigokuraku," features music, arrangement, and lyrics by millenium parade, with lyrics and vocals by Shiina Ringo. You can hear a snippet of the song in the second promotional video released on the official website. The majestic instrumental section featuring cello intertwines with Ringo Shiina's over-the-top vocals, creating a provocative track befitting the vibrantly colored Hell Mandala Scroll. I can't wait to hear the full track.
Gabimaru will be played by Chiaki Kobayashi, who also played Moriarty in "Moriarty the Patriot."
This time, the lead role of Gabimaru will be played by Chiaki Kobayashi, who played the lead role of Louis James Moriarty in "Moriarty the Patriot." He is also known for his roles as Shougo Taguchi in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Hiroto, the main character in Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE. When I looked into his career in order to write this article, I was surprised to learn that he will be playing the lead role of Mash Burndead in Mashle, which, like Jigokuraku, will begin airing as an anime in spring 2023. I couldn't quite imagine Gamimaru and Mash having the same voice, but after watching both PVs, it all made sense. Both characters are known for speaking quietly without showing much emotion, and they both become extremely angry when they lose their temper, which may be something they have in common.
The role of Sagiri will be played by Yumiri Hanamori, who also played Nadeshiko Kagamihara in "Laid-Back Camp△."
Yumiri Hanamori, who plays Sagiri, is undoubtedly best known for her role as Nadeshiko Kagamihara in "Laid-Back Camp△." However, she has also played a variety of roles, including Shizuku Yaegashi in "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest," Sui and Souta in "Darwin's Game," Sorao Kamikoshi in "Picnic in Another World," and Shizu in "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime." Recently, he voiced the lead character, Seika Lambrog, in "The Strongest Onmyoji: Reincarnation in Another World." Sagiri's character is both strong-willed and fragile, so I imagine it must be quite difficult to portray him, but from watching the promotional video, he perfectly captured my imagination, so I'm looking forward to seeing him perform in the film.
Aza Tokubei will be played by Ryohei Kimura, who also voiced Yugo Hachiken in "Silver Spoon."
Ryohei Kimura, who plays Aza Tokubei, is a voice actor who has frequently starred in "Noitamina" series. His first leading role was as Takizawa Akira in "Eden of the East," and he has also played Nishimi Kaoru in "Kids on the Slope," Yashio Kaito in "ROBOTICS;NOTES," and Hachiken Yugo in "Silver Spoon." He is also a talented voice actor who has played a wide range of roles, from leading roles to supporting roles and villains, including Kise Ryota in "Kuroko's Basketball" and Kamui Kirito in "PSYCHO-PASS 2." Most recently, he played the protagonist, Saito, in "Handyman Saito Goes to Another World." He is a soothing character, completely different from Tokubei, but his voice is exactly what I imagined, so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of anger he'll show in his portrayal of Tokubei and the range of his acting.
Kiruma will be played by Kensho Ono, who also plays Tetsuya Kuroko in "Kuroko's Basketball."
A veteran actor, Kensho Ono's most notable roles include the protagonist Tetsuya Kuroko in "Kuroko's Basketball," Ryunosuke Akutagawa in "Bungo Stray Dogs," Slaine Troyard in "Aldnoah.Zero," Giorno Giovanna in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind," and Yuri Briar in "SPY×FAMILY." He has played a wide variety of roles, from serious to comical. He is also known for dubbing the lead character Harry throughout the "Harry Potter" film series, and for playing the young Simba in Shiki Theatre Company's "The Lion King" as a child actor. Incidentally, his wife is also a famous voice actress, Kana Hanazawa. A quick online search reveals plenty of lovey-dovey stories. May you always remember them lol.
Magasaki is played by Rie Takahashi, who also played Megumin in "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!"
Rie Takahashi, who plays Magasaki, is known for her role in "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!" She is a voice actress known for her roles as Megumin in "Pretty Cure!" and Emilia in "Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-." I was a little surprised when I first found out that the same person was playing these two roles, but now that I think about it, they share a voice quality with a slightly raspy, low tone. She has also played a variety of heroine voices, including Cure Miracle in "Maho Girls PreCure!", Ernesti Echevarria in "Knights & Magic," and Takagi-san in "Teasing Master Takagi-san." Incidentally, she suffers from severe chunibyo syndrome, and apparently comes up with the chant for Megumin's explosive magic herself. For this reason, she is also credited as a chant setting collaborator in episode 6 of "Isekai Quartet 2." It will be interesting to see how Takahashi will portray the free-spirited feel of Kagami.
Senta will be played by Daiki Yamashita, who also plays Izuku Midoriya in "My Hero Academia."
Daiki Yamashita, who plays Senta, is known for his roles as Izuku Midoriya (Deku) in "My Hero Academia," Sakamichi Onoda in "Yowamushi Pedal," Narancia Ghirga in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind," and, in slightly more offbeat roles, Agetaro Katsumata in "Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro" and Hokuro in "Ranking of Kings." Judging from his previous roles, he seems to have played many hardworking and persevering characters, but he hasn't had much experience voicing chubby characters, so it will be interesting to see how he will portray Senta.
Iwao Tetsuto will be played by Toru Inada, who also voiced Iwao Iraku in "Kill la Kill."
Toru Inada is known for his deep, deep voice, and is a voice actor who often plays villains and supporting characters in numerous anime. Personally, I have a strong image of him acting in Trigger works, with roles such as Irakara Kamagori in Kill la Kill, Chief Overjustice in Space Patrol Luluco, and Alexis Kerib in SSSS.GRIDMAN all leaving a strong impression. He is also known for voicing numerous enemy executives and heroes in the Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai series. His love of professional wrestling led him to make his ring debut as a professional wrestler at the age of 48, which is why he had special feelings about the role of MAO/Macadamian Ogre in Kemono Michi: Rising. I think he is the perfect fit for the bold and rough voice of Gan Tessai.
The role of Tsukechi will be played by Aoi Ichikawa, who also voiced Mitsuru in "Darling in the Franxx."
Aoi Ichikawa, who will be playing Tsukechi, is a rising voice actor who made his debut in 2016. His notable roles include Mitsuru in his first regular role in "Darling in the Franxx," his assistant role in "Tejina Senpai," Takehaya Shizuya in the "Tsurune" series, and Igarashi Kurimu (Igaguri) in "Blue Lock." As a voice actor who is still developing, I look forward to seeing how he will portray Tsukechi.
The role of the Tenjo will be played by Yusuke Kobayashi, who also played Natsuki Subaru in "Re:ZERO − Starting Life in Another World."
Yusuke Kobayashi, who plays the Tenjo, is best known for his role as Natsuki Subaru in "Re:ZERO − Starting Life in Another World." He has also played Takamiya Hozuki in "Witch Craft Works" and in "There's Something Wrong with This Art Club!" He is also well known for his roles as Uchimaki Subaru in "The Heroic Legend of Arslan" (coincidentally a Subaru connection lol), Prince Arslan in "The Heroic Legend of Arslan", Ishigami Senku in "Dr. Stone", Sudo Kaname in "Darwin's Game", and Soma Kazuya in "How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom". His acting skills emphasizing eccentricities, such as his terrifying performance as Subaru in "Re:Zero" and Senku's "evil voice" in "Dr. Stone", are outstanding. This time he will be playing the hot-blooded, muscle-brained Tenzo, and it will be interesting to see what kind of performance he will give.
Nurgai will be played by Makoto Koichi, who also played Otome Sakura in "Lycoris Recoil."
The voice actress for Nurgai is Makoto Koichi. She made her anime debut in 2016, but prior to that she was active as a stage actress. While her performance as the cheeky junior Otome Sakura in "Lycoris Recoil" is still fresh in our minds, she is also known for her roles as Yuka Tokidate in "I Stand on a Million Lives" and Tsukasa Kisaragi in her debut work, "Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R." This voice actor is known for his slightly husky voice, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he plays Nurgai.
Shien will be played by Chikahiro Kobayashi, who also played Saichi Sugimoto in "Golden Kamuy."
Chikahiro Kobayashi, who plays Shien, is best known for his role as Saichi Sugimoto in "Golden Kamuy." He is also known for his roles as Ranga in "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime," Legoshi in "BEASTERS," and, more recently, Nagi in "Mononokegari." Shien shares similarities with Sugimoto Saichi in terms of his high fighting ability and quirky sense of humor, but I'm already excited to see how Kobayashi Chikahiro will portray "Sensei."
Eizen will be played by Makoto Furukawa, who also played Benimaru in "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime."
Makoto Furukawa, who plays Eizen, is probably best known for his role as Benimaru in "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime." He is also known for his roles as Taiju Oki in "Dr. Stone," Ronald in "The Vampire Dies in No Time," Shadiq Zeneli in "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury," and Sherlock Holmes in "Moriarty the Patriot." His most recent role was as Masayuki Muroi in the "Yuki Onna" arc of "Infiction Reasoning Season 2." Furukawa Makoto's mellow, manly voice is perfect for the role of Eizen, the leader of Yamada Asaemon, who mentors and leads those of lower rank such as Sakiri. I can't wait to see how Eizen will be portrayed, brought to life by Furukawa's acting.
The role of Kisei will be played by Shunichi Toki, who also played Glenn Litbite in "Monster Girl Doctor."
Shunichi Toki, who will be playing Kisei, is known for his role as Glenn Litbite, the protagonist of "Monster Girl Doctor." He is also known for his memorable roles as Ginji in "Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi," Wewecoyotl (Kohaku) in "Mayonaka no Occult Koifu," Sakuya in "Bucchigire!", and Kanon Thunderbird in "Kuroizu-san of the Monster Development Department." I'm looking forward to seeing how he portrays Kisei, who, to put it positively, is flexible, but to put it negatively, careless.
Volcano Oota, who plays Genji, has a very unusual background.
Genji is played by Volcano Oota. Currently 52 years old, he made his voice acting debut in 2016. Prior to that, he worked at Bandai, developing toys for boys. He has appeared in the media as a Digimon expert for the "Digital Monsters" series, which he developed himself. His toy development experience also led to him being the inspiration for a character named "Oota Kensuke," who shares his real name with his real name, in the manga "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koenmae Hashutsujo." He's quite the unusual voice actor. The only roles I'm familiar with from his previous roles are as Nagamasa Kehara in "My Hero Academia" and as Hototo's father in "Tenka Ranman!", but I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of performance he'll deliver.
Conclusion
"Hell's Paradise" is an ensemble drama, so just introducing the production staff and cast listed on the official website would take up a considerable amount of writing. Furthermore, voice actors for key characters like Mei, the Tensen, and Toka have yet to be announced, so there may be even more surprising casting announcements to come. It'll be a while until the full picture is revealed, so I'll be patient and eagerly await the show's broadcast.
