Review of Dororo

The adventure of Hyakkimaru & Dororo, and what an adventure it was. A weathered, angry sapling with its freshly bloomed makeup on; two companions whose goal is to not only survive, but to thrive and challenge the bane that is the land beneath their very feet. Underneath the sombre atmosphere that 'Dororo' (I'll quote the name of the anime to distinguish between the character) uses to tether the viewer's attention is a grand, beautiful & somewhat casual adventure. 'Dororo' is as raw and raw gets; but it has a pace. It's serene, yet condescending and that is what makes this anime adaption much more special thanthe manga & previous anime adaption. MAPPA have *almost* perfected an already perfect story.

Love, loss, lust; despair, distain, dishonour; the dark reality that encompasses the world of 'Dororo' & that is the immediate impression we are given and the one that stole my attention. And that is why I must give the story at 10/10...
Story (10/10):
This is no fairy tale (I suppose you can take that as a homophone too) nor is it your standard "protagonist vs the world" redemption story, this is a gripping, thriving and illustrously gloomy story that refills its fountain pen with the blood it spills. I have never seen such a splendid dance between a dystopia & a utopia. And it's consistent! An adventure that does not one bit betray its roots, not even for moments where the slim chance of hope becomes a hyperbolic fragment in an arc.
I never anticipated the first episode to become such a grand & bewildering story. As linear as the story is, that is what an adventure is supposed to be and 'Dororo' does not hesitate when sticking to that story. If you're a fan of becoming part of an adventure & experiencing two lost souls finding their place in the world, this story will bless you with a true feel of adventure unlike anything you've ever experienced before.
Easily a 10/10.

Art (9/10):
And yet another consistent part of 'Dororo' (although there are only some incredibly minor inconsistencies) that cosies the ironic serenity of the story in an airtight container; the perpetual unknowingness seeps through the fixated rain clouds & breaks through as our two companions seek enlightenment. What a heartwarming & wholesome way to give an already wholesome story a platform...
But yes, we do need to talk about the inconsistencies - one scene in particular which is just ridiculous and I hope whoever lazily animated it was fired immediately. Alas, it should not further taint an intentionally tainted story: 'Dororo's' art style is a visual symphony of horrors, glistened by the gory, rage-filled blades of Hyakkimaru. 9/10.

Sound (10/10):
Giiivveee meeee fiyyaaarrrrr!!! Wow, what a unique OP huh? Was not expecting a rap verse at all, but it worked and unironically suits Hyakkimaru's personality. Of course, it was met with yet another brilliant OP and therefore I cannot feel too much melancholy over no longer screaming along with the first OP and thus giving myself a sore throat.
And if you thought the OP was too "op", you should hear the endings... I much, much prefer the first ending due to how brisk yet warming it is and it sunk in with the closure of every episode. The latest one carries a different beauty that befits the latter half of Dororo.
As for the voice acting, Hyakkimaru has one of the best VAs I've ever heard. It fulfils the premise of his character fair better than his previous portrayal in the 80s production, but that's to be expected. 10/10 for me!

Character (9/10):
After refusing to pull several punches, you sort of "get it" with 'Dororo'. It's not going to let anyone off the hook and it certainly established that motif for me. But that's what made me, not only adore it, but mentally worship it. Worship it, because it is different and it completely owns it. You darn kids want to see some sort of "Mario rescues Princess Peach from the castle", well guess what: 'Dororo' will stab her through every artery in her body, roast her in lava, have her get ground-pounded by Bowser and let Mario discover her burnt, boneless corpse. That's 'Dororo' & that is how quickly a character can go from breathing to bleeding.
Hyakkimaru & Dororo are the most ironically innocent and compelling duo, they were fated to meet by destiny it seems and their adventure was already set in motion from the moment they were born. Hyakkimaru is certainly a unique character, as after all he is the focus here. I use "unique character" elusively here, as he is a samurai and he is well-versed in sword fighting as you'd expect, but he is so brutal, he is so unrelenting. You can feel the fire burning in his polysterine heart and while he can't feel anything on the outside, he certainly can on the inside. And that is what distinguishes Hyakkimaru from other samurai characters: he refuses to let his disability define him and rather he takes full esteem of it. Excellent character, excellent development and excellent portrayal. As for Dororo, she needn't change all too much... the adventure was her's after all, and she developed with it.
While the upsides overwhelm the downsides, there is one lingering thing I cannot get over: how does Hyakkimaru learn to talk properly right away? He couldn't hear anyone, he cannot possibly have learned it overnight... the lack of clarifaction there is what prevents me from giving it a 10/10. So that means it's a 9/10!

Enjoyment (10/10):
Easily a 10/10. I always keep a watch of countdowns to when a new episode would air on Amazon Prime & get even more excited after being reimmersed into the gorgeously gloomy world of 'Dororo'. The ambience surrounding the careful brew of adventure, action and tragedy is what allows this anime to thrive in my heart while leaving wakes of sorrow. The intensity from fight scenes showed no signs of limits and the animators definitely had a lot of fun displaying Hyakkimaru's exceptional fighting capabilities. Absolutely loved how overwhelmingly destructive he is with his swords, very much reminds me of Gintama's brutality and gore in fight scenes.

'Dororo' left a welt in the centre of my chest & let it overgrow with roses and tulips. Bittersweet is one way to describe it, however I would love to again revisit how consistent this anime is. Perhaps it was the adventure aspects followed by the linear quest of Hyakkimaru, but it felt so raw in a way where you don't really know who to empathise with. It never forgot the story it was portraying nor did it leave behind the important values of the two main characters. They grow together, they evolve together; they try to escape the cradle of fate and repaint the land with a fresh coat of red paint.
If it's not the unrelenting gore of 'Dororo' that carves its name in your heart, then it'll be Dororo's wholesome smile that will transform your screen into a mirror. And for that reason, I have to give this absolute masterpiece a 10.
Remember to always look forward & persevere together! Just like these two.