Review of Dororo

After a 12-hour marathon of the series with Gigguk, I found that while the show has a lot of potential, it's hindered by a low budget, inconsistent animation, and poor pacing in the storytelling. The initial concept is straightforward yet rich with potential: A daimyo sacrifices his firstborn child to demons in exchange for power and prosperity, and the child must battle 12 demons to regain his humanity. The title "Dororo" doesn't hold much significance for me, even though some argue that Dororo is Hyakkimaru's reason to fight and stay sane. In truth, it's his family's rejection and his adoptive father's world that ground Hyakkimaru.Aside from treasure hunting and a tragic past, Dororo doesn't add much to the story.

The anime can be divided into two arcs. The first 12 episodes are definitely the high point. Despite some inconsistent animation and odd pacing, the plot has a clear focus, and each standalone episode is memorable with just the right amount of brutality and fatality. The animation quality in the second arc decreases significantly; episode 15 has become a meme in the anime community, even though plot-wise, it's a good episode. The latter half's animation quality is acceptable, but the plot feels somewhat aimless. The final climax is also dull, with many characters making questionable decisions. Overall, with a better budget, animation, and pacing, this show could be much better because some standalone episodes have really good plots. I was surprised to see it has such a high score on MyAnimeList.