Review of Dororo

Dororo is an incredible story steeped in the darkest Japanese folklore and the horrors of feudal Japan at war. I absolutely loved the way it weaves demon pacts and snarling, suffering yokai into the political and personal turmoil of the time period, giving us a mysterious and almost alien central character who has effectively been robbed of his humanity. Hyakkimaru, our cursed boy, is faced with a journey that has him literally seeking out his own stolen humanity in the form of his lost body parts and senses, and as he does so he is faced with what acquiring these parts of himself through brutalviolence means for his humanity in a more abstract and emotional sense. This is the central concern of the series, and it remains a compelling one throughout.

Alongside that we get a lot of great character studies, a constant stream of new and fascinating monsters and creatures, and beautiful visuals. Dororo is also very loveable, and their partnership is really nice to watch evolve as Hyakkimaru regains more of his senses. Perfect.