The land of Daigo is the most prosperous in all sixteenth-century Japan. Harvests are always plentiful, natural disasters unheard of, and the epidemics that once devastated the domain have vanished. However, this prosperity comes at a cost: in an insignificant village on the edge of a river, a boy lives in darkness. His eyes stare sightlessly, his false ears do nothing to break the silence that has enveloped him since birth, and the prosthetic limbs that allow him to survive can feel neither pain nor pleasure. His name is Hyaakimaru, and he is the son of Daigo Kagemitsu, the lord who sixteen years earlier sacrificed his firstborn in exchange for power over a flourishing land. Most of Hyaakimaru’s body was torn from him at birth, leaving him a blind, deaf, mute invalid whom Daigo immediately ordered drowned in the river. But unbeknownst to Daigo, Hyakkimaru survived with the help of a doctor who took him in and built him a prosthetic body. But once Hyaakimaru discovers his past, he will stop at nothing to regain his true body, and all the land of Daigo will suffer the consequences. This is the premise of Dororo, a 24-episode anime series that remakes a 1969 series of the same name. The titular character is a street urchin who latches onto Hyaakimaru. Her relationship with the mysterious warrior forms the heart of the story. Their personalities are completely different— she chatters nonstop, while he scarcely utters a word even after he regains his voice— but a strong friendship springs up between them. Hyaakimaru’s father-figure Jukai, younger brother Tahomaru, and mother Nui, along with an enigmatic blind wanderer, form a cast of supporting characters that keeps the story interesting— when it focuses on them, at least. Unfortunately, the show lags in the middle. About halfway through, attention is diverted from the main plot in order to follow Dororo and Hyakkimaru as they wander around and fight a bunch of random monsters. However, this problem can be alleviated by simply skipping episodes 13-15. Read the summaries on Wikipedia for relevant plot details. I also recommend skipping episode 19, in which a mischievous imp mind-controls Hyakkimaru so that he agrees to marry a girl he just met. It’s quite stupid and has very little to do with the other episodes. Although the show is set in Japan during the Warring States period, it’s never clear why one doctor has the knowledge to build fully functional prosthetic limbs, but if you can suspend disbelief about this, Dororo proves to be a thoroughly enjoyable show. One of its greatest strengths is in its symbolism. Certain objects take on great meaning due to the context in which they appeared earlier in the show, so that by the climax, a character repairing a headless statue shows us more than could be explained in a thousand words. Content Dororo contains more violence than necessary. In nearly every episode, Hyaakimaru stabs something, and blood sprays across the screen. There are also a few particularly disturbing scenes, such as when severed fingers are briefly displayed at the beginning of episode 3. One character is a prostitute, although this is handled in the least lewd way possible. She’s a very compelling character; a conversation between her and Dororo in episode 6 is one of the most moving and heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever watched. There are a few instances of ‘damn’ and ‘hell’ in the subtitles. Themes In Dororo, undoing injustice proves to be much more complicated than killing the bad guy. As Hyaakimaru continues his quest to regain his body, he is faced not with increasingly powerful monsters, but with a moral dilemma: his body is rightfully his, but recovering it will break his father’s pact with the demons, ending the land’s prosperity. Jukai warns him that if he continues his single-minded quest, he will regain a body stained with human blood— and may perhaps not even be human at all. The risk is clear: Hyaakimaru may get his body, but at the cost of his soul. Thus, undoing the evil done by Daigo’s pact proves to be much more difficult than it was for Daigo to sacrifice his son in the first place. In the end, self-sacrifice and forgiveness win the day, although the characters’ earlier actions still have painful consequences. If that last sentence sounds vague, that’s because I’m trying to avoid spoilers. There are a few mentions of Buddha, but the religion of ancient Japan plays a very small role in the story. More attention is given to the idea that taking the lives of others could lead to losing one’s own humanity. As for the demons, they are not demons in the biblical sense, but demons from Japan’s mythology. They come in many different forms, most of them looking like giant mutated animals, but are all similar in that they want to eat humans. Hyakkimaru is warned that his quest for his body could lead to him becoming a demon, although it is unclear whether this means he would literally transform into a monstrous beast, or that his heart would become so hardened that he could never recover. Conclusion Although Dororo suffers from violence and a saggy middle, the story pulls together for a thrilling and satisfying climax. Dororo is an immediately lovable character, and the change she and other characters work in Hyaakimaru is both subtle and profound. Overall, the show is worth watching. If you want to avoid some of the extraneous subplots and get to that climax quickly, I recommend skipping episodes 4, 7, 13-15, and 19-20.
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It is a little-known fact that I am part of Flying Hippo Productions, a movie studio that makes short films with low budgets. Furthermore, as we released a new film a few days ago, I thought I would share it on my blog. 'How to Make Friends' exceeds the quality of any Flying Hippo production before it, as it was the first film to be recorded with an actual camera as opposed to an iPhone. The actors also used microphones to pick up crisp and clear dialogue. The plot revolves around a farmer who has just purchased a load of hay. Unbeknownst to him, a dangerous terrorist group has hidden a bomb in the hay and is determined to retrieve it. Enjoy the movie! |
Progress on Doombear, Rough draft:10%
Progress on The Lore of Yore, third draft:
100%
"In truth, by leaving, I was seeking only one thing. A journey."
-Oathbringer, pg 981 Types of blog posts:
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