‘Dorohedoro’ blends a darkly fantastical realm with a touch of whimsical charm
When it comes to media, anime can truly cater to a plethora of tastes, offering a diverse range of experiences. It stands as a steadfast source of entertainment, promising to deliver whatever you’re craving, whether it’s heart-pounding action or wonderfully bizarre scenarios.
Dorohedoro, a 12-episode anime adapted from a manga written and illustrated by Q Hayashida, splendidly satisfies both these cravings.
It plunges you into a darkly fantastical realm brimming with sorcerers, demons, and unbridled chaos, all centred on Caiman, a man sporting a reptilian head and no recollection of his past.
What in the world?
Set against the backdrop of the Hole, a vast megacity transformed into a notorious haven for sorcerers conducting magical experiments on human guinea pigs, Dorohedoro introduces us to a starkly grim reality.
Sorcerers, though humanoid, are distinguished by a unique organ that produces ‘smoke’, a bizarre manifestation of their magical abilities.
They often travel through dimensional rifts to The Hole, where they conduct unsettling magical experiments on the unsuspecting residents, resulting in death or grotesque transformations. The only way to reverse such dire effects, essentially curses, is by eliminating the sorcerer responsible.
Consequently, the Hole has transformed into a nightmarish and perilous environment, with its inhabitants living in dire straits, bearing the physical and psychological scars of the sorcerers’ magic, and continually haunted by the terror of becoming the next subject of their cruel experiments.
While the premise of Dorohedoro may initially seem overwhelming and bleak, the series has a whimsical charm that manages to claw through the abyss.
Despite its post-apocalyptic and hellish setting, there’s a sense of slice-of-life that permeates the narrative, with the denizens of the Hole finding moments of humour and camaraderie, offering a glimmer of hope and humanity in an otherwise grim reality.
A journey of carnage
And so, our journey begins with Caiman, our protagonist, as he embarks on a quest to find the sorcerer who cursed him with a reptilian head, all while unravelling the mystery of his true identity.
Adding to the madness is Caiman’s bizarre condition: he houses a human inside him, who oddly appears in his throat whenever he tries to swallow a sorcerer’s head whole.
Why does he do this, you ask? Well, for some inexplicable reason, the man inside can identify the sorcerer who cursed Caiman. If the man utters the words “you’re not the one,” Caiman promptly reduces the sorcerer to viscera.
The anime opens with Caiman and his best friend, Nikaido, the owner and chef of a restaurant in the Hole.
Nikaido, a skilled fighter, discovered Caiman after his transformation and joins him in hunting down sorcerers, hoping to restore his memories and human face.
In one of the first scenes, we are introduced to Caiman and Nikaido as they confront two weak sorcerers. One is reduced to red mist, while the other, named Fujita, escapes through a dimensional door.
Unfortunately, Fujita and his partner are underlings of En, an immensely powerful sorcerer that has incredible sway in the sorcerer’s realm.
Caiman’s immunity to magic and his dispatching of one of En’s underlings, along with the enigmatic man within him, who seems connected to En’s past, prompts En to send his formidable “cleaners”, Shin and Noi, to eliminate Caiman.
Meet the denizens
Dorohedoro boasts a truly eclectic cast of characters with fascinating personalities that extend even to its supporting cast. Each character, whether major or minor, is uniquely twisted in their own right, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.
Furthermore, there is no clear-cut protagonist to cheer for, as every character inhabits a morally gray area.
One notable example is En, whose backstory is a tale of survival and resilience in the face of abuse. Rising from the depths of despair, he seeks vengeance against his tormentors, eventually establishing one of the most notorious criminal syndicates in the realm.
Despite serving as the series’ primary antagonist, En displays a genuine care for his subordinates.
Conversely, while humans are portrayed as the perpetual victims, Professor Kasukabe, as an ally to Caiman and Nikaido stands out for his lack of mercy.
Despite his role, he is a scientist who has dedicated decades to studying sorcerers, demonstrating a ruthlessness comparable to that of the sorcerers themselves.
He often conducts ethically questionable experiments, aided by a giant cockroach mutated by the magic pollution in the hole, serving as his loyal assistant.
Dorohedoro is a mesmerising realm overflowing with the unconventional, elevated by its distinct art style that breaks away from typical anime norms.
The characters, with their rounded features and vivid colours, starkly contrast the bleak, monochromatic backdrop of the Hole. The sorcerer’s realm, resembling a storybook yet inhabited by sinister beings, adds a layer of complexity that defines the series. – Wardi Wasil
