Is Dorohedoro Worth Watching? A Full Review

Dorohedoro is a dark and desolate themed manga series written and illustrated by Q Hayashida.

The anime paints a picture of a post-apocalyptic world with a cultural divide between the ordinary humans who live in “The Hole”- a bleak city endlessly clouded over by smoke, and the magic-possessing sorcerers- created by a primordial devil named Chidaruma, who live in the “sorcerer’s world”.

The dark humor will make you question your own morals when you find yourself being entertained by scenes depicting cannibalism and what can only be summed up as man-slaughter or in this particular case – Sorcerer-slaughter.

1.Quick Review

Dorohedoro has the makings of a great story with a seemingly catastrophic theme to it which will appeal to those who are drawn to stories riddled with dark humor. The whole concept of the anime will make you find the good in the most grotesque situations.

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by MAPPA was broadcast from January to March 2020 in Japan on Tokyo MX. It was followed by a worldwide Netflix release in late May 2020.

2. Info Card

3. Is it worth watching?

Dorohedoro is a must-watch anime series. It is unique because of the gritty and violent path it takes but that is exactly what makes it stand out. If you want to be spellbound by an anime that is simple and yet fascinates your inner demons, then this is the show for you.

Dorohedoro (2020) - Official Trailer

I. Plot

The plot revolves around a man named Caiman who has lost his memory and therefore, his sense of identity because of a transformation that was cast on him by a sorcerer which left him with a reptile head as well as an immunity to all kinds of magic.

Caiman working together with his friend Nikaido takes us on a wild ride to recover his memories and survive in a strange and violent world.

The antagonists of the show are a powerful sorcerer syndicate which is run by Mr.En. “The En Family” or the sorcerer syndicate is also portrayed in such a way that you get to really witness the complex nature of each character.

The En family consists of “cleaners” who have been sent on a mission by Mr.En to eliminate Caiman. The story gets carried forward with the multiple encounters between Caiman and The En Family’s cleaners which leads to the gradual unfolding of Caiman’s unknown identity.

II. Characters

The characters described in this dystopian world are the perfect combination of magic and are surprisingly fashion forward as can be seen by the appearance of Nike Air Jordans. They possess complex personalities and yet seem to have a charming nature.

The main character Caiman has a goofy yet determined state of mind. He loves eating gyoza at his best friend Nikaido’s restaurant-The Hungry Bug and slaying sorcerers.

He spends his days trying to figure out his unknown identity as he had lost his memory when a sorcerer cast a spell on him which made him both immune to magic but also left him with a reptile head.

Nikaido is given almost as much importance as the protagonist, with her own fascinating personality of being a caring friend, a restaurant owner and an amazing fighter who can hold her own in a street fight.

Most of the show revolves around the friendship between Caiman and Nikeido. The group of sorcerers that are shown as the pursuers of the two lead characters, headed by the mushroom-loving criminal Mr.En are also very entertaining to watch, especially the partnership between Shin and Noi, who seem to have an unspoken romantic bond with each other. Their rather eccentric behaviour somehow makes them all the more lovable.

Through the characters in Dorohedoro, we come to an understanding that there is no clear standing among heroes and villains but rather every character has their own rightful goals and aspirations.

III. Setting

Dorohedoro is set in a post-apocalyptic environment in which what would usually seem violent and unfortunate has become a way of life for the anime’s characters.

IV. Theme Songs

The Intro theme song of the show titled “Welcome to Chaos”,composed by (K)NoW_NAME has a mind-bending nature about it which when added to the trippy visuals results in a catchy and memorable theme song.

4. Grade

5. Final Thoughts

The anime is a magical concoction of beautiful imagery, dark humour and relatable characters with a fine line between the extraordinary and the bizarre.