Eat Gyoza, Watch this anime!
Introduction
While I respect 3D animation in video games, the inclusion in anime felt aesthetically wrong. Then came a show called Dorohedoro, the wacky anime adaptation of Q Hayashida’s work, where the dark whimsical setting fits the animation style like a glove. Due to the bad reputation that CGI anime has garnered, potential viewers could feel sceptical about this show. However, from what I can see, Dorohedoro could be one of the freshest shows to have come out in 2020.
Plot and Setting
Dorohedoro takes place in a desolate city called The Hole, an experimental ground for wizards to test their magical prowess on unsuspecting victims. Due to the wizards’ meddling, many of the inhabitants and the city itself have become warped by their magic. Seeing a man with an octopus head playing bongo drums in the street is the norm for a city like this.
That said, walking alone in this city’s shady alleyways is not the brightest of ideas, as you might end up getting attacked like our series lead, Caiman. A large man whose head was transformed into that of a reptile with no recollection of his past life, his only clue is a mysterious spectre that resides inside his mouth. Now, along with his partner in crime, Nikaido, Caiman must hunt down those responsible to break the spell.
The thing about Dorohedoro is, despite it revolving around such a dark setting, it’s hilarious and the optimistic characters makes you feel anything but gloomy. It feels like a fever dream that did not skip out on the gore and violence because it is everywhere.
While Caiman and Nikaido are the main protagonists, screentime gets passed on like a baton in a relay race. Similar in scope to movies like Snatch, every character gets their chance in the spotlight, making them incredibly endearing, including the antagonists.
I should mention that the anime is technically not finished and is still waiting for approval for a second season from Netflix, so that could take a while. On its own, Dorohedoro is short, currently only having 12 episodes and 1 OVA under its belt.
Character and Performances
Caiman and Nikaido are the leading pair of the series, with all the trouble revolving around them. Aleks Le and Reba Buhr, who portray Caiman and Nikaido respectfully, capture their friendship surprisingly well. While Caiman’s lazy personality could sound overbearing on paper, it mixes well with Nikaido’s more confident and easygoing character. A bit of credit to Hayashida for her writing of Caiman, as his childlike qualities do not come off as overbearing.
Even though they are an organization of murderers wearing BDSM masks, the En family acts like more of an antagonistic force to our heroes than straight-up villains. With many of its members having incredibly charming personalities and healthy relationships. I can imagine myself walking into one of their restaurants and casually eating dinner with them. Noi and Shin, Mr. En’s most trusted enforcers, have an adorable blossoming relationship going on between them as an example.
Despite listening to Cherami Leigh all year, thanks to her works with BNA: Brand New Animal and Persona 5: Royal, she still manages to surprise me with her performance of Noi, who really felt like a departure from her usual appearances. Playing the role of the muscular lady with a gruffer tone put me out of the loop. Noi’s carefree personality syncs well with Cherami’s deeper tone, making quite the unique character.
When it comes to comic relief, one cannot get a better pairing than Fujita and Ebisu. Ebisu was just your average everyday adolescent witch until her near-death confrontation with Caiman made her mentally unstable. Since then, she has completely lost her marbles, much to Fujita, her new partner’s dismay. Ebisu from then after has also become the target of torment by the writers, for comedy’s sake.
Animation
2020’s Dorohedoro was animated by Studio Mappa, the same group that also worked on the remake of Dororo and the spicey gambling anime, Kakegurui. Admittingly, it is strange to watch them toil around with 3D animation as it feels out of their usual line of work.
In the world of anime, Dorohedoro is fighting an uphill battle for acceptance against traditional animation techniques, as for every spectacular show, like Beastars, there is a hideous remake of Berserk manga.
For the most part, I would say they did quite well with Dorohedoro. While there are some scenes where the animation does slack off a bit, it is on point when it needs to be. You can feel Nikaido’s martial art prowess as fight scenes were all choreographed exceptionally well. One scene in particular where Nikaido breaks a wizard’s finger was enough to make my friend wince.
I should also state that I love the opening and closing animations of this anime, with my favourite being the classic Doom-inspired En closing sequence.
Conclusion
Dorohedoro is a strange little duckling. While not ugly by any standard, it still comes out as having many visual imperfections. However, the characters and comedic aspects of the show are what sell it.
If you are itching for a show like Baccano!, where you get to swap between different perspectives of a brilliant, if not a morally ambiguous cast, then I suggest checking Dorohedoro.
