Sorrowful story that gives you hope for the future.
Spoilers ahead!
Dororo is a manga from 1960s by Osamu Tezuka. This title received an anime adaptation in 2019. This is a story about a ronin named Hyakkimaru and an orphan who is also a thief — Dororo. Let’s look through the story to better understand the themes of sorrow and redemption.
Hyakkimaru was born with deformities, without facial features and organs. This happened because his father (Daimyo Kagemitsu Daigo) made a pact with demons so that he could become wealthy and rule the lands, but there was a nuance. The demons had to take something from him, and they took his newborn child and were able to be among mortals. Hyakkimaru’s mother (Nui) refused to kill the baby, so she left him floating on the river until he was found by an alchemist and a medic (Jukai). He healed the child and made prostheses for him. Some time later, Hyakkimaru left Jukai to kill demons, in order to regain his organs. Eventually, he meets Dororo and they continue their journey together. In the end, Hyakkimaru finds out that his father is possessed by demons, and decides to kill him. After Daigo’s death, Hyakkimaru regains his eyes and realizes that Dororo is a girl who was raised as a boy. He gives her his sword and departs to kill the last demons, agreeing to meet each other some time later.
Now it is time to talk about redemption and sorrow. Hyakkimaru’s mother Nui focused only on him, repenting for being a bad mother. She didn’t care about her other son — Tahomaru — until the very last moments, when they both decided to stay in the fire. She finally accepted her son and his accomplishments, and he needed that. He wanted her approval, he pushed himself too hard and became a monster. That’s why he also decided to stay and to redeem his sins. Jukai was the executioner, but it was disgusting to him, so he tried to commit suicide to redeem himself. But he couldn’t forget his past, even by helping people for free. Jukai’s redemption also came through the fire, and his sorrows burned with him.
Why did Hyakkimaru leave in the end? The answer is quite simple — after he became fully human, he decided to see the world alone and to understand — how to be a human. He was blind and crippled, but now he has all opportunities to fulfill everything he missed, and to kill the last demons, of course. Who knows, maybe one day Dororo and Hyakkimaru will join each other for a new adventure…
Sorrowful story that gives you hope for the future.
Spoilers ahead!
Dororo is a manga from 1960s by Osamu Tezuka. This title received an anime adaptation in 2019. This is a story about a ronin named Hyakkimaru and an orphan who is also a thief — Dororo. Let’s look through the story to better understand the themes of sorrow and redemption.
Hyakkimaru was born with deformities, without facial features and organs. This happened because his father (Daimyo Kagemitsu Daigo) made a pact with demons so that he could become wealthy and rule the lands, but there was a nuance. The demons had to take something from him, and they took his newborn child and were able to be among mortals. Hyakkimaru’s mother (Nui) refused to kill the baby, so she left him floating on the river until he was found by an alchemist and a medic (Jukai). He healed the child and made prostheses for him. Some time later, Hyakkimaru left Jukai to kill demons, in order to regain his organs. Eventually, he meets Dororo and they continue their journey together. In the end, Hyakkimaru finds out that his father is possessed by demons, and decides to kill him. After Daigo’s death, Hyakkimaru regains his eyes and realizes that Dororo is a girl who was raised as a boy. He gives her his sword and departs to kill the last demons, agreeing to meet each other some time later.
Now it is time to talk about redemption and sorrow. Hyakkimaru’s mother Nui focused only on him, repenting for being a bad mother. She didn’t care about her other son — Tahomaru — until the very last moments, when they both decided to stay in the fire. She finally accepted her son and his accomplishments, and he needed that. He wanted her approval, he pushed himself too hard and became a monster. That’s why he also decided to stay and to redeem his sins. Jukai was the executioner, but it was disgusting to him, so he tried to commit suicide to redeem himself. But he couldn’t forget his past, even by helping people for free. Jukai’s redemption also came through the fire, and his sorrows burned with him.
Why did Hyakkimaru leave in the end? The answer is quite simple — after he became fully human, he decided to see the world alone and to understand — how to be a human. He was blind and crippled, but now he has all opportunities to fulfill everything he missed, and to kill the last demons, of course. Who knows, maybe one day Dororo and Hyakkimaru will join each other for a new adventure…
