Dororo (2019) Episode 8 - "The Story of Saru" Anime Review

by Safwah Abdul Razak

---

A fresh new take on an old anime series brings Dororo into the light of fame after the anime’s recent release on January 7 (Winter 2019). Competing with other trending animes such as One Piece, Kimetsu no Yaiba and Shingeki no Kyojin (Season 3, Part 2), Dororo revamps an old anime with dazzling animation and a slightly changed but riveting storyline that is worth watching.

This tale of sacrifice and revenge manages to captivate fans of historical anime, with its stunning visuals and easy-to-follow storyline. It’s also a breath of fresh air from the constant slice-of-life and comedy animes, which occasionally overpowers the rest of the different genres. The demon-slaying trope also comes back again with a bang in the renewed version of Dororo.

Even though Dororo is the title of the anime, Dororo is actually the name of the crafty and playful sidekick of the main protagonist, Hyakkimaru who is a ronin or a wandering samurai. Their adventures throughout the whole series create a somewhat nostalgic mood that is usually captured in old historical animes, such as Inuyasha and Ruruoni Kenshin. Die-hard fans of historical anime will surely fall in love with the setting of Dororo, as they fight against demons and spirits for the sake of money (and also to regain Hyakkimaru’s body parts).

📷

However, the storyline of Dororo can become a bit monotonous over time. “The Story of Saru” does not offer much of a difference compared to the previous episodes. After the first three episodes of Dororo, which mostly deal with the background of Hyakkimaru’s existence and his story of survival, the storyline is mostly based on the extermination of demons and spirits. Of course, there are several exceptions, such as the plot of Mio and Jukai-sensei, each telling their own unique stories that are separate from the main plot of the story. But the main appeal of Dororo does not lie in its storyline.

The stunning visuals and smooth animation of Dororo are what keeps the viewers glued to their screens. Episode 8 of Dororo, “The Story of Saru”, does not disappoint in terms of the quality of its animation. With smooth transitions and the usual epic fight scenes, their battle with another new demon, Nokosaregumo, never fails to woo the viewers. Even the opening scene captures the tension of the incoming battle very well, and the way the scenes are laid out is visually appealing and makes every battle scene worth watching. Spoiler alert: The defeat of the demon at the end always provides me with some sort of satisfaction as yet again, peace is restored in the world in Dororo and Hyakkimaru yet again gains another set of limbs or eyeballs.

📷

The character development of Hyakkimaru, who slowly becomes more human-like as the episodes go by, is the most interesting to watch as he begins to show progress by opening up and showing his emotions. Even though the character of Dororo mostly fits into the typical comic relief sidekick, she provides an interesting relief from the serious tone throughout the anime. Some may find her annoying, some may find her endearing. I personally find her endearing enough to be tolerable in the anime series.

The soundtrack of Dororo also adds towards the overall serious and somber mood of the anime. It suitably captures the right tension and suspense before and during the battles of Hyakkimaru and Dororo with the demons. The opening song is also very upbeat and energetic, which provides a perfect intro into the action-packed scenes in the anime. The ending song, despite it having a somber tone, provides an excellent end after being on the emotional rollercoaster of wondering whether Hyakkimaru and Dororo will survive in the episode or not.

Dororo also manages to capture the attention of avid anime watchers, young and old despite the fact that it is an adaptation. Rebuilding on an old anime series can be disastrous if not done correctly. However, MAPPA and Tezuka Productions did a brilliant job in bringing into life an old anime that had been long buried in the past. In fact, I only became aware of the existence of Dororo through the 2019 version. The decision to omit certain aspects of the old 1969 version of Dororo led to a new take on the 2019 anime, which is wholly refreshing and gives a new perspective.

Fans of historical anime with a particular focus on demon-slaying elements should definitely check out Dororo. The only competition of Dororo would be the newly released anime in Spring 2019: Kimetsu No Yaiba which also falls under the historical genre. Nevertheless, the whole 24 minutes of Dororo’s “The Story of Saru” will not be a waste of your time, with its appealing visuals and amazing animation. My only concern now is when MAPPA and Tezuka Productions stop releasing new episodes of Dororo.