What kind of manga is Jigokuraku? Even the name itself sounds like it’s about hell or anything that seems hellish.

If that’s what you think of Jigokuraku, then you’re right about that. The story itself does take place in something that is similar to hell mixed with paradise.

Yes, paradise and hell shouldn’t be mixed together.

But that sums up the setting in Jigokuraku.

What Jigokuraku is all about

Here’s the description that I got from MANGA Plus.

Even an invincible killer may not be able to survive Hell’s Paradise!

Yes, I know that seems pretty short. But it does summarize nicely what Jigokuraku is all about.

What attracts me to this manga in the first place

I won’t lie here that I do find the manga description to be enticing. It sure does provide enough hint to me that the story will be a bloody one.

Well, what can I say? I enjoy reading thriller manga and light novels. So, it’s not surprising at all that I’ll be attracted to manga like Jigokuraku.

And the fact that the main character, Gabimaru, is a ninja is also another reason that got me attracted to this manga in the first place.

Yes, I do have a penchant for a character who is in the special force. But a ninja comes a close second considering that a ninja is capable of doing something similar to what a modern spy does.

What’s more, Gabimaru isn’t just your typical ninja. He’s a ninja who can’t seem to die no matter what method the Shogunate uses to prosecute him. Every single gruesome method they use will always end up in failure and Gabimaru is still alive and well.

That part of him does make Gabimaru an interesting character. And you’re just wondering what will be the end of him the moment he’s in Shinsekyo along with the rest of criminals who try to get their hands on the elixir of life.

What makes Jigokuraku worth reading

For me, I find that using the concept of Taoism as the centerpiece of the story to be rather fascinating.

Well, it’s not that I know anything about Taoism. And for all I know, the manga could give me a wrong interpretation of Taoism without me realizing it.

But still, I do find that blending the concept of Taoism into the story makes Jigokuraku an interesting read. It sure does feel different, at least for me.

Just to let you know that you don’t have to know about Taoism or anything related to Buddhism if you want to read this manga. The explanation about Taoism is simple enough for you to understand even if you know nothing about Taoism.

As for the characters, the manga also has tons of interesting characters too, whether they’re the people from Yamada Asaemon or the criminals who accepted the tasks.

Not only you’ll get to see the backstory for the characters who are from Yamada Asaemon. But you also get to know the criminals’ past too. When you know about these characters’ backstory, it also makes you want to support these characters even if you don’t like the character that much.

Since the manga does hint about death, you’re bound to see the sad moment where they’re losing comrades along the way.

In a nutshell, the manga has all sorts of things going around other than solving mysteries surrounding the island and also seeing tons of gruesome fight scenes.

What I didn’t expect when I read this manga

I know it’s strange for me to say this. For some reason, I can’t help but think that this manga has a similar vibe like Summer Time Rendering.

The fact that they have to fight against creatures that they have no idea what they are. And the mystery surrounding the island and also the elixir of life itself. It sure does give me the same vibe as Summer Time Rendering.

The only difference is that Jigokuraku takes place in a historical setting. But the fact that everything happens in isolation reminds me of Summer Time Rendering a little bit.

Another thing that I don’t expect to see is Chobe reminds me of Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach. The only exception is that Chobe is reckless, violent and even heartless to some degree.

I bet that’s how Ichigo will look like when he’s older.

Who should read the manga

If you enjoy mystery and thriller manga with a historical setting, then you will certainly enjoy reading this manga.

Keep in mind that the manga does have explicit content where you’ll see tons of nudity. If you can’t tolerate any form of explicit content, then avoid reading this manga.

Where to buy Jigokuraku manga

You can read this manga for free on MANGA Plus. But you can only read the first and the last three chapters of the manga since the manga has already been licensed in English by Viz Media.

If you still want to give the manga a try, you can read the manga right here:

Read Jigokuraku manga on MANGA Plus

You can also buy the manga in print on Amazon too. Here’s the link for those who are interested in buying the manga in print:

Buy Jigokuraku manga in print on Amazon

For those who can’t buy the print book on Amazon, you can also buy the manga on Wordery. What I love about Wordery is that it offers free worldwide shipping.

You can buy the manga on Wordery right here:

Buy Jigokuraku manga in print on Wordery

Prefer to read the manga in Japanese? You can buy the Japanese version of the manga right here at CDJapan:

Buy Jigokuraku manga on CDJapan

The manga does have furigana, in case you’re wondering. But it can be a little too much if you don’t understand the Taoism terminology and trying to understand the long-winding explanation.

EDIT: I just realized that the manga doesn’t have any furigana at all. Maybe it’s because I assume that all Jump Plus manga comes with furigana in it. It turns out to be that’s not the case at all.

If you can’t read any kanji, my suggestion is to use Google Lens to scan any kanji that you can’t read.

Over to you

What do you think about Jigokuraku? Will you give this manga a try after reading this blog post? Let me know in the comment below your thought about this manga.

P.S JapanesePod101.com is currently having a sale where you can get 28% off Basic, Premium, or Premium PLUS subscription plan.

The sale starts on February 17th and ends on February 28th, 2020. If you’re interested in taking advantage of this offer, you can take a look at it right here:

JapanesePod101.com Breakthrough Sale

Don’t forget to use the coupon code BREAKTHROUGH2020 to get a discount on the subscription of your choice.