Welcome to Anime Rants! Hell’s Paradise Season 2 episode 7 (or episode 20 cumulatively) was entertaining as hell, full of well-animated action and interesting character development moments. After the reunion of the Aza Brothers, the main focus was on Tamiya and Fuchi’s fight with Tao Fa. My thoughts are below.
Episode 7: Two people and One Person
Episode Rating: 8/10
Tamiya, Fuchi, and Touma faced off with Tao Fa, Ju Fa, and Choubei. Before any battle began, Choubei called for Touma to come to him and join the Tensen. Tamiya and Fuchi urged Touma to do what he wanted, and the boy solemnly joined his older brother on the stage at the top of the stairs. For a moment, there was silence between the siblings. Then they both grinned widely at each and leapt into action. In a series of swift and violent movements, the Aza Brothers sliced Ju Fa across the chest and beheaded Tao Fa after cutting out both their eyes. For at least a minute, the two Tensen were defeated.
Touma started braiding the loose strand of Choubei’s hair, explaining that he knew his brother was lying about joining the Tensen because he only wore his hair unbraided when he was lying. Choubei affectionately flicked Touma’s forehead and complimented him, saying he now looked like a man and was hardly recognizable. I wish everyone wasn’t so obsessed with traditional manliness and femininity in this anime. It reflects the culture and times in which this story is set, but it’s still annoying to me as someone who knows gender roles are arbritrary, often harmful, and usually tools of the patriarchy. Regardless, I was happy to see Touma and Choubei reunited. I really love Touma and I’m fascinated by the strong bond of love he has with another man. It was so cute to see Touma’s face light up with blush and tears when complimented by Choubei.
Unfortunately, Tao Fa and Ju Fa woke up and regenerated themselves. Calling the humans underhanded, Ju Fa faced off with Touma and Choubei. Unlike last time, the brothers were doing extremely well fighting the Tensen. Though Touma couldn’t see Tao, Choubei could help protect him. Touma and Choubei fought like one person. We didn’t get to see the result of that fight yet, but while that was happening, Tao Fa started to fight with Fuchi and Tamiya. Naturally, we couldn’t have a fight without Tao Fa being mostly naked. I don’t have a particular issue with sexualizing the Tensen – I also think they are hot – but there’s no denying that this is “fan-service.”
The fight lasted the rest of the episode. As usual, it was beautifully animated and the voice-acting was excellent from everyone. The dialogue was also quite humorous as Tamiya tried to flirt while fighting. I don’t like Gantetsu “Kenryu” Tamiya, but the actor voicing him performed perfectly! This episode was important to Tamiya’s character as he felt more thrilled than ever before to be fighting such a beautiful and strong woman as Tao Fa. In his words, Tao Fa was an ideal woman. As for Fuchi, who I much prefer as a character, he was only interested in dissecting Tao Fa. The Tensen, on the other hand, thought Fuchi was so cute she offered to do “Bochu Jutsu” with him – but she would still turn him into Tan. Of course, Fuchi refused and the fight continued.
It soon became apparent that as long as they couldn’t use Tao, Fuchi and Tamiya would lose. They kept getting beaten up by Tao Fa, who could use widespread Tao attacks. In a flashback, we saw Shion trying to teach Tao to Fuchi, Tamiya, and Nurugai. Only Nurugai made an effort to learn. Fuchi and Tamiya were, in the words of Shion, thickheaded. They couldn’t believe in something they couldn’t see (or in Fuchi’s case, touch). I understand not believing in things that are not detectable or measurable – but there are many real things humans can’t see with our eyes or cut with a blade, such as bacteria or air currents. Since Tao can be detected and measured, I would have no problem believing it in that universe. Fuchi and Tamiya are indeed thickheaded for discounting something based on only one sense instead of trying to measure it by other means.
At one point, when Tamiya asked if Tao Fa was having fun, the normally cheerful Tensen became abruptly serious. She explained that it wasn’t fun to be a Tensen. Though basically immortal, they lived extremely boring, restrictive lives. All they did was train in Tao and lure in humans to make Tan. In addition, Tao Fa long since lost hope that true immortality was possible. All the Tensen had realized it on some level. In order to stay sane, Tao Fa put on a happy mask most of the time. Or perhaps, as she said, she smiled because she was insane.
Surprisingly, this “revelation” from Tao Fa did very little to move me emotionally. I believe I’m more sympathetic to the Tensen than the average viewer. I think they’re all amazing characters. But when Tao Fa spoke, I was just thinking, “Ok, if you’re still unhappy and it’s been a thousand years, stop eating humans and let yourself die already.” Sorry Tao Fa, but as long as you’re killing people, you’re a villain.
During the fight, Fuchi and Tamiya started to learn to sense Tao. Tamiya dodged a Tao attack after sensing it through a blood-blurred eye. Fuchi was overjoyed when he realized he had learned something new that could revolutionize medicine. Also, speaking of Fuchi, I loved the moment when he smiled. It’s the first time I remember him smiling. We saw that in a flashback after Tao Fa referred to Tamiya and Fuchi as friends. Fuchi corrected her and told her they were not friends. We then saw the flashback of earlier that day, when Fuchi said he thought of Tamiya and the others as something close to friends. Now that he knew criminals were human too, Fuchi said, he didn’t want Tamiya or any of them to die.
As the fight continued, Tamiya realized that his normal sight was “in the way” of sensing Tao. He only ever sensed it once through his right eye when it was covered in blood. So, in a bold gamble, Tamiya tore out his own left eye. Sure enough, now that he was blind, he could read Tao clearly. He saved Fuchi from a deadly Tao attack. To be continued.
~Thanks for Reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
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