----- ADS-----
Crunchyroll and Netflix are anime fans’ go-to places to stream the best anime around. It’s understandable because the streaming giants hold a duopoly over the medium in Western countries like the US, Canada, and the UK. But, sometimes, an amazing series is tucked away behind one of the smaller anime streaming services. HIDIVE, Hulu, and Prime Video are slowly building up their reputations as established streaming houses for anime, but they still have a long way to go before being able to comfortably compete with Netflix and Crunchyroll.
That’s why it’s unfortunate that one of the best action/fantasy anime of the 21st century is hidden away on less prominent platforms, desperately waiting for fans to find it. The show blends classic samurai action with yokai and a heartbreaking story about brotherhood, duty, and revenge. The animation is stunning, with Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Studio MAPPA overseeing the intense action. What’s more, the series is a reimagining of one of the most iconic and legendary classic anime of all time.
Dororo Is Waiting to Be Watched on HIDIVE, Prime Video and Hulu
As you may have guessed from the sub-heading, Dororo is the fantastical fantasy anime that deserves more love from anime fans. The series is available to stream on HIDIVE, Hulu, and Prime Video. But, it has missed out on a bunch of potential fans as a result of being held back from the big two anime streaming platforms.
Released in 2019, Dororo follows Hyakkimaru, a limbless, skinless, blind, deaf, and mute infant who was offered to demons by his father in exchange for a prosperous land. As he’s grown older, Hyakkimaru has trained to battle the demons his father unleashed upon the world as part of the deal. Upon killing each demon, Hyakkimaru regains a part of himself, and so he sets off with his adoptive brother, the titular Dororo, to slay demons and seek revenge on his father.
Those who have watched Dororo have fallen in love with the series. The single-season, 24-episode show holds a strong 8.2-star rating on IMDb and a similar 8.25 rating on My Anime List. Fans of the show praise its incredible world-building, its nuanced and complex characters, and its frequently shifting morality, which manages to humanize and empathize with even the most despicable of characters.
[RELATED – 10 Original Anime Every Fan Needs to Watch]
What Makes Dororo So Iconic?
For fans who have only been introduced to the series through MAPPA’s 2019 series, you’ve got nearly 60 years of catching up to do. Dororo is based on the titular manga by the legendary Japanese creator, Osamu Tezuka. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Tezuka is also responsible for giving the world Astro Boy, Princess Knightand Jungle Emperor (once erroneously believed to be ripped off by The Lion King).
Osamu Tezuka first published Dororo back in 1967. Surprisingly, considering the character’s legacy, the series wasn’t successful when it was first released, and Dororo was cancelled after just a year in print. But a 1969 anime adaptation, created by Mushi Production, gave the franchise a second life, resulting in Dororo becoming one of the most iconic classic anime characters ever produced.
MAPPA’s series retells Hyakkimaru’s iconic story with the animation quality it deserves. The action is intense, rivaling that of MAPPA’s more recent releases like the aforementioned Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man. There’s also something indescribable about the atmosphere of 2019’s Dororo. Despite having all of the visual appeal of a modern anime, the storytelling structure and tone feel more reminiscent of an episodic anime from the ’80s and ’90s.
Each episode follows a new demonic battle, with the occasional overarching story diving deeper into the world-building and recurring supporting characters. What potentially makes Dororo so special is the attention it gives to fleshing out even its smallest characters. It’s the same vibe given off by ’90s classics like Cowboy Bebopwhere each episode acts as a standalone adventure. But, put them all together and you get a phenomenal overarching story.
Dororo was also adapted into a live-action movie in 2007. While the action was servicable, and the overall movie wasn’t bad, the story of Dororo is too far-reaching and winding to be compressed into a feature-length runtime.
Dororo (2019) is streaming on HIDIVE, Hulu, and Prime Video.
