“It is special”: Hell’s Paradise Broke Past One of the Biggest Shonen Tropes Through Gabimaru
One of the biggest tropes in animes is a love triangle. Luckily, one mangaka seems to have broken past the trope and achieved popularity even without using one of the biggest shonen tropes. While many fans seem to question the nature of Sagiri and Gabimaru’s relationship after watching the first season of Hell’s Paradise: Jigoraku, Kaori Makita did not have such intentions.
Although fans have conflicting opinions regarding this trope, it cannot be denied that it has been a popular romance dynamic for ages. Due to this, they have a surprisingly large presence even in non-romance animes, especially shonen animes. Love triangles certainly add a big dose of drama to any story.
Often there are two characters who clearly have chemistry with each other and make the most sense for being together, while the third character pines and wrestles with unrequited love. However, a love triangle with an obvious result can be taxing to the audience, which is something mangakas should avoid.
Kaori Makita Saw Gabimaru and Sagiri Yamada’s Relationship As Buddies in Hell’s Paradise
In an interview with Crunchyroll on the heels of the MAPPA x Crunchyroll Panel at Anime Expo 2023, Kaori Makita, the director of Hell’s Paradise talked at length about the anime. The interviewer revealed that Gabimaru is affectionately known as a “wife guy” because of how devoted he is to his wife, although he isn’t sure of her existence.
She was further questioned about the nature of Gabimaru and Sagiri’s relationship, to which she replied:
“From the beginning, I saw their relationship as more like buddies. It’s different from a friendship, but they respect each other greatly and are able to influence each other greatly. That was the kind of relationship I wanted to show. A man and woman can have a non-romantic relationship. In the original manga, their relationship is not romantic but it is special, so I wanted to express that in the anime as well.“
To this, the interviewer commented that she found it one of the most refreshing aspects of the series. She continued to say that it is quite rare to find stories with a strong relationship between a man and a woman that isn’t romantic. Makita exclaimed excitedly that the interesting thing about Hell’s Paradise is that there’s so much drama and an intense story even though there’s no romantic aspect between the two leads.
Sagiri Yamado Is More Of a Sisterly Figure To Gabimaru Rather Than a Lover
In the symbolism of Yin and Yang common in Taoism, fire is usually associated with Yang, while water is usually associated with Yin. Gabimaru’s element is more Yang than Yin since he wields the element of fire.
Instead of being the Yin to his Yang, Sagiri’s element is wood, which serves as a middle ground between the Yin and the Yang. This makes her the perfect person to set an example for Gabimaru on Shinsenkyo because he has only known how to combat using pure Yang.
Throughout the series, Sagiri encourages Gabimaru to fight for his wife and when he succeeds, she is genuinely happy for him. In the end, Yui tells Sagiri that she feels that she and Sagiri are like sisters now. In becoming a sister to his wife, it further solidifies that Sagiri is more of a family to Gabimaru than a lover.
You can watch Hell’s Paradise on Crunchyroll.
