A talented cosplayer shares their impressive take on one of the members of the Yamada Asaemon family of executioners from Hell’s Paradise.
Created and posted on Reddit by Akunohako, the Sagiri costume recreates the swordswoman’s stunning white-and-red wardrobe. It also sees the cosplayer appropriately wielding a katana and standing in front of a flower-filled background. The costume-making master has also fabricated equally impressive interpretations of other fan-favorite characters from pop-cultural IPs like the Falling Demon from Chainsaw Man, Yae Miko from Genshin Impact and Ada Wong from Resident Evil.
Yuji Kaku’s Hell’s Paradise first appeared on Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ website in January 2018 with the final chapter getting published in January 2021. Considered one of the members of the shōnen genre’s Dark Trio, the series has sold over four million copies and has been adapted into an anime by Studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season). The show stars Yumiri Hanamori (Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town) as Sagiri alongside Chiaki Kobayashi (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime) as protagonist Gabimaru.
What Hell’s Paradise Is About
Set in the Edo period, the dark fantasy story follows run-away shinobi Gabimaru, who travels to a mysterious island in order to find the elixir of life and receive a full pardon for his crimes from the Shogunate. However, the white-haired ninja isn’t alone on his quest; Gabimaru must compete against a myriad of other dangerous and deadly criminals and all of them are overseen by a group of powerful samurai, Sagiri included.
The earnest and honest swordswoman has greatly resonated with many fans of Kaku’s work; in fact, she ranked second in Hell’s Paradise’s first popularity poll, beating out Gabimaru, who placed third, but falling short of Yamada Asaemon Shion, who claimed the top spot. Some anime and manga enthusiasts have drawn comparisons between Sagiri and Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen. Both fearsome female characters have been praised for the ways they confront and break down antiquated and problematic gender roles.
Specifically, some commentators have pointed to Sagiri’s deep characterization that balances both strength and vulnerability. Unlike many other feminine characters in anime/manga, the swordswoman never conforms to the damsel in distress stereotype and has plenty of resilience, determination and skill. She easily stands as one of the most powerful characters in Hell’s Paradise.
VIZ Media distributes all 13 volumes of the Hell’s Paradise manga in North America, and MAPPA’s anime adaptation is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: Reddit