Dororo – Episodes 5 & 6: A Song For the Righteous (With Plyasm)

Well, it’s been a few weeks since the last one. I seem to have a knack for inviting trouble along… and, well… trouble happened. If you didn’t see my twitter, I got a pretty nasty head injury and was pretty out of commission for a while because of it. Clearly, not something we’d planned for, so we ended up working around it. Thankfully, though… this seems to have worked in our favor here.

Episode 5 and Episode 6 are two halves of a story, so getting to present them together is actually a stroke of luck, in my books. Add to that the fact that, in my personal opinion, these were by far the best episodes of the show so far, and by a long shot, too. That’s probably enough rambling for now, though. Let’s talk about the show.

This is a mood I heavily relate to.

As always,

The somewhat less beautiful me

That one guy i’m somehow still working with

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What are your general thoughts for this episode?

Holy crap, guys… These two episodes were a rush, for sure. Definitely the best episodes of the show so far, by a LONG shot. I think due to various spoilers, we both kinda knew what we were getting into…  and still ended up pretty broken afterwards. In a show that so far has been pretty awesome, mysterious, and interesting, these were the first episodes that truly affected me in an emotional way.

…F**k. I am now depressed. That was…something. Through these two episodes, the brutalness of war and the harshness of reality just sets in. In case we scrubs forget, this anime has and always had a gritty tone. And these two episodes just drive that point home. If you don’t even feel at least a thing by the end of it, congratulations, you are a certified stone. I…really don’t have much to say now.

Basically, we’re both kinda broken at this point…

Did the episode fit your expectations, and in which ways did it differ from it?(If it does)

I had heard that something kind of sad was going to happen. But I really wasn’t expecting anything even close to this… Honestly, this show just keeps getting better and better, every episode.

…Yea, it met my expectations…I suppose. I don’t know. Am I supposed to be happy or sad that the episode is powerful?

The answer is yes.

What do you expect to happen from here on out?(and why) [Only for stuff never seen before]

I don’t even know anymore. These two episodes have kinda thrown all my expectations for a loop, to be honest…

We will definitely start to see an intersect of the lord and his son and hyakkimaru now. There’s no way they were shown for no reason.

That’s a good point. I think that’s pretty likely, especially since the one guy got away with his life.

Which scene do you think other people would react to differently?

I’m… not really sure, to be honest. There was so much going on in these episodes… But one scene that really hit me hard was when Hyakkimaru started to lose it in episode 6. That scene really, really hit home for me, and I’m not even sure why. His grief and anger was portrayed so beautifully, it was just an incredible scene.

Nearing the end of episode 5, when Mio’s job was revealed. I was just feeling a pure sense of dread throughout. I knew something was gonna happen. All the signs were there. She unconsciously pulled her clothes closer when she thought Hyakkimaru was looking at her. Her having a job in the first place, in the times of war. I knew this wasn’t going to be good, but…the reveal was still shocking. It’s just….argh. Having something happen and you feel loss, even though you already expected it, it’s that feeling.

 

Which character did you like the most this episode? Have they done anything in particular/changed?

Definitely Mio. She’s the character that’s managed to touch Hyakkimaru the most so far, by a long shot. Her determination, bravery, and compassion really made her loveable, which makes her situation that much more  depressing.

…Mio. Beautiful character. Mappa did a wonderful job. I really don’t want to talk about her too much since it’ll just make me more depressed.
….pick a red flower…

*Tries not to cry.* *Cries a lot.*

Mio may actually be the most well-written character of the season, based solely on 2 episodes of screentime.

What’s the high point of the episode for you and why?

Literally the entirety of both episodes were the high point for me. The amount of feeling and raw emotion carried in this 48 or so minutes of showtime was absolutely brutal. Hyakkimaru regaining his voice, but only using it to express pain and anguish… The feeling of foreboding, of WRONGNESS that just seeps through every crack… It was all so beautifully orchestrated, I can’t really pick a “favorite” part.

The phrase “high point” just seems wrong to be now. But…the song Mio sang…I guess…The powerful symbolism this series manages to achieve never ceases to amaze. It was the paper cranes before, and now it’s the red flower white flower song. Here’s the original song by the way…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG1U2OvfmJ4
Also, it was used in Sora ni Otoshimono as well, sang by none other than Hayami Saori herself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFjaaucP4hM

It’s tough to really say what moment was best out of two episodes of nonstop quality… but, I think both of our choices were pretty great, to be honest.

What can be improved in this episode and why? (a.k.a low point)

Was there a low point? I really don’t think I disliked anything about these episodes, honestly…

These two episodes were great. Not much to improve on. If anything I wish it was worse. The fact that it was so good just makes it hurt worse.

General consensus is in; these episodes were amazing.

What situation/decision/action is the most relatable to you in this episode and why?

Again, Hyakkimaru’s anger. Watching him scream in pain as he set about working towards revenge… that really hit home for me. There’s nothing more painful, or powerful, than having people you care about. This may be the first time Hyakki has truly felt human in the series, and it was beautiful.

None.

Nothing, huh? I would crack a joke, but… I’m too depressed to make fun of you.

Pick a situation from this episode. If you were put in this situation, how would you have handled it?

I really don’t know… Even thinking about being in any of the situations presented in these episodes makes me feel queasy.

…I don’t want to think about it, for reals. I’m depressed 😦

The chronic depression sets in…

Most beautiful scene?(screenshot)

Scream and wail, my friend.

Really, there’s only one choice for me here. That scene of Hyakkimaru unleashing all his anger, sadness and pain, and screaming with his newly-found voice… it was absolutely fantastic. 

This:

The rice… is golden.

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Okay, so, first things first… screw these two episodes for making me feel like this. Honestly, it’s actually rather painful just typing up this blog post and remembering what happened… It’s been a while since an anime has really affected me in such a raw, genuine way. But at least for me, it’s not a tear-jerking feeling, but more of a painful nausea. A pit in my stomach that just won’t go away…

Secondly. If you are not watching Dororo, you are missing out. This show is beautiful, this show is brilliant, and my fervent plea to all of you guys is please, PLEASE. Give this show a watch. In a season stuffed full of great, wonderful stuff, this is currently standing head and shoulders above the competition, at least for me.

Finally, thank you all for reading, and for supporting the collab so far, even through all the mishaps and derpiness. There’s still another half-season to go, but i’m sure looking forward to what is to come. Make sure to leave us your thoughts on Dororo down in the comments, please! Also, do be sure to go check out our thoughts on Shield Hero over on Plyasm’s blog. Thank you all for reading, and i’ll see you guys in the next post!!!