Dororo | A Retrospective

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[@TheManFromWaco]

One aspect of 'Dororo" that only the 2019 adaptation really focused on is the fact Hyakkimaru's every success in some way makes him *LESS* powerful. He starts the series as a living weapon, a 16th century cyborg with a huge array of weapons and almost no weak spots (nearly every body part he has is a replaceable prosthetic). Every body part regained makes him more vulnerable and reduces his options in combat. It's a fascinating way of playing with power progression, where the protagonist's continued success consistently decreases his advantage in combat. Not something I can remember any other series doing.

[@Goat81093]

"I know what people like you are called... you are called mama" That's so funny yet so cute T_T

[@awitchwith3diplomas426]

Ok but the original anime intro from the 60s is such a banger it was the whole reason I got into dororo😂

[@jonfitzpatrick9942]

I discovered Dororo when I stole the first volume of the Manga from an Indigo Books. I was still a heroin addict back then, and I'll say that the idea of getting back pieces of one's self through trials of hardship spoke to me. I ended up buying the rest, and still have them.

[@sherylsiana2252]

you could say you were dororo, the thief

[@MBeca_]

what's tezuka's obsession with writing babies born without skin/organs and a miraculous doctor making them prosthetic bodies

[@SlapstickGenius23]

He was a qualified doctor.

[@OliveOilFan]

@@SlapstickGenius23 He had a Medical Degree from Osaka University but never used it* people forget about that fact lol

[@TylerTheDestroyer97]

​​@@OliveOilFanyeah the dude was *trained*, and theoretically could have practiced medicine, but it just ended up being inspiration and an interest than anything he did professionally. I think growing up and coming of age during WW2 likely did a whole lot to inspire his fascination with the concept of artificial limbs too.

[@JONNYSORENSEN_AU]

Plus that whole atomic bomb thing.....

[@Inconstructionmaybe-x5v]

​@@OliveOilFan😑

[@fmsyntheses]

'Dororo' is also an intentional mispronunciation of 'dorobou' (thief). I thought that when I heard the title initially, and apparently it's true.

[@RyuSpike]

3:50 Nodo, the "distraction" from the violence, has been traumatized by the violence. Great job! xD

[@SKOT_3]

Funny enough the dog addition seems to have been a common thing. The anime adaption of Hokuto no ken gave the little girl Lin a dog that randomly disappears midway into the series it's very funny.

[@christyishere]

What is with the scenario when an anime from around the late 1960s-early 1970s tries to be dark, the ratings gets low, starts to change the mood of the show and still gets low ratings

[@coonrat1]

Good that you gave the ps2 classic the respect it deserves #BloodWillTellChadsRiseUp

[@Shizn0id]

man I still have my copy of blood will tell from way back. that game is great and the last boss is a real hair puller thanks to needing to do that massive flawless quicktime combo to actually kill it.

[@oldcowbb]

MY VOICE

[@cgyh68748]

I met dororo thanks to blackjack, as Maru is somewhat based on pinoko´s story, but never thought it would be so good. Will watch the 2019 anime

[@diegordi1394]

Same.

[@diegordi1394]

By the way, the 2019 anime is incredible, although it starts to dwindle around the second half. Still good.

[@panpizza7924]

Dude, all your videos are so well made and talk about such interesting topics.

[@MercuryFalcon]

arigato very much!

[@midoriya-shonen]

Woah. Based on the reputation Dororo has and the impact it's had on other anime throughout the years, I would've never expected the manga to have been cancelled! That's fascinating, but also very sad. I wonder how it would've ended.... Thank you for the video! I loved learning more about this story!

[@AKImeru]

The OG anime representation of the stuff you say in 6:06 was fantastically shot and filled to the brim with emotion. I actually prefer over the nu-anime.

[@peppermillers8361]

the track playing over it made that moment so great.

[@AKImeru]

Also since I'm here, couldn't you tell how inspired the decision was to make Dororo be the person singing the OP in the original? Like for someone so muchinto classic Tezuka/Ishimori, you couldn't grasp the idea of Dororo looking up to Hyakimaru? The contrast of a marginalized kid living alongside a weird-ass samurai super hero is just as interesting as the concept of human regaining its literal humanity and rhetorical one through interaction of a marginalized person in a war torn conflit. They are just different and unique on their own way and good on Mappa for making something unique. However, comparing the two and picking one feels weird to me since their themes, tone and points seem to have drifted from Tezuka's original. In a similar vein, the PS2 game introduces its own twists and turns to the story, like for intance you actually get weaker and with less options as you upgrade your body from "Cyborg guy with GUN ARMS" into "Human Samurai". The theme of 'dehuminization makes you a better warrior' is a recurring motif from the game. Would it make sense to compare it to the original or even the anime, when its trying to do its own thing?

[@capscaps04]

I always heard a lot about the video game, is it good?

[@AKImeru]

@@capscaps04 Storywise for a Dororo fan? Easy recommend. For someone new to the franchise? It will depend on how much you like PS2 character action games. I found it fine, but don't go in expecting DMC.

[@capscaps04]

@@AKImeru Thanks, I will give it a try.

[@jveenem]

Tezuka's Dororo is awork of genius. Genius works by it's own rules, so at times the stitching between "impossible", too good to be true, parts and things just going forward jar, they look like mistakes or flaws. In American comics another example where you can see this sort of thing is in the Comic book work of Jack Kirby. You seem to think Tezuka's Dororo is too flawed but in my opinion the motivation the later Anime had was in appreciation of Tezuka's genius. They plastered over Tezuka's work with ideas to fill in the "gaps", in a sense they loved Tezuka's ideas so much they felt the need to "perfect" it. The new anime is great but because they suceeded in giving the old Dororo new life. I don't know how to explain it but as much as I love the new Dororo I still think Tezuka's achievement the greater of the two. But I loved both of them. :-)

[@HaouDeSoul]

"They all suck compared to Blood Will Tell" Me: 19:56 AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@fattiger6957]

Wow, a remake that took an old property that was flawed but had potential and actually improved on it? Take note, Hollywood (and a lot of modern anime, for that matter) Don't remake the masterpieces. Remake the stuff that never fulfilled their potential in the first try.

[@yukitakahashi5739]

One of the best NordVPN segues I've seen yet XD

[@bjanes4766]

Best sponsor plug of all time

[@avaranabraham8507]

Hyakimaru is the coolest character ever

[@kingj9664]

You 'll wanna know something awesome. There is a new manga coming out called Phoenix force and it will be starring all of Osamu Tezuka characters as superheroes you have astro boy, black Jack, Kimble the white lion, and Hyakkimaru, As a cyborg. It's not out yet but the series kind of gives off like a superhero feel think of it like the giant robo OVA

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Do you mean Kimba/Leo the White Lion?

[@BlazeHeartPanther]

@@SlapstickGenius23 Same with Astro Boy since he is Mighty Atom in his Japanese release.

[@foxyfoxington2651]

"Ahhhhhhh!" Legendary.

[@OoziHobo]

damn pinocchio goes hard

[@kimfalleiro]

the manga is pretty good so is the new anime for the most part never saw any of the older anime

[@shira_yone]

I'm going to try the game just because of you now. Also concerning the openings (I also watched the 2019 anime first and then read the manga afterwards), I assumed that the 1st opening is just a homage galore with the many snippets of characters (including Dororo) being portrayed in Tezuka's original art style. I think it was beautiful, and after reading the manga I think it's glorious. Also that fight scene is just straight fire.

[@Maioly]

I had that game! It was janky but great Went really in dept in plaxea Had a faux metroidvania feel by allowing you to revisit levels with new abilities to find hidden demons. Edit:the final level isalso set after a ti eskip featuring a grown feminine dororo... Which is confuaing af cuz i dont think the game ever mentiona they are female up to that point.

[@q-miiproductions878]

I *love* this manga to bits! I even got its omnibus since I loved it so much from the library!

[@kordeliiius9821]

Really enjoyed this video, I've been a big fan of Dororo for a few years now and I appreciate seeing the similarities between the adaptations laid out and interconnected! Thought I'd mention that the Sabame and Maimai plotline (the episodes with the weird animation) were in the manga! Their story's focus was heavily altered and Maimai herself ended up on the sidelines, but it did remain mostly intact for the film! I actually highly recommend the film to people seeking more Dororo, the acting and the sets fantastic. It's also worth mentioning that there's a manga reboot being serialized right now. It borrows both old and new concepts while tossing in some original ones as well, but because of how many insane "what-ifs" there are, it's not as high of a recommendation from me yet.

[@gaspardbonnehon8758]

Dororo's first opening is literally fire

[@MewGirlZ]

I read the concept of the anime when the reboot was coming out and did a little research into it. After watching the first episode, I read an Omnibis of the manga and was stoked to see the rest. I am a big fan of the series as a whole and this new version really does feel like a modernized love letter to the source. There is also a newer manga called *The Legend of Dororo and Hyakkimaru* which seems to be like the original manga stylized to look like the new anime (for the most part. Tahomaru looks particularly weird there). I'd have to read into it more because there may be more differences than at first glance, but it's gorgeous to look at.

[@professorrosenstock5026]

The black and white version actually scared me more.

[@ahmedislam8490]

This channel is A hidden gem

[@davidcrimson3768]

Just watch Dororo a few days ago, thanks for bring it to my attention, loved it

[@brig.badger2896]

I watched the modern Dororo anime fairly recently. Honestly it was very enjoyable.

[@igotno_username1739]

Yooooo. That description sounds f'ing COOL. I would love to see that story remade. Oh wait there IS a remake? YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

[@1SpicyMeataball]

I remember coming across this manga in a public library. Good stuff.

[@jamesrampant]

I just finished watching the new anime, perfect timing!

[@ghoctav]

Love both anime version + op , qb "fire" feels really fit ..

[@HaydenTheHistorian]

excellent! i didnt know about a lot of this stuff and the ps2 game jokes were really funny

[@yukitakahashi5739]

Awesome analysis! I really enjoyed watching Dororo some time ago, but had to say I thought it fell a little short of its potential. The first few story arcs (especially the Mio arc) were hands down my favourite as I felt that it most successfully began exploring the themes of self-discovery and what it means to be human. I felt that after those arcs it strayed away from those themes, not wrapping them up, and ended falling short of its full potential. However, I did really appreciate the depth that it gave to the antagonist and thought that arc played through well in the series. On the issue of openings, I have to say that the first OP was always my favourite. I loved the imagery, even though it didn't actually pan out in the series, but I thought that it helped build the characters and emotional aspects of the series. Even going back and watching that original OP gives me chills and a strong sense of nostalgia. The second OP, despite an ungodly love for Asian Kung Fu Generation, felt a little more generic to me. Overall I loved your video, liked and subbed :)

[@TJTheEmperor]

Man, this was a great video, but hearing the Angel Cop ending theme play in the background game me major mood whiplash, haha

[@MercuryFalcon]

The entire video exclusively uses music by Crayon-sha

[@Rkader11]

The family friendly designs are so scary in retrospect compared to its inspirations save for Fleischer

[@BlazeHeartPanther]

Tezuka's art style definitely has that Fleischer look to it, but also Tezuka was inspired by films like Bambi when it came to incorporating big eyes on characters.

[@evilbutterfly8]

I was mad because I saw the "Blood will tell" game in my town for like $10 dollars but I didn't know what it was at the time, of course after the anime came out it wasn't at the store anymore! 😫

[@williammassie8949]

Sabu and Ichi is on youtube and REALLY worth a watch. Actually predates Lupin as an anime for grown folks.

[@GreatGonzalez]

You should check also the new manga by satoshi shiki, it's more similar to the old version but it tries to do also different things with the characters which i think is pretty cool, also the drawings are fire and the character designs are the best mix between the original ones and the new anime ones. I am not on par because i want to read the whole thing when it ends but so far it has the potential to be almost as good as the 2019 anime although there is still the old version of hyakkimaru

[@repeate.6094]

I'm surprised dororo to hyakkimaru den wasn't mentioned

[@siamiam]

i grew up watching the original series back in the 80s but didn't get to watch them translated in till the late 90s/00s . fortunately i was able to read the manga and know enough of the language to understand what was mostly going on . i was absolutely blown away by how good the new series was compared to the older ones, animation is one thing but the story and characters were so much better . yes north korea was and is still really bad with their people but you absolutely can not ignore how incredibly awful japan was to their own people and other nations, Unit 731 is just a small sample it was really common for a female to act like a male especially while traveling because it was much safer and made them less of a target

[@shira_yone]

I always thought that's Dororo's parent's primary reason of raising her that way. It's a hard time they're living in.

[@capscaps04]

"Yes north korea was and is still really bad bur you can't ignore how awful Japan was" Sounds like a dumb atempt to bend away all pointing toward North Korea.

[@Anonymous_Otaku259]

We were also robbed of the demon moth mommy’s human form in the 2nd OP.

[@Leijiverse]

Aaaa. Aaaaaaaah

[@vivthevov]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Dororo is basically inspired by the Frankenstein book.

[@MoonlitSlime]

I got Blood Will Tell from a bargain bin a ways back and ended up selling it for only 50 bucks 🙃 didn't know it was quite that rare

[@Basedman9729]

I don’t know, I found the game to be way better than the 2019 anime adaptation. Like I just wasn’t a fan of a younger Hyakimaru, while in the game he’s older and he actually speaks, not to mention is a badass.

[@yourlocalhinata.channel9893]

My honest opinion is that the new anime has some really great episodes and has good plot progression but sometimes it feels a bit long

[@azrael_III]

the ps2 game is the best way to enjoy Dororo

[@Azarian]

I really need to watch the 2019 adaptation, I'm just not terribly fond of the art direction. I much prefer Tezuka's more Disney esque character designs.

[@Ash113Lynx]

I've got that game! Way back before it got super rare I have mixed feelings about it, the gameplay is pretty bad (combat is serviceable, but platforming is terrible), but they actually have all 48 demons (a few are story, most are side stuff) and even recolor demons at least have different attacks in different arenas, making them not feeling like total clones and all the fiends are pretty fun to beat. And getting body parts back does improve gameplay in fun and interesting way (an early example, getting eyes back puts the game in color). But the music is god-awful and the graphics are pretty bland with giant towns with nothing in them (sure that's partly due to PS2 limitations, but would a few static NPCs have hurt?) The story also isn't a terrible rendition by any means, but oh god, the dub.... oh god that dub... just.... wow, that dub. It's probably just fastest/cheapest to watch it online at the end of the day, that dub is like... it goes full Garzey's Wing sometimes

[@Enshohma]

Mercury Falcon does a retrospective on the often overlooked yokai and swords fantasy drama Dororo. Direct Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4uTonepl81opLM

[@MercuryFalcon]

Thanks, I'll give it a watch even though I usually hate that guy.

[@Tanteikid94]

Thanks

[@andrewpragasam]

The live action movie is actually pretty great. Not least because Kou Shibasaki is awesome.

[@Natendowii]

Don't think that I didn't hear that Angel Cop ED Song at the beginning!

[@MrJMB122]

I own Originally, blood will tell. I lucked out.

[@javierortiz82]

Miooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@jamesmoss3424]

I first heard about this anime series from the video game blood will tell and I will check out the anime series. 😀👍

[@23RedTechno]

Pain) by Crayon Company playing in the background ot his video .

[@sigurdtheblue]

Sounds like a decent story. But it sounds painful to know it was not given a proper ending.

[@thomasav]

At 15:04 are they holding the bows backwards in the closeup?

[@sherylsiana2252]

LMFAO I bet no one else noticed😂

[@zerothebear]

That Nord add tho 😂

[@maxiargos1971]

Oh man. That game! I always wanted to play it, cause I first saw clips they put on G4's Cinematech. As well as when they reviewed it by a different show. Years later I saw a youtube video of the full game with the knowledge it was based off a manga. ANNNNNNNNNND! OOOH BOY! That ending. Dororo revealed to be a girl didn't surprise me, but that they are in fact, Hyakkimaru's heart, and the final demon made by the other 47 to be used to fight and kill Hyakkimaru in case he killed them. Which made Dororo's demon be a dragon, that you have to slay in different ways!? RAD! But what wasn't rad was, that at the end after he saves her from her fate, and having his final body part, the heart. They ended up together romantically......Just...Just Ewwww. I know different time period, but that doesn't mean I can't be grossed out by it.

[@MercuryFalcon]

That may have been based off a retconned manga idea interestingly enough

[@ZeeOwlMan]

What's the song that plays at the beginning of the video? It's really dang good.

[@MercuryFalcon]

Itami by Crayon-sha

[@ZeeOwlMan]

@@MercuryFalcon Thanks a bunch!!

[@Val-gv3vu]

what song was playing in the beginning of the video?

[@CornishCreamtea07]

Is the song in the intro the outro song from Angel Cop?

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

If you don't use Nord VPN, your Blood Will Tell hackers where to find your amputee porn collection.

[@flintlockbeithir4823]

what do you mean alleged

[@thexdatabase]

The Korean war didn't end technically

[@AKImeru]

The ps2 game is fucking good, I used to own a (burn) copy

[@Manlypitts]

I think the original style makes for a much more dynamic visual profile the new style is fine but there’s nothing defining about it. I’m sure the 2019 version is very good from an animation perspective I’m just not into how it looks it comes across as very plain.

[@adamcovey7887]

I know most hardcore anime fans are gigantic supporters of watching subbed anime but I suffer from severe dyslexia so subs are pretty much out the window for me if I watch a sub I end up pausing the anime eight or nine times while I'm watching and it's just very hard to pay attention to what's going on in the animation when I have to focus so hard just to understand what's being said so my opinion on subs is a little biased for medical reasons I'd much rather read a manga then watching anime with subtitles due to my disability which is sad because I know a lot of dubs get some of the storytelling and dialogue wrong but it's the only way I can really enjoy watching anime to its fullest

[@Vokkan]

Fantastic manga, and the start of Tezuka's gekiga phase. Can't say I care much for Mappa's overdone empathy-bait though.

[@hughgrection7246]

Where can one purchase the original anime ? I can't seem to find it anywhere ..

[@MercuryFalcon]

Rightstuf, its in stock right now

[@hughgrection7246]

@@MercuryFalcon love you

[@touhouenjoyer]

"Alleged" moon landing? Yo based?

[@zoesoundglave3897]

was this the first anime to have a transmasc person in it?

[@elobservadorobservante1605]

So, is Dororo detrans?

[@Julian-bw8tq]

I do think its odd that NASA lost the Master tapes

[@OmskXM]

Great video but please put a spoiler warning

[@elliotr9095]

That 'well done scene by the dub' is exactly why I can't watch dubs. That sounded really forced and like "these are my lines" to me.

[@alecaquino4306]

Tezuka was so progressive!

[@1SpicyMeataball]

Dororo is not trans... Tomboy's are an often used trope in manga/anime. Instead of being polluted by the lefty progressive-ism that's ruining western media.

[@candide1065]

aka. gay

[@alecaquino4306]

@@candide1065 Hmmm. That's an interesting thought actually!

[@ChukwunyereOkoye]

Nah bro kaen is better

[@avaranabraham8507]

Dororo is the first non binary character

[@flyingningahero5961]

Yeah OK the new artstyle still sux

[@foregroundeclispeleon6223]

Re -watching your video I gain some more clarity on it. I appreciate you for gendering Dororo correctly with male pronouns. Although female looking wouldn't be the word I'd use. Mabye rephrase it as a feminine looking man would be more appropriate I feel. I guess I got rather upset cause people misinterpted Dororos trans indenity as a man by calling him a girl or saying he's confused which fucking sucks . which is why I made the other two comments previously. But looking back on it I missed some points . (I know Mappa didn't have ill intent but holy fuck man the misgendering Dororo gets is ridiculous)

[@tayloredwards9144]

I thought dororo was a girl

[@1SpicyMeataball]

She is. She has to hide being a girl because of the world she lives in and is a tomboy because of it. Ignore all the spergs crying "trans". They've destroyed enough media with their identity politics.

[@dimsumboy22]

Always disregard dubs. Always.

[@Luna-dh1xd]

Cool to see there was trans representation in manga, I wish the 2019 verison did not make him become fem in the end

[@MercuryFalcon]

It’s presumably closer to what Tezuka intended.

[@Luna-dh1xd]

@@MercuryFalcon I know, but still, it would have been nice.

[@1SpicyMeataball]

Lol. Dororos not trans. She's a tomboy.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

Uh... What?

[@foregroundeclispeleon6223]

As a transgender man ftm who likes Anime +Manga I got a bit heavy with it. I love the Anime and I know men can be feminine too . It's just alot of folk don't get it and as a result our boy gets misgendered .

[@1SpicyMeataball]

Dororo's a girl. She rejects her femininity because she's a tomboy. She's being misgendered when referred to as "he". Also you'll never be a man.

[@elijahblechman4859]

@@1SpicyMeataballHe already is but ok.

[@foregroundeclispeleon6223]

Plus I'd rephrase some things . I'd prefer you use terms such as assigned at birth cause yes Dororo was assigned female at birth but that isn't who he really is nor dose your body define you.

[@1SpicyMeataball]

You are not "assigned" a gender. The doc looks at your set-up and marks down your gender based on the biology they see. Sorry the world doesn't cater to your fee fees. Most of us like to live in reality. Also for someone who says " your body does not define you" you're awfully obsessed with your self proclaimed trans-ness. Must make you very boring and shallow a person.

[@foregroundeclispeleon6223]

I personally see Dororo as a trans boy .