Hell's Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 Review (Popular Winter Anime 2026)

Hell's Paradise (also known as Jigokuraku) aired its Season 2 Episode 1 on January 11, 2026. This has been exciting news for every fan. After waiting for over two years, the long-awaited Hell's Paradise is finally back, continuing Gabimaru’s dangerous journey in Shinsenkyo (also known as Kotaku).  As an anime viewer, I am of course super excited for Season 2, because we can finally encounter more bizarre monsters and Lord Tensens through the lens of our MC, Gabimaru.

What are these bizarre monsters? What are the goals of the Lord Tensens? Does Gabimaru actually have a wife? What is really inside Shinsenkyo? There are still so many mysteries waiting for us to uncover, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Season 2 will bring.

To be honest, since it has been a while since the end of Season 1, I had actually forgotten a lot of things about it. I am sure I’m not the only one, though. Before watching Season 2, Episode 1, I was quite worried about whether it would start at a climax, or if Gabimaru would suddenly head off on a different journey. Since I’ve forgotten a lot of the plot, I thought it might be hard to catch up. After watching it, I realized I didn't need to worry, since the anime started in a different way than I expected.

After watching Hell's Paradise Season 2 Episode 1 myself, I think there is a lot of content to discuss, so I will share some of my thoughts in this post. However, since this review covers Season 2, which continues directly from Season 1, it will be hard to follow if you haven't watched the beginning. Therefore, I am assuming everyone reading this has already watched Season 1. I will also touch on settings and characters that were heavily involved in the first season. If you haven’t seen Season 1 yet, I suggest you watch it first. Please be aware there are spoilers ahead—read at your own risk!

Source: 『地獄楽』Official X account

Hell & Paradise & Gabimaru:

Instead of starting with a climax or a new journey, the first episode of Season 2 began with over six minutes of dialogue involving Yamada Asaemon Jikka. Personally, since Jikka is a middle-aged male character who doesn't seem that important or have a direct relationship with Shinsenkyo and the Lord Tensens, the dialogue-heavy scenes were boring to me. To be honest, I felt like skipping those parts, but I realized it wasn't actually a skippable section.

These dialogue scenes aren’t just designed for world-building; they also serve as an explanation for both us viewers and the characters outside Shinsenkyo—the people who stayed behind in mainland Japan.

Although nothing happened on the mainland, the main goal of the story is focused on Shinsenkyo and the legendary Elixir of Life. It would feel very weird if the people back in Japan knew nothing about the progress or what had occurred. So, in order for the story to truly begin, the anime had to start with all this dialogue, helping viewers and characters grasp the minimum information we need.

After a dialogue-heavy opening lasting over six minutes, we are able to understand two important facts. First, the Shogun hasn’t given up on the Elixir of Life and still intends to send more people to Shinsenkyo. From a viewer’s perspective, this is a foolish move because we know exactly what is happening on Shinsenkyo. However, for the Shogun, it’s a brilliant decision—after all, who wouldn't want to be immortal if they had the chance?

The Shogun has a great chance of obtaining the legendary Elixir of Life because there are so many strong people who need resources, money, fame, or power from him. In fact, with just one promise, the Shogun easily gathered many powerful individuals like Gabimaru and sent them to Shinsenkyo. 

Even though the first batch hasn't returned to the mainland yet, all the Shogun needs to do is keep making promises to strong individuals and sending them to Shinsenkyo. Of course, it may fail several times, but after three, four, or even ten attempts, the Shogun will eventually obtain the Elixir of Life.

Source: 『地獄楽』Official X account

The second fact to note is that the Iwagakure village, where Gabimaru previously belonged, has taken action. The chief of Iwagakure mentioned that he left something on Shinsenkyo and wants to take it back. Although what he's referring to is a huge mystery, Gabimaru appears in that scene, so I assume he is what the chief wants back. Of course, this could just be a mislead.

If the Gabimaru scene is just a mislead, there could be many other things the chief needs. To figure it out, we will need more clues and more episodes. However, if the chief is after Gabimaru, then we have to ask: why?

Gabimaru is strong; even though he is on Shinsenkyo, which is full of monsters, the chances of him making it out are quite high. If the chief just wanted to help Gabimaru, he wouldn't actually need to do anything, since Gabimaru is so hard to kill. The chief's main reason for moving isn't to save Gabimaru, but because Gabimaru has returned to being the fiercest human weapon—and the chief wants to welcome that version of him back.

It may sound impossible, but the chief is the one who raised Gabimaru and watched him grow and kill; it wouldn’t be strange if the chief were able to sense something when it came to him. To the chief, someone like Gabimaru is the ultimate human weapon because he is the fiercest and bravest. If Gabimaru wants to live like a normal human, he is useless—but if he fights like he did before, he is the chief's greatest treasure, capable of killing anyone in his way.

Source: 『地獄楽』Official X account

Gabimaru & New Journey & New Enemy:

Personally, the biggest highlight of Hell's Paradise Season 2, Episode 1 is the battle between the "new" Gabimaru, who has lost his memory, and the "new" Aza Chobe, who has become something that can no longer be considered human. The entire battle is quite intense and fierce; it lasts for almost seven minutes, covering the whole second half of Episode 1.

A battle that lasts for seven minutes may seem long to some, but trust me, it’s a fight you don't want to miss. The production team didn't make the fight long just for the sake of it; they wanted viewers to understand exactly what Gabimaru and Aza Chobe are facing, as well as the profound changes they are undergoing.

Continuing from the finale of Season 1, Gabimaru still hasn't recovered his memories. This has obviously had a great effect on his mind; he can’t figure out what is happening and doesn’t even realize that trying to kill a strong ally is a foolish move. 

More importantly, he can’t use his "Tao" properly. To use Tao, Gabimaru needs to balance strength and weakness. With his memories, his wife serves as that necessary weakness, allowing him to tap into his power. Without her, Gabimaru is just a monster possessing great strength—and because he lacks that balance, he can’t use Tao or effectively fight against other monsters anymore.

Here’s an X post you may like:

❖━━━━━━━━━━━━━❖
　　　 TVアニメ『#地獄楽』
　　　第十四話「黎明と昏迷」
　　 エピソードイラスト公開
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戦いの果てにあるのは ――　

毎週日曜23時45分よりテレ東系他にて放送中
Prime Video / NETFLIX / Lemino にて配信中#地獄楽アニメ pic.twitter.com/EnL0GwAylQ

— 『地獄楽』公式 (@jplus_jigokurak) January 11, 2026

Gabimaru isn’t the only one facing a great change; Aza Chobe is as well. After figuring out how to use "Tao" like the Dōshi, Chobe has transformed into a monster. Not only is he unable to die—regenerating from any damage—but his body has also transformed into something that can no longer be called human.

Of course, with a personality as twisted as Aza Chobe's, he doesn't even care that he's becoming a monster. However, the less human he looks, the greater the fear his beloved younger brother feels. After all, who wants to see their only blood-related sibling turn into a monster?

Here’s an X post you may like:

◥◣ノンクレジットOP映像公開◢◤

TVアニメ『#地獄楽』第二期OPテーマ
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キタニタツヤ feat. BABYMETAL
「かすかなはな」@TatsuyaKitani@BABYMETAL_JAPAN
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毎週日曜23時45分より
テレ東系他にて放送　
Prime Video / Netflix / Leminoにて配信 pic.twitter.com/oRcuvXGm8G

— 『地獄楽』公式 (@jplus_jigokurak) January 11, 2026

Conclusion:


Personal Rating: 8/10

Hell's Paradise Season 2 is truly an anime you should watch in 2026. Since it has been over two years since the end of Season 1, we might have forgotten many details, but that isn't a big concern. Because the first episode progresses at a slower pace, it allows us to watch it first and then revisit Season 1 afterward.

Episode 1 did a great job; it carefully explained the essential details we needed while providing the intense battle we’ve craved for so long. Most importantly, it left us with many mysteries: will Gabimaru be able to recover his memory, and will Aza Chobe ever be able to turn back into a human? These questions have made me very curious and eager for the next episode. Please stay tuned, as I’ll be back to share more thoughts soon!

Youtube: Hell's Paradise Season 2 - Official Trailer

Where to watch: Netflix