Gabimaru
Fictional character from Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saku (朔), often referred to as the mononym Gabimaru (Japanese: 画眉丸), is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga series Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. During Gabimaru's time as a shinobi in the Iwagakure village, he was known as the strongest person under the inherited title, "Gabimaru the Hollow". When he plans to quit, his execution is orchestrated by the village chief. The shogunate later recruits death row convicts to compete in acquiring the elixir of life from the Shinsenkyō island in exchange for a pardon for their past crimes.
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- "Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Chapter 1"
- January 22, 2018
Chiaki Kobayashi
English
Alejandro Saab
| Gabimaru | |
|---|---|
| Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku character | |
Illustration of Gabimaru by Yuji Kaku | |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Yuji Kaku |
| Portrayed by | Tsubasa Kizu |
| Voiced by | Japanese Chiaki Kobayashi English Alejandro Saab |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Saku (朔) |
| Nickname |
|
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Shinobi |
| Affiliation | Vanguard Party (member) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
Kaku created Gabimaru as a married character, with the mindset that he needed a strong and immediate motivation for his main character to fight to survive, making his wife his core driving force. In the Hell's Paradise anime adaptation, he is voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi in Japanese and Alejandro Saab in English. The character received generally positive acclaim from critics for his role in Hell's Paradise, for his character growth and his role as an anti-hero in his backstory.
Creation and conception
Manga creator Yuji Kaku intended for the protagonist of his Hell's Paradise series to have a distinct driving force,[1] making him a married character, which he saw as "unique" in shonen manga.[2] Kaku noted "the main character really needs a strong motivation to survive. [...] So I made his wife the driving force".[1] Saku is often referred to by the mononym "Gabimaru", the short form of the title he inherited as the strongest shinobi of Iwagakure.[3] His role in the story was meant to highlight aspects of his personality and growth.[1][4] While writing, Kaku realized themes shifted more towards the Middle Way doctrine, with the paradoxes and conflict.[4] Kaku stated he wanted to gradually develop Gabimaru's character—from a "hollow" and "bloodthirsty" assassin to a more "empathetic" person.[1][5] In an interview with Crunchyroll, Kaku stated, "Despite condemned criminals and executioners being difficult characters to empathize with, if they share our perspective, then we feel close to them, and they stand out as unique characters in the Edo period, when people had totally different ideas about ethics and human rights."[4] In his explanation of how he approached character designs, Kaku expressed that "Designing characters isn't unpleasant, and I try to express the character's personality through their design. Reality is different, but in manga, I think there's a firm connection between the inside and outside. [...] I deliberately try give important characters strong designs."[4]
Casting
In the Hell's Paradise anime adaptation, Gabimaru is voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi in Japanese,[6] chosen by director Kaori Makita for his "calm" and "appealing" voice.[6][7] In English, he is voiced by American voice actor Alejandro Saab.[8] Makita mentioned that the casting of the voice actors for Gabimaru and Sagiri were the most difficult part, "When reading the manga, every reader imagines a different voice for the characters. The character's personality and age are the clues [I] use when deciding who to cast. Sometimes the actual age of the character is really different from their personality and their physicality, but all of that is taken into consideration when casting."[7]
In an interview with Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek, Saab stated "When it comes to Gabimaru, the fact that the whole reason that he’s in any of this right now is to get back to his wife is something that [I] love. I mean, how can you not love a murderer with a heart of gold, right? He’s not just someone who wants to be strong. He’s someone who just wants to go home, which is something that I think everyone can relate to. [...] He’s always been told that he’s hollow and that’s all that he’ll ever be. Expressing that emotion, rage, fears, and happiness is just everything. I adore it."[9]
Appearances
In Hell's Paradise
An only child of a jonin couple in the Edo period, he was named Saku by his mother, whom believed the symbolism behind his name was befitting for a shinobi.[3] He first appears in the manga as an abandoned orphan who was raised by the village chief of Iwagakure as an inheritor to the village's title for the strongest, "Gabimaru the Hollow".[10] When he wished to cut ties with the village and live a normal life with his wife, the chief arranged for him to be captured and sentenced to death. As Yamada Asaemon Sagiri prepares to decapitate Gabimaru, he dodges at the last second, wondering why he refused to die.[11] Sagiri invites him to participate in an expedition of the elixir of life's retrieval from the land of Shinsenkyō to receive a pardon for his crimes and return to his wife, the village chief's daughter.[5][9] Gabimaru's ability, Ninpō: Hibōshi (忍法 火法師, Ninpō: Hi hōshi), allows him to set himself on fire by raising his body temperature to ignite the oil in his skin.[12]
In other media
The first stage play adaptation for Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku was announced following the release of a visual on November 28, 2022. Tsubasa Kizu portrayed Gabimaru.[13][14]
He made several appearances outside of the Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku anime and manga. Gabimaru would be featured in multiple video games including Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions,[15] Monster Strike,[16] Grand Summoners, and Seven Knights Idle Adventure.[17] In the survival role-playing video game (RPG) Jigokuraku: Paradise Battle, he also appears as a playable character.[18]
Reception
Popularity
Gabimaru was well-received by the series' readers and critics. He was nominated for Boy of the Year at the 10th Anime Trending Awards.[19] While Yoan Sover's performance as Gabimaru was one of the nominees for Best Voice Artist Performance (French) at the 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[20]
Critical response
Critical response to Gabimaru's role had received universal acclaim. Writing for Polygon, Isaac Rouse, in his review of the upcoming second season, said he was "hardened by years of brutal training, Gabimaru survives every form of execution attempted, from beheading to burning at the stake."[21] While InBetweenDrafts' Kayla Chu on her review of Hell's Paradise's first episode said he was "the standout", saying "By focusing the later part of the episode on demonstrating exactly why Gabimaru is a living legend, “Screening and Choosing” reminds the condemned, the shogun’s own party, and even Sagiri that he is here for a reason. His merciless nature when killing others in these moments prove that killing is second nature to him and that part of him is certainly hollow when killing."[10] Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek wrote in his review of the series, "There are plenty of disaffected heroes out there, but Hell’s Paradise begins at a point where Gabimaru is already past the point of exhaustion. It’s an ambitious foundation for the show’s main character, but after only one episode there’s already a distinct quality to Gabimaru that inspires the viewer to want to see what happens to him rather than jump over to the next ultra-violent assassin series."[22]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | Best Voice Artist Performance (French) | Yoan Sover as Gabimaru | Nominated | [20] |
| 10th Anime Trending Awards | Boy of the Year | Gabimaru | Nominated | [19] |