‘Hell’s Paradise,’ ‘Chainsaw Man,’ & ‘Jujutsu Kaisen:’ Which Had the Best Debut Episode? (POLL)
The new age of Shonen anime and manga has taken a decidedly dark turn, reflecting the new generation of fans the same way One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach did in the era before.
And with the premiere episode of Hell’s Paradise debuting on April 1, “The dark trio of Shonen” have all arrived from the printed page to the small screen. Hell’s Paradise, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen debuted as manga in 2016, each dealing with demons, devils, ghosts, sorcerers, and morbid storylines.
First was Hell’s Paradise, which follows the ruthless assassin Gabimaru, now on death row with only one way out: retrieve the Elixir of Life from a sinister island filled with fellow convicts and demonic beasts alongside his handler Yamada Asaemon Sagiri.
Then Jujutsu Kaisen followed up, focusing on Yuji, who enrolls in a school’s occult club, unaware that its members are actual sorcerers. After getting caught up in a demonic entity’s scheme, he must fight to protect his friends while also trying to evade his own impending demise.
Lastly, Chainsaw Man sees Denji repaying his debts by harvesting devil corpses, getting betrayed by his handler, and being killed. As he begins to drift away from this mortal coil, Denji makes a contract with his Chainsaw Devil and gets revived as “Chainsaw Man,” also described as a man with a devil’s heart.
Jujutsu Kaisen debuted its first anime episode on October 2, 2020, with “Ryomen Sukana,” which currently has 4.9 out of 5 on Crunchyroll with 119.5 votes. The franchise went on to have a film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, earning $166 million at the box office worldwide. Chainsaw Man debuted October 22, 2022, with “Dog & Chainsaw,” with 4.9 out of 5 and 236.9K votes. Lastly, Hell’s Paradise debuted on April 1 with “Criminal and Executioner” and currently holds 4.9 and 9.6k votes.
With each show being produced by MAPPA finally arriving, Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen approaching July 6, and similar series premiere ratings on its debut streamer, now’s the time for viewers to decide which of the dark trio of shonen had the best first outing.
Let us know which episode 1 was your favorite in the poll below.
Hell’s Paradise, Saturdays, Crunchyroll
