REVIEW: ‘Hell’s Paradise’ Season 2 Episode 7 – “Two People and One Person”

The balance of brothers and an unlikely duo takes the spotlight in the visually sumptuous Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7. In what may be the series’s most robust bout of animation to date, “Two People and One Person” pivots away from Gabimaru (Chiaki Kobayashi) to focus on another round of fighting between morally gray protagonists and the Tensen (Junichi Suwabe/Yūko Kaida) seeking immortality, no matter the cost. 

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 keeps the location static and centered on one showdown, rather than bouncing between settings and characters. The focus sticks to Chōbei (Ryōhei Kimura), Tōma (Kensho Ono), Tamiya Gantetsusai (Tetsu Inada), and Fuchi (Aoi Ichikawa), along with the Tensen Tao Fa and Ju Fa. By remaining in one central location, the episode gains a necessary boost of momentum, further aided by gorgeous fight animation and kineticism that highlight the distinctive presence of each fighter. Meanwhile, it also doubles down on why our outlaws and Asaemon are so easy to root for. 

First and foremost, there’s the brothers. Having spent the most recent episodes being surveyed by Tensen as he tries to prove his ability to assimilate with their ways, Chōbei begins by offering his hand to Tōma to join them. This is, seemingly, all they’ve desired: utmost power at their fingertips. Gantetsusai is even happy to let Tōma go. As he says to Fuchi, an unpredictable enemy is better than an unpredictable ally. 

The brothers show off their improved fighting prowess. 

But of course, these former bandits refuse to stick to any one script. Instead, the two instantly flip on the Tensen, facing Ju Fa down with fearless ferociousness.  Having picked up on a visual cue indicating that Chōbei was lying, Tōma instantly joins his side in their battle. It’s a phenomenal display of artistry that highlights their improved strength since their first standoff with Ju Fa, while also showing how the two have blended their individuality to become so strong together that they appear like one fighter. 

As a character who is so often referred to based on his more feminine beauty, there’s also fun in how deliberate the character design leans away from that for Tōma in Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7. He’s never been more like his brother, from the scar that ripples to life from his own gleeful exuberance to the maniacal grin that dominates his features mid-battle. They are, more than any other duo, visual representations of yin and yang and how it’s depicted throughout the course of the series. 

That said, they aren’t necessarily the most interesting, though watching them fight is wildly entertaining. It says a lot about the series that Tamiya Gantetsusai  and Fuchi are just as, if not more so, engaging.

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 highlights how each character is pivotal to the story. 

Because while the brothers have a narrative parallel that builds around the series’ thematic undercurrent, Gantetsusai and Fuchi operate, at least at first, as relative outliers to the main plot. They’re meant to fill in the blanks and add support to the others. 

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7, however, allows them to be the stars and, in some well-executed flashbacks, demonstrates how their stories have been just as integral to the stability of the overarching thematic narrative. Sure, it is characters like Gabimaru and Sagiri who truly drive the plot. But the story wouldn’t work with the same level of effectiveness without the moral complexity of characters such as Gantetsusai and Fuchi (and Chōbei and Tōma) 

While pairing such as Gabimaru and Sagiri make sense at first glance as narrative foils, Gantetsusai and Fuchi take time – even if they’ve been paired together since the very start. But in their fight against Tao Fa, we see how they approach their battles by operating in the others’ blind spots, as, perhaps, one of the weaker pairs on the offset due to their combined lack of skill in sensing Tao, they’re facing an uphill battle against Tao Fa, a formidable fighter. 

Gantetsusai and Fuchi balance each other due to their similarities and differences.

Fuchi is quick and precise, while Gantetsusai relies on brute strength and the thrill of bloodshed and a strong opponent. Neither, despite Shion’s attempts, seems to grasp how to determine where Tao is coming from or how to avoid it. And while both are – both in appearance, fighting styles, and approaches to life – opposed, they both struggle for the same reason: they can’t imagine what they can’t see or put their hands on. Fuchi bases his intellect on what he can visually process, while Gantetsusai fights based on what is in front of him. 

It leads to a fantastic, brutalist battle between them and Tao Fa, as they both struggle to find new ways to attack them. Gantetsusai attacks impulsively, while Fuchi strategically attempts to find ways in which to help Gantetsusai spot Tao, after he accidentally dodges one of Tao Fa’s blows. This puts Fuchi directly in harm’s way, believing that if he is to suffer the blows, it might help Gantetsusai locate the attacks. 

There’s a wonderful moment during the fight where their true character – all three of them – surfaces. Gantetsusai is having fun because Tao Fa is such a harsh opponent. Even Fuchi is enjoying the thrill as he realizes that there’s so much more about humanity he’s yet to discover, despite his studious efforts.

“Two People and One Person” executes high-octane action. 

This, to a degree, disgusts Tao Fa, who drops their ambivalent, smiling facade for something truly humorless. They can’t muster the energy to enjoy their tireless, imperfect plight for immortality, and can’t fathom the other two as they sink their teeth into battle. 

All of it culminates in a moment of genuine, bloody triumph as Gantetsusai finally realizes what he must do to gain the upper hand. By gouging out his eye, forcing himself to rely on his other senses, he’s finally able to pinpoint Tao Fa’s attacks by sensing their Tao. His resolve visually manifests in the blurring, staticky lines of his character’s movement, pushing him into a more formidable role as the fight continues. 

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 is relentless. Anchored by invigorating animation that distinguishes each character’s fighting style and how they balance one another, it reminds us that the strength of the series lies in the layered ensemble of protagonists fighting for their lives to escape the island. As Fuchi puts it in the episode’s most emotional moment, he wants them all to escape the island, all of them deserving of a second chance at life and united by their perseverance. We can’t help but agree. 

Hell’s Paradise Season 2 Episode 7 is available now on Crunchyroll. 

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