A review by umairah
Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 2 by Yuji Kaku

I LOVE SAGIRI SO MUCH! It's so interesting how she is carving her own way outside of the expectations society places on women and following the 'middle path'. I loved it when she said, "Turn your emotions into intensity and power, all while maintaining rationality and not losing sight. What drives me is neither rage not calm... It's the space between!"

Sagiri really is a character that embodies the idea of 'the space between'. She is full of warmth yet cold as ice, she is emotional yet ruthless, she is afraid yet full of courage. I love the way she accepts her inner contradictions to become even stronger. 

Both Sagiri and Gabimaru's wife (we don't know her name yet?) are different examples of women choosing their own paths outside of what was expected of them. I like the way they both show different types of strength.

"I want to live my life on my own terms... That is all I ask. And I believe that is something all people desire, no matter their gender or even their status. The desire to decide one's way of life is a basic emotion shared by all of humanity, is it not?" 

Even more interesting, is the way Sagiri is similar to the island itself. The island is also a 'space between'. Not quite heaven but not quite hell, a blend of Buddhist and Taoist influences and containing monsters that are "too surreal to be seen as natural entities, and too artificial to be seen as divine apparitions".

I find this manga so interesting and I can't wait to see what will happen next!