Official Trailer
Rating: 8.3/10 | Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 23 | Status: Returning Series
Starring: Reina Kondo, Wataru Takagi, Yu Kobayashi, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Kenyu Horiuchi
I just finished binging Dorohedoro and honestly, I’m kind of obsessed. It’s weird, it’s funny, it’s gross, and somehow it all works together in a way that shouldn’t make sense but totally does. If you like action shows that don’t take themselves too seriously, this is absolutely worth your time.
The premise is simple enough. Caiman wakes up with a lizard head and no memory of how he got that way. He needs to find the sorcerer who did it to him so he can turn back into a human. His best friend Nikaido is helping him hunt through this grimy underground world called the Hole. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? It is and it isn’t.
Season 1
Season 1 is where you get your bearings. We meet Caiman and Nikaido as they’re bumping into all these different sorcerers, trying to figure out who cursed him. The show does a great job of introducing you to the world without dumping too much exposition on you at once. You just kind of jump in and figure it out as you go.
What really works here is the humor. This show is genuinely funny. There are moments where I laughed out loud, which doesn’t happen often with anime. The side characters like Shin and Noi are instantly likeable even though they’re kind of the antagonists. They’re “cleaners” who work for the sorcerer En, and watching them interact with each other is half the fun. They have this weird married couple energy that’s hilarious.
The action is solid too. The fight choreography is creative and the animation style, while using a lot of 3D CGI, actually works in the show’s favor. Everything feels heavy and brutal in a fun way. It’s not trying to be super polished or beautiful. It’s gritty and weird and that’s the whole point.
My only complaint with season 1 is that it feels like it’s still figuring itself out sometimes. The pacing is a little uneven in spots, and there are a couple episodes that drag. But overall it’s a really solid first season that makes you want to keep watching.
Season 2
Season 2 is where things get bigger. The scope expands. We’re meeting more characters, learning more about the world and the rules of how magic works in this place. The mystery of Caiman’s curse gets deeper and more interesting.
This season feels more confident, if that makes sense. The show knows what it is now and it leans into it. The humor is sharper. The action is better. The character moments hit harder because we’ve spent time with these people.
That said, season 2 is shorter at 11 episodes versus season 1’s 12, and you can kind of feel like the story gets cut off just when it’s getting really good. There’s clearly more story to tell here. It’s frustrating in the best way possible because I wanted more.
The Characters
Caiman is the anchor of the whole show and he’s great. He’s got this weird deadpan delivery that’s perfect for the comedy, but he’s also genuinely likeable. You buy that he and Nikaido are best friends because they have real chemistry.
Nikaido might be my favorite character though. She’s tough, she’s smart, she’s loyal, and she’s got her own stuff going on that the show slowly reveals. She could have been just “the sidekick” but she’s so much more than that.
En is probably the most interesting character in the whole thing. He’s the main sorcerer and you’d think he’d be a typical villain but he’s not. He’s funny and sad and pathetic and dangerous all at the same time. Every scene with him is entertaining.
Shin and Noi round out the crew and they’re both amazing. Shin is stoic and serious while Noi is basically a chaos gremlin, and watching them work together is pure joy. Their dynamic is probably the funniest part of the show.
Is It Worth Watching?
Yeah, it is. If you want something that’s action-packed but also funny and weird, Dorohedoro delivers. It’s not a perfect show. Some episodes are better than others. The pacing can get wonky. But it’s got heart and personality and it doesn’t feel like anything else you’re watching right now.
My biggest hope is that we get a season 3 because this story deserves a proper ending. The cliffhangers in season 2 are brutal and I need to know what happens next. Have you watched this yet, or is it still on your list?
Episode Guide
Season 1 (12 Episodes)
Episode 1: Episode 1 (7.8/10)
Caiman and Nikaido hunt for the sorcerer who cursed him with a lizard's head, while Fujita returns to the Hole to avenge Matsumura's death.
Episode 2: Episode 2 (7.6/10)
"Cleaners" Shin and Noi get to work in the Hole. Meanwhile, Caiman and Nikaido search for a sorcerer who uses acupuncture to change faces.
Episode 3: Episode 3 (7.9/10)
Caiman and Nikaido take part in the annual Night of the Living Dead. But before they can finish their mission, Shin and Noi show up to finish them.
Episode 4: Episode 4 (7.8/10)
En consults his comrade Turkey, whose magical dolls may identify the "lizard guy." Caiman and Nikaido visit Kasukabe, a professor studying sorcerers.
Episode 5: Episode 5 (8.1/10)
In the sorcerers' world, Caiman and Nikaido locate a man with cross eyes, but the trail goes cold when Shin and Noi show up on a mission.
Episode 6: Episode 6 (8.4/10)
En's mushroom magic gravely injures Nikaido when she infiltrates his mansion. Dr. Vaux and Professor Kasukabe tell Caiman about Shin's dark past.
Episode 7: Episode 7 (8/10)
Plotting to avenge Matsumura, Fujita joins the Hole Peace Hospital's baseball team: their rival team has his friend's killer Caiman on the roster.
Episode 8: Episode 8 (8.1/10)
Fearing for Nikaido's safety, Caiman returns to the sorcerers' world alone. The En family begins preparations for the Blue Night Party festivities.
Episode 9: Episode 9 (8/10)
Caiman sneaks into the festival grounds in pursuit of Risu. Meanwhile, En tells Fujita the story of how Shin and Noi became partners.
Episode 10: Episode 10 (8.2/10)
Nikaido dons a powerful mask to defeat her enemy, only to find the attack was a trap by En. With Tanba's help, Caiman visits one of the Cross-Eyes.
Episode 11: Episode 11 (8.1/10)
As a member of the family, Nikaido learns why En needs a sorcerer who can manipulate time. Caiman disguises himself as Tanba's wife to rescue her.
Episode 12: Episode 12 (8.1/10)
Caiman tries to convince Nikaido to return to the Hole with him, but her contract with En binds her. After the fight, En launches a search for her.
Season 2 (11 Episodes)
Episode 1: LET'S USE OUR RESOURCES WITH CARE / HORROR! BLOODY MANSION SLAUGHTER DANCE (9/10)
While Risu tracks down the Cross-Eyes' hideout, Kasukabe's group heads off to find the professor's estranged wife, only to make a gruesome discovery.
Episode 2: MEOTO ZENZAI / MASTEMA SUBNADE / THE TRAGIC TALE OF THE CROSS-EYES (9.7/10)
The battle heats up as Shin and Noi fight for their lives. Caiman and Nikaido find themselves being followed as they explore a bustling underground city.
Episode 3: SWEET HOME / SHINING YOUTH / MEMORIES KEEP CIRCLING ROUND AND ROUND / COME BACK HOME (9.7/10)
Ebisu regains her memories after eating En's new product. Meanwhile, Caiman experiences a violent flashback and Kasukabe goes grave-digging in the Hole.
Episode 4: GOLDEN BEETLES ARE RICH / CUTE BUTCHER / DOOR TO THE PAST (9.3/10)
So the Cross-Eyes gang figured they’d make the landlord’s murder look like a suicide, huh? As for Asu, who dared to keep things from me, I made sure he paid for it.
Episode 5: MEETING IN THE RAIN / TRAVEL COMPANIONS / FINAL NIGHT FOR TWO (9.7/10)
Looks like Ebisu got her memory back, thanks to eating some weird mushrooms, and now she’s all eager to head back to her parents’ place.
Episode 6: FAREWELL, CAIMAN / MEMORY BUBBLES (9.7/10)
En’s found the lizard guy and Nikaido, and they’re going at it hard. Meanwhile, the Cross-Eyes guys are sitting around swapping stories about their boss.
Episode 7: MY SECRET PLAN / CROSS-EYE EXPEDITION / DEFORMED REUNION (8.8/10)
Fujita's losing his mind trying to get Kikurage to bring Ebisu back to life. The Cross-Eyes guys are scrambling for cash, and things around En are starting to get kind of dicey.
Episode 8: CHAOS SHOCK / BLACK BOX / ROOM 501 (9/10)
I never imagined En would go down that easily. The sorcerers are thrown into total chaos. And now I get why Nikaido doesn't use magic.
Episode 9: MOSH PIT / CROSS-EYES IN THE NEWS (9/10)
The Cross-Eyes boss has finally shown up. The En Family's been wiped out, and it looks like the Cross-Eyes have taken over that huge mansion.
Episode 10: Lucky Jerk / Advanced Magic
The Cross-Eyes send Ton and Natsuki to track down Kikurage.. Meanwhile, Aikawa wakes with a pounding headache. Nikaido trains with Asu.
Episode 11: Ballad of the Happy Destruction / Question & Answer
Where to Watch
Stream on: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Rakuten Viki, Netflix Standard with Ads, Disney Plus, Aniverse Amazon Channel, Animation Digital Network, Anime Digital Network Amazon Channel, Sony Liv, Anime Times Amazon Channel