With the introduction of the series' inherent power system, Tao,Hell’s Paradise: Jigokurakukicks off a whole new phase in its development of the various basic elements of the story. Now with knowledge of the deliberate structure of Shinsenkyō; the true nature of the Elixir of Life; the existence of the Tensen and even basic knowledge of the essence that flows throughout existence that is Tao,Hell’s Paradise: Jigokurakudelves into the meat of the plot.
As rulers of the island, the Tensen are seen as gods, scholars-turned-masters of Tao who have achieved immortality through their rigorous training in the Five Training Paths to Immortality. The Tensen’s right-hand men, the Dōshi, are students and servants seeking to gain the same understanding of reality through engaging in those same training methods – but what are they, really?
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Tan
The mystical object known as “The Elixir of Life” to the shogunate and the members of the Vanguard Party (“Tokijiku no Kagu no Mi” to those from Iwagakure) is revealed to be the distillation of the life-energy of living human beings into a substance known to those who partake of it as “Tan”. As seen in the actions of the Aza Brothers, a pit found somewhere on the island is the site where the Tao of humans is extracted and turned into a special drink that the Tensen, the immortalentities who preside over Shinsenkyō like gods, partake of to grant themselves additional lifespans. The Tensen are homunculi created by Rien, the wife of Chinese explorer Jofuku (Xu Fu), who had been sent to find the Elixir of Life by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, placing his arrival on Shinsenkyō at 220 CE at the very latest. This is 1600 years prior to the end stages of the Edo Period in which theHell’s Paradise: Jigokurakunarrative is set.
Rien’s objective is to complete the task given to her husband; however, rather than locate the secret to immortality, Rien’s rigorous research over the course of a thousand years has led to her understanding of Tao. The Tensen, Dōshi andeven the mindless Sōshinare the result of Rien’s research, and they are effectively subjects whose existence are evidence of her progression in mastering Tao, and creating the perfect Elixir of Life. With not only herself, but eight others committing their existence to the mastery of Tao, Rien is capable of learning at a faster rate than if she were trying to conduct her research all on her own; however, what will prove to be invaluable to Rien’s quest to create the perfect Elixir of Life is the arrival of a certain band of criminals and their samurai attendants.
Tao
One way to define Tao is to consider it the force of existence itself; the energy that makes up every living and non-living thing. The basic concept is found in various belief systems and hence goes by various names, even withinHell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku; however, in the series, it is based directly on concepts found in Taoism and Buddhism. In those circles, “the Tao/Dao” (written 道, translates to “The Way”) is the natural flow or order of the universe, and coming to understand this is the basis of wisdom; however, it isn’t a concept that is learned and understood. Instead, awakening to the Tao lies in the experience of life as it happens, and it is primordial in that it cannot quite be grasped as an idea or concept because it is reality itself.
The nebulous nature of attempts at explaining Tao extend to theHell’s Paradise: Jigokurakuinterpretation of it, withMei’s explanation of Taobeing something that is “Strong. Weak”, stumping even the most astute combatant in the group. The understanding of Tao as “life energy” or the force of existence itself is important to theHell’s Paradise: Jigokurakunarrative as it forms the basis of the various events that have taken place on the island of Shinsenkyō for over a millennium. One of the most important aspects of Tao yet to be introduced in the anime as of episode 11 is the “elemental” attributes that govern the flow and behaviour of Tao – effectively, the structure ofJigokurakureality as governed by the mysterious force. This is based on the Chinese philosophy ofWuxing– the Five Phases concept that forms a cycle of activity based on the complex interactions of five primordial forces of reality: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
Cycles of Reality
Wuxing is incredibly complex and varied interpretations of the various phases or agents do exist; however, the basic interactions between the five nodes remains fixed upon two perspectives: the generative interaction, which follows the elements as they feed into each other in the order seen above; or the destructive interaction, which sees Wood overcome Earth; Earth overcome Water; Water overcome Fire; and Fire overcome Metal, which overcomes Wood, bringing the cycle back to the beginning ina process that is actually alchemicalin its nature and purpose.
Characters inHell’s Paradise: Jigokurakuwill soon discover that their Tao has an elemental affinity, and a corresponding elemental bane, and boon. Anyway, these five elements are the basis of the Five Paths of Immortality inHell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, in that they are the five different methods the combination of which can lead an individual to Tao mastery, an idea that is incredibly similar to the alchemical ideal of changing from lead to gold. While not outright stated in the series (or anywhere else), it is possible that the five methods correspond to the different elements, an idea supported by the fact that historically, Rien had assigned each of the Tensen to preside over a particular training method – perhaps due to a natural affinity, or more likely, due to their inherent incompatibility.
Five Training Methods
Dō’in (導引), Taisoku (胎息), Shu’itsu (守一), Shūten (周天) and Bōchū Jutsu (房中術) are the Five Training Methods required to turn an individual into a Tao master. Each of these concepts are borrowed from real-life Taoist ideas, and many have been seen in various anime and popular culture to some degree.
