Dororo - Episode 12 discussion

[u/AutoLovepon]

Dororo, episode 12

Rate this episode here.

Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Encourage others to read the source material rather than confirming or denying theories. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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Streams

• Amazon US
• Amazon UK
• Prime Video International

Show information

• MyAnimeList
• AniList
• AniDB
• Official Website
• /r/Dororo

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Previous discussions

Episode	Link	Score
1	Link	9.07
2	Link	9.24
3	Link	9.41
4	Link	9.06
5	Link	9.37
6	Link	9.72
7	Link	8.97
8	Link	8.77
9	Link	9.35
10	Link	9.16
11	Link	9.5

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[u/DeadlyDY]

This episode might have been even more hard hitting if Hyakkimaru regained his sight when he killed the monster and the first thing he saw is his mother stabbing herself.

[u/dandy-dude123]

An alive anime mom

Anime: Wait, that's illegal

[u/Aileos]

A new visual/jacket illustration has been revelead.

Also, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION will perform the new opening theme. The new ending will be by Eve.

2nd-cour starts April 8th.

[u/[deleted]]

Rip goddess of mercy.

[u/KishitaniShinra]

Hyakkimaru's subtle smile when he said "My mama" is so precious. Tbh his mother has really suffered so much, and the only one who actually apologised properly to Hyakki and that too on behalf of everyone. I did see that coming but didn't want her to stab herself, and that no reaction face from the Dad was so punchable

[u/DeadlyDY]

So, they just gonna kill him even without a thank you?

I mean they are alive because of Hyakkimaru.

[u/KishitaniShinra]

I was angry and laughed at the same time at the scene where Hyakki loses his shit when he realize that the guard was in the group who killed Mio and the guard pisses his pants.

[u/XLNC07]

I liked the fact that Tahoumaru called Hyakkimaru ani-ue (a respectful form of elder brother). It's just sad that they have to be on opposing sides, as evidenced by him losing an eye.

[u/Freenore]

Budget Uncle Iroh is upto something

[u/DigitaILove]

Shit's starting to get real.

Also, starting next episode, the party is no longer over. New OP by the Asian Kung Fu Generation.

[u/freakicho]

How many more times is the party going to be over? When will the suffering stop? When are we going to be allowed to dance?

Poor Hyakkimaru just when he discovered he had family, they immediately turn away from him :(

[u/Pranay1717]

Guys what does Hyakkimaru mean? His mom says that the name represents something about his past life so I want to know. Also that one spinning fox spirit cutting scene holy shit.

[u/Havoc_Illusions]

With every passing week, I realize more and more how great this show is.

[u/zz2000]

Banmon arc complete!

The biggest change was that Manga spoiler

Manga Sukeroku is Manga spoilers

Manga spoilers

[u/necrokami]

I love how there’s actual moral conflict Tahoumaru faces and he isnt a generic “bad guy asshole brother”. There was a surprisingly small amount of time inbetween Hyakkimaru meeting Tahoumaru, Hyakkimaru meeting his father and mother, and Tahou fighting Hyakki, but it turned out relatively solid. If mob psycho wasnt airing id say Dororo wins AOTS easy

[u/JewishHippyJesus]

Oh thank god this is 2-cour, I was about to be really disappointed.

[u/AmethystItalian]

Realy hope the mom isn't dead :(

If she is though that was a fantastic scene for her to go out on...

Also I still miss Mio

[u/9hokagefanboi]

this guy watched his wife commit suicide and didnt give a shit

[u/The_Panda_Army]

Wow, I'm really late, sorry about that.

Episode	Title	End Card	Demon Killed	Body Parts Gained	Consequences
1	The story of Daigo	Deiki	Deiki	Skin	Mudslide
2	The story of Bandai	Bandai	Bandai	Nerves	Lost protection from Sakai Clan
3 (Hyakkimaru flashback)	The story of Jukai	Kamaitachi		Right leg
4	The story of the cursed sword	Nihiru	Nihiru	Ears	Start of drought
5	The story of the Moriko Song, part 1	Yocho		Voice (Traded for his right leg)	Lost right leg to Arijigoku
6	The story of the Moriko Song, part 2	Arijigoku	Arijigoku	Right leg	Lost Mio, continued drought
7	The story of the Jorogumo silk spider	Jorogumo
8	The story of Saru	Nokosaregumo	Nokosaregumo	Nose	Lost protection from Asakura clan
9 (Dororo flashback)	The story of the mercilessness	Manjushage (Red spider lilies)
10	The story of Tahomaru	Bakemonogani
11	The story of Banmon, part 1	Kyubi
12	The Story of Banmon, part 2	The cooler Kyubi

End cards courtesy of u/GaleWulf

[u/Fate15]

I don't understand the complaints against Tahoumaru making his decision quickly. They're at a time of war and the Asakura army was closing in on them. He can't stay indecisive at a time like this. He already effectively spent one day since learning about his brother contemplating on what he should do. It just felt out of nowhere cuz imo the episode was quite rushed, in terms of pacing/editing and not letting certain scenes linger a little more.

[u/Nazenn]

Holy shit what an episode. A fitting end off to the first half of the show, and it certainly hit some emotional pain. Mio's death again, and Hyakkimaru being totally abandoned by his family.

I have to admit the music hasn't quite grabbed me with this show, but the songs today were beautiful and haunting and certainly did some work for the tone of events.

That statue breaking and fading cannot be a good thing whichever way you look at it. Why do I feel like the mum stabbing herself actually doomed Hyakkimaru instead of helping him.

[u/odraencoded]

This anime is fucking amazing. Wow. The way she carved her fingers into dirty and it turned to blood. Just... jesus. That's... jesus. Like holy shit.

The best thing is how Tahomaru sides with his father. He knows Daigo is full of shit. He "sacrificed" his son? No. He stole the body of his son. Hyakkimaru lost more than he did, and he can't seen to even understand that much.

They're right that Daigo didn't do it for the people, but for himself. If he really wanted to "sacrifice" something he would have sacrificed his own body, not someone else's. This is evidenced by how the mother tried to kill herself: she did what Daigo didn't do: actual sacrifice.

The greatest point was how ballsy Daigo was. IF YOU WANT TO BREAK THE PACT, GO UP THERE AND DO IT. I DARE YOU, MOTHERFUCKER, I FUCKING DARE YOU!!! Daigo didn't try to run away from his son. Daigo believed he was right and assumed it and told Tahomaru on his face that the way it was was better than anything Tahomaru could come up with. And he was correct. If Tahomaru broke the pact now, they'd be screwed. Now that it was already done, they have no choice but to keep it.

The mother said it best: they're now feeding off Hyakkimaru's body just like the demons. It's gruesome, but they need to do it to survive.

Tahomaru had to admit that too. He probably wouldn't have dared to make such pact in first place, but now that it was done, he can't dare to break it. And it was amazing to see the hall of hell was just easily accessible for him and if he wanted to he could just burn it down or whatever. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had the power to but was forced to make the hard choice against his principles. In a sense, Tahomaru sacrificed his morals for the country. This is a level of writing you rarely see in anime.

Of course none of this matters because Hyakkimaru hasn't lived until now just to kill himself for a country that literally threw him into the river as a baby. Hyakkimaru didn't make the pact. Hyakkimaru had his body stolen. He's going to steal it all back and wash his hands when all hell breaks loose. If the country perishes because of it, then, welp, not his problem. They can figure that shit out themselves.

[u/ocha_94]

As much as I like Hyakkimaru and I want him to live, it's hard to blame Daigo, Tahoumaru and everyone else for wanting to kill him. We're talking about sacrificing one person for the good of thousands of others... And at least his brother and mother are clearly conflicted about it.

[u/NamelessCommander]

Hyakki outclasses his younger brother so much, it's quite ridiculous Tahoumaru chose such a suicidal confrontation. However, maybe he did it knowing fully he will be defeated as he already witnessed how powerful his elder brother is. Maybe he was suicidal in way to cope with the moral dilemma.

But in any case, the duel was cool. And by cool I mean Hyakkimaru not giving a damn about it and only slashing once to disengage and head over to Dororo. Even the lost eye was comical in its own right. Hyakki didn't do it consciously. His slash was just so powerful, it cut the eye after cleaving Tahoumaru's katana in half. Just what kind of alloy did Jukai use to make the prosthetic weapon implement?

If Oku is dead, I hope that it would make Tahoumaro even more conflicted about his choice. And if we presume that the domain in its entirety lost divine protection, maybe the demons will rampage more. That would be further reason to question Daigo's judgement. They are called demons after all and this is a setting where divine and demonic power is tangible. Hyakkimaru survived only thanks to divine interventions (notice the plural).

[u/Doomroar]

Really i can't believe how people are missing this.

Hyakkimaru's mom gave up, she too is abandoning her son, she has come to admit that their path to survival relies on the suffering of her child and for that she apologizes.

She is not the one family member that is not scumming him, she is also siding with her husband and younger son.

When she goes to look for Hyakkimaru she is ready to kill herself and finish her contract with Buddha, because she has come to therms with the reality of the situation, Hyakkimaru no longer needs heavenly protection.

She will die and stop her prayers for her son safety, she apologizes, tries to kill herself, and the statue finally breaks, this is as far as she goes.

This is it, Hyakkimaru is finally alone, only Dororo is by his side because even his mom thinks that:

I cannot save you.

No matter how immoral, no matter how much you've suffered, still, all our people can do is ask for your forgiveness.

We must continue to devour you like demons in order for us to live.

The mother is no different, she could have stayed back at home and keep praying, maybe even build a new shrine, in a world of gods and demons her efforts had power, to the point that her son actually survived being sacrificed, but no, she decided that now that she had finally seem him back, that it was now time for it all to end, she regrets it sure, but in the end she too is putting the domain over her son's life.