The 24-Episode Action Fantasy Masterpiece That’s Now Streaming for Free

One of the greatest fantasy anime ever made (take that, One Piece) is now streaming for free. Fantasy anime is going through a renaissance. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is the highest-rated anime of all time, and Delicious in Dungeon and the more recent Witch Hat Atelier are redefining the rules of the genre. But years before any of them were brought to animation studios, MAPPA dropped a true modern classic. It might not be as popular as Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, or Hell’s Paradise, but the studio’s 2019 action fantasy series deserves to be watched by every anime fan… especially as it’s streaming for free.

Pluto TV has recently expanded its anime offerings, and among the new shows on the free streaming platform is Dororo. It’s one of several new anime added in September, including Mononoke, Terror in Resonance, One-Punch Man, and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, among many others. As well as being available to stream on demand on Pluto TV, Dororo is also now on Pluto TV’s new anime channel, Big A Anime, which also features Vinland Saga and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.

‘Dororo’ Is a Modern Classic Based on an Actual Classic

Released in 2019, Dororo feels like a classic in the guise of a modern anime. That’s because the story was originally conceived by Osamu Tezuka. If that name rings a bell, it’s because he’s the grandfather of anime, who created giant hits like Astro Boy. Dororo received an anime adaptation in 1969, which is a fantastic series. But the 2019 version is on another level.

Set in a fantasy version of Japan’s Sengoku period, the series follows Hyakkimaru, a child born without limbs, eyes, a voice, or skin, when his father traded them for peace and prosperity in the land. Thanks to a wandering doctor, Hyakkimaru learns to use bladed prosthetic limbs and hunts down the 48 demons in the land to reclaim his limbs. On his journey, he meets a young orphan, Dororo, who guides him across the land on his morally conflicted mission for vengeance.

‘Dororo’ Is One of the Most Acclaimed & Underrated Anime

MAPPA is one of the biggest studios that can throw millions at its anime. As a result, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise, and the final seasons of Attack on Titan all look fantastic. Dororo received the same treatment and is just as good, if not better, than those shows, yet it has seemingly been forgotten by mainstream anime fans. The series has an 8.2 IMDb rating, with an 8,26 MAL score, making it one of the best of all time. But for some unknown reason, it has fallen by the wayside among the mainstream anime community. Hopefully, now that it’s streaming for free on Pluto, it will get the recognition it deserves.