After six years, the anime adaptation of Dorohedoro is finally returning with a second season. The premiere is set for April 1, and to celebrate the release, a brand-new one-shot manga set in the same universe will be published. The creator, Q Hayashida, will release this short story in the next issue of Monthly Shonen Sunday, which goes on sale in Japan on April 11. The news was reported by Anime News Network.
The original Dorohedoro manga ran from 2000 to 2018 in Shogakukan’s magazines and was compiled into 23 volumes. The anime adaptation was handled by the well-known animation studio MAPPA, famous for its stylish, gritty visuals and dynamic storytelling that perfectly match the manga’s chaotic energy.
The first season aired in 2020 and consisted of 12 episodes filled with surreal visuals, dark humor, and a world that blended horror and absurdity in equal measure. It was followed by a set of six short OVA episodes that expanded on side stories and added more context to the bizarre, violent world of the series.
Dorohedoro takes place in a grimy, otherworldly city called the Hole. Its streets are ruled by magic and bloodshed, and among its strangest inhabitants is Caiman - a man cursed with a reptilian head and total amnesia. Once human, he remembers nothing about who transformed him into this monstrous form. Determined to uncover the truth, Caiman hunts sorcerers one by one. His only clue lies inside his throat, where a mysterious face appears to tell him whether he’s facing the right magician. With an axe in one hand and his best friend Nikaido by his side, Caiman’s quest takes him through a dark, grotesque adventure where survival often depends on a mix of guts, luck, and sheer insanity.
The upcoming second season has fans excited to see more of the distinctive world created by Q Hayashida. With its unique blend of brutality, surrealism, and black comedy, Dorohedoro continues to stand out as one of the most inventive and visually striking works in modern anime. Whether you’re drawn to its twisted humor, unorthodox characters, or post-apocalyptic charm, the return of Dorohedoro is sure to be one of the most anticipated anime events of the year.
