Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bizarre anime series is compelling but extremely violent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dorohedoro
What's the Story?
DOROHEDORO is a Japanese anime series about a semi-reptilian man with amnesia trying to recover his memories in a post-apocalyptic world. Caiman has a lizard's head and no memories of being fully human, thanks to a sorcerer who entered the human cityscape called the Hole to practice dark magic. Now the frustrated Caiman, along with long-time friend and diner owner Nikaido, violently hunts down sorcerers to find the one that transformed him in order to break the spell. It's a difficult and disheartening task, especially since there are a lot of sorcerers entering the realm to meet their practice quotas. There's concerns about zombies, too. Meanwhile, gangs from the sorcerers' dimension are trying to eliminate him, creating a fight between the two dimensions. But over time, Caiman learns more about his past, and begins to understand the events that led up to his transformation.
Is It Any Good?
This anime series, which is based on a popular Japanese manga, tells a bizarre tale that mixes friendship, dark magic, and horror. Caiman is as inhumane as the sorcerers he battles, a fact that audiences are expected to justify as he attempts to uncover his identity. But he and Nikaido are easy to relate to, and their comfortable relationship is believable. Meanwhile, as secondary storylines develop and additional cast members emerge, viewers get a better sense of the colorful, but brutal, two-dimensional world they are negotiating. Overall, Dorohedoro tells an interesting story, and anime fans mature enough to handle it will find it compelling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about anime movies and TV series. Why are they so popular around the world? Are they all adapted from manga like Dorohedoro?
A lot of anime series for teens and adults features violent content? Why? Is the choice to incorporate violence based on the culture(s) anime comes from? Or is it an attempt to make them more entertaining? Can anime be as entertaining if there's no blood or gore?
Do you empathize with any of the characters? What kind of personalities are on display here?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 13, 2020
- Cast : Yoshimasa Hosoya , Wataru Takagi , Reina Kondou
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Anime
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 11, 2025
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