In episode 4 of Dorohedoro, the En family searches for clues regarding who Kaiman and Nikaido are. En and Shin discuss the conflict with Kaiman. Shin remarks on the man inside Kaiman’s mouth featuring “cross-marks” on their eyes. En plans to look into Nikaido and seek the aid of a man named Turkey. He’s hopeful that Turkey can use his “dolls” to deal with Kaiman. Turkey has a well Turkey on his head. He demonstrates his power. His living dolls are living and are able to “imitate the habits and behavior of the original.” Turkey creates a doll that’s exactly like Noi.
Roast Duck with a Sorcerer
Turkey explains with more depth how he creates his dolls. He mixes up finely chop onions and celery. Then he adds “cognac, port wine, salt, and pepper.” Finally, he cooks “flattened duck.” This time he reveals a doll of the man inside Kaiman. En doesn’t recognize the man. However, the doll’s that Turkey makes are “drawn to the original” They follow him into a cheap clothing store, then an expensive restaurant and finally an apartment.
Shin and Noi ask the landlord about the tenant. However, he hasn’t seen him in a year, doesn’t know the man’s name or what he looks like. When Ebisu finds a safe, the doll attacks them. Shin and Noi arrive. Shin punches the doll and takes the safe. However, the doll gets up and attacks with a stake. Impatient, Shin destroys the doll with a punch in to the chest. Shin disintegrates the safe revealing the head of a man. Noi using her healing is able to restore it. It turns out that it’s the man inside Kaiman’s mouths head.
Please Attend the Dance in Formal Attire
Noi, Shin and En arrive at a “party.” En gives the nose plugs. Inside, is a party with a corpse hanging from the ceiling. While Shin and Noi eat, En explains that a sorcerer that can revive the dead will soon arrive. A cross-eyed man notices Ebisu who has been to the party before. The woman reveals that theirs a “Devil Tumor” inside a sorcerer. She revives one and it returns to the brain of the corpse resurrecting it. En is pleased. He reveals that the woman will be his “partner.” He orders Shin and Noi to murder the woman partner.
Meanwhile, Ebisu follows a talking balloon. The cross-eyed man offers her some black powder in a drink. She reacts badly and kills the man. Elsewhere, Shin and Noi encounter the male partner. He attacks them after ingesting black powder. His power creates acid. Shin is excited to finally be able to use the combination with Noi. He attacks head-on and the man melts Shin’s arm. However, Noi uses her magic to restore it. Shin kills the man. When En is holding the woman he becomes enraged when he sees that she’s used black powder. He kills her. However, a weird creature escapes from under her dress. En takes it in and names it Kikurage.
The years come and go in Hole
In Hole, Kaiman and Nikaido head to a Doctor that’s an expert in sorcerers. When they arrive there’s no response and the door is open. Inside the lab, they find a number of dissected corpses of sorcerers. Dr. Kasukabe was used as an experiment by a sorcerer and turned into a child. He looks young but is actually sixty. He shows them a door made out of the remains of sorcerers that leads to the sorcerer’s world.
This episode is a little more grotesque than previous episodes. That’s not offensive to me (but I could have done without pooper scooper.) This series in interesting which characters it focuses on. The En family was the majority of this episode. It’s not clear which side is actually “good” or “evil.” Or at least it’s not so obvious. En is cruel but so is Dr. Kasukabe. Our bias are in favor of Nikadio and Kaiman. However, there’s friendship on both sides (Shina/Noi and Nikaido/Kaiman), as well as humor. There’s violence on both sides. However, there’s one mystery that connects everyone. Who is Kaiman and who is the man inside his mouth.
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