Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this manga review. Please read with caution.

Synopsis: Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado in Taisho-era Japan, a kind-hearted boy who lives with his family in the mountains. Then everything changed when his family was slaughtered by a powerful demon. His sister Nezuko was the sole survivor of the incident, having been transformed into a demon herself. This kicked off the beginning of Tanjiro’s epic quest for vengeance against the demon who killed his family. More importantly, Tanjiro won’t rest until he finds a cure for Nezuko’s demon state.

On June 28, 2020 I started the “Rehabilitation Arc” and finished it on June 29. The sixth story arc of the manga series centered around Tanjiro, Zentisu, and Inosuke recovering from the injuries they sustained in the previous arc. Reading Demon Slayer has been an amazing experience so far. I have officially caught up to where the anime ended.

The “Rehabilitation Training Arc” also had a stronger focus on the two main organizations of the series: The Pillars—the nine strongest Demon Slayers in the Corps—and the Twelve Kizuki’s Lower Ranks. At the start of this arc, the Pillars gathered together to discuss Tanjiro’s unique situation with Nezuko and Giyu interfering with Shinobu trying to kill Nezuko during the “Natagumo Mountain Arc”. All the current Pillars made an appearance for this important meeting in addition to their leader Kagaya Ubuyashiki:

1. Water Pillar – Giyu Tomioka

2. Love Pillar – Mitsuri Kanroji

3. Serpent Pillar – Obanai Iguro

4. Wind Pillar – Sanemi Shinazugawa

5. Stone Pillar – Gyomei Himejima

6. Flame Pillar – Kyojuro Rengoku

7. Sound Pillar – Tengen Uzui

8. Mist Pillar – Muichiro Tokito

9. Insect Pillar – Shinobu Kocho

The main Pillars in this arc were Giyu, Shinobu, and Sanemi. Giyu silently defended Tanjiro and Nezuko while Shinobu and Sanemi were against the idea of letting Nezuko live as a demon. Sanemi was a hot-headed type character, only cooling down to respect his leader Kagaya Ubuyashiki. He stubbornly tried to prove Nezuko was dangerous to keep alive, but he failed when she actively resisted the temptation of human blood.

During the “Rehabilitation Training Arc”, we also learned more about Shinobu’s background and her connection to another Final Selection candidate—her adoptive sister—Kanao Tsuyuri. Tanjiro being able to sympathize with both women on their traumas was very heartwarming. Tanjiro and Kanao’s “flip the coin” scene was really beautiful as well. Kanao needs to follow her heart.

Tanjiro and Shinobu’s heart-to-heart about why she smelled angry all the time was potent. The hatred Shinobu had for demons filled her with so much negative emotions. The origin behind Shinobu’s constant smile—a cover for the constant rage—ran deep.

Aside from Muzan dealing with the Twelve Kizuki’s Lower Ranks and assigning another demon to kill Tanjiro at the end of this arc, I thought the other chapters—especially the beginning—were a nice break from the darkness we endured during the previous arcs. There were solid humorous moments, training sequences with cute girls, and Tanjiro trying to get stronger for the sake of himself, Nezuko, and his friends. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke are also really a cute team.

I’m looking forward to what happens next for them.

Overall, I’m really excited to read the “Mugen Train Arc” next, the basis of the Demon Slayer movie coming out later this year on October 16, 2020. All the board the “let’s keep it reading” hype train!

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