Post — Aaron Ngo

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

Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado who finds his family slaughtered except for his younger sister Nezuko, who had been turned into a demon. However, Nezuko had retained enough humanity to not eat humans. As a result, Tanjiro sets out on a journey to avenge his family and cure his sister back to human by training to become a Demon Slayer.

After starting the manga and finishing the “Mugen Train Arc”, I thought I would revisit the anime series. The first season—26 episodes—covered the first six arcs: the “Final Selection Arc”, “First Mission Arc”, “Asakusa Arc”, “Drum House Arc”, “Natagumo Mountain Arc”, and the “Rehabilitation Training Arc”.

The “Mugen Train Arc” is slated for release as a movie on October 16, 2020 in Japan. The movie will be released sometime in 2021 for The United States. So, be aware there is more Demon Slayer material coming.

I thought the series functioned well in this format, but it did feel a tad slow in the first half—“First Mission Arc” and “Asakusa Arc” in particular—before other major characters like Zentisu and Inosuke appeared. Then the pacing slowed down towards the end again during the “Rehabilitation Training Arc”. However, those are the only negatives I really had about the anime series. Everything else about Demon Slayer was pretty extraordinary and worthwhile.

Let’s start with Tanjiro’s character first. He is a super friendly protagonist despite the tragedy that befell him and Nezuko at the start of the series. Unlike most characters—like Sasuke Uchiha—who would just be broody and silent, Tanjiro leaned toward the positive side of things. He actually smiles a whole lot for someone who’s in constant pain. It’s hard not to root for him. Then there’s Nezuko, a demon with a childlike personality and a strong desire to protect other humans. Tanjiro and Nezuko make a fun dynamic that highlighted what humans and demons could do together. My brain might still be on The Promised Neverland.

Speaking of the demons, their characterization goes beyond Tanjiro needing a fight scene for the episode. While demons were bloodthirsty and violent, they also possessed humanity that only Tanjiro could perceive through his strong ability to smell and his sense of compassion for others. Demons have actual depth and suffer inhumane punishments under Muzan Kibutsuji’s leadership.

The animation for Demon Slayer was also absolutely stunning from start to finish. There was so much intricate work put into the visual details that made the character designs, their settings, and facial expressions really pop. Zenitsu’s dialogue and the art that went along with it were perfect. I laughed out loud (serious lol) whenever I read the dialogue out loud. Hearing me imitating Zenitsu is something no one should ever hear.

I have the same opinion on the fight scenes and their choreography. I also enjoyed how Tanjiro fought using strategies and not “powering up” in order to hit harder. The Water Breathing Techniques and effects were really cool to watch onscreen. The music wasn’t that bad either, and the humor was spot-on at various times oddly enough.

Overall, I would give Demon Slayer a chance if you’re into animes like Naruto, DBZ, My Hero Academia, The Promised Neverland, etc. I finished reading the manga—205 chapters—back on the Floyd of July 2020, so that’s worth exploring too if y’all are more into reading manga. Also, if y’all are interested in reading my manga reviews, you can find my manga reviews on all the story arcs—SPOILERS—here. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this anime review! The manga reviews too! Let’s keep it reading!

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