Kimetsu no Yaiba

Demon Slayer is the latest shounen anime to grace the medium with it’s presence and gain a surge of popularity and praise. And you know, this shounen actually deserves it! The competent writing, endearing characters, Ufotable visuals and music by Yuki Kajiura just screams recipe for success. Yet despite this agglomeration of positive elements, this series was only able to be just good in my eyes. There were just several bad decisions and areas where the anime failed to reach its potential for me to call it truly great. Let’s start off with the highlight of this anime: The epic visuals. Ufotable once again proves that they’re one of if the the most competent anime studio out there by providing some truly breathtaking art and animation. And they know they’re good, and you can totally see them flexing in some sequences just to be like “yeah, we can do that” and I just love it. One of the biggest complaints an anime can get is using cgi, yet Ufotable is able to seamlessly implement cgi mechanics into Demon Slayer, and sometimes it fits so well that you don’t even notice that cgi is even being used. Their grasp on environments is simply masterful, especially when animating combat scenes. The battle between Tanjirou and the Drum Demon was memorable simply because of how Ufotable handled the rotating rooms. And speaking of battles, don’t even get me started on the conclusion of the Tanjirou vs Rui fight. The combination of the crisp animation, perfect camera angles, and unique art used on Tanjirou’s sword was probably the peak of the anime. And honestly, the art used on Tanjirou’s sword when he’s using combat arts throughout the entire show has to be one of the most visually pleasing things I’ve seen in an anime. It’s just so cool and soothing to witness. Now I could go on and on about this show’s visuals, but I won’t subjugate you further to my fanboying, so let’s move on! Of course we shouldn’t let the fantastic visuals eclipse the sound work done by Yuki Kajiura. She once again proves why she’s one of the best in the industry by producing a fitting and memorable selection of music. The more traditional sounds, particularly the chanting used in the main theme and other pieces, just fits so well with the style of Demon Slayer. And of course having Lisa on the theme songs is an added bonus! The seiyuu are a good bunch, and I’m particularly fond of Nezuko’s grunts for some reason. Of course, it does sometimes feel like the voice actors go a little overboard. Looking at you Hiro (Zenitsu) and Yoshitsugu (Inosuke)! But overall, they do a fine job.  Anime has a knack for creating kawaii imouto characters, and Nezuko is no exception. This girl might not be one for words, but she’s still won over the hearts of many. The poor girl was turned into a demon after a family tragedy, but unlike most demons, she defends humans instead of eating them thanks to the strong bond with her brother Tanjirou. She even helps him fight off other demons. That’s right, she protec. She attac. But most importantly, she fit in backpac! That’s right, this demon girl has the ability to change her size for easy transportation! How convenient! Though you know what one of the best things about her is? The portrayal of the relationship with her Onii-chan. A lot of anime featuring a brother and sister pair usually include an actual sexual attraction from one to another. And while I usually find that to be cute, I like how Demon Slayer took a different approach and showcased a more, uh..."healthier" type of sibling relationship. The love between them just feels genuine, and they way that Tanjirou and Nezuko support each other through the show has to be one of the best things about it. I mentioned in the beginning how there are some things keeping this anime from being great in my eyes. The most prominent of these for me would be that Demon Slayer just takes some things too far. Let me elaborate with some examples. Zenitsu is clearly the comic relieve guy. He’s a major coward and a bit of a womanizer. Honestly, the comedy of Demon Slayer mostly falls flat for me, but I do find Zenitsu to be humorous. Especially thanks to the comedic way he’s animated sometimes. But the show just goes too far with his antics in some instances that put him in the annoying category. And in some serious scenes, like when a bloody kid dies in Tanjirou’s arms, the next scene is literally Zenitsu being funny. Moments like this just feel like terrible timing to me, and I feel like the dude would have been a lot better if he was toned back some. Regardless, I still like him as a character.  It’s common in shounen anime for the protagonist to think about literally everything that happens in a battle. This is useful in letting we the viewers know what’s going on and stuff. But my man Tanjirou takes this to another level. There are so many times when the dude is just standing around facing a threatening demon going over so many things in his head without actually fighting that it can get somewhat aggravating. I mean it’s okay to just swing your sword at a demon from time to time without monologuing about what form your using, how you’re breathing, and how exactly you're going to attack every single time! Finally, I wasn't sure how to feel about the humanization of literally every demon. While I like that it adds depth to these monsters and shows that they too were once human, it's kinda hard to feel for them after they're shown brutally murdering people with no remorse and only showing any semblance of human emotion after their chopped off heads slowly fall to the ground. I could better justify this if only a select few demons were given a lot of screen time and depth and thus a reason to have a tragic backstory or whatever, but all of them? I just don't think it works. Despite flaws like these, Demon Slayer has many good things going for it. For one, I really like how Demon Slayer deals with training arcs. It’s common in shounen for the weak protagonist to work at getting stronger by developing new skills by working under a master, but there’s just something about how it’s executed in this anime that makes it stand above most of the rest in my eyes. Especially the second training arc where Tanjirou learns total concentration breathing at Shinobu Kochou’s house. Though I’d be lying if I said that the three supportive lolis weren’t a big reason for why I liked the arc so much…Honestly, Demon Slayer has the best training arcs that I’ve seen in a shounen since HunterXHunter. Also, the second half of the anime really picks up in terms of plot and character growth. The fights are better, the stories behind the demons are better, and even loud, boisterous Inosuke gets humbled, showing that even wild boar men can develop! Demon Slayer is a really solid anime. It took the typical shounen approach with a few twists and made something really good out of it. Sure, it might have relied on the "monster of the week" formula a little too much and have characters who definitely need more development, but there's a lot more source material out there to solve problems like these. Now we just got to hope that Ufotable will give us a sequel somewhere down the line.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a historical, action-shōnen, supernatural manga written and illustrated by Gotouge Koyoharu. Adapted into an anime series by the immensely talented Studio Ufotable. The studio behind the successful anime adaptions of Type Moon's series: Fate and Kara no Kyoukai. Demon Slayer has taken the world by storm, the series has exploded in popularity, with manga sales exceeding 100+ million within a year's time. While the anime is being recognized as a classic. Set within the Taishō period of Japan, young Kamado Tanjiro inspires to become a "Demon Slayer", pursuing a path of vengeance for the murder of his family committed by a demon, while also trying to find a cure for his younger sister Nezuko, who turned into a demon. If you hate shōnen troupes and shōnen anime in general, this series won't really change your opinion. But if you look past that you will find an anime with a simple, but wonderful story, great episode direction, some of the best animation you will ever see, and some of the best voice acting and music. Ufotable’s adaption is the best anime adaption I have ever seen. An adaption few authors could ever hope to receive. An adaption that is not only better than its source material, but it also enhances the experience in a multitude of layers, ways the manga was never able to achieve. The manga still has a solid story, but suffers from less than impressive artwork, direction, and page layout. While the adaption improves upon the content of the manga while enhancing every other quality. At its core, it is a battle shōnen. The fights featured are wonderfully animated, superbly directed, fluid, and contain an appealing art style fitting the series. The strength of the fights lay behind the main antagonists, the demons. They are simply monsters that go out of their way to kill a multitude of people, to feast on their flesh while having no remorse or humanity. Or so that is how you are supposed to view them. But demons were all originally human, turned demon against their wills, suffering from painful hunger, turning violent with their humanity fading away, being portrayed as misfortunate people. Tanjiro is a very standard shōnen protagonist, he's the hard-working type, has an unusual great sense of smell, and has a variety of comedic quirks. The main aspect of his character is his incredibly kind nature, despite this, he shows no mercy towards demons, and makes no exceptions to beheading one. He essentially kills them in order to "save" them, as funny as it sounds. The Demons he cuts down reveal details about their past lives, eventually coming to regret what they became. While Tanjiro can never forgive their actions of killing innocent people, he still shows sympathy and sends them off to rest. Generally, to deliver this type of message, you would need an overly kind character like Tanjiro, as not many characters could reasonably show sympathy to a cannibalistic monster. While his character is very cliche it is perfect for the series. Tanjiro an immensely strong bond with his younger sister Nezuko. One of the themes pushed by Demon Slayer is family, their relationship feels genuine and sweet throughout the anime. The other characters have room to grow, but seeing as only 1/4th of the source material has been adapted, there is still plenty of growth to come. They have their share of quirky personalities and great designs, while each having an appropriate amount of screen time. I am excited to see how they progress, as well as other minor characters. Demon Slayer has been one of the most enjoyable anime I have watched in a while, for what it is, it's amazing. Such a perfect blend of great animation of music, with a wonderful story that tackles its themes with flawless execution. While certainly not a perfect series, for the time being, I giving Demon Slayer a 10/10.

'Demon Slayer is a work of art, which feasts on both the eyes and the heart.’ It embraced absorbing sword styles that dance on each other; breathtaking scores that are both fierce and gentle; colorful characters in their design and personalities; daunting blend of shounen and historical genre; elegant portrayal of memories and death and a touching bond depicting a desperate brother that only want to protect his little sister. It is not confined to one particular aspect to makes that it so great, so absorbing, breathtaking, colorful, daunting, elegant and touching. With this harmonic blend, it gives rise to one of the greatest scenes anime has ever pulled off in its whole history because to make up that moment, it takes in everything. Demon Slayer is so overwhelming because of this one extra push that impacts the whole shounen genre itself. This gives a big slap of realization to show the world that even with typical shounen plot that recycles on training and killing demons, the best of the characters can still be brought out. This is the power of great storytelling. It breaks generic main characters out from their frame to be more than they are supposed to and it links a family bond in ways we didn’t expect, as it did with the chemistry created with boar-headed Inosuke, crybaby Zenitsu and other side characters. It presented determination and the resolve of the characters to be more than last-minute shouts and magical flashbacks but actually approach the danger at hand with what they can do instead of what they can’t. Tanjirou, is an innocent and kind character without the naivety. He was brought into the world of slaying demons with harsh lifestyle that he knew nothing off, but this doesn’t take away his core of kindness. This is why he is the most efficient character in bringing out the best of others, be his foes or friends. His passionate actions inspire others and his genuine words ring so true that anyone can feel the despair and anger he has. The voice actor, Natsuki Hanae knows this feels and he nailed it. Along Tanjiro’s side is the criminally cute Nezuko. She fiercely protects her brother and other humans who she sees as her family members. Despite losing a portion of her emotions and memories, she doesn’t forget the bond forged with her family members and this shines brightly when they support each other. Also, she could shrink to fit inside a box. Then there’s the drama king Zenitsu with the voice actor that sounds like he is the one having most fun with his whining, never-ending shouts and non-stopping complains. He is the most immature character that brings in laughter and seriousness in different scenarios, but the most thoughtful and realistic character when it comes to protecting a friend and facing death at its doorsteps. In essence, he is a scaredy-cat that runs and cries but he never gives up. This is one of the traits that makes him so likeable and when he sleeps, the real fun begins. Inosuke, on the other hand is a bit air-headed, who always scream and fight while trying to understand others’ feelings. Despite his relentlessness, he could calmly evaluate the situation, someone you can count on (sometimes). There’s also the mature Tomioka, a masterful swordsman with no friends. The main highlight of Demon Slayer is the unbreakable bond shared by Tanjiro and his sister, which is finally not sexualized in any way. It is this bond that add in the sympathy element in demons Tanjiro slained, because he understands that they were once human too, like his sister. This changes how he deals with demons personally, and it gives us a better insight on his determination to protect others. He can evoke their tragic flashbacks with his compassion so that we could empathize them to an extent. To understand their bittersweet stories and how a sad-happy face could look so mesmerizing. Adding to the merit points are the comedic scenes with the sudden change of art style, presenting trivial moments as something silly. Along with the witty dialogue and sudden change of voice intonation of voice actors, the warm interaction of the characters are better portrayed and make us want to join in as well. Action drives the show, but it is this comedy that makes it much more ridiculously entertaining. The animation is handled by ufotable, which enhanced just about everything. Renowned for their work in Fate franchise, the fighting scenes are a charm with the use of engaging camera and transitions especially when each character has their unique elemental sword styles with various breathing techniques. The producers improvised these flashy movements that stacked one after another by adding weight to the hits landed to present a smooth flow. The characters’ facial expressions also played a major role for moments of resonance, with some accurately depicting the smile of kindness Tanjiro shows, a cold lonely look on Sabito’s face and the completely frightened Zenitsu. Everything, under their touch becomes a radiant mix of color playing well on each other. The scores set up the ambience perfectly. LiSA, once again composed amazing OP and ED with their own recognizable rising beats and J-rock rhythms from Sword Art Online and Fate franchise. The pitch and sound works nicely with the fade of samurai-like-music, accompanying echoes of choir that keep us at the edge of our seat. But, it is the ending song ‘Kamado Tanjiro no Uta’ from episode 19 that really put the all the songs in Demon Slayer into a perspective and it plays off as the greatest orchestral climax. A soft and gentle beat that reached its height exponentially and bring back the theme of Demon Slayer – an innocent boy just trying to protect his sister. This is the most impactful and touching message that it left to all the audiences. Overall, Demon Slayer is more than great execution of plot, stunning visual effects, cinematic soundtracks and playful interaction between the characters. Demon Slayer, tells the tale of how people connects and within the connection, some bonds can never be shattered. Demon Slayer is, a work of art.

Kimetsu no Yaiba is definitely one of the most popular titles to be released in the anime industry in the recent years, especially due to its beautiful animations and visuals. However, just like with every anime, such popularity also comes with high expectations from viewers who pick up the anime based on this fact - they expect to see an anime that is near perfection in all of its aspects and one could never raise a finger about any of the discrepancies. What I'm referring to is the amount of unnecessary hate Kimetsu no Yaiba has received for having seemingly lackluster story and/or bad writing. While this might be the case when we're looking at some of the more popular titles that focus on mystery or storytelling, like Steins;Gate, people seem to forget that Kimetsu no Yaiba never had its focus set on one of these concepts. Instead, the anime markets itself as a shounen anime, and as someone who has watched a dozen of titles in the same genre, I can say that in comparison it is vastly superior. What I can personally say about the story is that while it might not be the most revolutionizing story you might find in the market, simplicity is NOT the same as bad writing. Instead, I think this is one of the charms that Kimetsu no Yaiba has: A story of a boy whose family was murdered while he was away, and his sister gets turned into a demon. However, his sister still seems to have some humanity left in her and so the boy strives to become a demon slayer to cure his sister. That is basically the entire story summarized, and while it might not look like much, it sets a strong foundation with a clear goal that just about anyone is capable of following. Additionally, in comparison to the usual shounen anime, the anime doesn't rely on keeping its viewers entertained with fanservice or surrounding the main protagonist with chicks, but with the sole anticipation of seeing him grow as a warrior. It might be debatable whether the anime could've included something more to make the anime stand out as something particularly unique, but keeping up a staple in the genre keeps the anime consistent and doesn't leave much risk in making the story too messy. After seeing a few titles go too far and basically ruin themselves in the process, I am relieved that Kimetsu no Yaiba has decided to stand on its own roots. However, that doesn't mean that the anime doesn't have a couple misconceptions, which is the reason why I refrained to give this anime a full 10. While my standards for giving a 10 are quite high, it is also a fact that even Kimetsu no Yaiba falls into some of the usual mistakes that shounen anime tend to make. While this might be to linearize storytelling and keep the juicy action going, there was a couple things I would've liked to see being promoted a little more to give a better understanding of how Demon Slayers as an organization function. Quite near the beginning of the anime, you are given the information that demon slayers consist of ten ranks. However, I won't even bother remembering what they are since the anime tells them to you only once. Ever since then, one of the things I eventually wanted to see was Tanjirou earning a promotion. Maybe have his little messenger raven tell him that his actions have been recognized and therefore he's given something extra for doing a good job. Unfortunately, this never happens and it remains a mystery how good he actually is. While it might be the case that he just hasn't become good enough, considering the achievements that he made over the course of the anime and how much better he is compared to other Mizunotos (lowest rank in the organization), I half expected him to be at least somewhat recognized. However, this remains to be unknown until someone of a higher rank (other than the highest) is clearly introduced in the anime. The other problem I had with the anime was in the first half and it was the fact that Tanjirou was basically just doing missions after another for ten episodes and no bigger development was introduced until after. This leaves a lot to be desired in regard of world building, and I figure that this section could've been improved by, once again, adding a little more about the Demon Slayer organization. While seeing him improve as a warrior was amusing by itself and introducing a couple new characters imperative to his mission saving his sister was relieving, to me personally this isn't enough to satisfy my curiosity about what kind of an entity Tanjirou is working for. An excuse like "Go read the manga" isn't going to justify the fact that some things could've been worked on in the anime a little bit better, and considering the anime was running for 25 episodes instead of the usual 12, there was more than enough space for more information like this. There's a fine line between keeping a constant sense of mystery in the background and just being overly secretive, and from my personal view this discrepancy represents the latter. Overall, Kimetsu no Yaiba is a very consistent title in the shounen genre that will most likely be remembered for years to come. I don't follow on any news myself, but if it hasn't been announced already, I am pretty sure that a second season will be introduced due to its explosive popularity. While the anime might not be a work of perfection on its own with a few flaws, these are quite minor in the bigger picture and in comparison to other shounen titles, it is more refined and much more interesting to watch. If you're an avid shounen anime viewer yourself, this is something you must watch.

** May contain very minor spoilers ** Normally I’m a bit reluctant to watch the seemingly overhyped anime series since I seem to be disappointed more times than not. However, that was not the case for Demon Slayer & I honestly regret waiting so long to give it a chance. The main premise of the show — a kind hearted boy learns to fight demons in order to help turn his now demon sister back into a human — is not necessarily something profoundly unique, but I found the execution of the show to be incredible. The enemies Tanjiro faces are all quite interesting both in look and the powers they possess, the animation (fight scenes in particular) are incredible to watch, and the characters are all very likable. Even some of the demons, although still evil and not necessarily redeemed by this, are made somewhat more likable due to the brief flashbacks you get to see of their past. I also especially appreciate that Nezuko is not some helpless girl that needs the big strong man to take care of her, as is the case in many series, but rather someone who can defend herself when necessary. I would also like to note that I thought it was a good call to get a brief view of the main baddie in the beginning stages of the series. It’s nice to know what achieving his end goal will require Tanjiro to overcome, rather than it being some ambiguous enemy unknown to the viewer. While it is most likely assumed that Tanjiro will eventually grow to be a worthy opponent to Kibutsuji, I am definitely looking forward to see how he gets there. The ending especially has me hyped for how Tanjiro & company will face the obstacles Kibutsuji will inevitably put in their way. My only nitpicks with the show are that the more humorous scenes are sometimes a bit hit or miss & that some of the characters (ie. Inosuke and Zenitsu) were introduced in a way that made them seem rather obnoxious. Thankfully, after the episode that introduced them, I found them to be much more enjoyable additions to this show.

The first season absolutely has a lot of potential. I probably think that this is is gonna be the future Shounen King. With Ufotable's out of the world animation and heartbreaking OST by Aniplex of America and amazing fight choreography it's bound to do so. Also it doesn't have much shounen tropes eventhough it's quite generic, for example Tanjiro doesn't always save Nezuko, it's quite the opposite also a fair number of times, also the protagonist doesnt have any grand goal. Further proof is that ep 19 was trending on twitter.The opening is amazing, sang by Lisa who is already a singer of a no. of OP's and EDs. The difference btw this anime and black clover which another generic shounen with a lot of tropes is that it gives us something to connect to, for instance the sibling bond. And also the others of the main cast are quite well received by fans, Inosuke being a fan fav. I m really hyped for the movie and hope it lives up to the hype and that a second season comes out soon.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS) Demon Slayer is an anime about a kid named Tanjiro that had his family killed by a demon but only one of his family members lived and that was his sister Nezuko. Tanjiro is out with revenge to kill the person who killed almost all of his family by passing any obstacle that comes his way like getting his sister bitten to a bloody nightmare or fighting to survive. The narrative isn't the best thing in the world but at least its something enjoyable. . Animation: When it comes to animation the show has a lot to offer. I swear to you every frame is a masterpiece. The character design in each main and side character is unique in its own way. Sometimes its stiff in frames but it can't all be perfect. The detail for everything like the hair and houses is wonderful. But I wish I would say the same thing with the character development. Character Development: The shows characters are kind of poorly made and rushed. They do what a lot of Shonen anime do, when someone's in a middle of fight they just say there tragic backstory like growing up I got older and struggled with fighting or something like that. But the real problem I have with characters is that they all just have own personality trait and they make the worst of it. Like Zenistu, all he does is just cry and yell and he does that with just obsolete territory. But they can't all be perfect. But there's this one character that is amazingly well done. And that is the antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji. You love him and you love to hate him. He may not have that much screen time but he is an amazing character when he does have screen time. Plot/Story: They plot to this show is okay, so far in this season the main character in this is just going on missions. The try to make the last arc of the season be special and it kinda worked. But it just felt like every Shonen anime when they do a fight or arc. But at least we got a good fight and a nice backstory of Tanjore's dad. At first it was going for its own style of show, but the director was just like nah lets do what everyone does. This shows plot had a lot of creative potential but through some of it away but kept a good junk of it so it could be popular. But the story is still entertainingly well done. Music/ Soundtrack: The music in this show is outstanding. You can tell they put time and effort it the music. Who ever picked the opening and made the shows music you have a good taste. I swear the end of the fight between Tanjiro vs that spider demons soundtrack was so incredibly calming. It had a good touch to the end of that fight. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece but lets get real hear, you have to at least enjoy it a little bit. Writing: The shows writing is pretty fine. It's good but not bad, its one of those things. I got to admit the person who writes for the wart hog for a head guy is a good writer. That wart hog dude is second to main the antagonist in the show. All in all, the writing is good enough. CGI: This anime has CGI and for anime we all know how that turns out. But this show does it well. I haven't seen CGI in anime this good. I would say they do it better than Vinland Saga. I think Demon Slayer is one of the first animas that have done CGI non-poorly. They even use it in their fights. They mix good animation with CGI, something that has probably never been done before in a incredible way. Trust me you will not be unconfterbale when you look at the CGI. I recommend this show to people who love adventure and combat with swords. But I wouldn't highly recommended it. If you have nothing to watch you should take a look at this.

I rarely like shounen protagonists. They're usually "dumb", noisy, self-centered, ambitious, somehow inapt, don't seem to know how to deal with feelings... which is boring to me. Tanjiro's different. He's sweet, caring, and is not after some big thing for himself. He reminds me a bit of Kenshin, from Rurouni Kenshin. And it's not only him! Other characters in Demon Slayer have been/are being developed this wayl: Urokodaki, the leader of the Demon Slayers, Tomioka in his own way... To me this is a plus. I love to see male and female characters go out of their traditional roles, because this way I can actually identify with them. The contemplative moments are just incledible, imo. You know, the pauses where we can actually breath after the action and enjoy the amazing scenery. Ghibli movies do it beautifully and I Think Demon Slayer does it too. And I love the moments where we are in Tanjiro's mind. Which brings me to the one thing which I think is a REALLY put-off: Zenitsu and Inosuke. They are SO noisy and repetitive. All that peace and contemplation goes away when they appear. But they're having their share of development, so I really hope it gets better with time. Outstanding animation and sound, I don't think I even have to comment on that. Top-tier. Nice gory/horror moments. Tanjiro definitely does not flinch before taking a demon's head or makes a fuss because of his compassion. The characters actually get injuried to the point that they can't fight. Those things add up to Incledible high-stakes battles. To me, the words for the script/dialogues seem hand-picked, because it's neither excessive nor lacking: just perfect for the moments in question and what they want to achieve (exceptions are Zenitsu and Inosuke, of course). And there are moments where no words are needed. For example, the anime doesn't keep stating how great the main character is - It shows you, in beautiful ways. The plot is simple and easy to follow. I'm the one to like complicated plot lines, but I was surprised to see how a simple but well done development can get you so involved. No good animation that can compensate shallow characters and poor development, I've seen this time and time, because you and up asking yourself in the middle of it: seriously? all this prodution for this? Demon Slayer is not like that. It's getting a lot of hate because of the "overhype". Is it the GOAT shonen? NO, IT'S NOT. But it's great, and I think we have to do it justice. To me, the keyword to define Demon Slayer is "involving". It's that thing that the sum is bigger than its parts. It's dark, beautiful, simple, well made, with relatable character and key moments that get you seriously hooked. To me it's enjoable through and through.

*Spoilers ahead* Kimetsu no Yaiba or Demon Slayer is probably what you would think it is People slaying demons. I am kinda new to this reviewing thing so go easy on me hehe. Demon Slayer is what it was hyped up to be and I am glad I got what I wanted out of this anime. Going into the anime I recognized most of the characters as I got spoiled on social media a bit but it didn't matter. All that matters to me is the story behind the anime and the characters if you get my jist. The tales of Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Inosuke Hashibira, and Zenitsu Agatsuma are quite enjoyable throughout the 26 episodes. Story 9/10 The main story of Demon Slayer is very good and I enjoyed watching it go throughout the series. Having an older brother have his family killed except his sister turned demon was not what I was expecting to be honest. With the assistance of Inosuke, Zenitsu, and many others. Tanjiro and Nezuko push forward in slaying the demon responsible for killing his family. I really liked how this story went from a horrific horror at the start to some of a comedy throughout the anime! (I like comedy anime a lot! As they tend to appeal to me more). Art 9/10 I liked the art style throughout the anime and the colours as well. The animation was really impressive as with the fight scenes as well. There are some parts of the anime's comedy that I was not expecting but enjoyed as well! Sound 8/10 The voice acting for the dub was quite good and Inosuke (voiced by my favourite VA Bryce Papenbrook) was my favourite of the voices by far. The voices of the anime characters are quite exceptional with a few of them here and there having some eh moments. Character 9/10 The characters are shown well as Tanjiro being the one who wants justice for the murder of his family to Zenitsu's cowardness and to Inosuke's hard-headedness. The expressions shown with these characters throughout the anime are quite exceptional in my opinion. Enjoyment 9/10 I enjoyed this anime very much through the days I've watched this and I hope this review among many others helped anyone with their view of Kimetsu no Yaiba or Demon Slayer!

Once every blue moon, a show comes around that pushes forth the medium. Prior to watching Demon Slayer, I felt like I was in a bit of a rut with anime - particularly shounen. I've been watching anime since I was 7, and those "magical moments" from watching anime had become increasingly rare for me. Is Demon Slayer perfect? It depends on how we assess the word. Narratively, it's not pushing any boundaries by any means, following the typical "villain of the week" format all too common within the Shounen Jump ecosystem. The premise of Demon Slayer is indicative by its very name, a dead horse that's been beaten ten feet underground. We have the typical Shounen Jump trope of ranked captains/commanders. Supporting characters include a pervert and a hothead. Yes, the typical Shounen Jump stuff. But that's where apt comparisons start and end. Demon Slayer is not out to push narrative boundaries to their extremes - there's plenty of shows that are far more adventurous in terms of exploring unique subject material. However, Demon Slayer is a show that knows fully well what it is - an action shounen about slaying demons. It's not there to convince us otherwise; it embraces what we enjoy about the genre and executes it to near perfection. That's the keyword here - execution. Plenty of shows get the ideas right, but fumble on execution. Demon Slayer doesn't overcomplicate its premise, and stays true to a singular goal throughout - Tanjiro is on a mission to turn his sister back into a human. That's it. It's this singular goal in mind that makes Demon Slayer feel much more cohesive than many other Shounen Jump series, which often fall into the trap of "How do we make this go on for as long as possible?". A clear and unifying narrative objective from the beginning frames Tanjiro's decisions and actions, providing a sense of weight and significance that I seldom feel when watching other Shounen Jump titles. Tanjiro is a main character that exudes the same purehearted energy, but without the annoying tropes of naivety and stupidity. His competence and determination to achieve what he sets out to do makes him a breath of fresh air. Demon Slayer is by no means unique by premise, but does everything that it sets out to do with precision and near perfection. By far the biggest plus for the show is its animation and art. The sheer amount of work that ufotable put behind each sequence and each frame during fight sequences is breath-taking. Camera and character movement is purposeful, guiding us through fights with a remarkable sense of fluidity and cohesion. Each fight carries weight, and rarely feel like a true "win" due to the delicately-crafted flashback scenes. Prior to death, we are given an intimate look at each demon's human past. Tanjiro's compassion and understanding comes through beautifully during these moments thanks to ufotable's exceptional composition. While each victory leads Tanjiro closer to his goal, we can see he does it out of necessity; not for enjoyment or to achieve a sense of victory. All of the elements that made Demon Slayer truly special culminated in the now-famous fight scene in episode 19. After the episode ended, I realized how grateful I was that I was witnessing something truly special. I felt emotional because of how Demon Slayer was able to make us feel like we were actually part of Tanjiro's journey, and I was reminded of why I fell in love with anime in the first place as a kid. That's what makes Demon Slayer so remarkable to me. It's not unique in premise. It's not unique in terms of mechanics. But it's unique in how it brings it to life - and pushes the boundaries of how we perceive action shounen. Demon Slayer was a turning point for the industry, and raised the bar for the genre - whether you like the show or not.

(MINOR SPOILERS [I guess]) Kimetsu no Yaiba or better known as Demon Slayer... This anime has been one of the best I have ever seen. Woah, hold it! Don't criticize me just yet! Let me explain. The Story - The story is pretty simple. As you all know, Tanjiro's family is murdered by a demon and his sister is turned into one and all that kind of stuff. The story throughout is simple. Does that mean it is bad? NO! Just because it is simple doesn't make it BAD! I have seen many shows and movies (not all them anime by the way) that tried to be complex that I sometimes end up even more confused than I was before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This show has a clear story that everyone can follow. I just wish it was a bit more complex and that they may be fleshed out Tanjiro's family a bit more. 8/10 The Art - I don't know what else to say. The art and animation are SUPERB. The fight scenes are absolutely beautiful. The CGI is seamlessly integrated into the animation. I have to double back many times during the show to say, "Wait, that was CGI?" Ufotable did an absolutely wonderful job animated this. And that one scene.. Yes, you know THAT ONE SCENE.... ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Definitely deserves a 10/10 for art right there. The Sound - The sound was also just as good. I feel like each voice was perfect for each of the characters. And the music... wow, the music is underrated in the show. Many people talk about how AMAZING the animation is... and it is but the music needs the spotlight as well. The opening by LiSA... is amazing. All the other pieces of music are just as great! It clearly sets the tone for each fight scene. Definitely 10/10. The Characters - The characters of the show are pretty enjoyable. None of them feel out of place and each of them is great together. There is plenty of character growth and not of it feels forced or too fast. The characters themselves aren't too complex (for right now) but again that doesn't mean it is bad. I would give the characters a 9/10 Overall, the show was a pleasure to watch. It was visually pleasing, the fights were exhilarating and at times heartbreaking, and the story was clear and simple to follow. Overall, I would give it a 10/10. Despite some really minor mistakes, it was absolutely phenomenal. I know not everyone would agree with me about this, but it is fine. This is just how I felt about the show.

This anime is TBH one of the best action anime i've ever seen. Demon Slayer has quite a good plot and basically i will say the success behind this anime is it's artstyle and the OST and Opening song. Like when they gave the opening song as BG song in ep 19 and even in the last episode. They almost made an AMV in ep 26 :3 Demon Slayer is an anime where it is the timeline of Demons and the master of all the demon is Kibutsuji Muzan. Kamado Tanjiro is the Main protagonist of this anime who has lost his whole family at once by demon attack and her sister Nezuko has turned into a demon but it is a matter of wonder that being a demon his sister is supporting the Demon Slayers and she doesn't need to eat human flesh to survive which is rather extremely rare. I will say the action, artstyle, storyline, character development, enjoyment and everything is top-notch. I will not say this is the best anime out there but i will rather say that this is one of the best action anime which deserves to take place in Top 10 action anime. Ufotable is an unknown and infamous studio. Making such an anime is obviously their revolutionary success. Infact, this studio hasn't even make an anime which ranked among top 500 (no offense). Hoping high from this studio. Just show this world what you guys can make (a good example of their artwork is episode 19. Just go check that episode out. That episode has even broke a server of Kissanime) This anime is a story of these two youngsters becoming the top demon slayers by also getting support from two of there friends- Zenitsu and Inosuke. Their main showdown is between the demon slayer corps VS the Muzan team. Getting apart defeating Muzan, the demon slayer corps can't even cross paths with him and it is even hard for them to defeat the twelve demon moons. Will they be able to do it? A rather tough question to say. Check this anime out to see what will be the consequences, This anime has already become famous world wide and the manga has already ended ( my request to new starters is that don't take spoilers from manga. This anime is intense. It will ruin your enjoyment.) Hoping high from the upcoming seasons. Let's beat Kimi no Nawa and become the highest grossing movie of all time : Kimetsu no Yaiba: mugen Resha-hen. :)

this review is simply for my enjoyment i am analyzing nothing and nothing is that serious. if you are considering watching this because there is a lot of hype around it, you should simply believe the hype. this anime has it all, flamboyant character design, tear jerking back stories, and children displaying a level of skill and art in combat that is unbelievable. my fave sub plot is when the characters start to learn more about themselves and how to act because tanjiro is simply that incredible. by existing he betters the lives of everyone he touches. power of friendship levels 100. i am an absolute sucker for a back story i love when i can watch something and cry about other peoples fake lives so i don't have to think about my own. but this anime has something for everyone's taste, very versatile. a fews months ago everyone on twitter was really raving about this anime how it's better than naruto and whatever. honestly i was hurt a little. how could something be better than naruto? but it had been a while since i got into a new show so i thought i would just do it. and i HATE hype because i HATE being let down by things. also this is my first review and i don't understand why i cannot simply post that why does it have to be longer, no one is going to read this. ANYWAY i also love the art style when the characters fight. tanjiro's water breathing animated is stunning.

I never write reviews. But after finishing Kimetsu no Yaiba, I had to make an exception. I don't write for others, but just for myself. I want to remember how I felt after finishing the anime, and everything that made it great. From the art style, the story, the simplicity, the charming and wholesome aspect of this anime, it's one that just hits the heart in all the right ways. Many times things are painted in a "us vs them" and that applies to issues in real life and in stories, but this anime handles it a little differently, and in a way that I believe shows emotional maturity. There's spoilers in here, so if anyone happens to be reading this, you've been warned. I wasn't hooked on Demon Slayer in the beginning. In fact, I've heard people say how good it is and I've held off on watching it for over a year. Now that the Demon Slayer movie is out, and I've been watching much more anime recently, I figured I'd finally watch it. I still think the first few episodes start off a little slow. And a little simple. Demon slayer slays demons. Cute sister is cute. Main hero believes in good wholeheartedly. People arrive to deter him. He stays strong. But after a while, it starts to change. And seeing this genuine bond between brother and sister, and not this weird sexualized version of this bond like you see in No Game No Life, I began to get hooked. Seeing the wholesome aspect of it, without Tanjiro feeling like a naive child, really made me take interest. And the fight with the shadow demon, the dodgeball demon, and demon in the house, is when I really start to appreciate and really LOVE the art style. I remember seeing the characters before like Shinobu and Nezuko but I was always put off bye the style of the eyes, the ragged lines that made up the face, and what felt at the time like really strong colors that just felt off. But then I watched the show. And it all made sense. I was naive to put off a show on it's look and what it seemed to be, instead of giving it a chance, and I'm so glad I did. The story is simple, but fucking beautiful. I've touched on the genuine bond but I also love how each demon is viewed with empathy from Tanjiro. When related back to real life, the people that do bad things are because they've had bad done to them. And I think many people forget that or don't realize it. Tanjiro is still mad at the injustice and how the demons have killed so many humans, but at the very least he kills them with kindness. He sees the human in them, and that's truly what I love about this show. At the same time, the art style during the fight scenes is incredibly. The colors, the way the fight can feel realistic (if a demon turning the room in all directions was real, ofc), to the sense of calmness in Tomiaka when he fights Rui, to Shinobu and the purple and white colors, I became in awe. It's easily one of the best art I've seen in anime. Actually, it IS the best I've seen in anime. One thing that is slept on is the sound design. During the fight with the dodgeball monster (i'm so sorry i keep calling her that) I really took note. The way the ball would feel as it flew towards Tanjiro, the way Tanjiro's sword would slice, the way Nezuko kicks the ball back and forth, was when I realize wow, not only is it all pretty to look at, but the sound is beautiful too. And not just the sound effects, but the music as well. It's beautiful, and perhaps I'm mistaken in this but it feels like it has this sense of ancient chinese culture. As well as the art style, It's just all so beautiful and I couldn't get enough of it. When it comes to characters, I ended up loving all of them... with the exception of Zenitsu. However, even Zenitsu has his redeeming moments. The person I immediately thought of when I met Zenitsu is that this is another grapeseed from My Hero Academia. Just a pervert they added for no reason, and I was ready to drop Demon Slayer. Because I absolutely hate Minota. But I'm glad I didn't. And I'm glad I saw Zenitsu in action. He's like Sonic and The Flash, but in such a great, humurous, phenomonal way. The way he falls asleep, and then suddenly becomes a bad ass with great power. It made me excited to see when the next time we would be able to see his skill would be. So even Zenitsu, as annoying as he was at first and still tends to be sometimes, really grew on me. And towards the end, it seems like he's being taught to be more respectful and not be a pervert, so I'm glad that he's likely to go through his own amazing character art. Lastly, I'll talk about enjoyment, which I already touched upon. At first, I just wasn't hooked. I hated the CGI personally (even though I've heard that many others find it to be great CGI) as it really took me out of the moment. A beautiful moment was ruined because it suddenly becomes "oh...they used CGI there. Huh. It was like 2 seconds, could it not have been animated?" but as the show goes on it uses CGI less and less and leaves it to moments in battle, which isn't nearly as bothersome. And as the show progressed, I really began to enjoy all aspects of it. And by the end, I just couldn't get enough. I'm watching Demon Slayer this week and although I want to wait to watch the movie, another part of me is ITCHING to read the manga. I want more of the characters. The art style, The plot. The wholesomeness. I'm here for the ride. And if it continues getting better and better, this is easily going to become one of my favorite anime of all time. I'm going to give Demon Slayer a 10/10. Personally, I give 10/10 to anime that make an impact on me. FMAB made an impact on me. Steins;Gate as well. I recognize that there may be some aspects of it that bother some people, and even I have some tiny qualms with both those shows, but I don't think a 10/10 is about a show being perfect, as there's so many variables that can easily mess it up. But if as a whole, it does everything amazingly, and leaves you wanting more, and makes you want to read the manga, and leaves you wanting to rewatch the show, and leaves you thinking about the moments in the show that left you in awe....I think it deserves a 10/10. I'm super excited to see where Demon Slayer goes, to watch the movie, to read the manga. So far it's a great start. And I'm glad that I finally got on this amazing journey.

I may be a bit biased in terms of all the ratings, but I can rationalize every single one, so really, how biased can I be... *May contain minor spoilers. Kimetsu no Yaiba / Demon Slayer is a masterpiece, plain and simple. And frankly, I'm tired of plenty of more old-school anime enjoyers pretending it's not. The story itself is fantastic. It's simple and straightforward, and yet it's got plenty of depth that makes it so interesting and keeps me, as well as many, many others, coming back for more. The concept of family being important being driven home is so dear to my heart, and it means a lot to me to see it handled in such a fantastic way. They don't just say "blood family is important, don't abandon them", but they explore the depth of what "family is important" can mean. Nezuko is his blood family. Friends Tanjiro meets along the way become family. But more than that, Demon Slayer also goes in on how even though you may be family with someone (ignoring the fact that the Spider Family isn't real family, the point the story makes is still relevant) it doesn't mean you can treat them how you please. Family is important, but what the story really emphasizes is that healthy, loving family is important. And that those you love dearly are the true family. Art and animation? What else would I expect from Ufotable? Utter brilliance. It's no MAPPA adaptation, but the animation and style still has a charm that fits the manga's style to a T. It's not the kind of anime that needs a MAPPA level animation quality, in my eyes. The style Ufotable has lavished unto this series suits it perfectly. The characters are all pretty great, as well. Honestly, I would chock it down a point for some of the characters introduced (not to start an argument, but Zenitsu could use some work) but Tanjiro in particular strikes me as an especially well-written character. He's kind, but that's not the only thing about him. His depth is incredible. He's kind, yes, and that's so important, but he's also not hesitant to cut down those who go against his laws--the strong protect the weak, and the weak in turn become strong to protect those weaker than them. He empathizes with demons, but this does not cloud his judgement nor waver the strikes of his blade. It's got me hooked to see more. It's the most enjoyable series I've had the pleasure of watching/reading. I'd deeply, deeply recommend Demon Slayer to ANY anime watcher, new or old. You won't regret it.

Kimetsu no Yaiba, the manga drawn and written by Koyoharu Gotouge, has broken sales records since Ufotable handled his adaptation. The plot easily places us in context and pre-establishes what the rest of the story will be, approximately. The popularity of such anime can generate a contrary expectation or it can misplace people making them think that it is about an indisputably perfect story, hence many disappointments and people saying that such is overrated. Although his story is not perfect and may have subjectivity conflicts with comedy and / or clumsiness that break the immersion; Kimetsu no Yaiba triumphs by letting you know in advance, with a generic plot, that his adventure scales all the predictable peaks of Shonen and tales of revenge. What do I want to get to ?: Kimetu no Yaiba, before his story begins, explains that it is not a mixed and creative Shonen, but for the most temporary and nescient entertainment you can have. Nor do I say that the work depends on the ignorance of the interpreter, but that, like all existing authentic stories, it depends on a correct idea so that it is not seen from an inadvisable angle. I know here I am already delivering a stupid reputation by saying that its story is authentic when it is an anime popularly criticized for being generic. Let me explain my point first. If Kimetsu no Yaiba is popularly criticized for being generic, then it is not generic, but genuinely generic. It has scattered components of the power levels and abilities that try to be unique to avoid a plagiarism drama, however, Ufotable has an important role here and, that role, is to make a story almost empty of shock have remarkable and appreciable moments. This anime does not give all its essence through its story, but through the fireworks that color the clear black sky with colors that make it a memorable experience. The story, before the main factor, is the contributing factor so that the animation and soundtrack studio have the necessary pillars for an explosion of shocking moments to take place. If you remember Yuru Camp or Angel's Egg, you are immediately remembering animes that may have flaws or a decent story at most, but whose production turns it into works of art that try to catch the viewer so that, at the same time, they can witness a story coherent. The concept is basic, it shows the demons in their most natural behavior, excluding Nezuko, who is the protagonist's sister. It stands to reason, by human instinct, that demons are evil and humans are weak in relative strength and can even exhibit supernatural powers. Again, Kimetsu no Yaiba delivers concepts understandable to the naked eye to make it an easily digestible experience. Just by reading his plot and understanding the charismatic personality of Tanjiro, the author takes us into an experience where we already differentiate good from evil and, with this, we already have full confidence in the victorious end of its protagonist. This is not an error nor is it a defect; Besides, the only thing that should matter to us in such a story is not the beginning or the end, as I said before, it is an important factor so that the viewer does not enter with lateral expectations. If we talk about the story and its general structure, it follows the structure of a conventional Shonen distributed by arcs that go from weak opponents to the greatest final enemy, progressing and concluding in a possible climax. Kimetu no Yaiba follows this same structure throughout the season and possibly all 207 chapters of the manga. Here, what makes Kimetsu no Yaiba more exceptional is his evolutionary rhythm, adding new characters and showing us the origin of their behaviors. While personalities may feel illogical at first, characters are not given depth at the wrong times. Every character has his flashback moment and, after exploring the memories of him, we regain consciousness and he surprises us with a good final development. And while characters like Zenitsu have this illogical complex in their expectations, other characters will be introduced in more serious and grim ways with unique characteristics that will pique your interest before their flashback moment. After a battle, the conclusion does not feel victorious, but rather like a dark adventure where each character is moved against the grain by an obligation of revenge and permanence, there is no thirst for lust staining the objectives of each character. And, what's more, here not even the viewer is able to capture a feeling of triumph, since we are shown the past of the demons who want to face the main cast. It is not a fight in which you wish to the death the victory of a character, but rather goes on a more genuine path and chooses to make you feel the desire that each one does not run into a destiny stained with tragedy. Now if we talk about this anime in general, it is one that is worth watching or at least giving it a try. I am aware that it has things that could divert some people, so your enjoyment with this one is not guaranteed, but if you want to be amazed with a brutal production and outstanding moments, this is the first one that I would recommend.

This is my first review, so it may not be the best! Thank you for looking at it, though! I love Demon Slayer. I am one of those freaks who has a Top 10 Anime list, and Demon Slayer falls squarely at #7. Demon Slayer pulled me in, enchanted me, enthralled me, made me emotional, and completely captured my heart. The thing is, I can't figure out how it did it. In writing this review, I am asking myself, "What makes this anime so special?" "How did it rise above and dethrone Rising of the Shield Hero as #7 in your list?" "Why do you think everyone under the sun should give this anime a chance?" I sincerely don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm going to take a crack at it. Demon Slayer is a quintessential shounen anime. Right down to its core, it is shounen. Male protagonist with troubled past? Check. Said protagonist starts off weak but gets the hang of it with the help of antagonistic—but generally good-natured—rivals? Check. Band of merry friends who cause as much trouble as they do solve? Check. Mysterious, absent father figure? Check. Characters who have specific fighting styles that are generally based around an element and have attack names that fit that element? Check. Long strings of minor villians that serve to solidify—but sometimes raise questions about—the protagonist's beliefs? Check. ...Imperialistic symbols? ...Check... God, I'm honestly wracking my brain, trying to think of more shounen tropes. The point is that this anime is a shounen, and not a super original one. Maybe the familiarity of this show is what made me love it? Despite Demon Slayer's lack of originality, it executes (heh) its genre with finesse. This anime is nothing that I haven't seen before, but it all feels so fresh and new. I do have to say, though—Meiji-Era Japan makes for a wonderful backdrop, especially when the protagonist enters a big city for the first time. The stark contrast between rural and urban is something you experience at the same time as the other characters, and it makes you feel very out-of-place. I also have to praise the characters. It feels like every single character is fleshed out in some way—even the minor villians. Everyone gets a story, and everyone's story has a resolution. In addition, I love that the protagonist's kindness is never a weakness. The protagonist treats everyone around him with respect, even if he's fighting against them. He realizes that even demons have a past, and he's attentive to what may be important to them. My favourite example of this is when he avoids stepping on paper that's scattered on the floor, because it may be part of his adversary's most precious memories. He sees good in everyone, but he never allows that to be a crutch. He knows what his job is, and he always gets that job done without resorting to cruelty. Was it really just the characters that made me fall in love with Demon Slayer? I honestly don't know. I feel like there is so much to love about this anime, but I not sure how to put it into words. It's really special. With that, I will end this review by thanking you for taking the time to read it. I really appreciate it!

Katanas have been my weapon of choice since before I started watching anime, and Kimetsu no Yaiba just made that decision a lot stronger. Feeling as if the story would start by going easy on me, I started watching the anime after many months of its final chapter´s official release. The reason? I´am not particularly attracted to anime that becomes famous quickly, but after months of seeing that this one was on the top most watched animes for a long time, curiosity knocked at the doors of my brain. So, as I said earlier, I thought the story development would go easy on me at the start, leading me in a rising direction towards an epic climax of a final fight, so naive was I this time. Instead of that typical structure, the story gave me goosebumps from the very beggining, strangely feeling like danger was at my doorstep as the first episode was only beggining, and I questioned myself: Why? It looks so peaceful, so happy, like sunrise in the morning, but it was only the start of an epic voyage with the strong and inspiring will of the protagonist, the proximity of death at each footstep, having your chest at the limit between absolute suspense, and that ecstasy attained only when the final blow has been dealt. This journey is taken along with our protagonist, struggling to be stronger every time, just to end realizing a heavy truth: "we can never be strong enough, both in our physique and in our willpower".

Is this the best anime ever? No, it isn't. Is it really better than Death Parade? Probably not, but I don't care. The beautiful music, the fluid animation, the great character design, and talented voice work all come together to make an amazing experience. The story is the weakest part but it's not a bad one. Rather than having Tanjirou want to be the best and the strongest like every other shounen protagonist, Demon Slayer has his motivations based on the unbreakable bond between him and his sister. All he wants to do is to save his sister. He constantly sympathizes with many demons even though he can't forgive them. Showing his empathy rather than showing in one scene he saving a jerk and everyone is surprised, or his saying out loud that he will never ever give up on his friends. Which is quite refreshing. The fight scenes are some of the best in anime yet. The best one (you know the one) is what this anime is really about. A beautiful anime contrasted with its elegant storytelling. Ufotable did a fantastic job adapting the manga by making the art better than the manga and the music is so good perfectly matching the tone of each fight and knowing when to focus on the fight and then the music and then both at the same time. This is my favorite anime of 2019 even though Beastars is objectively better probably.

“We’ll be going together, even if it’s to hell.” - Rui’s Father I’m not normally one to care about what other people feel about certain anime. After all, taste is subjective and there are no right or wrong opinions. But there is a certain word that gets constantly thrown around when discussing this anime that honestly makes my blood boil. The word is “overrated.” What usually accompanies is a whole slew of erroneous criticisms of Demon Slayer’s writing based entirely on misunderstanding. The usual sentiment is “the visuals are good but the writing is mediocre,” said to seem intelligent while confidently missing the point of the writing. Now don’t get me wrong, Demon Slayer is not perfect, far from it. There are plenty of valid criticisms of how it was composed but “overrated” is so often used to sidestep them and avoid analysing through any form of artistic lense. So in this review I will be explaining in no uncertain terms the heart of Demon Slayer’s writing and hopefully convincing some less astute viewers why Demon Slayer deserves the praise that it has received. I will do my best to avoid spoilers but there may be some slip ups. Demon Slayer has three core themes: the tragedy of losing one’s humanity, the coexistence of anger and compassion, and the strength that arises from love. Despite the name “Demon Slayer,” the story goes to great lengths to ensure that the demons in the show are humanised. Almost every significant demon that we meet is given a backstory and a flashback to their time as a human. The demons’ attributes are often related to what they cared about back when they were human which is usually expressed through their respective Blood Demon Arts. The show puts on full display how the things we cherish as humans can become twisted and sinister should we lose our humanity and moral compass. It provides a tragic juxtaposition of the bloodthirsty monster overcome by instinct and the passionate people they once were. Demon Slayer is trying to get the viewer to empathize with the terror of losing yourself and your identity to the point where no one, not even yourself, can forgive what you’ve done. This empathy expressed through the protagonist Tanjiro Kamado reflects the next theme. One of my favorite lines from the show which I believe encapsulates this theme very well is when Tanjiro says, “I understand you but I cannot forgive you.” What is being communicated is that these demons have killed many people and as should die for it, but that should not bring us to blind hatred and lack compassion for them. After all, they too were once human who were transformed into demons against their will. We often feel as though compassion and anger are mutually exclusive sentiments, but Demon Slayer speaks to the importance of having resolve in compassion and empathy in anger. This theme is expressed through many characters, most starkly through Shinobu Kocho, who puts into more mature words the sentiments of our protagonist. It is a consistent undercurrent in the show that gives it its more sympathetic tone. The last and most easily observed is the strength that arises from love. On the surface, this may seem like the stereotypical “protecting the people you care about” that we see time and again in Shounen shows, but Demon Slayer brings a fresh perspective on this idea. It is observed most clearly in the character dynamic between the protagonist Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko. Unlike what some viewers may expect, Nezuko is not relegated to the role of damsel in distress as Tanjiro beats the bad guys for her. Rather, both Nezuko and Tanjiro are both highly competent and they give each other the resolve to fight. Demon Slayer shows that love, and the strength that it gives, goes both ways. Story - 9 As I have discussed, the macro-level writing for Demon Slayer is handled with a great deal of skill and nuance. On the other hand, the micro-level writing also shines through with the excellent work of director Sotozaki. The show does an excellent job of building tension leading up to climaxes and releasing tension afterward without diminishing its importance. In all the conflicts it is felt that the characters are truly in danger and trying their hardest. An excellent example of this would be when Tanjiro’s sword was broken by the spider’s thread. It put into perspective just how incredibly outmatched he was. The pacing is excellent and makes it so that each episode leads seamlessly into the next, creating one long, cohesive story. One issue I have with the writing is that it occasionally chooses the wrong things to do in-depth explanations. There were key plot points that I was not able to pick up until rewatching that I believe could have been expressed better. I can understand why some viewers call these events Deus Ex Machina if they are unable to notice the subtle foreshadowing. Art - 10 I think this should be pretty self-explanatory. Ufotable clearly cut no corners in the visual production of this show. I don’t think I need to tell anyone that the fight scenes are beautifully animated with phenomenal attention to detail. Even beyond that, the art is consistently clean and crisp which really helps the unique style that the artists were going for. The visual metaphors that accompany the sword-work are extremely creative and add serious excitement to even relatively grounded abilities. Sound - 10 The sound design for Demon Slayer is absolutely brilliant. As I mentioned in my “story” section, the writers are able to build tension to great effect at various points in the show. The soundtrack plays a big part in this. Each track perfectly accompanies the moment and its tone, whether it be sentimental or grandiose. There are certain moments that would be otherwise difficult to swallow but the sound direction makes completely natural. By far the best example would be the first time we see Zenitsu’s hidden abilities. It is a brilliant subversion of expectations made all the more impactful by the introduction of his theme that would go on to appear more in the series. Characters - 9 The characters are nothing short of iconic. In just a year after release, many Demon Slayer characters are ubiquitously recognized in pop culture. This is due in no small part to the concise characterization that each of them receive. The show ensures that the viewer is able to get the main ideas about a character very soon after their introduction, and further elaborate beyond that. This allows for expedient and efficient character building that still feels organic in the moment. What makes this all the more impressive is that the show always leaves unanswered questions and room to expand upon. That’s why so many of the characters have an air of mystery and awe. It is unfortunate that due to its relatively short run time for a Shounen, Demon Slayer has yet to demonstrate the full potential of its strong cast. If character writing of this caliber continues, this section will be an easy 10. Enjoyment - 10 There is good reason for Demon Slayer’s mainstream success. Even if you watch it at its most surface level, you will still be thoroughly entertained. Most people can pick up Demon Slayer and get great value out of it without having to devote serious time toward analysis. However as I have discussed, there is much to be appreciated if one does put in serious analysis. This, I believe, is the root of the problem with many Demon Slayer viewers. They watch the series, see its surface level qualities, and assume that those are all that the series has to offer. I implore all viewers to think critically about this anime and I guarantee that you will get more out of it. Overall - 9