In this post, I
will share my thoughts about Demon Slayer anime adaptation and its impact on the anime community this 2019.
I will also share some information that everyone may want to know about the
anime – particularly its characters, the Pillars (Hashira), the Demons (their
progenitor and the 12 Kizuki), the various breathing techniques, etc.
This is also an
opportunity to introduce the anime series to new viewers as this post will be
divided into two (2) parts:
- An Overview of Demon Slayer
- My Personal Review of the Anime
I will also
discuss possible future projects of Demon Slayer, its popularity says so that
the anime community wants more of it. Therefore, I’ll talk about its upcoming
movie project, a possible season 2, and also answer some questions about it. In
particular, these questions include the following:
- For people who want to be updated and go beyond the anime adaptation
- Where to read the manga of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba?
- For people who may want to check the anime
- Where to watch Demon Slayer legally?
And for people
who just couldn’t get over with the anime yet
- Where to get the Demon Slayer wallpaper?
- Where to purchase Demon Slayer merchandise and collectibles?
- Where to find Demon Slayer fanarts?
These were only
some of the questions that most fans of Demon Slayer keep on asking online.
Alright, let’s
start our discussion about Demon Slayer in a short overview that I had prepared
including some introduction about it that everyone may want to learn about.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
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| Image credit to @lu_cid_sky |
Demon Slayer
episode 19 had been the phenomenal point in the anime so far. The anime had
been widely praised already since its premiered but the 19th episode
simply makes the internet raving because of a well-animated fight scene, a
dramatic point of its story, and fitted with a heartbreaking song called The
Song of Tanjirou Kamado – a special insert song intended for that specific
episode.
In this section,
I shall discuss info about Demon Slayer such as the following:
- Synopsis
- The Characters
- Main Characters
- Demon Hunters – The Hashira
- The Demons – The 12 Kizuki
- Other Characters
Synopsis
The setting is Taisho era Japan. Tanjiro is a kindhearted young boy who lived peacefully with his family as a coal seller. Their normal life changes completely when his family is slaughtered by demons. The only other survivor, Tanjiro's younger sister Nezuko, has become a ferocious demon. In order to return Nezuko to normal and get revenge on the demon that killed their family, the two of them depart on a journey. From a young talent, an adventure tale of blood and swords begins!
If you wish to
read the Demon Slayer manga, you may check the following sites:
Though I highly
recommend to get yourself a copy of the manga too, there are plenty of
available online places that offer the manga series and, some of them even have
free shipping. You may check the following anime merchandise site to order your
copy of Demon Slayer. The manga is available in several volumes.
THE ANIME
Demon Slayer Synopsis
Ever since the death of his father, the burden of supporting the family has fallen upon Tanjirou Kamado's shoulders. Though living impoverished on a remote mountain, the Kamado family are able to enjoy a relatively peaceful and happy life. One day, Tanjirou decides to go down to the local village to make a little money selling charcoal. On his way back, night falls, forcing Tanjirou to take shelter in the house of a strange man, who warns him of the existence of flesh-eating demons that lurk in the woods at night. When he finally arrives back home the next day, he is met with a horrifying sight—his whole family has been slaughtered. Worse still, the sole survivor is his sister Nezuko, who has been turned into a bloodthirsty demon. Consumed by rage and hatred, Tanjirou swears to avenge his family and stay by his only remaining sibling. Alongside the mysterious group calling themselves the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjirou will do whatever it takes to slay the demons and protect the remnants of his beloved sister's humanity. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Demon Slayer Characters
There are plenty
of characters in Demon Slayer but it’s easy to identify each of them especially
the main characters, the Demon Hunters, and the demons themselves. In this
section of our post, I’ll write a short introduction about each character as
well as a brief personal opinion of mine about them.
Please take note
that I will include characters from the manga that didn’t appear yet in the
anime – mostly the members of the Upper Moon of 12 Kizuki, but I will restrain
myself from dropping major spoilers from the manga and even from the anime for
the sake of people who didn’t watch the anime yet or hasn’t read the manga.
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| Illustration Board of Demon Slayer main characters |
Tanjirou Kamado
The main character
of the Demon Slayer. He is a young demon hunter who vows to avenge his family
after they’d been slaughtered by a demon in the 1st episode of the
series. The anime follows his journey along with Nezuko – his younger sister,
the only surviving member of his family after the demon assault but was turned
into a demon, as Tanjirou travels to look for cure for his sister. He also
entered the Demon Hunter Corps in order for him to strengthen himself and
fought demons. His encounters with demons were among the most dramatic parts of
the anime as we learn about the demon backstory, and that even demons have
heartbreaking stories within their heart.
Nezuko Kamado
She is Tanjirou’s younger sister who had been turned into a demon early in the series. She’s actually the cutest demon ever that glance the anime community this year, and her appearance even made headlines on the internet especially with how adorable she could be when she transformed into that small chibi-like form in various selected scenes in the anime.
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| Demon Slayer: Nezuko's cute form |
Zenitsu
Zenitsu is the
main entertainment in Demon Slayer taking the role of a comic relief that
sometimes reaches a disgusting point. He is a demon hunter who seems coward and
useless on the surface but could be terrifyingly powerful during crucial times.
However, he seems to space-out after that sudden burst and eventually forgot
what he truly capable of.
Inosuke
I could describe
Inosuke as a meathead at some point with all muscles and it stops there. Inosuke
is a demon hunter who grows up in the mountain and doesn’t have plenty of
knowledge about humans as he was raised by a boar. He seems to be a capable
fighter but his hotheadedness proven to be dangerous in most cases as he
usually invites troubles with his rough behavior. He is usually seen fighting
with Zenitsu, making them the major source of humor in the anime.
Kanao Tsuyuri
She’s a demon
hunter and the protégé of Shinobu Kocho. She first appeared during the Final
Selection Arc in the anime, and later returns in the last few episodes of the
series helping Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke with their training to recover
and strengthen themselves.
Genya Shinazugawa
Here we have the
character that is quite addicted to killing demons. He is a demon hunter who
cannot use breathing technique but his digestive system functions differently
which makes him able to devour demon parts and eventually use their abilities
in a short period of time. He seems to be that typical character that resembles
the aura of Bakugo from My Hero Academia. Though he only appears in few scenes
in the anime and if there’s a Demon Slayer season 2, we’ll definitely get to
know more about him there.
The Demon Slayer Corps
The Demon Slayer
Corps is a private organization that opposes and kills demons. Its current
leader is Kagaya Ubuyashiki who is surrounded by too much mystery and
ambiguity.
The Pillars (Hashira)
Who are the
hashira? This is usually the question that I saw from most viewers of Demon
Slayer before, and to answer it, the Hashira or the Pillars were the strongest
demon hunters in the Demon Slayer Corps. They sit atop the pantheon of the
Demon Slayer Corps and each of them was given the title based on the breathing
technique that they used.
(Note: Events from the manga won’t be mention here!)
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| The Pillars (Hashira) of Demon Slaying Corps. |
The following
are the members of the Hashira from the anime:
The Water Pillar: Giyu Tomioka
He is the first
demon hunter introduced in the anime and was the first one that Tanjirou
encountered in the 1st episode. He used the Breath of Water
technique which is also the breathing use by Tanjirou. He and Tanjirou have the
same master and that is Sakonji Urokodaki.
The Insect Pillar: Shinobu Kochou
This lady is
such a mystery and her cool-headed demeanor and smile made her one of the
favorite characters of the viewers in the anime. She’s among the few demon
hunters who do not use a sword in killing demons but instead she specialized in
using poisons to kill her opponents.
The Flame Pillar: Kyoujuro Rengoku
Rengoku is the
typical character that reminds me most of the main characters from other
shounen anime series. He is kind of a straight-forward justice guy that makes
him ideal protagonists if he’ll have his own anime. Rengoku is among the main
characters for the previously announced Demon Slayer movie.
The Sound Pillar: Tengen Uzui
Here, we have
the most flamboyant character in the Demon Slayer story. Uzui is a very interesting
guy that viewers may both hate and love.
The Love Pillar: Mitsuri Kanroji
Kanroji is not
your typical lady; she’s tougher than she looks on the surface. She actually has
superhuman strength due to having more muscles than average humans and her
sword style really looks fascinating. Her odd personality is also adorable
which makes her among the characters of the anime that appeared in many Demon
Slayer memes.
The Mist Pillar: Muichirou Tokito
Tokito is
another character that you may underestimate due to his appearance but doesn’t
be deceived because he is not so simple. He is the youngest pillar and not much
is known about him in the anime aside from the fact that he’d been spacing out
most of the time. I did enjoy this part of Tokito in the anime because he
reminded me of myself.
The Stone Pillar: Gyoumei Himejima
Himejima is a
former monk and is considered to be the strongest member of the Hashira. He has a huge built which
is quite hard to believe that he used to be a monk, nonetheless there’s more to
this guy and I actually want to learn more about it.
The Serpent Pillar: Obanai Iguro
We have here the
descendant of Orochimaru from Naruto (pun intended). Obanai is a character that
I couldn’t comprehend yet other than the fact that anime viewers hate him when
he first appeared due to what he did to Tanjirou and Nezuko. It seems that he
had a crush on Kanroji too.
The Wind Pillar: Sanemi Shinazugawa
Probably, Sanemi
is the most hated character of many anime viewers due to his hatred towards the
demon and for upholding the roles of Demon Slayer Corps where he tried to kill
Nezuko during the Hashira Meeting. He also fought against Tanjirou during that
event. Well, one thing I know is that manga readers of Demon Slayer defended
him and it only means that this guy has some valid reasons with his action and
we might eventually like him soon too.
Former Flower Pillar: Kanae Kocho
She is the older
sister of Shinobu and the adoptive older sister of Kanae Tsuyori. She appeared
in a flashback in the later part of the anime; she was a former Hashira and was
killed by the Upper Moon 2 during one of her mission.
The Demons
Muzan Kibutsuji
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| Demon Progenitor: Muzan Kibutsuji |
Muzan Kibutsuji is the progenitor of the demons in the story. He is the main antagonist of Demon Slayer and a terrifying lunatic. So far, he only appeared on few occasions in the anime and most of these scenes, it is quite hard to uncover his real motive as he exudes that confusing and enigmatic aura. In the manga, the readers had been treated to further details about Muzan but I rather not want to delve on that side as I want to avoid spoilers in this post. Nonetheless, Muzan has the ability to shapeshift and change his appearance as seen in the finale episode of Demon Slayer season 1 where he was shown in a feminine façade.
12 Demon Moons (Kizuki)
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| Demon Slayer: The 12 Kizuki |
The following
are the members of 12 Kizuki (including the character that didn’t appear in the
anime yet but I will not reveal full description in order to avoid spoilers).
The Upper Moon Demons
Upper Moon 1: Kokushibo
Kokushibo is the
Upper Moon One of 12 Kizuki. He is the strongest demon in the story so far
right after Muzan Kibutsuji. He was a former Demon Hunter. Kokushibo didn’t
appear in the anime yet. He is one of the oldest demons in the series and an
exceptionally powerful swordsman.
Upper Moon 2: Doma
Doma is the
Upper Moon Two and the murderer of Kanae Kocho. He is fond of devouring women.
Doma has a strength that could kill a Hashira as evidence of his encounter with
Kanae Kocho. Doma’s strength was at the peak of demon capacity.
Upper Moon 3: Akaza
Akaza is among
my favorite member of the 12 Kizuki. He was a demon who is restraining himself
from devouring women. Thus, he was always taunted by Doma. Even as a human,
Akaza is a powerful person already having superhuman strength at a young age,
and enormous physical endurance. As a demon, his strength increased incredibly
and could even defeat a Hashira.
Upper Moon 4: Hantengu
Hantengu is a
powerful demon whose strength relies on his stealth ability. He could also divide
his emotions and split apart himself which makes him ideal for reconnaissance
tasks.
Upper Moon 5: Gyokko
Gyokko is one
hell of a scary-looking demon and a powerful one.
Upper Moon 6: Gyutaro & Daki
These two were
siblings. Gyutaro is an expert user of a scythe and a great fighter. He is the
true holder of Upper Moon 6 title though he shared it with his younger sister
Daki.
Meanwhile, Daki
is a powerful demon compared to average ones even able to hold her own ground
against strong demon hunters such as Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Nezuko.
Nakime
Nakime appeared
in the finale of the Demon Slayer season. She is the demon accompanying Muzan
during his eradication of the Lower Demon Moons. She’s the Biwa Demon that controls the
Dimensional Infinity Fortress.
Kaigaku
Kaigaku is a
former Demon Hunter and has some kind of relation with Zenitsu.
The Lower Moon Demons
They are the 6
weakest members of the 12 Kizuki and 4 of them had been killed by Muzan
Kibutsujin in the season 1 finale of the anime. Rui – the Lower Moon 5 had been
the opponent of Tanjirou in the viral 19th episode of Demon Slayer.
- Lower Moon 1: Enmu
- Lower Moon 2: Rokuro
- Lower Moon 3: Wakuraba
- Lower Moon 4: Mukago
- Lower Moon 5: Rui
- Lower Moon 6: Kamanue
- Former Lower Moon 6: Kyogai
Kyogai is the
Drum Demon that Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke encountered in the 11th
episode of the anime.
The Breathing Technique
In Demon Slayer,
the demon hunters have the skills called breathing techniques aside from their
exceptional physical strength. These techniques were a form of breathing which
enables them to enter a state and use their swords or weapons differently.
Their attacks become sharper, stronger and even more fatal than their normal
damage.
There are
different breathing techniques or styles in Demon Slayer and each of them was
divided into different forms. So far, the anime had revealed several breathing
styles such as the Water Breathing Technique used by Tanjirou Kamado, Giyu
Tomioka, and their mentor Sakonji Urokodaki. There’s also the Lightning Breath,
the Insect Breath, the Dance of the Fire God, and the Beast Breath
which were shown in the anime adaptation. In the manga, there are far more
names and types of Breathing Techniques as follows:
- Water Breathing (水の呼吸, Mizu no Kokyū)
- Thunder Breathing (雷の呼吸, Kaminari no Kokyū)
- Beast Breathing (雷の呼吸, Kedamono no Kokyū)
- Hinokami Kagura Breathing (神楽の呼吸, Hinokami Kagura no Kokyū)
Kimetsu no Yaiba - Dance of the Fire God & Blood Demon Art
It has been revealed that there are some more breathing forms but these wasn't shown in the anime yet.
The Music
Demon Slayer had
a wide array of enchanting music that perfectly suits the enigmatic ambiance of
the anime. Personally, Demon Slayer music is just beyond comprehension,
especially that one of the best anime music composers is behind it and it is no
other than Yuki Kajiura together with Go Shiina.
The Demon Slayer
opening theme is titled Gurenge and it was sung by LiSA. The ending theme from
the edge was performed by FictionJunction. Furthermore, the epic and defining
19th episode ending theme Kamado Tanjirou no Uta (The Song of Tanjirou
Kamado) was brought to us by Go Shiina featuring Nami Nakagawa.
The Episodes
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| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 19 |
Demon Slayer runs for a total of 26 episodes since its release last April. It’s most popular episode til now is definitely its 19th episode which shows us the battle between Tanjirou and the Lower Moon 5 Rui. That episode alone breaks the internet and makes the anime community raved. Personally, my other favorite episodes from the anime were its 9th episode on which Tanjirou fought against the Temari demon (Susamaru), and Arrow demon (Yahaba) as well as his clashed against the former Lower Moon 6: Kyogai.
Demon Slayer Movie
Right after the
season 1 finale of Demon Slayer anime, it was revealed that the series is
getting an anime movie. Demon Slayer movie will adapt the Infinite Demon Train
Arc from the manga and will feature the main characters Tanjirou, Nezuko,
Zenitsu, Inosuke against the Lower Moon 1: Enmu. Furthermore, the movie will
also cover the fated clash between the Flame Pillar: Rengoku Kyojuro and the
Upper Moon 3: Akaza.
The movie had
the full title of Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Ressha-hen (Demon Slayer Movie: Infinity Train). Although, the movie had been speculated to be
released in 2020 no specific details had been mention about it yet.
Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Ressha-hen 2nd PV
Demon Slayer Season 2
Now, everyone’s
question definitely goes this way, IS DEMON SLAYER ANIME GETTING A SEASON 2? I also have the same
question and though there’s no announcement yet about it. I believed there is
no reason for Demon Slayer NOT to get a sequel as its popularity simply proves
that the anime is well-received and supported by the community. Therefore, the possibility of Demon Slayer
getting a 2nd season of its anime adaptation is definitely high and
promising.
Well, let’s just
wait for Ufotable to finally announce an official statement; they might do it
after the release of the Demon Slayer movie. In fact, the movie had been planned even before the anime
ended, so I think the season 2 had been in preparation now as Ufotable seems
like to have big plans for the Demon Slayer franchise in the future.
My Review of Demon Slayer Anime Adaptation
Alright, first
of all, I am writing this review without reading the manga though I have
knowledge of several key spoilers of the story. I will try to avoid dropping
those spoilers here and will simply focus on the anime and what we had seen
from it so far.
Animation & Visuals
The chibi
version of Nezuko is just beyond adorable and it even makes a noise on the
internet with all the memes spreading around on the web. The latter part of the
anime after the Natagumo Mountain arc had been quite less interesting even with
the introduction of the Hashira. Though, I think it is understandable as it is
important as a bridge to future stories of the anime especially with the
possibility of a sequel.
Demon Slayer
Episode 19 definitely has the most fascinating animation and that Dance of the Fire God
scene by Tanjirou’s father was just beyond perfection. When Tanjirou changed
his breathing from Water Breathing Technique into Hinokami Kagura which truly
makes every anime fans burst into shiver and goosebumps with the epic heart
pumping Tanjirou Kamado no Uta (The Song of Tanjirou Kamado) playing the
background.
Ufotable
seriously invested so much effort into the animation of Demon Slayer which
makes it the strongest strength of the anime aside from its well-written story.
The Characters & their Development
There are so
many interesting characters in Demon Slayer and my favorites so far were
Tanjirou, Shinobu, Tamayo, and Tengen Uzui. Though Zenitsu is truly amazing, he
is quite the biggest sore of the anime as I think the comedic relief that he
brought in the anime is more of an annoyance than entertainment for the
viewers.
Tanjirou as a
warrior is far from perfect but the core values that the anime wants to impart
to the viewers and readers by having the main characters shows empathy towards
his enemy is just amazing on an extent that I, as a viewer reflect myself about
it especially with dealing with people I consider as opponents or enemies. He
embodies the value of sympathy and showing us that beyond every evil is a
wound, and those wounds were deep enough to make someone do cruel actions. It
simply shows that even evil people were facing struggles and fights inside of
them, and they succumbed to their own demons which make them evil in the end.
 |
| Tanjiro decapitating the Mother Spider Demon |
Nezuko doesn’t
show any character development yet as most of the time she’s just sleeping.
Well, it is better that she sleeps than actually preying on humans. Though,
that one moment she awakened her blood demon art in the 19th episode
to save her brother is just effing perfection.
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| Demon Slayer Main Characters: Inosuke, Zenitsu, Nezuko, Tanjiro |
Zenitsu is the
guy that you love to hate and hate to hate at some points. He is freaking
annoying to the highest extent but that’s that. Beyond his unpredictable and
annoying surface lies a real demon hunter. So far he had the most terrifying
strength that we had seen in the anime, bad thing is that it feels like he had
been possessed and eventually forgetting how amazing and powerful he is after
the battle. Nonetheless, Zenitsu is the type of character in your friends' list
that you want to hit all of the time but love to keep around because he was
fun.
Inosuke is our
hunk in the anime but a real muscle head I think who just went straight into
attacking his enemy and even allies if he feels so. It’s amazing how he and
Zenitsu make up the best tandem in the anime and always make the fans entertained
with their stupid comedic cliché. I just wish to learn more about his back
story soon in the anime.
The Hashira
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| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hashira |
Muzan Kibutsuji
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| Muzan Kibutsuji (Female Form) |
The Demons
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| Demon Slayer Rui backstory |
The Story
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| Tanjiro & Nezuko in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 1 |
The pacing of
the story is also great and the world-building was executed cleanly which makes
the viewers easily comprehend and understand the story of Demon Slayer without
any rush. My only disappointment which I believed I shared with other viewers
is the cliffhanger at the end of almost every episode. I think it just really
killing us to wait for another week to see how the story ended up because the
anime simply end its episode in the most crucial moment after the intensity had
been built up.
Conclusion
In the end, Demon Slayer is among the strongest contenders for Anime of the Year in my own list. It has been a great ride of action, drama, comedy, and a whole lot of fun as an adventure of killing demons and learning behind their motives. Demon Slayer definitely introduced a new wave of popularity to already superior shounen genre and the sales of the manga of Demon Slayer even increased tremendously this year. As of writing, Demon Slayer comes close to the sales of One Piece manga distribution in 2019 alone.
Frequently Ask Questions about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Alright, in this
section I will answer some of the questions that almost every anime fans of
Demon Slayer had in their mind including myself.
Is Demon
Slayer Getting a Season 2?
The answer is
probably YES, but it wasn’t confirmed or announced yet. For more updates and
news about Demon Slayer Season 2, I highly advice you to subscribe to Yu
Alexius Anime Portal newsletter to be updated and in our social media channels.
When is the
Release of the Demon Slayer Movie?
No specific date
yet had been revealed but the movie had been speculated to be released sometime
in 2020.
Where to
Read Demon Slayer Manga?
Though I highly
advised you to get a copy of Demon Slayer manga for yourself and collect it.
Acquiring it legally by purchasing it is still the best way to support the
author.
Where to Watch Demon Slayer Anime?
Legally? It is
available in major anime streaming sites such as Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
You may try their subscription in the following links:
There are also
several online places to watch it online such as the giant K!$$Anime.
Where to Get Demon Slayer Wallpaper & Fanarts?
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| Demon Slayer fanart: Shinobu Kocho |
Well, our review
and discussion about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime adaptation ends here.
I hope that I was able to answer some of your questions and feed you with some
helpful information. I am also happy to share my personal thoughts and opinions
about the anime. However, if you have something you would like to add or tell
me, please don’t hesitate to leave your comment below. I will be more than
happy too if you could leave your opinions about the anime adaptation of Demon
Slayer.
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