Kimetsu no Yaiba

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]

Kamado, Tanjirou Main

Hanae, Natsuki Japanese

Agatsuma, Zenitsu Main

Shimono, Hiro Japanese

Hashibira, Inosuke Main

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu Japanese

Kamado, Nezuko Main

Kitou, Akari Japanese

Rengoku, Kyoujurou Supporting

Hino, Satoshi Japanese

Kochou, Shinobu Supporting

Hayami, Saori Japanese

Tomioka, Giyuu Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Uzui, Tengen Supporting

Konishi, Katsuyuki Japanese

Kanroji, Mitsuri Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Tsuyuri, Kanao Supporting

Ueda, Reina Japanese

Kondou, Hikaru Producer, Sound Director, Series Composition

Miyake, Masanori Producer

Takahashi, Yuuma Producer

Fujio, Akifumi Producer

Reviews

Jul 5, 2024

breslica

Recommended

Story 7/10:

The demon slayer's story is very mid. I like all the shonen and stuff, his journey to heal his sister, his dilemma becoming a demon slayer with his sister turned into a oni, it is indeed cool. BUT, I can't deny some details that doesn't feel right to me throughout the story, I mean, his sister literally go with him everywhere in a coffin on his back, it's insane. Inosuke literally lived with the bulls, but he killed a bull to put on his head. And the other is a sleepwalking goat, it's crazy man.

Besides, the series premisse is very solid, I can see ... why people enjoy it so much, it is because they are used to garbage, so demon slayers history may look like it is a masterpiece. Don't get me wrong, I think it is good, but not THAT good. It is a fair 7. ( I may be biased because seeing people overvalue it so much has been teasing me for a while )

Characters 9/10:

I like how the characters are crazy in their own way, in one side I think it makes the story slightly inconsistent, but I think it can make us sympathize more with the character.

The only characters that I have mixed feelings about are the oni crew. There are some oni that I like the background, but there are others that it is simply garbage. On the other hand, the main villain is michael jackson, cool. (y)

Art 9/10:

In this topic I'm including the animations. The art is very unique and consistent to itself, I like the design of all the characters, it is serious when it has to be and it's also funny when it has to be.

I won't give it a 10 because I've seen better arts before, about better animations is debatable. But the ten has to be undeniable, and I don't think kimetsu's art has reached that patamar.

Music 10/10:

Remarkable soundtracks and openings, banger, I would say. I am not a big fan of lisa, but since I first heard gurenge, I can still vibe the same way I vibed before, very cool op.

Enjoyment 10/10:

I'm a shonen fanboy, the fights are cool, the training arc is cool, the musics are cool. I can say confidently I had a great time enjoying demon slayer.

Overall: 9/10

Not a masterpiece, but a spetacular series. I would recommend it to anyone.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 24, 2024

MsJiya

Mixed Feelings

Kimetsu No Yaiba (KNY) is a fun, action filled watch with a good story and solid characters. I feel like it's fair to say if you like action-based movies, shows, or anime, you'd probably like this one.

That being said, I do have some critiques:

1. Illogical Logic: Like all shonen anime/manga, KNY stretches its reader's suspension of belief quite a lot (there are several plot points that, as a reader, you just gotta roll with). For example, Nezuko, Tanjiro's sister turned demon sister, is able to shrink herself to be carried in a box on Tanjiro's back. Can other demons do this? No. Is it ... ever explained? Kinda, but not well.

I feel like it's fair to say that there are some non-explained/non-logical plot point (which is fine in my opinion) that readers are meant to accept and move on from. Examples include, but are not limited to: a main character being raised by wild boars, there being a sword-smithing village that just sorta exists and is filled with very pretty weapon crafters, buff mice (look up KNY buff mice if you don't believe me), and the main villain looking like Michael Jackson (again, just roll with it). I'm sure there are many others that exist, but honestly, I feel like this is par for the course in shonen anime and manga.

2. Fan service: Oh boy, this one is personal. I greatly dislike (read: HATE) random, unrelated fan service. I understand I am choosing to consume shonen anime/mange which has at least a bit of fan service for its historically male audience, but ya girl is tired of it. Maybe being old has made me less tolerant, but I could do without the random sexiness of characters. For example, Mitsuri (one of the physically strongest characters in the story) could do without her boobs hanging out of her uniform. She is a melee fighter. She uses bendy swords that she whips around with a ton of strength and speed, why is her cleavage in my face? WHY?

I'm not greatly upset about other fan service in this anime/manga since they mostly make sense. For example one of the demons who lives in the entertainment (similar to Red Light) district is very scantily clad and also has her boobs (and butt, let's be honest girl) hanging out, but it makes sense. She's vain and beautiful and works as a entertainer - of course she'd want to show off her body. That's fine. Fan service can have that. I simply don't understanding the necessity of putting other characters who are physical fighters or in no way inclined to dress scantily from a story perspective in sexy clothes or playing up their sexiness.

That being said, this is not the only shonen anime to do this and if I was truly unable to overlook my dislike of fan service in favor of a good story, I'd have to stop consuming anime/manga entirely, so pick your battles and take your wins where you can get them.


There were also some things I greatly enjoyed about the story:

1. The characters: Tanjiro, the main character, is a good kid. He's similar to Yuji (any JJK fans in the house?) in that he's here to fight the good fight and we love him for it. Even though he has personal stakes (his sister and his life) in trying to murder demons and the demon villain, he rarely, if ever, goes about it in a way that is unnecessarily cruel or dehumanizing because he is fundamentally a good person. Similar to Tanjiro's strong characterization, the anime/manga takes time to go into almost every character's backstory and, in doing so, builds a cast of compelling characters that readers can really root for. Every positive or negative thing that happens in the story holds weight because the reader cares and it feels like there are actual stakes in the story.

2. The animation: I remember when KNY first came out and people lost their minds over the gorgeous animation. Man, does that hold up. The animation is stunning and extremely well used in fast paced fight choreographies. The animators knew they were doing a great job and it shows. Honestly I would recommend watching some of the fight scenes regardless of whether you are interested in watching the whole show.

3. Consistency in storytelling: KNY establishes rules which govern how the world works and sticks to them almost entirely which few exceptions. I'm going to be honest, I find consistent world building incredibly rare in shonen anime/manga so this is a treat! Despite a few plotholes here are there, most of the story makes sense once the internal logic of the world clicks into place.

4. Succinct storytelling: Ok, this may be a deep cut (and kind of an insult to Fairytail fans - I'm not trying to yuck your yum), but I love that this anime/manga ends. The manga is somewhere in the realm of 150 chapters and the anime adaptation, though including multiple seasons and a movie, has entered its final arc. KNY had a vision of a story and I am so happy to say that it executed and stuck the landing. Not only is there an ending to this story, but I would argue it is a meaningful ending and manages to tie up all of the story with a neat bow.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jul 22, 2024

ScarlettSkone

Not Recommended

**I explain elements of the plot but nothing big that really counts as a spoiler**
I went into Demon Slayer with an open mind. While the animation and music is objectively good, the story itself left me in immense pain.


1– I have problems with Nezuko’s character.
Nezuko, younger sister to main protagonist Tanjiro, becomes a demon in episode one. Because of this, Tanjiro sets off to turn Nezuko back into a human.

This premise could work, however, at every turn, Nezuko’s lack of agency is very upsetting to me. For one, while Tanjiro sets off on his grand quest, he never once asks Nezuko if she wants to ... become human again. Sure, she probably wants to become human, but the way it’s presented puts Tanjiro as the person who has to speak for Nezuko. Does Nezuko want to become human again? We don’t know, Nezuko never tells us. Why can’t Nezuko be the one to make the decision? It’s her life, she’s the one who got turned into a demon, but the audience is told to accept that Tanjiro has the final say about what his sister wants.

Secondly, Nezuko is heavily objectified. Not in a fan service way, but definitionally– Nezuko is treated more similar to an object than a person by both the narrative and the characters. I already mentioned her lack of autonomy in her own decision to turn back into a human, but it gets far worse than that. During the course of the rest of the story, because Nezuko is a demon, she can’t be exposed to the sun. Due to this, Tanjiro carries her around in a box. Nezuko becomes synonymous with Tanjiro’s special box– A literal object that he has to protect and that he cares very deeply for. Not a person, an object. Hello????? Excuse me??????

The lack of respect and agency given to Nezuko is beyond infuriating. The infantilization and lack of autonomy to Nezuko’s character is, in one word, chauvinistic, and frankly, I’d rather have my finger nails get torn off than be subject to watching it again.


2– Tanjiro, the special good boy.
Beyond his overprotective complex about Nezuko, Tanjiro is treated as a “very special boy” by the narrative. In episode one, within the first 5 minutes, there are 31 lines of dialogue that either explicitly or implicitly hold up Tanjiro as very special and cool. Yes, I counted. I thought it’d be funny and I wanted to do all of episode one, but I gave up after five minutes because my hands hurt too much and I have better things to do with my life.

I don’t have a problem when the protagonist is meant to be special in universe, but the amount that Tanjiro is touted up in the span of 5 minutes is incredible. I felt as though the only point of every line spoken was to explain, or set up another character to explain, how special and cool Tanjiro is. Everyone likes him and he has all these cool and great skills.

This is bad because it’s really damn annoying, but in addition, it’s lazy writing. Instead of telling me that I’m supposed to like this guy, the writer could’ve tried writing Tanjiro doing literally anything that could make me like him. Instead, I feel as though I’ve been lectured about how much I’m supposed to like this character. Frankly, this is the perfect way to make me utterly hate Tanjiro, if for nothing more than pure spite. I don’t think that was the intended effect.


3– “Demon slayer critiques toxic masculinity!”
No it does not.
I wish it did, I was excited to see critique toxic masculinity, but that is not what happened.
Tanjiro is trying to accomplish a goal, and other characters tell him to keep at it, even if it kills him. This is certainly a “toxic masculinity” kind of mindset, in which Tanjiro tries to push himself against his better health for an arbitrary goal. The problem is that… well, that’s all. This mindset, in the story, allows Tanjiro to achieve his goal, and that’s all. Rather than critiquing anything, Demon Slayer showcases and approves of Toxic Masculinity. The extra layer of complexity is simply not there, and anyone claiming there’s more to it is huffing massive amounts of copium.


4– Bad theming– Zenitsu addition
I could very easily make fun of Zenitsu’s existence… and perhaps I should, this womanizing piece of shit! However, the problem with Zenitsu is more complex than that. I want to talk about his backstory.

In it, Zenitsu is explained to be a lonely orphan child. He’s isolated, and was taken in by a retired, but respected, sword guy. This guy repeatedly physically hits Zenitsu and says some toxic things to Zenitsu, to the point where later in life Zenitsu has a trauma moment imagining his master hitting him again. It’s played mostly for comedy, and I know, I know, this a trope, but I have problems with this trope in principle. Somehow, even worse, though, is Zenitsu’s conclusion about it. He decides that, even though this person hurt him, he never left him alone.

Zenitsu is literally portraying why some people stay in abusive relationships 101– someone who’s isolated and vulnerable, staying with someone toxic, because they fear no one else will stay with them, and abusers don’t leave.

This message is a very toxic one and happens all the time in real life. If there was another layer of complexity in Demon Slayer, it’d be fine, but to my dismay, the story leaves the plot line as that, implicitly accepting Zenitsu’s abuse apologia as a responsible conclusion to his situation.


5– Bad theming– Spider Family Addition
I don’t even know where to begin here… this arc hurt my brain. Honestly, my entire review could’ve been me whining about Rui’s character, but I’ll try to be succinct. Rui is a demon with spider powers who, towards the end of season one, is introduced as an antagonist.
Rui idolizes a type of family structure– specifically, a rigid hierarchy that’s toxic. Because of his dream, Rui ropes several other demons to be part of his family, a family that’s referred to as “fake” numerous times. Additionally, it’s shown that this family Rui’s made is very abusive and bad towards each other.

I thought that, since Rui was the antagonist, the point would be that Rui, when he was human, he had his “ideal family structure”, lost his memories due to trauma, and repeated his abuse onto others. Y’know, a little cycle of abuse plotline. Instead, we learn that Rui’s family did follow his ideals, and in fact, it was super epic and based and cool for that. In fact, in Rui’s backstory, we learn that when everything went wrong, it’s because Rui accepted demon powers because he didn’t want to suffer from his disability.

Instead of being a neat little plotline about the cycle of abuse, Demon Slayer seems to say that Rui’s demon family he makes failed, not because of the toxic structure, but because they weren’t a “real” family, as well as saying that Rui ruined his “good” family because he wanted disability accommodations. Worse, in the story, when Rui goes up to heaven, he gets to apologize to his parents for being born… Thanks Demon Slayer, I wasn’t expecting to feel terrible today!
I really didn’t expect the end conclusion to this plotline to be evil disability accommodations, but that’s what we got. God help us all. How the hell do you write a storyline that’s anti-adoption, anti-disability accommodations, and pro abuse????



In reality, despite my dramatization, I know why Demon Slayer has the problems it does. I don’t think that Koyoharu Gotouge, the writer of Demon Slayer, intended for the messages in her story to be so terrible. I think she wanted to write little plotlines and didn’t spend much thought into the implicit messages present. However, regardless of author intention, the messages in media do matter, and Demon Slayer’s messages are really terrible.

Also the writing itself just isn’t that interesting or fun. The dialogue is super repetitive and bloated, the characters generic, and the world building ill-thought out and filled with plot holes…
So, yeah. That’s why I don’t like Demon Slayer.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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