-Story-
Tanjiro Kamado's journey starts with tragedy in the early episodes of Demon Slayer, as he returns from the local village to find his family dead in the snow, and the smell of demons in the air. They've all been murdered -- except for one. Nezuko, Tanjiro's sister, survives the attack, only to be infused with the demonic blood of their assailant. Seeing this, Tanjiro's love for his sister only grows stronger as he vows to protect Nezuko, find the demon responsible for her transformation, and reverse it. In the pursuit of his goal Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization of skilled fighters looking to end the terror demons reign through Japan, to strike down the monsters who killed his family.
This is a simple but effective plot, largely due to how likable the main character is from the start. Tanjiro's drive to save his sister is clear in everything he does and easy to get behind as a viewer, and painless to understand. Too often you see shows or movies that take too long to explain the "hook", but Demon Slayer is as simple as it gets. Unfortunately, that simplicity is also its downfall. Even as the plot progresses, it never becomes more complex (for the viewer, or for the characters we're watching.) The story plateaus a third of the way in, and I found myself taking long breaks between episodes because the events were so painfully dull from being easy to predict. I never found that "spark of excitement" the series desperately needed to keep me wanting more.
-Character-
Despite being likable at the beginning, Tanjiro falls to the same undoing as the story. His simple character never changes, and his one-note personality becomes grating well before the halfway point. You know Tanjiro will always say and do the right thing, he will always succeed in the end, and his beliefs are never challenged. While simple, yet likable characters are aplenty in the shōnen genre, Tanjiro lacks that tell-tale power creep to enjoy. After the initial training arc, he does not get stronger in the series or develop new powers or abilities to show off. Anything "new" are just moves we haven't seen yet, or something he remembers deus ex machina style. Even in those "make-or-break" moments, he's hardly in any danger -- Tanjiro fights just as well with broken ribs as he does freshly healed.
Demon Slayer even bails on it's own attempts at character development. When Tanjiro kills a demon we are regularly lectured with their backstory to paint even the worst enemies in sympathetic light, but it’s a failed attempt in every way. Creating empathy for a villainous character is one thing, but this lacks all effectiveness when that character dies seconds later. A better show would have this impact him, make him question his resolve by seeing how the demons suffer just as he does. Instead, Tanjiro forgets as quickly as it happens and we are left with an insufferable ending to a potentially memorable fight.
Other characters don't fare any better. The two main side characters, Zenitsu and Inosuke, seem to be an attempt at comic relief, but only if you think screaming every line is funny. It's an incredible blunder that this anime has not one, but two people whose main character trait involves yelling about anything and everything, but in different ways so there's not even overlap -- just a wider spectrum of screeching. To the show's credit, they are fleshed out with backstories, but that does nothing to remedy their one note natures. You'll have no difficulty finding people who abandoned Demon Slayer when Zenitsu and Inosuke join, and I can't blame them for a second.
-Art and Sound-
It's a shame the characters are so poorly done, because their designs are top class. In a medium known for beautiful eyes, Demon Slayer takes it to the next level of visual design. Each set of eyes adds another level of personality to even minor characters, and by breaking the model of "typical eyes", you'll never see two that look the same in this anime. They say a good character design is recognizable only by it's silhouette, and even minor characters pull this off without seeming overdesigned. The art and design is often the most praised thing about Demon Slayer, and for good reason.
However, that's not to say it's flawless. CG in anime is commonplace nowadays, to the point it's not about if you're using it rather how well you're using it. Demon Slayer falls on the poorer end of that scale. There are several times, especially in the early episodes, where it's painfully obvious 3D models are being used but not to the benefit of the scene. Typically 3D models can allow anime to do interesting things with the camera, and manipulate the scene in ways hand drawing can't. I can't help but feel Demon Slayer doesn't take advantage of that, and plays it safe with fairly standard shots. That's not to say it doesn't show off the art well, but it once again contributes to missing that "spark of excitement" I continued searching for.
Sound runs into the same dilemma. Good sound design is something so natural you don't notice, but even better sounds and music amplify a scene until the two are inseparable in your memory. I don't remember anything especially bad about the sounds and music, but nothing especially good stands out either. Thinking back, it almost feels like a blank slate that could be filled with anything.
It says a lot, when my excitement while watching Demon Slayer only grew when I was getting closer and closer to finally being done. I get a sinking feeling every time I think back on what a slog each episode was to watch, and how much I truly wanted to enjoy this show like my friends do. While I don't understand what they see in Demon Slayer, I can admit to its potential. I wanted to state my issues with Demon Slayer not because I enjoy mocking things people enjoy, but because these can be fixed. With its popularity earning a second season, if these issues aren't resolved then I can see even big fans losing their patience with one-note characters, predictable plots, and great art hampered by lackluster presentation. As things stand now, these flaws are the biggest demon in Demon Slayer.
