Anime Review: Demon Slayer

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Writing: ⭐⭐⭐ | World Building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Story: ⭐⭐⭐ | Fan Service: 🤮

Content Watched: S1-S4

Summary:

Review:

Demon Slayer has all of the tell-tale signs of a blockbuster anime. An incredible world, brilliant character design, equally brilliant demon design, deep Japanese culture/tradition, and bleeding edge animation and art. I am personally infatuated with the serene, rural landscapes and the woodblock-inspired fighting animation. Tanjiro’s motivation to return Nezuko to being a human is strong with a lot of narrative potential. This alongside Tanjiro’s insistence to see the humanity in all humans and demons provides intriguing tension. The story can feel formulaic at times, but the structure is comforting and it allows the show to shine.

Overall, Demon Slayer is simply fun to watch. The writing isn’t anything special, but that’s not why you’re here. If you love other period anime that breathe life into the rich cultural history of Japan, then you will also love Demon Slayer.

S2 (Mugen Train Arc + Entertainment District Arc) Update: I finished season 2 of Demon Slayer and my thoughts about the series have changed substantially. Unfortunately, for the worse. All of my most beloved aspects of this series (the story, Tanjiro & Nezuko’s relationship, the pastoral landscapes, and mysticism) slowly shrink away in favor of my least favorite facets (fan service, Zenitsu and Inoskue, and a heavy reliance on battle animation). Even after two-ish seasons, Zenitsu is insufferable and Inosuke is bland. While it is forgivable to introduce one-dimensional, comic relief characters, it is unforgivable to not provide these two characters with any meaningful growth. They detract from the story, pull you out of the world, and for many will ruin the show altogether. The fan service escalates and just sucks. Demon Slayer didn’t need any of these additions and yet, they are increasingly evident in the show.

S4 Update: We are back! While issues persist with Zenitsu and Inosuke, they play relatively minor roles in the following two seasons. I have to say S3 (the Swordsmith Village Arc) felt quite redundant as far as the setup of the season (new upper-rank demon + new hashira + save the day), the ending was INCREDIBLE. The writers finally gave us substantial lore to make the world feel deeper and more storied. S4 is truly a departure of the entire series formula. I am so impressed and grateful to have a reprieve from one big battle per season and get some character development (even Zenitsu), new scenery, and more conversation and background of characters without needing a battle!

Infinity Castle: