Demon Slayer Anime Review
Anime of the Decade? Or an Overrated Hype?
Demon Slayer is by far one of the most well-known and popular anime series in today's time. When it was released way back in 2019, the anime got massive traction over its impeccable animation and a very much old Shounen style of storytelling with modern elements.
The author Gotouge Koyoharu is praised by many anime fans worldwide as the best anime creator of all time, and Crunchyroll Awards went as far as to label it as the anime of the decade.
So, let's dive into this anime and see if it's worth it.
Plot & Story Progression
Demon Slayer tells the story of a young boy, Tanjirou Kamado, who becomes the sole breadwinner of his family after his father passes away due to an illness.
Tanjirou, being the oldest of the six siblings, starts selling charcoal in a nearby town to make ends meet. But, one day, upon his return, he witnesses a bloody tragedy. His entire family, who lived peacefully in the mountain, mysteriously gets slaughtered, and the only surviving member, his little sister Nezuko, suddenly transforms into a demon.
Now, adamant about avenging his family and wanting to turn his little sister Nezuko back into a human, Tanjirou sets out on a journey to find the killer and the reason why he murdered his peaceful family.
Animation & Art Style
The plot of Demon Slayers is pretty much classic, and just like most other Shounen out there. One of the main selling points of Demon Slayers, as mentioned at the start of the review, is the animation and how Ufotable adapted the manga.
Now Ufotable is already well known for making mater pieces like the Tales, God Eater, and more so the Fate Franchise. The studio has practically mastered the art of 2D and digital animation. Their composting is one of the best in the anime industry, and in that, the studio essentially transformed an excellent shounen manga into a visual masterpiece.
The animation that we see in Demon Slayer is, by far, a technical feat that no other Japanese studio can even come close to or even hope to match anytime soon.
Every visual element in the Demon Slayer anime screams quality and the anime remains a testament to what a veteran animation studio can do. 3D animation is not used as a last-minute cost-cutting measure. The creators involved in drawing and compositing are allowed to bring their ideas to the table to make a masterpiece that can visually encapsulate the audience.
Ufotable has shown what they can do with the fate franchise, and with Demon Slayer, outdone themselves with creativity and quality that had been absent in the shounen jump world for a very long time.
Animation and Art Style-wise, there is no anime like Demon Slayer, and the pacing of the anime keeps it together nicely as must-watch anime that you should not be skipping out on.
Characters
The characters in Demon Slayer are incredibly unique. Although some of them follow some typical shounen troupes, it is tough to draw parallels between Demon Slayer’s cast and other shounen casts.
Tanjirou Kamado
The first of these unique sets of characters is the main focus of the show, Tanjirou. Now, Tanjirou a classic example of an underdog Shounen protagonist. But, what makes him different is the fact that Tanjirou is not your typical goody-two-shoes character.
He very much feels alive, as he has a goal, and to accomplish that, he needs to make difficult decisions. Even his kindness doesn't fall short, as he is genuinely a very good person and does not like to see people suffer.
Nezuko Kamado:
Nezuko is the little sister of Tanjirou, who transformed into a demon after somehow surviving the massacre that killed her entire family when Tanjirou was away.
After being turned into a demon, Nezuko lost her ability to speak and became stoic. She likes to spend most of her time sleeping.
Zenitsu Agatsuma:
Zenitsu Agatsuma is the traveling companion of Tanjirou and is a coward. Zenitsu wants to be a womanizer, but he often fails in his attempts because of his aggressive nature.
Hashibira Inosuke:
Hashibira Inosuke is also a traveling companion of Tanjirou and is a very passionate character who likes to fight. He gets angered and triggered quite quickly and will not back down if someone calls him out for anything.
His most defining feature is the boar mask that he likes to wear daily.
What Makes Demon Slayer a Hot Topic?
Demon Slayer has one of the most epic and pristine shounen ever.
But, what makes it an even better anime are the characters. The Demon Slayer’s cast is definitely among some of the most wholesome and well-liked anime casts out there.
The characters are incredibly likable and have some of the best personalities in anime that you just can't help but fall in love with them.
The animation is the paramount traction that Demon Slayer has, but the characters are renowned for anime’s best aspects.
Conclusion
Demon Slayer has a lot going for it as one of the best shounen out there. But the anime, despite its new animation and compelling characters, just falls short on the Plot.
Demon Slayer has many potentials, but the plot is quite dull when you start and fails to deliver a memorable story.
Don't get me wrong, the anime is compelling, but overall it fails on some things that make it a bit overhyped and not the anime of the decade, in my opinion.
Demon Slayer is an 8/10 in our books and is a much watch anime if you have some time to kill and look for something interesting to watch over the weekend.
