Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - TV Series Review

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba tells about a boy named Tanjiro Kamado, who lived happily with his family until the demons attacked this beneficent family. Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko are the only ones alive, Nezuko being turned into a demon. First and foremost, due to the murder of his family and desire to transform Nezuko back to a human, Tanjiro starts his dangerous mission to become a demon slayer. The show is divided thematically into the episodes showing the battles with powerful opponents, masterly use of the sword, and determination to protect Nezuko.

The main idea of Demon Slayer is the importance of the family, grief for the lost ones, and the desire to survive in despair. As much as the anime was light on its depiction of family and togetherness, it was dark and gory when it came to the world of demons. It simply goes from heartbreakingly emotional to full-scale action, most of the time in the space of an episode. The protagonists in the show never falter in their fight against evil, emphasizing on the constant fight against the dark forces.

The Demon Slayer anime applies very good VA to its large and varied cast and gives some depth to them. The protagonist, Tanjiro, is played by Natsuki Hanae, and this actor uses the perfect mix of encouraging resilience and the experiences of a concerned commoner. This is great work from Akari Kitô who plays Nezuko and although the character does not speak much, there is so much emotion carried in Kitô’s portrayal. A colourful supporting cast, which is led by the irresistible Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, enhances the plot, which, together with the skilfully organised audiovisual elements and spectacular action scenes, directs by Haruo Sotozaki, gives the spectacular Demon Slayer. This helps to keep the audience hooked, keeps suspense, as well as helps to add emotional charge. One must also appreciate how Sotozaki adapts between settle scenes and action-packed fights; it maintains the manga created by Koyoharu Gotouge.

The musical aspect highlights the emotions of the anime and the battles in music composed by Yuki Kajiura, Shiina Go. In terms of visuals, ‘Gurenge’ captures the spirit of the adventure ride from the beginning and backgrounds further enhanced emotional scenes and built on the suspense of the important scenes.

The show is very well-captured with great colours and fine animations that creates the magical world. Every single scene, from the jaunt within the forest the the scary encounters with demons are well animated, including the facial expressions , giving off the feel of cinematic animation much as is required in telling gripping and highly charged scenes much as is expected in Demon Slayer.

The environments in Demon Slayer are well done and offer a perfect blend of historical realism and anime fantasy elements. The realistic depiction of the traditional Japanese villages, accompanied by otherworldly demonic architecture and design adds to the mythos of re-telling. The dedication given to costume and weaponry adds even more to developing the setting, thus making the experience all the more engaging.

Special effects in Demon Slayer alone are a feast to the eyes especially the demon slayers various ‘Breathing Techniques’. These effects are not overused but fit well into the overall plot as an extra element of motion to the fighting scenes without diminishing the plot. It is an accomplishment in balancing between old school animation techniques and new age additions.

Pacing and cutting in Demon Slayer is very well done and adjusted to the shift in mood of the series. Transitions are organic, especially between scenes that contain scenes of dramatic emotion and scenes of intense physical violence. The credit goes to the editing team who have kept it coherent and exciting making sure that each episode picks up from where it left off.

One thing about Demon Slayer is that it has impressive pacing with just the right mix of character progression and intense action. This creates a strong beat of interest so that you never get too caught up on the tears and sadness before moving on to the action where you may get another chance to catch your breath.

Speech in Demon Slayer truly resonates with emotionality of shown characters and their development. The friendship between Tanjiro Kamado and other characters in the movie is well articulated as the movie captures the moments of loyalty the characters have for each other. However incongruity is not totally avoided given the serious stakes, it is humorously woven in where necessary and appropriate.

In this respect Demon Slayer performs very well for the most part, however, typical anime tropes are occasionally overused. Some main characters have very linear character development arcs and the show can be heavy on flashy gimmicks at the expense of story arcs. Nonetheless, its ambitious storytelling and visual mastery largely offset these shortcomings.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the most engaging anime series where great graphics are complemented by a touching story. A very strong aspect of the series is its ability to tell the story of a young hero in a dangerous and hopeless world. It is a painfully romantic and heroic score that reaches the heart and stays there once the film is over. All in all, it remains as one of the strong points of anime storytelling, and leaves many wanting more of what will happen in the story.