Where To Next?
Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 26
As this episode opened I could not help but lament what might have been if this series had stuck with the dark and ominous tone that seems to permeate any scene where we actually get Kibutsuji. I’d have loved this anime so much more if that tone had been more consistent because it is in those moments, and in the moments of extreme action, that I love Demon Slayer the most. The rest of the anime is a little… well I’m going to be honest, I find a lot of it quite irritating.
However, the opening sequence here with the demons of the lower six, the five left at least, being terrified in a strange space that amusingly reminded me of David Bowie in the Labyrinth though I guess they were going for M.C. Escher, with the new appearance of Kibutsuji as he mercilessly whittled them down just worked. Throw in a sound track that perfectly fit the tone of the sequence and you have a scene that will be one of my favourites from the whole series.
I do have to wonder though if Kibutsuji kills off his own demons is there any need for demon slayers. And if he’s literally the only one who can make demons then do they only exist in Japan? Also, why kill off arguable the second strongest group of demons rather than killing off demons that haven’t even made it into his little club? Okay, the organisation of the demons is at least as confusing and non-nonsensical as the demon slayers so I’m just going to admit that I shouldn’t think too hard about Kimetsu no Yaiba as very little really holds up to much scrutiny.
Affiliate Link – Figure
However, all good things must come to an end and soon we are back with the idiot trio preparing to head off on their next mission. Actually, Tanjiro isn’t a total idiot, but when he’s sandwiched between Zenitsu and Inosuke the end result is something that continues to leave a sour taste in my mouth and I can’t help but want the other two to be unceremoniously run over by the train or picked off by the next demon they encounter. Seems unlikely as for whatever reason they have stuck in this story, but they really do bring the whole tone of the show crashing down.
And that’s where we end. The three board a train with Nezuko still strapped to Tanjiro’s back and they are off. Given the movie announcement I guess we’ll find out what happens next and I don’t doubt this one will get a season two. Honestly, I’m very mixed though in my reaction to that. There are parts of this anime I’ve truly loved but other parts where I’ve just wanted to walk away. I guess I’ll see what my mood is when it comes out and then decide.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
Have you missed a review from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba?
Images from: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Dir. H Sotozaki. Ufotable. 2019.
I’ve enjoyed the series so far minus about 70% of Zenitsu and Inosuke. I can’t ask for too much internal consistency and logic. No shounen can stand up to that. I can only assume the lower demons were killed because they weren’t doing their jobs and can be easily replaced. He probably doesn’t want to just give his blood out to any old demon.
To me the source is irrelevant. The anime must stand on its own since most will never read the source. It irritates me to no end that Sis is still muzzled. It must be a Scarlett Letter trope because nothing else makes sense.
I do find it odd that Tanjiro at least hasn’t tried to remove the muzzle all things considered.
I’d characterize Demon Slayer as going for the extremes of its genre. As a shounen, it hits some REALLY high highs with the action and serious character moments. At times though, some gags are too hamfisted (ham being literal in the case of Inosuke), such as Zenitsu’s cowardice being WAY too over the top.
Otherwise, I love this series. It’s less tonally consistent than MHA, but Episode 19 had the same punch that the All Might vs All For One fight did for me.
The goofy and fun moments in MHA work so much better than anything they attempted here. Actually, I just really enjoyed the first season of MHA. It was so much fun with just the right balance of amusing moments to serious tension to actual fights. It all worked. Here the story starts out far more seriously but then veers off and then it feels like we are see-sawing between those two tones without ever really finding a balance.
I went from not being able to wait for the next episode to waiting for it to end so I could cross it off my list. Such a shame as it started red hot. And no, I won’t be watching the film or a second series, I really have no interest in it at all. 🙁
I can understand that. It definitely cooled off a lot from the first arc. Though any criticism of it seems to be met with a lot of mocking from the fans of the source.
I felt like I had wasted my time if I’m being pretty upfront on this series. Like you said, it had some great moments but Demon Slayer constantly thwarted itself. I was, again, like you, irritated watching this more often than not. What’s worse, is I felt kind of betrayed by the promise of this train demon from the previous episode only to end with a “lol, jk, come back for the movie. K ;)” Just not about that.
Will you watch a second season or are you done?
That’s a good question. I am interested in the main character’s story and the general plot established earlier in the series. However, once Dorito Boy got introduced to the plot, every single character has been pretty awful with very rare exception (not going to count the background children towards the end for example).
Depending on availability, I’d likely give the film a go at the very least. It’s supposed to be the next arc, and if that can’t get things really going again, then I think this would be where I stop for this one.
Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a terrible show, but for me, the annoyances and problems in the writing department drag down everything else. Music and visuals are fantastic though.
It’s like a 5/10 for me. Not overly offensive but is the bare bones minimum of what I look for in an anime. Obviously have some thoughts, so want to ruminate on it more. I’ll give a more detailed report next week most likely.
I agree that Dorito Boy was the beginning of this one going downhill for me. Up until his introduction I’d loved the show. I’m still very undecided about whether I’ll continue or not. I’m 50-50 with things I love and things I dislike. Still, I really loved how they introduced the villain and his return this episode was very welcome. If there was more of that (and both Inosuke and Zenitsu suddenly got sent to a mission in a land far away) I’d watch in a heart beat.
Yeah, I’m pretty much in the same boat. The problem is that I know those two are pretty prominent in the source, but it’s all a matter of adaption.
I did like the villain stuff for the finale episode. It was a little silly (as you mention), but loads more interesting than the second half. Normally I don’t mind so much when a show ends on a “the journey continues” when you know you are getting more, but here it really needed to do more than that.