Anime
The anime adaption of Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) is an award winning series that aired from April 6 to September 28, 2019. It is based on the adventure, dark fantasy, and martial arts manga by Koyoharu Gotoge, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump’s Volume 11 of 2016. Demon Slayer ran for 26 episodes and is licensed by Aniplex of America. The adaptation was announced in Weekly Shonen Jump's 27th issue later that year and was produced by Ufotable. The series went on to win several awards including "Best TV anime". On 13 October 2019, the English anime adaptation debuted on the Toonami block of Cartoon Network/Adult Swim.
Story
Rumors have echoed from time immemorial about the Demons that lurk in the wilderness. According to legend, a Demon Slayer sometimes roams the night, battling blood thirsty Demons. Since his father's death, a boy named Tanjiro has taken it upon himself to support his family. Although the disaster had affected their lives, they were happy. The family is murdered by a Demons during the Taisho Period in Japan, and the eldest son Tanjiro finds that his sister, Nezuko has also been transformed into a Demon. The sister still shows signs of human emotion, to his surprise, an unusual trait when compared to other Demons. Tanjiro quickly sets out on a journey to fight Demons and find a way to turn his sister back into a human.
Manga
Illustrated and written by Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an adventure, dark fantasy, and martial arts manga. The English version of the manga is digitally published, translated, and printed by Viz Media. Shueisha started releasing the series concurrently on Manga Plus in English and Spanish in January of 2019. The series was first serialized on February 15, 2016 in the 11th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.
Anime
This award-winning adaptation of Demon Slayer was directed by Haruo Sotozaki while the scripts were handled by Ufotable. Hikaru Kondo produced the series, while character designs were handled by Akira Matsushima. The opening and ending themes (“Gurenge” and “From the Edge” respectively) were performed by LiSA and FictionJunction. The show can be streamed through Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. The series ran for twenty-six episodes and, shortly after the airing of the final episode, a sequel movie for the anime adaptation titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train was announced.
Ufotable once again shows their recognized talent and skills as the top producers in the anime industry with great pacing and seamless integrations of 3D animation in action scenes. These incredible feats have allowed it to make top ten lists of many anime fans. Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) is praised for the animation quality, and story.
Characters
Tanjiro Kamado - a boy of kind nature with a strong sense of justice. He is the main protagonist of Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) series. Tanjiro is often described as having gentle eyes by multiple characters. Tanjiro has ruffled black hair with a tinge of burgundy at the end and a prominent scar on the left side of his forehead. His father, Tanjuro, passed away due to illness, leaving behind his wife and six children. As the eldest son of the Kamado family and the older brother to Nezuko, Tanjiro has the responsibility of taking care his younger siblings and mother. The only memoir left by his father are a pair of distinct hanafuda earrings that he is seen always wearing.
Nezuko Kamado - The younger sister of Tanjiro Kamado. She is turned into a Demon by Muzan Kibutsuji. She debuted from the start of both the anime and manga as one of the main protagonists. She grew up on the mountainside along with her family and she is only one year younger than Tanjiro. Because of this, she takes on the role as the eldest sister in her family. Before she was turned into a Demon, she also helped with responsibilities like taking care of the family and helping with chores around the home.
Muzan Kibutsuji - the man responsible for transforming Nezuko into a Demon and the main antagonist of Kimetsu no Yaiba Demon Slayer series. Tanjiro could identify him instantly because of his heightened sense of smell. He was the first human to become a Demon over a thousand years ago. As he is the first demon, he is also the most powerful and is capable of turning any human into a Demon. His Japanese voice actor is Toshihiko Seki, and voiced by Greg Chun in the English dub. Muzan makes his debut in Chapter 11 of the manga, and Episode 6 of the anime adaptation.
Inosuke Hashibira - a demon slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps and one of the traveling companions of Tanjiro Kamado. He was revealed to be the fifth survivor of the Final Selection, and the fastest to make it up and down Fujikasane Mountain. Inosuke is very short tempered and rushes into fights without thinking, as he even attacks the box Nezuko is hiding in after sensing a demon inside. In the anime, he has a major role in the fight against the Father Spider Demon during the Natagumo Arc. He likes to think he is the strongest fighter in any situation, challenging most people he comes across, which tends to lead him into unnecessary danger.
Zenitsu Agatsuma - Zenitsu is usually seen acting like a coward and he also has low self-esteem, leading him to often want to give up on his mission. He is a Demon Slayer and a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Like Inosuke, Zenitsu is also a main traveling companion of Tanjiro Kamado. Although he lacks confidence in his abilities, Zenitsu is shown to possess a great deal of power, though he can only really access it when unconscious or when facing death.
Kanao Tsuyuri - a talented young female Demon Slayer in the series. She is a mysterious girl who always smiles calmly, but rarely talks on her own accord, making it difficult to grasp her emotions. She was first introduced as a quiet young girl gazing at a butterfly, showing no interest or emotions after passing the final selection. She learned to utilize the Demon Slayers’ breathing techniques by imitating her peers, allowing her to easily pass the final selection with an overwhelming amount of fighting power. Because of this, she was one of the five to survive the Final Selection. She is the adoptive sister of Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho. She is also the designated Tsuguko of Shinobu as well.
Demon Slayer Light Novel
Demon Slayer: Flower of Happiness is a light novel based on Koyoharu Gotouge’s original manga. Aya Yajima wrote the first novel for the franchise on February 4th, 2019. The second novel in the series, Butterfly with One Wing, was released on October 4th later that same year.
Kimetsu no Yaiba Demon Slayer Animation Staff
- Director: Haruo Sotozaki
- Character Design: Akira Matsushima
- Sub Character Design: Miyuki Sato
- Screenplay: Ufotable
- Conceptual Art: Koji Eto / Masaru Yanaka / Kasumi Takeuchi / Yuri Kabasawa
- Directors of Photography: Yuichi Terao
- 3D Director: Kazuki Nishiwaki
- Color Setting: Yuko Omae
- Editing: Manabu Kamino
- Music: Yuki Kajiura / Go Shiina
- Animation Producer: Hikaru Kondo
- Animation Production: Ufotable
Cast (Japanese / English)
Tanjiro Kamado: Natsuki Hanae / Zach Aguilar
Nezuko Kamado: Akari Kito / Abby Trott
Zenitsu Agatsuma: Hiro Shimono / Aleks Le
Inosuke Hashibira: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka / Bryce Papenbrook
Giyu Tomioka: Takahiro Sakurai / Johnny Yong Bosch
Sakonji Urokodaki: Hochu Otsuka / Brook Chalmers
Sabito: Yuki Kaji / Max Mittelman
Makomo: Ai Kakuma / Ryan Bartley
Genya: Nobuhiko Okamoto / Zeno Robinson
Kagaya Ubuyashiki: Toshiyuki Morikawa
Black haired guide: Aoi Yuki / Christine Cabanos
White haired guide: Shiori Izawa / Mela Lee
Haganezuka: Daisuke Namikawa / Robbie Daymond
Kasugai Crow: Takumi Yamazaki / Doug Erholtz
Demon in the temple: Hikaru Midorikawa
Hand Demon: Takehito Koyasu / Kirk Thornton