by Katsumi Hayashi: Staff Writer Demon slayer is a smash hit in nations all across the world, starting an anime season on April 6th, 2019. Since then, the total amount of money that is circulating around the series has overtaken even studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, which has held the animated top grossing series record in Japan for a little under two decades. This accomplishment was assisted due to the movie that was released, instead of a second season of animated episodes. I will be making a review of the movie that will be released on this website on Friday so tune in for that with the next couple days!
Demon slayer is a brilliant series that focuses on the enemies and the morality of the demons, just as much as it does for the main protagonists. I think that this gives the series a different feel that we don’t normally get, as we get a peek inside the villains lives and their heads so that we can deeper understand them and know that they never meant to end up as monsters, but they were tossed into it and they mostly went with the flow and the thirst that drives them, that can’t be controlled. The main character, Tanjiro, is thrown into the world of demons and demon slayers very abruptly and we can clearly see that since his very first encounter with one of these beings, he does not react to them in the same way that a normal person would. Tanjiro is a simple-minded character, only desiring a few things to keep a semblance of his happy life. I understood just what kind of empathy he feels and what kind of guy that makes him. He does not wish to kill demons, he only wishes that there was a way to turn demons back into humans and he feels pity for these creatures, while also managing not to belittle them. He very quickly learns that demons do not feel the same way and that if he wishes to survive and accomplish his goals, he must first become strong enough to face those that would oppose him, some on whom are demons, and others who he would call his allies.
The series is packed with beautiful animation, with fluid movements and vibrant, clear colors that I dare say are at 10/10 quality in their own way. The animation allows for the fight scenes to be portrayed in a fashion that allows the eyes to do all the work, and you do not have to imagine anything because it’s perfectly portrayed right in front of you. Sometimes the characters and villains can seem a little one dimensional, but they each have moments that truly define who they are and show that they are all different people with different ethics, morals, and motivations that drive them towards their own goals. My overall score for the first season of this anime would be a 10/10, for the beautiful animation and the depth of characters and origins, as well as world building and emotion. I highly recommend watching this series and, again, the movie is out in theaters right now (as of April 20th) so I highly recommend you watch the movie if you’re able to! Thank you for tuning in and I’ll be back in a couple days to review the movie!