Forum

Final:

That's how a two-cour series should end. It's perfect.

To wrap things up, we learn a few things. Muzan and Co. are facing their own recruitment problems, so they aren't too different from Demon Slayer Corps. It's an organizational problem... oh wait, is this social commentary about organizational problems in RL? (lolol). The only difference is, Muzan's a lot more draconian about it. In fact, I question about one thing: what's the relationship between Muzan and Demon Slayer Corps' leader Kagaya? The latter seem to have a personal vendetta with the former.

My thoughts on the series, here goes.

I actually didn't watch Kimetsu no Yaiba when it first came out. It's only when there was a lot of commotion over episode 19 that I then decided to marathon the whole series. And it's been an amazing one. While racing through the episodes, a few things became evident.

One, this is shounen action. No doubt; the genre is splattered all over the place, like the blood smeared everywhere from episode one. The tenets are all there: impassioned characters (in shounen, you will never find apathetic characters; they cannot exist in the genre), an hopelessly idealistic and earnestly benevolent protagonist, an elusive and overpowered antagonist, an organization for the protagonist to join and train with, competition (well, of course), rivals (definitely a must in shounen... annoying ones are imperative in shounen too, for some reason), them cool moves and fight sequences, vast world building (shounen titles run super-long because of the world building)... it's all there. Think My Hero Academia.

Two, and this is the interesting part: this is Inuyasha. There's so much resemblance in characterization and setup: Inosuke → Inuyasha. Zenitsu → Miroku. Muzan → Naraku (Muzan is Naraku, if you think about it). Giyu → Sesshomaru (yeah). Add leveling-up to the whole premise, and you're done.

So that's what Kimetsu no Yaiba is: My Hero Academia x Inuyasha. But then we have ufotable, and that's where things became exciting. ufotable is having a field day making this show its own, and aesthetically it's been outstanding. The studio got their reputation with TYPE MOON shows at first, but Kimetsu no Yaiba is a watershed moment for them for breaking out into another genre. And it's a phenomenal success.

I'm not a big fan of shounen, but ufotable made this show work wonders. I cannot imagine any other studio producing it; maybe BONES could've done it, but we would've something completely different and unrecognizable. Kimetsu no Yaiba is all about flawless execution: stunning visuals and production values, amazing seiyuu work (the work is particularly outstanding, now that I think about it), and solid plot development / pacing.

And dropping a movie in the works right at the end? Now that's clever. Like MCU end-credit clever. 8/10 for me.

#26

So that's how they've decided to end the adaptation. Tanjirou shows off his natural talent for getting girls to fall for him, while Zenitsu and Inosuke improve enough to leave the mansion together with Tanjirou for the next mission.

Muzan is egoistic and ruthless, but he can easily create more thralls when the whim takes him so getting rid of the second rung elite (which he confirms gets changed over more often than the first rank) isn't as self-defeating as it seems. The episode does not show if the Biwa-playing Oni is one of his confidants, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was since she has an even more advance version of the reality-warping powers shown by the ex-elite Oni from the House arc.

A move adaptation?! Good news that Ufotable aren't giving up on the franchise just yet. It also means there's enough in the source material to animate 1 1/2 hours worth, so if it does well there's a great chance they'll continue with this franchise instead of ending it or passing it on to another studio. No idea on the movie release timeline, but I'm looking forward to it.

Okay, so after my 2nd viewing, I have to re-iterate how awesome of a show this is.

1) The production value is *insane.* I don't know how ufotable can afford to have such detailed art and fluid animation for a TV show, and this is probably taking into account they also had people working on the 2nd F/s n Heaven's Feel movie. The line detail is so bold, I love how it accentuatess everything that needs to stick out. The color palette is super rich, day or night, and really contributes to the feel of each arc. And man, that animation; the frames are so smooth for the tiniest of movements and super slick for all the action sequences. I swear, even at its lowest, the art and animation in this is better than some OVAs. It's ridiculously good.

2) I'm a big fan of supernatural fantasy shows, particularly the kind that revolves around any kind of martial arts or swordplay. I love the world and lore they built and feel like it's simple, yet intricately detailed. There are evil forces at play and a squad of good guys that exist to fight them. Said squad has different ranks and types of people to help towards the cause. The further up the rankings, the more bad-ass they are. My main thing, though, is that the top-tier guys all specialized in something. Better yet, the villains are the same way (at least, what few they've shown, so far), which I think is a major factor in equalizing the playing field a bit. I'm eager to see how it progresses.

3) The characters are unique. Not to say they don't follow tropes, but what character usually doesn't? It's how those tropes are adapted and displayed that make the difference. Tanjirou is the eternal optimist, Zenitsu is the funny bumbler with a bad-ass flip side, Inosuke is the gung-ho wild child, all the Hashira have their own personalities to mirror their specializations, and Muzan feels like an immovable monolith Darth Vader kind of boss. But my favorite part of the writing is how it humanizes a lot of the demons with some kind of backstory. I feel it adds a whole other layer of character depth to what already feels like big world leading to an epic endgame.

4) I really like the tone of the series. I feel it has the right balance of dark, gritty, and tragic, but is still hopeful, joyous, and positive at just the right spots. It's almost like Ninja Scroll, minus the gratuitous sex and nudity, which I don't mind, either, but that's for another conversation.
----------------------------------

I'm also glad the manga is over, 'cause now ufotable can just adapt the whole thing to completion. If they can keep the production value as high as the first season, it's gonna' be a real standout series.

Haven't seen the movie, yet. But knowing Aniplex, I'm sure they'll do some super fancy Limited Collector's Edition release for it on video, which I will be all over. Right now, I give the series an Excellent (9/10), and I'll probably give it a Masterpiece when everything is said and done. Will read the manga accordingly to what they produce, as well. It's such a great franchise.

Movie:

It's finished its run in Japan and much of Asia has had its turn. Those outside of the region will get their chance soon. For what it's worth, fans of the TV series will not want to miss this before the new season airs later this year.

Highest grossing film in Japan ever and at one point last year the highest grossing film worldwide because of pandemic restrictions on cinemas. There's a reason for this and it's not because people were so starved of movie entertainment they'd watch anything available.

Suffice to say, this is the usual high quality adaptation viewers have come to expect from Ufotable. Experience will differ between those familiar with the source material and those who watched the TV adaptations only, but it will be hard to someone who finished the movie disappointed with what was on offer. Viewers might want to rewatch the last two episodes of the TV series before this to catch up with what the characters were up to, since this is effectively a continuation with little to no time gap.

Only thing I could fault this movie would be how easy it would have been to split it into standard length TV episodes. Still, movies need a profit to be viable entertainment and this one exceeded expectations in spades. Even without the pandemic, it would be hard to argue against its earnings had 2020 been a normal year like those before. Action scenes are as good or even better than Heaven's Feel, while the emotional impact from some scenes hits hard (I could see people crying at some points).

I'm looking forward to the next adaptation slated for later this year.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train

Got a chance to see this (subbed) in IMAX, and it was glorious. I actually read the arc in the manga ahead of time as research for the Badass Character Tourney going on in the Contests and Games forum to make a case for Rengoku being a badass. And even though I already knew what was gonna' happen in the movie, all the color, animation, music, and voice acting still wow'd me.

After my most recent experience with KnY, I've come to realize there's a very distinct positivity that emanates from the writing. In the Tourney, there were various main characters from shounen series I deemed as "pure" type characters. These pure types were generally optimistic and very straightforward in their convictions and worldview (i.e. be a good person, protect others, and get stronger; the basic shounen protagonist character formula). However, a lot of the time, that pureness was used as the very argument against them because, while they may be very, very strong, they weren't necessarily "badass" in terms of swagger and demeanor. That being said, I argued as best I could for Rengoku being a badass. And while he ended up losing to Guts in Round 2 (a very unfortunate matchup), I stand by my opinion that he's still a really great character.

But aside from the obvious top-notch production quality, my main takes from the story were mostly about the aforementioned positivity vibes: spoiler[ first, is Tanjiou's infectious kindness. When the one kid tried to destroy his spiritual core, the essence of Tanjirou's personality actually stopped the kid from being hostile. I think it's a great counterpoint that synergizes with his battle ferocity, in that he fights so hard because he cares for others so much. Most shounen MCs have some kind of optimistic resolve that gives them that special kind of strength. But I think the whole dream sequence in this arc really helped to illustrate Tanjirou's in a way I haven't seen that often. It was a great combination of imagery and writing.]

Second, spoiler[ is the pseudo-philosophical belief in the human spirit and sanctity of life. When Rengoku faces off with Akaza, they talk about the fragile mortality of being a human. Akaza, who lives and strives for power, offers Rengoku the chance to become a demon out of admiration for his opponent's abilities. But Rengoku declines, stating that a finite existence is what gives life so much meaning. Furthermore, he was taught by his mother that the strong should protect the weak. And in a valiant effort, Rengoku managed to protect all 200 passengers on the train, as well as his compatriots.]

There are lots of stories that try to convey "life is precious," but not all of them always do it effectively. Lots of times, that sentiment can get lost in the magnitude and scope of the narrative. But with this film, I feel KnY really hit the notion home. Here's hoping the rest of the anime iterations will sustain it. Mugen Train has some sensational action sequences and a great story, not just in conjunction to the TV series, but in general. Highly recommended for all anime fans, and especially franchise fans. Excellent (9/10).

My only gripe is spoiler[ they didn't include any of the epilogue where Muzan calls out Akaza's failure or when Tanjirou goes to visit the Rengoku residence. I feel the omission of those:

1) Dilute Rengoku's sacrifice, while highlighting Akaza's cowardice and the fact Rengoku won the philosophical battle, as well.

2) Doesn't give Rengoku the closure he deserves, given the unresolved issues he had with his father.

If they included these, it would've been perfect.]

He is a pretty cool/hot character. I watched the movie on Crunchyroll recently, it was okay. And the first episode of the new season also was good, adding some depth to his whole eating the bento scene. But next few episodes will apparently just be a rehash of the movie?

Just a rehash for those who didn't catch the movie, and those who caught the movie but want more of it.

Also a "refresher" series before the next arc comes.

Also the studio milking the franchise.

Yuukaku-hen #1

The opener is a double-header, so next week onwards reverts to the usual half-hour episode. The experience for viewers seeing this immediately after the movie was cut up into tv-sized episodes and those who watched the full-length movie over a year ago will be different, since the start deals with the immediate aftermath and fallout of Rengoku's heroic death.

Rengoku Shinjurou is completely different from his eldest son, which probably explains why he didn't feature in the latter's thoughts just as he lay dying. He does however drop a lot of bombshells on the shell-shocked Tanjirou, so the visit to convey Kyojurou's final message to his extant relatives wasn't completely in vain. Too little to go on regarding the rumoured "Breath of the Sun", but if it's as powerful as Shinjrou makes it out to be Tanjirou is fated to become much stronger provided he isn't overwhelmed by its burden.

A short recovery period for the protagonists, before the Sound Pillar makes his flashy entrance. He's met Tanjirou before, but didn't think him significant enough to commit to memory. What's annoying about him is during the post-credits segment, since he doesn't include Nezuko as part of the fighting party. Not sure if it's because he doesn't remember she's a "tame" oni, or if he's just chauvinistic. Time will tell, but the VA voicing him is a good choice given the characterisation so far. Whatever we've seen of him so far, it's fair to say he's living up to his title as he's REALLY fast.

Zenitsu is noisy as ever, but he's slightly less cowardly which makes him more tolerable. If Tengen does his body bind trick in the actual series more often to shut Zenitsu up during his tantrums, all the better. Inosuke is still Inosuke, so nothing more to say there. Nezuko appears to use her claws more instead of just kicking her opponents to death, so she's made some progress.

Family-friendly choice to translate 遊郭 as "entertainment district", since geishas in the Taisho-era either worked at the legalised red-light districts brothels or their illegal counterparts. Translating it as "red-light district arc" would probably be more trouble than its worth outside of Japan.

Yuukaku-hen #2

They don't waste much time, from the mansion to Yoshiwara straight away and somehow or another all three of them have been picked up by the target brothels in one episode. Suspension of disbelief in big doses is required, since it's hard to believe the three guys could pass off the crossdressing without giving themselves up straight away. After all, all three of them have calluses on their hands from swordplay and training which even the lowliest servant girl of the Taishou era wouldn't have (not to mention muscles). Tanjirou and Zenitsu have deep enough voices to give themselves away, yet they're taken in regardless. Inosuke definitely had to keep his mouth shut, and despite his protestations he's actually doing his job.

I can't remember if polygamy is outlawed in Taishou-era Japan, but it wouldn't matter for Tengen Uzui since the Slayer are themselves a clandestine organization without official government sanction. Zenitsu's tantrums won't be seen too much past this point hopefully, since he has less opportunities to vent when undercover. To be fair to Tengen, his wives have looks to match his affection for the bling and flash, but it looks like one of them is in deep trouble.

Taishou-era Yoshiwara had its fair share of darkness behind the glitzy facade, so without detailed research I can't tell how much of the setting is rooted in fact and to what extent artistic license was taken with its portrayal in this series. Ufotable as always do a fantastic job with the backgrounds and colours.

Yuukaku-hen #3

They pack a lot of content into a single episode. This arc's archvillain is the Upper Six Daki, who's lived for centuries and has a proven record against the Slayer Corps. Tengen and the others will have their hands full with her. Interestingly, Daki is voiced by not one but two really famous Seiyuu (Sawashiro Miyuki and Itou Shizuka), but I cannot tell which parts they play as there's the Daki from the past and the Daki of the Taisho era. The OP animation already hints at what Daki is capable of, but it's this episode that formally introduces what she can do with those sashes.

It's hard to believe Inosuke and Zenitsu not blowing their cover any earlier with their actions. The former has more or less reverted back to type, yet the house he's in hasn't expelled him yet. The latter is essentially in the same trouble as Tengen's wives, but will his disappearance raise any alarms in the household when everyone is only interested in self-preservation? Tanjirou on the other hand has a free pass since his house is the least affected by Daki's clandestine activities and he's the only one whose cover remains intact so far.

Considering Daki is only Upper Six with her track record, one wonders what kind of monsters occupy the higher ranks. Muzan has slaughtered his lower Six over the centuries, but the Top Six have more or less stayed stable since he established them. If Tengen and the others do identify and battle Daki, it's going to be flashier than anything the series has offered to date.

Yuukaku-Hen #4

Enough world-building, the action begins from this episode onwards and it looks like it's a set-piece that will continue for some episodes to come.

Viewers already knew Tanjirou's house was a miss, and it seems Tanjirou himself finally came to the same conclusion this week. Honourable as he is, he would never have suspected that his house's Oiran would be the next target. I'm not sure how the belt works, but if she's been separated there might be a way to save her somehow.

Daki's VA confirmed to be just Sawashiro Miyuki in this week's episode, so Itou Shizuka must have made a guest appearance as the voice for Daki in the Bakufu Yoshiwara.

I think this is the first time I've actually seen Inosuke act sane and rational this entire series. Usually he's just shouting and doing his own thing, so for him to teach Tanjirou about the ranks and how to check was quite refreshing. Will he reach Tanjirou's position in time though, even if he uses his location skill the time lag is critical.

If we didn't have enough hints that Tengen Uzui is strong, more than enough reminders this episode. As expected of the pillar of Sound, he has total control over it combined with his Shinobi training. He'll need to get to Tanjirou's position quickly, since it's clear Tanjirou is outmatched despite his willingness to overcome his fear. Nezuko will need to assist if she doesn't want to see her brother get annihilated in short order.

We didn't see the mice in previous adventures, so I'm thinking they're more Tengen Uzui's personal support staff. Emphasising the muscle flex onomatopoeia for their sound effect gets a bit old though after it's repeated ad nauseum.

Yuukaku-Hen #5-6

Whether on its own or as a pair, one can't fail to notice how much the animators have been saving their energies from the start of the series to get this first piece of sustained action at its very best. Tanjirou has done well to hold his own against a Daki who's been holding back this entire time, but he's alone and not at the level of his current boss so no surprise he falls short at the final hurdle.

Uzui Tengen has found and saved his wives, and reunited with his two other subordinates in the process. If the three of them don't reach Nezuko and Tanjirou in time, all of the time bought by those two will be for nought. Nezuko is much stronger since viewers last saw her in action against the Spider Family, but she's not going to hold out for long despite her prodigious regeneration.

Uzui Tengen does live the life many men would love outside fantasy, but to be fair to him he does treasure his wives as much as they adore him. He'll even listen to them despite dismissing Inosuke just moments before, so that's a start.

I don't know when Zenitsu figured out how to turn on sleepwalking mode for a sustained period of time, but it shuts him up and he puts a good shift in the action while he's comatose so it's all good. He's only shown this mode a few times previously but only in short bursts, so it's interesting to see how long he can keep this up. Since he's supposed to be asleep, I wonder how he's able to do everything he's doing without the use of his sight.

This arc is developing much faster than I thought, and I'm glad to see this arc peaking (I think?) now. Right now, this is KnY at its best: the fighting sequences. According to my friends, what makes the anime adaptation better than the manga is simply the animation, especially during the fighting sequences. Even without reading the manga (which I don't; I don't read manga), I can tell that ufotable is flexing hard with the production values.

As far as the arc is concerning, I'm getting the impression this arc is more about Tanjiro and Nezuko's development as a slayer/demon. I mean clearly, we can see Tanjiro making leaps and bounds here, right during the fight. It's almost as though Tengen is taking the backseat, which runs against my impression that Hashiras tend to take center stage in any arc.

Does anyone know how long this arc is i.e. one or two cours? At the rate this show is progressing, I feel it's going to be just 12-13 episodes long.

https://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/6188/time

Assuming no sudden announcements, 12 weeks of 13 episodes (1st one was a double-header).

Ufotable don't rush production, so I'm not expecting a potential sequel to air until some time has passed.

Yuukaku-Hen #7

As refreshing as it is to see Nezuko give Daki a good stomping, there's a reason why Tanjirou has always kept her in the box and away from fighting. This is the first time she's lost control completely, and if she had been allowed to attack the civilian both siblings would have been executed regardless of the outcome of the investigation. It took a while to calm her down, but this isn't the first time Tanjirou's deceased family has saved the day and I doubt it will be the last.

If viewers didn't read the source material, they would not have figured out Upper Six's true identity. Thankfully the show doesn't keep viewers in suspense and resolves that mystery before the end of the episode. The pair probably have a past of their own which has been hinted at over the last two weeks, but knowing the show it won't delve too deeply for now until the upcoming action scenes are resolved to a significant degree.

One thing I'm not fond of is the new entrant's diction. VA is doing the role in a deliberate manner because the character tends to munch his syllables together, but it makes for taxing listening. He might call Daki short of a few brain cells, but the VA behind her speaks really well and is easy to understand even if she's throwing a tantrum.

For the first time this series, Uzui Tengen is actually struggling against an opponent. Yes we're told how strong he is as one of the Pillars, but he's had it too easy compared to Rengoku in the previous arc and even Shinobu before that. To be fair, Muzan has commented on how unchanged his Upper Six have been for centuries whereas the Pillar turnover is much higher thanks to casualties and retirements. Rengoku took on Akaza bravely in the previous arc but fell valiantly, will Tengen be another casualty? The big difference of course is Tengen now has help, unlike Rengoku who had to do it all on his own. How much of a difference will Tanjirou and the others prove in the looming 4 vs 2 showdown?

Forum - View topic
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (TV + movie) (w/ index).

Kengan Ashura Season 1 Part 1 Anime Series Review

Netflix Reveals English Live-Action Series BET Based on Kakegurui Manga

This Week in Games - Sony And Marvelous Woke Up And Chose The Same Day To Showcase, And I'm Paying For It

My Picture Diary Manga Review

My Oni Girl Director Asks Viewers To Be True to Themselves

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story Game Ends Service in July

My Hero Academia: You're Next Film Casts Mamoru Miyano, Meru Nukumi

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2024, May 20-26

Genesis Climber Mospeada Streaming Anime Review

This Week in Anime - Toonami Kids Strike Back

The ANN Aftershow - Why Aren't You Watching This Anime Yet?

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Video Game Review

Anime Overperforms - An Analysis of Netflix's 2023 Viewership Data

	Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Series Discussion	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page Previous Next
Page 4 of 11

Forum - View topicDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (TV + movie) (w/ index).

Forum

Forum - View topic
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (TV + movie) (w/ index).