When an anime movie, seemingly out of nowhere, dethrones Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away and Damn Titanic as Japan's biggest blockbuster of all time in just six weeks, during a pandemic, no less, it's probably time to pay attention to that. anime movie. That is exactly what Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (ugh) achieved in late 2020, the continuation of the first season of one of the most popular new anime of recent times.
Aired from spring to fall 2019, Demon Slayer unleashed a new wave of obsessive fans and shot the original shōnen manga, written by loner Koyoharu Gotoge (and was speculated to be female), in the top tier of best sellers. of all times. . With over 100 million copies purchased, along with endlessly running One Piece and virtually ubiquitous Dragon Ball, it even surpassed its modern-day Peer Attack on Titan, easily the most popular series in the last 10 years, with sales of around 50 million copies with less. available volumes. Read more here about this topic.
In late January 2021, the first season of Demon Slayer became available on Netflix, joining Hulu and Crunchyroll, introducing the existing 26 episodes to an entirely new audience on the streaming giant, and finding a brief spot in the top 10 of. the home page in the U.S.
What is the Demon Slayer anime about?
A boy, Tanjiro Kamado, and his younger sister, Nezuko, travel through Japan from the Taisho era of the early 20th century, which is rapidly modernizing as part of the underground Demon Hunter Corps after their entire family dies one night, Except for Nezuko, who turns into a half-demon. In addition to killing demons, Tanjiro's ultimate goal is twofold: to turn Nezuko back into a human and seek revenge against Muzan Kibutsuji, a super evil demon, who passes in society as a human who resembles the early version of Jack White's 1900 era, and that he can create new progeny by injecting people with his very powerful demon blood.
As with all great shōnen anime, it's not about fate, but about the friends you make along the way, and Tanjiro, always the peacemaker, befriends many. But his eventual main team becomes fellow low-level demon slayers Zenitsu Agatsuma, a girl-obsessed ball of anxiety who hates all the bloodshed of his craft, and Inosuke Hashibira, a loud and savage boar that uses his head. and he's obsessed with fighting. Together, they roam Japan, denying each other and cutting off the heads of demons, while wielding the politics of the Hahira, the nine most powerful swordsmen in their organization.
Why is it so popular?
The story, its themes, the character design, the animation: Almost everything about Demon Slayer works together to create a holistically addictive series. Ufotable, the production studio responsible for other visually stunning works such as Fate / Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, combines traditional 2D techniques and moderate use of 3D CGI that exploits the best parts of technology to enhance key parts of the animation instead. to send your characters into the haunting valley of Bobble's Head. Focusing the computer generation on the natural movement of the whole body produces many, many magnificent paintings and kinetic fighting scenes that make the sword techniques of demon slayers (which invoke elements of nature such as water, fire, and lightning), the strange powers of supernatural demons. , and the head cut looks incredibly badass.
Great fight scenes alone wouldn't translate into a huge hit; the narrative is another important factor why the series is so celebrated and loved. The world of Demon Slayer is mired in tragedy, centered on the devastating loss of their family to Tanjiro and Nezuko, and they become each other's protective shield, occasionally calling Nezuko to the front with their otherworldly strength and magic. of blood. Even in his ruthless world, Tanjiro exhibits an immense amount of kindness and empathy, even towards the demons he kills, choosing to acknowledge his trauma and helping them reclaim their humanity in death. His compassion guides the show's core message, avoiding the easy traps of ugliness and all-consuming evil that has resonated with fans.
