English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “Muzan Kibutsuji”

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Picking up from last time, Tanjiro and Nezuko continue their duel with the three-split demon. Initially, Tanjiro worries that Nezuko will get hurt, but remembers how she’s a demon and can handle these situations. With one demon above ground and two below, Tanjiro heads down to the murky demon-infested swamps through the demon’s portal. Nezuko, on the other hand, stays above ground to fight the remaining demon as well as protect Kazumi and the girl.

Down below, Tanjiro finds numerous clothing and possessions that once belonged to the girls kidnapped by the foul beasts. While Tanjiro’s distracted, the demons rush towards the attack. Tanjiro’s prepared though, quickly getting back into the fray. After waiting for the right time to strike, Tanjiro slashes the two demons into pieces using a whirlpool technique.

Meanwhile, above ground, Nezuko is busy fighting off the remaining demon. The demon manages to figure out Nezuko’s moves after she lands a few hits, and thus scratches her forehead. Just as the demon prepares its final blow though, Tanjiro jumps out of the pool and slices off a nice pair of demon hands.

Tanjiro quickly asks the demon if he knows anything about Muzan Kibutsuji, the one link Tanjiro needs to turn his sister back into a human. The demon is terrified by the question though and refuses to answer. Tanjiro quickly disposes of the demon right before it has a chance to strike.

Saying his farewells to Kazumi, Tanjiro packs up the now-resting Nezuko and heads to yet another mission: a demon lurking within the city of Asakusa, Tokyo. Once there, Tanjiro is overwhelmed by the various sights and sounds city life has to offer. Unfortunately, though, that’s not even the worst of it. Tanjiro’s main target, Muzan Kibutsuji, just happens to be within the city, masquerading as a human, family and all!

Our Take
I would like to state for the record that I am absolutely fanboying out when it comes to this installment. With each passing moment, my excitement grew and grew until it just about burst by the end. This is one intense, dramatic episode that is most definitely worth your time.
The animation by Ufotable here continues to stun my line of sight. The beautiful backgrounds create such a wonderful atmosphere here, particularly within the city of Asakusa. I also admire how even the background characters are walking during these brief scenes! Ufotable really gave these scenes an enormous amount of detail here. Alongside the quick-moving action-packed special moves, the animation is quite a sight to behold.

There are a ton of pleasantly sweet moments throughout, with each sure to tug at the heartstrings. I adore how the series continues to push the sibling relationship between Tanjiro and Nezuko to an all-time emotional high. It’s interesting to see how the series calls back on who’s saving who during intense moments. Tanjiro saves Nezuko here from certain danger, repaying Nezuko for saving himself last episode. It really goes to show how much the two care about each other. That’s why it never gets old with Tanjiro constantly saying “I’m going to save you Nezuko.” The show backs that statement up by continuing to improve on their relationship together. Their actions and tone of voice during each moment feels real and creates a special quality that allows Demon Slayer to stand out.

Kazumi’s realization that both Tanjiro and himself have gone through the same hardship was incredibly touching. The tone of voice used here, as well as the character’s movements, solidify realism into the character. It additionally elevates Tanjiro into new heights. Kazumi initially writes Tanjiro off as a kid who doesn’t know any better. However, he quickly realizes just from touching Tanjiro’s hands how much grief and hard labor he’s been through. He’s the first person outside the demon slayer core to recognize Tanjiro’s potential in the demon slayer profession. It’s a really bittersweet moment for both of them, one that nearly had me in tears.

I am completely in awe by Muzan Kibutsuji’s introduction towards the end of the episode. My jaw may incredibly well have hit the floor with an audible wham for all I know. I was a little apprehensive at first at the protagonist and antagonist meet so early on, but it was done so masterfully that I am sold by it. He keeps his calm in front of his family and quickly creates a distraction with a single slash of his claws. Not only that, but those beady eyes of doom starring at Tanjiro. It presents him in a terrifying light with only light, minute details. It’s incredibly impressive, and I cannot wait to see the two cross paths again.

Overall, this was a fantastic episode. This well-crafted episode nails nearly every single beat throughout, even more so than past episodes. I’m not kidding when I say that it’s the best episode of the season thus far. Heck, it’s definitely up there in anime editions that have left a major impact on my being.