English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “My Own Steel”

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Tanjiro slices off the head of the Hand Demon. Upon his dying breath, the Hand Demon reminisces about his past life as a human, and how he slaughtered his own brother upon turning into a demon. Tanjiro feels sorrow for the fallen demon, wishing for the demon to not have to go through this same curse in his next life.

Not wanting to be caught off-guard, Tanjiro continues his journey through the demon-infested forest. After many confrontations with demonic beasts, Tanjiro reaches the Wisteria blooms, signaling the end of his task. Three other test-takers emerge alongside Tanjiro, despite the selection starting with over twenty participants.

Upon reaching the end, the two nightmarish guides greet the finalists. The guides tell the four of them the next steps that will be taken in order to become one with the Demon Slayer core. Each of them is given a demon slayer outfit, a messenger crow, and the ability to choose an ore that will be crafted into a sword.

After a minor interruption by an impatient participant, the four finalists pick out their ores. Each one of them has difficulty in choosing the correct ore. However, thanks to the power of scent, Tanjiro is able to make his selection.

As the sun sets, Tanjiro starts back for Urokodaki’s home. He reaches it at night, tearfully reuniting with Urokodaki and a now-awake Nezuko. After heading in for the night, Urokodaki informs Tanjiro of the various supernatural abilities some demons possess. These powers will ultimately challenge Tanjiro to the core.

Fifteen days pass. A sword craftsman named Hagenezka arrives with Tanjiro’s newly color-changing Nichiren sword. Hagenezka, alongside Urokodaki, watch inside Urokodaki’s home as Tanjiro tries out his sword for the first time. Unexpectedly, but non-worrying, the sword changes to a black hue.

Moments later, Tanjiro’s messenger crow flies in to inform Tanjiro of his first assignment: save the local youth of a nearby village from a ruthless demon!

Our Take
It’s getting harder and harder to come up with new ways of introducing my love for the series and its episodes. I guess it’s a good problem to have, as despite being early on, this show has really captured my attention and heartstrings. While it’s not without its flaws, there’s plenty of goodness to go around to satisfy even the pickiest individual.

I’m immensely enticed by the continual world-building of this show! Not only do we get some information on the supernatural abilities some demons possess, but we finally have a concrete answer on how Nezuko is able to stay alive without eating humans! The supernatural abilities (titled Blood Demon Art) in particular is interesting as it opens up a large number of possibilities as to what abilities demons possess. It’d certainly be interesting to see how the slayers can stop a demon who’s abilities are nigh-impossible to stop. Or perhaps, a demon who spawns killer cupcakes that devour their targets! Okay, it probably won’t go that far, but you have to admit it’d be pretty crazy if the show went in that direction.

As for how Nezuko rejuvenates her strength? Why, sleep of course! While it’s not really the most creative option to go with, at least the series finally revealed this. It’s something I’ve been wanting to know since pretty much the beginning, so I’m glad to finally know (even if it was something that I probably should have caught onto before now…whoops!).

The flashback at the very beginning of the episode was certainly aesthetically pleasing. It’s easily identifiable as an event from a bygone era. Plus, the black and white nature of the scene adds to the intensity of the events featured within. It’s similar to how Night of the Living Dead is in black and white adds to the creepy, suspenseful atmosphere of the film. Overall, an excellent subtle choice on the show’s part!

This edition also introduced a bit of relatability between two unlikely characters: Tanjiro and the Hand Demon. The events of this episode reveal that the Hand Demon was once human himself. Additionally, he had an older brother with a sibling dynamic not unlike Tanjiro and Nezuko’s. It’s rather sweet to see an underlying connection between the two characters. It brings benevolence to a character that was once seen as an embodiment of pure evil. Additionally, this sign of benevolence further justifies Tanjiro empathizing with all forms of life, no matter what they have done. This element shines forth the message that forgiveness and compassion for one another are powerful utilities to use within society. It might be hard at times, but getting along with one another is an excellent step towards peace and tranquility.

Of course, the old adage of nobody’s perfect comes into focus here. There are some extremely minor issues, such as what appears to be a line flub from the founder of the Demon Slayer core. He erroneously states that five participants made it through the selection, rather than the four clearly seen beforehand. It could be a clever hint that there’s a fifth survivor of the Final Selection. However, at this point, it feels more like a minor slipup.

Another semi-minor tick is the semi-underdevelopment on the human-turned demon aspect. This episode seems to just accept as fact that all demons were once humans. While it’s been alluded to before that demons repopulate by having their blood combined with a human when was it established that demons are just former humans in disguise? Otherwise, forgoing a possible connection to its soul, Tanjiro shouldn’t have any idea that the Hand Demon was once human, nor so the others he’s slaughtered. It’s not really anything that impedes my enjoyment of the series, it’s just confusing and odd.

Tonal clash was also an issue that reared its head here briefly. Immediately after Tanjiro’s somber speech to those who fell under the wrath of the Hand Demon, the show hits us with a fast-paced action chase scene! What’s up with that? Give the audience a little time to process!

The particular major element I took issue with here was the rapid pace of the Final Selection. While I appreciate the fact that it didn’t go Dragon Ball-style and have the event go on for twenty episodes, I wouldn’t have minded seeing the journey go on for a bit longer. The selection only started the last episode, and we’re already through with it here! This is an element where shows need to find the right balance on. With the event going on for seven days, it makes sense to not go through it too quickly. On the same hand, don’t have the events unfold at a snail’s pace either.

All in all, this is another fabulous edition of the ongoing Demon Slayer storyline. Of course, it has some things that should have been tweaked a bit. However, the positives easily outshine, even mask their negative counterparts. With great lore and excellent suspense, this show is certainly going places.