English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “A Forged Bond”

 

Overview(Spoilers Below):

This week Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba sinks its teeth, both figuratively and literally, into the daddy of demon issues with the leader of the Demon Spider Clan. The “patriarachnid” (copyright pending) has shown up in the previous episode of Demon Slayer, but this is the first time that he really gets to show off why he’s a terrifying threat that’s worse than what’s come before him. At the same time, “A Forged Bond” also remembers that there are more members of this demon spider family that are still alive, so it splits up its heroes and pits Tanjiro and Inosuke against not just the father, but also the two surviving children of the Demon Spider Clan. Tanjiro and Inosuke divide and conquer as Tanjiro shows off his brute strength against these freaky foes while Inosuke takes a more introspective approach to dismantle the enemy. Right when it seems like Tanjiro and Inosuke may be overwhelmed, Zenitsu finally returns to the party and the trio is ready to finally eliminate this threat.

 

Our Take:

After what could arguably be considered a “slow” installment of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba with the series’ previous episode, “A Forged Bond” hits the ground running and crams in as much action and excitement as possible. Giyu comes bearing support with him to help lend a hand here when Zenitsu needs it the most. However, after a recent string of victories, Mount Natagumo erupts in a free-for-all of demon spider warfare as the battle becomes bigger than ever before.

The past few episodes of Demon Slayer have helped build up the team’s strengths as individuals so they will be able to be stronger as a team, but the title in “A Forged Bond” is actually in reference to the siblings of the Spider Demon Clan. The episode chooses to explore yet another complex layer of these enemies. It’s not enough for Tanjiro to have contempt for these characters because they’re murderous demons, but he actually takes offense over how they tarnish the ties of family and abuse the trust of loved ones. They may actually be a family, but Tanjiro views his connection with his friends to have even more significance than what Rui claims to stand for. It’s an emotional element that makes Tanjiro’s assault on the enemy carry even more impact.

Every episode of Demon Slayer looks beautiful and doesn’t slack in the animation department, but “A Forged Bond” is one of the better installments in terms of the show’s action sequences. Tanjiro and Inosuke’s joint showdown against the father spider demon is wonderfully choreographed and features some elegant swordplay. Tanjiro’s increased efforts to eliminate the threat are gorgeous, but when they backfire and he’s forced to face Rui and his sister they become even more impressive.

All of the fighting moves at a chaotic, unexpected tempo and there are moments of real danger that set in. I wasn’t expecting Inosuke to die here, but when his head is getting crushed I couldn’t help but wince and worry that something bad might happen to him. It helps that these enemies aren’t afraid to play dirty and really seem to have a contempt for Demon Slayers. The highlight of all of this is definitely when the demon spider father gets submerged underwater or when the butterfly Demon Slayer transforms to aid Zenitsu. In spite of the intense violence in this episode, these moments speak more to the series’ fantastical nature. They’re really beautiful.

It’s also perhaps less exciting than the journey that Tanjiro goes through in this episode, but it goes a long ways to see Inosuke actually provide positive reinforcement for himself. When he feels defeated and lost, he thinks back to all of the people who have believed in him and helped him along the way and it gives him the boost that he needs to continue on. It’s interesting to note that this kind of thinking is the exact opposite of how Zenitsu looks at himself, which helps make Inosuke’s thoughts stand out even more here, especially when it’s Zenitsu that comes to his aid. He and Zenitsu really need to have a heart-to-heart once things calm down for a second.

As Demon Slayer gets even deeper into the Demon Spider Clan chapter of the series, it feels appropriate to throw some appreciation towards just how unnerving these character designs are. It’d have been very easy for all of these demon spiders to have the same appearance, but Demon Slayer cleverly pulls from the same base, but goes in radically directions with them all and they’re each frightening in different ways (honestly, these episodes must have been torture in a dozen different ways for people with arachnophobia). When these characters first made their appearance a few episodes back I singled out how exciting it was to have a whole family of demons to play around with. Details like these complimentary character designs are just one of the ways in which the Spider Demon Clan has paid off. The demons that Tanjiro and company face next will surely be even more intimidating than these ones, but they likely won’t offer the complexities of a whole family of demons.

“A Forged Bond” acts as a satisfying interlude to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s time with spider demons over on Mount Natagumo, which is turning out to be even lengthier than expected. It’s a little frustrating that Zenitsu remains separated from Tanjiro and Inosuke for the majority of the episode after so much momentum is built up in the last episode. Zenitsu’s reunion with his demon slaying team makes for the perfect conclusion to this installment, but it feels like events perhaps could have been sped up here and Zenitsu’s return could have happened closer to the half-way point. This is a minor complaint, especially when Tanjiro and Inosuke’s battle is so entertaining and there are plenty of other Demon Slayers who also jump in on the carnage.

This is perhaps the best episode that the show has done in many ways, but it seems like a few tweaks could make even closer to perfection. There’s no lack of action here and the stakes are still felt, but it does mark one of the few times in the series where it feels like time is being stalled to some extent. Even still, “A Forged Bond” still moves the story forward, makes very real progress with the Demon Slayers’ journey, and ends on a note that it’s hard to not get excited over.

Maybe even Nezuko will be allowed to be let out of that box soon. I’m starting to think that she was just a hallucination…