English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “Hinokami”

 

Overview(Spoilers Below):

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba throws Tanjiro into his most dangerous fight yet as his destruction of Mount Natagumo’s spider demon clan puts him up against Rui. Even though the rest of the demon slayers are still working their way through the mountain’s forest, “Hinokami” spends the majority of its time on Tanjiro’s epic clash with Rui. As Tanjiro and Rui’s fight intensifies, the bonds of family are tested in new ways as it’s revealed that not only is Rui one of the Twelve Demon Moons, but that his demon family has been created through unwilling victims. When Tanjiro is in danger, Nezuko springs into action to defend her brother, but suffers greatly in the process. Nezuko’s life hangs in the balance as she’s serrated by Rui’s dangerous abilities and Tanjiro struggles to overcome his foe. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Rui are all pushed to their limits. Important memories of Tanjiro’s training sessions with his father causes him to access strength that he didn’t think was possible, right when Nezuko reveals a powerful, new upgrade of her own.

 

Our Take:

If there’s any sort of central theme that binds Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba together then it’s the series’ overwhelming look at the importance of family. Tanjiro and Nezuko’s relationship and loyalty to one another is what’s launched this whole anime into motion in the first place. These past few episodes have placed even more significance on the power of family as Demon Slayer impressively shifts its focus over to the unlikely family of spider demons at Mount Natagumo. The way in which Demon Slayer has compared and contrasted the genuine familial bonds between Tanjiro and Nezuko (not to mention his ties to Inosuke and Zenitsu) with the fabricated connections between Rui and his makeshift spider has only helped further underscore why this theme is so crucial to the series. It’s clear that Rui and his clan have resented Tanjiro for the threat that he poses to their existence, but this episode better contextualizes Rui’s rage as he’s forced to reckon with the forced family that he’s willed together.

Each of the previous episodes of Demon Slayer have done an excellent job with making each new member of this spider demon clan seem like a larger danger. It definitely seemed like the “patriarachnid” would be the biggest hurdle here and the one that ultimately calls the shots, but “Hinokami” reveals that it’s Rui who’s actually the member of the family that’s the member of the infamous Twelve Demon Moons. In the past Demon Slayer has been careful with its storytelling and even attempted to create empathy for Rui and his family in small doses, but this installment adds a chilling development to the demon’s apparent family values. Rui still appreciates his family, but it turns out that they’re all helpless individuals that he’s transformed into demons and cast into the various family roles that he wants them to play. This image of kindness that Rui’s hid behind is really just an elaborate, wicked hostage situation.

With Tanjiro making swift work of Rui’s family members and the demon equally impressed with the love shared between Tanjiro and Nezuko, he decides that they’d be the perfect specimens to be turned into his newest siblings. He’s eager to warp their bond into something truly despicable that would trap the both of them in a purgatory of sorts that would be worse than death. This new mission sends Tanjiro’s fighting spirit into overdrive and both he and sister work harder than ever before to survive.

There’s been no shortage of action in the latest episodes of Demon Slayer, but “Hinokami” puts everything that’s come before it to shame with the series’ most impressive fight and showcase of animation. Ufotable also bring an immense level of precision and love to the animation in the series, but they’re truly unleashed here. Every frame is a work of art and what’s even better is that this showdown between Tanjiro and Rui has palpable stakes to it. The choreography is stunning as Tanjiro and Rui whip around each other as a suspended Nezuko hangs like some twisted centerpiece. Another fantastic element through all of this carnage is that Tanjiro is forced to fight with impaired weapons since his sword is broken. As powerful and prepared as Tanjiro is for this fight, he’s still at a serious disadvantage in terms of his physical weapons and mental acumen. Every slash of the sword and impact is felt and the scariest thing during this battle is how much pain Nezuko seems to be in.

Rui proves himself to be a seriously dangerous enemy and as much as he can match Tanjiro strike for strike, a major element of this battle is that Nezuko’s life is on the line even more than Tanjiro’s is. Nezuko breaks her dozen-episode-long stint to launch herself out of her box and defend her brother when he needs it the most. It’s an act of courage that’s fundamental to the message that’s explored in this episode, but it also leaves her badly exposed. Nezuko protects Tanjiro, but she’s sliced to ribbons and becomes dangerously close to being reduced to a torso from Rui’s razor sharp webbing. Rui continues to torture Nezuko and it’s one of the more painful sequences that Demon Slayer has pulled off. Tanjiro’s goal becomes increasingly dire with every new scream that his sister lets out. The use of Nezuko as a motivator for Tanjiro is an easy, but justifiable choice. However, it feels a little less manipulative since Nezuko is actually able to aid her brother in his final attack against Rui. Tanjiro’s fire waves are amazing to watch on their own, but the combination of them with Nezuko’s Demon Blood Art Magic results in such a powerful, emotional finish to this fight.

“Hinokami” is without a doubt the series’ best episode and the current benchmark for the show to strive towards in the future. That being said, if there’s any sort of detractors to this installment it’s in the incredibly convenient, anime-esque way that Tanjiro defeats Rui. The addition of fire breathing powers to Tanjiro’s arsenal is a huge advantage for the young demon slayer that will have a major impact moving forward. However, the introduction of this skill plays into the most clichéd traits of shounen anime series. Countless anime of a similar nature have their protagonist hit a brick wall before they suddenly discover or remember some important latent talent that saves the day. In that sense, Tanjiro’s new tricks are more the fault of the genre itself than the series, but this material could have still been handled in a more natural manner. Tanjiro goes from never mentioning this ability before to a rich backstory that plays out through flashback that reveals pivotal details that save his life. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Demon Slayer to hint at Tanjiro’s capacity for fire attacks over the previous episodes or even show him unsuccessfully attempt to channel them. It’s a minor complaint, but it would have made a big difference on the “logistics” of Tanjiro’s save.

With the “Hinokami’s” focus squarely on Tanjiro’s fight with Rui and his race to keep Nezuko alive, there’s really not much for Inosuke, Zenitsu, and the other demon slayers to do. This would normally be an issue, but the previous episodes have effectively put Inosuke, Zenitsu, and characters besides Tanjiro into the spotlight. With a show of this nature there are naturally going to be supporting characters that fall to the wayside. In the case of “Hinokami” it’s appreciated that there’s still any time spent with these characters and their neglect is easier to tolerate when Nezuko actually gets something to do here and the results are so satisfying.

In spite of these minor complaints, “Hinokami” is still an absolute triumph in basically every regard. It’s not a perfect episode, but it’s as close as the show has gotten in the area, plus, it’s a non-stop visual delight. “Hinokami” doesn’t completely conclude these demon slayers’ business at Mount Natagumo, but it pushes the story forward in a legitimately exciting way that makes the eventual finale seem even more dangerous than it was before. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba continues to take big swings and is not afraid to really go all out. It’s a decision that’s led to some extremely satisfying episodes, but it also hints at an even more exciting future for the series. Now that Nezuko is speaking again, maybe we’ll even get some sibling banter between her and Tanjiro that exists of more than grunts and groans before the end of the season.

And gotta’ love that new ending theme…