English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “Sabito and Makomo”

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)
Urokodaki tells Tanjiro about the history of the demon slayer core, alongside the abilities of a demon. Urokodaki explains his place as a trainer of slayers. It is his duty to decide which candidates will move on to the Final Selection, the ultimate test for a slayer.

After this, Tanjiro takes the role of first-person narrator, discussing his training with Urokodaki through the lens of journal writings to Nezuko. During this time, Nezuko remains fast asleep, due to unknown reasons.

One year passes since the official start of their training. Urokodaki has ultimately taught Tanjiro all he is able to. Thus, he introduces the final task Tanjiro must complete before moving onto the Final Selection: cut a boulder in half. Urokodaki leaves, leaving Tanjiro to complete the task on his own.

Despite further self-training, Tanjiro still cannot complete the task. Six more months eventually pass and poor Tanjiro is about ready to give up. However, an orange-hair individual suddenly pops out of nowhere. He points out to Tanjiro all the flaws that are holding Tanjiro back from his goal. The individual then strikes Tanjiro down and leaves a female individual to tend to Tanjiro.

It is revealed that the two individuals are Sabito and Makomo, orphans that Urokodaki helped to raise. Makomo assists Tanjiro in his goal, pointing out Tanjiro’s mistakes and giving tips on how to improve. Sabito, on the other hand, is there to test Tanjiro’s abilities each step of the way.

Six additional months pass. Tanjiro and Sabito prepare to attack each other in a test of Tanjiro’s skills, as per usual. Unlike previous tests with Sabito, Tanjiro finally lands a scratch on Sabito, cutting through his mask. Sabito and Makomo happily breathe a sigh of relief for Tanjiro’s accomplishment. Makomo wishes Tanjiro good luck in his continued journey, and both she and Sabito disappear into the mist.

As it turns out, Tanjiro did not actually cut through Sabito’s mask. Instead, Tanjiro managed to complete his task and cut the boulder in half.

Our Take
Wow. I am genuinely impressed by the execution of this episode. Despite the episode largely being the typical shonen hero training to become a better warrior, the characters, atmosphere, and deeper insights blossom this overused trope into something truly entertaining.

The framing of the majority of this episode is honestly a unique take on this plot device. It allows for the episode to pass through time at a rapid rate, but one that feels more natural than a sudden time skip would. This method helped to showcase an important, albeit tedious for the viewer, evolution for Tanjiro in a way that still is entertaining and enjoyable. The comedic aspects planted throughout also helped add a rich flavor onto an already satisfying dish. I wish more shonen anime would do this, rather than padding out these periods of training through multiple episodes just to fill time.

As I previously stated, Urokodaki takes a tough-love mentor role, and boy does it ever show here. Urokodaki accepts no mistakes from Tanjiro, punishing Tanjiro for any errors in the only acceptable way, at least through Urokodaki’s point of view.

The tough-love elements are mainly represented as comedic moments, but I believe there is some greater meaning here. As stated previously, Urokodaki wishes for Tanjiro to be successful, pushing Tanjiro to his limit rather than sugar-coating the hard-knock process. That being said, I wasn’t a big fan of how Urokodaki abandons Tanjiro when it comes time for his final task. However, that may have been for the best. Like a test in school, Tanjiro won’t have the aid of his teacher during battle. Thus, he needs to be set free in order to learn and master Urokodaki’s teachings. Part of me wishes for Urokodaki to have given Tanjiro some tips, at least after many months of struggle. Ultimately though, if Tanjiro couldn’t pass the test on his own, then there would be no hope for his future as a demon slayer.

Thankfully, once Sabito and Makomo enter the picture, Tanjiro finally gets some necessary aid in improving his skills. Of course, it’s not all fun and games. These moments of training between the three individuals help to address Tanjiro’s continued flaws that are holding him back from his goals. When they first meet, Sabito ousts Tanjiro as weak, slow, and immature. Tanjiro struggles with truly committing himself to an attack, slowing down his movements and analyzing the situation ahead.

By the episode’s end, however, he’s significantly improved his overall abilities. It’s an astounding amount of development. Tanjiro starts out with numerous flaws, but overtime moves away from his flaws and into success. Of course, the flaws are still lurking beneath, as no one is perfect. Despite this, Tanjiro tries his absolute hardest to kick them down to the deepest parts of his core. It adds additional realism to an already realistic character, as well as showcases a deeper meaning that we can all use in everyday life: continuing to try and try again despite failure. It’s like the little engine that could. Keep on trying and one day, you’ll succeed.

Regarding the characters of Sabito and Makomo, they are certainly quite the pair. The show introduces them mysteriously and leaves them off almost as equally mystifying. I was honestly surprised by the twist at the end of the episode. It solidifies the idea that the two are wandering spirits, helping those in need of assistance in their tasks. It’s an enticing addition to the world established thus far. It honestly makes me wonder what additional twists and turns this show has up its sleeve.

The representation of Tanjiro and Nezuko’s relationship continues to ever so amaze me. Even with Nezuko fast asleep, the two’s bond continues to grow ever stronger. One quote stated by Tanjiro hits this point hard: ‘I’m worried that one morning I’ll wake up and she’ll be dead. That thought haunts me.’ The grave tone of Tanjiro’s statement just further proves his caring relationship between him and his sister. The emotional impact here reaches an all-time high. The further development of this piece of the show truly adds to its wonderous nature.

I can’t leave off this episode without mentioning the fantastic animation during the fights between Tanjiro and Sabito. The characters move fluidly and with grace, expressing emotions and tension all in one powerful go. The fights capture Tanjiro’s furthering development into a full-fledged demon slayer to a tee.

Overall, this show still continues to impress with its ideology and its impressive array of characters and atmospheric elements. It succeeds where most shonen lack: combining a high level of emotions and development with a rapid amount of kick-ass action. This is one show that continues to bring excitement each and every week.