The episode which changed it all...

I started this anime because of its 19th episode from season 1. It was how most people came to know about this anime too. Wait. Just one episode had that much impact. Well, you better believe it. (Check this out)

And here I talk about "Demon Slayer."

Now in detail.....

Demon Slayer is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. A 26-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Ufotable aired from April to September 2019. A sequel film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, was released in October 2020. An 18-episode second season of the anime series aired from October 2021 to February 2022. Season three is set to release in April 2023. (Wikipedia)

It is Taisho era Japan (Period between 30 Jul 1912 and 25 Dec 1926)

Tanjiro is a hardworking, gentle and honest teenage boy. He and his family live on top of a mountain. Since his father's death, he steps up to become the sole breadwinner and sells coal in the nearby village at the foot of the mountain.

The villagers like him. (Oh yes, he is not ostracized by them like usual heroes). Additionally, he has an extraordinary sense of smell.

One day he returns very late from the village. One of the villagers living near the foot of the hill forces him to stay the night at his house as it was very dark and snowing. Tanjiro reluctantly agrees. When he returns to his home in the morning, there is absolute carnage!!

It was a total bloodbath. Every member of his family has been brutally murdered. Nezuko, who is just younger than him, is the only one breathing. And that too, barely. Tanjiro carries her on his back and rushes down the mountain. But...

She attacks him. She has gone into carnage mode and shows signs of a demon. A man-eating demon at that. She tries to devour Tanjiro. He tries to talk sense into her and gets her to calm down a bit.

Then out of the mist and snow, a swordsman shows up (heroes sure show up late), trying to behead Nezuko. He explains that Nezuko's wounds were exposed to demon blood, turning her into a demon. Now all that is left within her is the hunger for human flesh. So she should be eliminated at once before she hurts anyone else.

Of course, Tanjiro cannot accept it. He decides to fight the swordsman Giyu Tomioka to protect the last remaining member of his family. Giyu easily overpowers Tanjiro but notices something extraordinary. Nezuko jumps in to defend Tanjiro. A demon could never think of anything other than consuming a human. But here was Giyu, at this strange sight.

He lets them live and directs them to Sakonji Urokodaki, his former master, to train Tanjiro. Giyu was a high-ranking Demon slayer corps member - the water hashira. And his master Urokodaki was the former water hashira. So Tanjiro travels with his sister to Urokodaki's place. He trains under the master for two years and then joins the demon slayer corps. And there begins his quest. To turn his sister back to human. And to take revenge against the demon who killed his entire family.

Pretty straightforward story, right? It is like one of the classic anime stories out there. A young person is brought into an ongoing battle (between good and evil, of course) due to some personal tragedy that happened to him/her. And then he/she turns out to be a prodigy or the prophesied savior. He/she then turns the tide of the war in favor of the good guys. The struggle could have been a deadlock for countless years, or the bad guys were winning. But that is all in the past, as the hero/heroine has finally shown up!

This is how Demon Slayer also turns out. But..... Well, well, well..... But??

I was telling you about how episode 19 shot this anime into fame, right? That was back in 2019. The animation of this show is of top quality. Episode 19 was praised for its stunning visuals, captivating background score, and super cool fight scene. Everybody was talking about it. Everybody was tweeting about it. It was all over social media. So I decided to give it a try. But I did not directly watch the 19th episode.

I started at episode one. I wanted to know the context. I wanted to know the story. And boy, I was hooked from the first episode itself. Despite the deaths on screen, the anime felt beautiful with its fluid animation and storytelling.

Episodes rolled on. I was finishing one after the other. And finally, episode 19. Hailed as the best of 2019. By that time, I was sure that the hype built around this episode was real. And after I watched it, I could confirm that.

When the credits rolled for that episode, I had literal goosebumps. I was so emotionally invested and sat there with all that mixed emotions. The episode was sooo cool. (Okay, You may feel a little off since I kind of overhyped it this much). I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It was not just the visuals, though. It was the way the story was told. See, demons are the bad guys here, right? They hunt, kill and eat humans. But almost every demon that Tanjiro fights has a sad backstory. Yup. That's right. You might even offer yourself as food once you hear their sob story.

And the fights. Tanjiro and his friends train really, really hard. But they survive by narrow margins against demons. The harder they train, the stronger the demons that show up. So it is basically like - train, fight hospital, train fight, hospital, and so on. Just because they got a power-up doesn't mean they will win easily against the next demon.

This shows tenacity and teaches a valuable lesson. Even if you trained till your bones hurt, there is no guarantee that the fight will be easy. But because you trained hard, you survived. So that you can keep on moving forward. Try again. Win again! All because you trained a bit harder.

Oh, oh, oh. And the supporting cast is a gem. Especially this trio. Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke. (Yes. Like classic anime, it is always a three-person group that is the main lead)

The trio is fun to watch. Each one has a unique personality which makes you love them more. Everybody has cool moments as well. Fair warning. Watch out for Zenitsu. The Pikachu-looking yellow-haired guy.Then we are introduced to the Demon Slayer corps. A secret society waging war against demons for centuries. Among them are the high-ranking nine members called the Hashira. Very powerful warriors. The head of the organization has got to be the strongest swordsman, right? Well, you are in for a surprise!The demons are interesting in their own ways. Cruel, calculating, fearsome. But also has some sad backstories. The main villain is introduced early on as well. Yup. You will get to see that person in the first season itself. No need to wait for 50+ episodes.The background music and sound effects are a treat too. They melt you, motivate you, and may even make you cry. Demon slayer may have been shot into fame due to that one episode. But it maintained its fame due to the rest of the episodes and storytelling. No wonder the sequel film to the first season, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, (2020) became the highest-grossing anime film and Japanese film of all time!! The film's story is recounted in the first episodes of season two. So you can either watch the movie or jump right into season two. Season three will be released on April 2023. And people are really, really excited.

So do give the anime a try. Check it out here on Netflix.Watch order is 1. Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc2. Mugen Train Arc3. Entertainment District ArcIf you watch you will meet....

....Nezuko. The beauty of Tanjiro's hometown. And a meme factory.

So that's it for this week.Have a good week ahead.Itadakimasu!