Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 10
Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji
It’s finally Mitsuri Kanroji’s time to shine. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 10 was all about her. And, the biggest takeaway from this episode is that Mitsuri is very strong. Like, she might actually be the strongest of the Hashira.
Before this episode, I never would have guessed Mitsuri was so strong. I assumed that she was going to struggle to defeat Hantengu. Surely, she couldn’t beat him as easily as Muichirou beat Gyokko, right? Well, it’s looking like she’s going to have an even more decisive victory.
So, what makes Mitsuri so strong? There are a few factors that go into her strength. But, the first one is that she’s literally built different. Despite her appearance, Mitsuri has insane physical strength. And that’s due to her muscles being far denser than those of the average person (anime logic).
This unique musculature has multiple benefits. For starters, it likely helps when she needs to decapitate a strong demon. But, it also means she can tank hits that would kill the average person. And, it allows her to move much faster than normal. She has no problem keeping up with Hantengu’s attacks.
The second factor that goes into Mitsuri’s strength as a Hashira is her Nichirin blade. In Episode 5, we learned that the Swordsmith Village chief is the one who forged it for her. And being the chief, he’s the most skilled swordsmith in the village. So, she has a superior blade.
And, the third factor is that Mitsuri has the special mark of the Love Breathing technique. At this point, we still don’t know how one acquires a breathing technique mark. We don’t even know what it means. But, what’s clear is that it enhances the bearer’s capabilities.
Mitsuri Will Never Find Love
What’s interesting about Mitsuri’s backstory in this episode is what it doesn’t tell us. It doesn’t tell us why she decided to become a demon slayer. But, that’s because we already know why. She told us back in Episode 1.
In case you forgot, Mitsuri joined the demon slayer corps to find a husband. She wants to marry someone stronger than she is. And the strongest people she knows of are the Hashira. So, she joined the demon slayers and worked her way up to Hashira just to meet strong men.
But, before becoming a demon slayer, Mitsuri never had much luck with romance. And it’s not because she couldn’t find a man strong enough to protect her. It’s because no men wanted to be with her once they met her. Her hair is a weird color, she has superhuman strength, and she eats a lot.
In an attempt to finally find a husband, Mitsuri decided to change herself. She dyed her hair black, started eating less, and didn’t show off her strength. But, in the end, she realized that she didn’t want to have to hide who she was.
The part where we saw Mitsuri dying her hair black really surprised me. We see this black-haired Mitsuri crying and running away in the ED. Because of that, I thought that was her natural hair color. I figured she dyed it pink and green. But, apparently, it’s the other way around.
As a demon slayer, Mitsuri finally found people (other than her family) who accept her. And, it looks like Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, might actually love her. He gave her socks and said he’d give her a new pair if they get torn. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
Snacking on Demons
While Mitsuri being super strong was the biggest surprise of the episode, it wasn’t the only one. We finally know how Genya Shinazugawa can turn himself into a demon. All he has to do is eat the flesh of a demon.
The stronger the demon he eats, the stronger he becomes and the longer the effect lasts. The first time we saw Genya’s demon form was right after he ate part of Hantengu’s Sorrow body. And in Episode 10, we see him eat part of the wood created by Hantengu’s Hatred body.
Of course, there are still a lot of things we don’t know about this ability Genya has. For example, how was he able to survive multiple fatal wounds before transforming? Did that have something to do with his demon ability? Or, is he just a sturdy guy?
Another question I have is, how does Genya normally use this ability? Does he go into every fight with a demon trying to take a bite of it? Does he seek out a weaker demon first to eat before fighting stronger demons? Or, does he carry around a supply of demon parts to eat when he needs to?
Actually, teaming up with Nezuko seems like it would be a huge buff to Genya’s abilities. She could give him some of her blood to drink or a body part to eat. Since Nezuko can recover from her injuries, Genya will get a stat boost and Nezuko loses nothing.
I wonder if we’re actually going to see that happen in the season finale. Considering the timing of the reveal about Genya’s ability, that could be what happens. He’s with Nezuko (and Tanjirou) right now. And with Nezuko’s power, Genya may be able to decapitate Hantengu.
Conclusion
What do you think of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 10? Do you think Mitsuri is the strongest of the Hashira? Did you think Mitsuri’s natural hair color was black or pink? And, do you expect Genya’s demon transformation to be unique to him? Or can anyone do it? Let me know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.
Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about becoming a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.
My review of Episode 11 is available now.
Discover more from DoubleSama
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
ダブル様 // Daily anime and manga reviews, rankings, and recommendations since 2017. Join our community.
2 Replies to “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 10”
Again, I do not believe there are special marks for breathing techniques. Mitsuri likely has the essence of a dead demon inside her, which is why the Hatred Demon said that she has the mark of a demon crest on her.
Tanjiro picked up a shiny blue rock earlier this season after he was nearly killed by the mechanical doll called Yoriichi Type 0, and when he picked that rock up, he regained his vitality and ability to see scents visually, which is what his opening thread ability is based on. This suggests that that ability of Tanjiro’s is something that is not inherently his but associated with somebody else. Tanjiro’s scar growing to match Yoriichi’s when he uses Sun Breathing to its fullest extent shows that he is either Yoriichi’s reincarnation or that he has the essence of Yoriichi in his body and can channel Yoriichi. I will explain why it is probably not reincarnation below.
That Muichiro also grew markings even though he was heavily poisoned shows that he channeled the essence of someone who was no longer living, who couldn’t be poisoned, and that is why he didn’t feel the effects of the poison. Muichiro even wondered aloud why he was in the zone, and I say surmise it’s because he has the essence of either the original Mist Breathing user or the strongest Mist Breathing user, whichever is the stronger of the two.
The story has gone out of its way to point out that no Upper Rank demons had been killed in 100 years before Gyutaro’s demise, and that’s likely because demon slayers from previous generations were simply either stronger or more talented than the ones in more modern times. Why did people from the past become essences rather than straight up reincarnating? It’s probably because they strongly believed that Muzan, and consequently, demons, would be eliminated in their lifetime, and lingering regret from that reality not having been realized resulted in them being unable to pass on into the next life.
Genya could have the essence of one of the good demons on the side of the demon that is researching a cure for the demon state. That demon likely also believed that demons would be eradicated in his generation, and that not happening caused him to become an essence. Genya becoming stronger and gaining demonic traits from consuming demon flesh is consistent with how Nezuko’s blood art burns demons in that his ability is associated with hurting demons, so I believe the intent of the person matters in the manifestation of his/her power.
I’m writing this comment before watching the final episode of the season even though it’s out. But, while Demon Slayers of the past may have been stronger, the opposite might also be true. Demons of the past may have been weaker.