Defeating Hantengu of the Upper Six

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 11 was the last episode. The arc is over and both Gyokko and Hantengu are dead. But, Hantengu didn’t die as easily as Gyokko did. It took more than a single Hashira.

Mitsuri, Tanjirou, Nezuko, and Genya all had to work together to take Hantengu down. And, during this fight, we saw the final one of Hantengu’s demons. This was the Resentment demon, which Tanjirou mistook for the Hantengu’s real body. It looks a lot like the real body but isn’t small.

Anyway, there were two key parts to Hantengu’s defeat. The first was when Tanjirou awakened a new ability. Apparently, he can use a Sun breathing version of Lightning breathing. He copies Zenitsu’s attack but performs it with the Sun breathing technique. I’m not sure how that works, but it did.

I’m also not sure if I prefer this over Tanjirou actually using Lightning breathing. On one hand, I’m glad Tanjirou doesn’t seem to be collecting more breathing techniques. Though, he kind of is. But, on the other, I’d be happy for him to use Lightning breathing if it meant Zenitsu never came back.

The second key part was when Tanjirou had to choose between Nezuko and some villagers. As the sun was rising, Nezuko was out in the open. Unless Tanjirou did something to save her, she’d burn up and die. But, Hantengu was also chasing after some villagers. So, who does Tanjirou save?

Of course, Tanjirou made the wrong choice and tried to save Nezuko. But, luckily, Nezuko knew what the right choice was. She kicked Tanjirou off her and in the direction of the villagers who needed saving. And with that, Nezuko burned up in the sun.

The Demon Who Conquered the Sun

Okay, so Nezuko didn’t actually burn up and die. She definitely burned. But, in the end, she was fine. And now, it looks like she can survive in the sunlight. So, I guess Tanjirou effectively accomplished his goal.

Well, Nezuko is still a demon, so he didn’t really accomplish his goal of turning her human again. But, a demon who can exist in the sunlight and also talk is pretty much a human. And yes, Nezuko can talk now. Though, she can’t speak very well and only says short phrases.

My main question about Nezuko is, was she always able to go out in the sunlight? Is that an inherent ability Nezuko has as a demon? Or was this something she developed over time? We don’t know since she had never been exposed to sunlight before.

We also know from Lady Tamayo that Nezuko’s blood can manage demon symptoms. Demons injected with her blood are able to live relatively normal lives. Though, I don’t remember Tamayo mentioning anything about them being able to go out during the day. Still, Nezuko’s blood has some special quality to it that helps demons retain their sense of self.

That’s a bit odd considering Nezuko’s sense of self still isn’t all there. She acts like a child much younger than she actually is. And, by comparison, the 12 Demon Moons all have much more defined senses of self. So, it’s not like having a sense of self is unique to “good” demons.

But, I’m curious to see how this is going to affect the story going forward. Is Nezuko going to play a larger role than she had been? It’s not like other demons are active during the day. So, we won’t see her fighting in the sunlight.

Muzan Kibutsuji’s Curse

The most interesting part of Episode 11 was when we got to see Muzan’s backstory. It turns out, demons actually have a disease. And, that makes sense based on everything we already knew about them. Demons are people with a bloodborne disease.

That’s why people become demons when exposed to the blood of other demons. And that’s why Nezuko’s blood can help with demon symptoms — she has some kind of antibody. It doesn’t eradicate the disease. It’s like how there’s no cure for HIV, but there are treatments to control it.

So, 1,000 years ago, Muzan was a normal human. Well, he was a very wealthy human. And as a human, Muzan had a disease that kept him mostly confined to his room. Though, at that point, he could still be in the sunlight. And that’s thanks to a doctor he had at the time.

Muzan’s doctor gave him a medicine called blue tiger lily, which used a flower by the same name. However, since Muzan never got better, he assumed the doctor was a quack and killed him. But, after killing the doctor, he realized that the doctor was actually saving him.

You see, without the medicine, Muzan’s symptoms only got worse. Eventually, he became the demon we know him as today. And, it turns out that Muzan’s ultimate goal is to cure his demon disease — at least to an extent. He’s searching for the blue tiger lily so he can make more medicine.

But, that’s not the only thing he was searching for. You see, he actually likes the power he received from being a demon. The thing he doesn’t like is being confined to the night. So, he was searching for a demon who can withstand sunlight.

Conclusion

What do you think of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 11? Do you want to see Tanjirou master more breathing techniques? How do you feel about Nezuko being able to talk now? And did you like Muzan’s backstory? 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.

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.

Hashira vs. Upper Six

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 9 finished Muichirou’s arc. We got to see the end of his backstory. And we also got to see him defeat one of the Upper Six demons, Gyokko. So, his character arc seems to be done.

As I predicted in my review of Episode 8, it was Lady Amane who saved Muichirou in the past. She and her attendants (daughters?) were able to save Muichirou’s life. But, they were too late to save Yuichirou. And, as expected, they brought Muichirou back to the Demon Slayer headquarters.

One thing we didn’t get to see is who trained Muichirou. But, it may be that he trained himself. The Mist Breathing technique might not have come from someone else. Just look at the matching outfits Muichirou and Yuichirou wore. They had mist cloud patterns on them.

Now, for the fight between Muichirou and Gyokko. Am I the only one who thought it was too easy for Muichirou to win? Back in the Entertainment District Arc, it took five people to defeat Gyuutarou and Daki. Tengen (a Hashira), Tenjirou, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko all played a role.

Gyokko has a higher rank than Gyuutarou and Daki. And yet, Muichirou was able to defeat him without the help of any other Demon Slayers. Not only that, but he defeated Gyokko pretty easily. The second Muichirou actually took the fight seriously, he decapitated Gyokko.

Even in his most powerful form, Gyokko didn’t stand a chance.

Though, I guess Rengoku did almost kill Akaza, who’s the third-ranked demon. But, still, it seemed like killing Gyokko was way too easy for Muichirou. Is it because we’re at the point where it’s time to speed up the plot and get to Muzan?

Tanjirou Rengoku

We got to see Muichirou do some cool stuff in Episode 9. In particular, I liked the shot of him walking through the mist toward the viewer. The attack he used to behead Gyokko wasn’t flashy. But, that was a definitively cool scene.

Toward the end of the episode, we also got to see Mitsuri do some cool stuff, too. Her entrance with the moon as the backdrop was nice. Though, I would have preferred a Sailor Moon reference. And the way she lassoed the one dragon and used it to hit the other two was awesome.

But, my favorite scene of the episode wasn’t one of these action scenes. My favorite scene was Kotetsu revealing that Rengoku’s handguard is what saved him.

There are a few things I liked about this scene. It had Rengoku in it. We saw a bit of Muichirou’s relationship with Rengoku. And we learned that Tanjirou wants to honor Rengoku.

It’s no surprise that Rengoku is one of the most popular characters from Demon Slayer. He’s a likable guy and he received the best death scene of the series — at least up to this point. As I’ve said in other reviews, a great death scene can do a lot for a character.

So, I always like when we get to see Rengoku again. And, usually, when we see Rengoku again, it’s alongside another Hashira. In the Entertainment District Arc, we saw Tengen channeling his inner Rengoku. And here, we saw that Rengoku befriended Muichirou when he became a Hashira.

That’s why Muichirou reacted to hearing that Tanjirou wants to honor Rengoku. Tanjirou plans to have Rengoku’s handguard put on his newly-restored Nichirin blade. And since it’s a flame design, that still fits Tanjirou. Sun Breathing and Flame breathing are pretty similar.

The Love Hashira Arrives Precisely When She Means To

Have you noticed that Mitsuri Kanroji always arrives at the last second? She showed up right as the giant fish demon was about to kill the village chief. And now she showed up right as the giant wooden dragon was about to crush Tanjirou.

Oh, and I guess she also showed up in the village right before the other fish monsters killed everyone. She has a knack for showing up at the last possible moment before disaster. So far, that’s worked out. But, I have a feeling things are going to go wrong.

Tokitou had a pretty easy time defeating Gyokko, as I already mentioned. I’m not so sure that Mitsuri is going to have an easy time defeating Hantengu. And it’s not solely because Hantengu is a stronger demon. It’s also because Mitsuri isn’t Tokitou.

As we know, Tokitou is considered a child prodigy. He made it to the rank of Hashira around the age of 15. Meanwhile, Mitsuri worked her way up to the rank of Hashira in search of a man stronger than her to be her husband. So, they’re not quite the same.

And, what are the chances we see the easy defeat of two Upper-Rank demons back-to-back? That seems unlikely, to me. I’m not expecting Mitsuri to be able to solo Hantengu the way Muichirou was able to solo Gyokko. But, that doesn’t mean I really have any idea of what’s going to happen.

We could see Mitsuri die here. But, would that make sense for her character? I guess it depends on what her backstory looks like. However, it seems to make more sense that someone would save her — like Tanjirou. The only problem is Tanjirou is injured.

Conclusion

What do you think of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 9? Was Gyokko’s defeat too easy for Muichirou? Will we see Rengoku in another flashback this arc in relation to Mitsuri? And, do you expect Mitsuri to be able to take down Hantengu? 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 how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 10 is available now.

Yuichirou and Muichirou

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 8 focused on Muichirou. Two weeks ago, we got the backstory for Genya and Sanemi. And now, we’ve gotten Muichirou’s backstory, as well. It’s only a matter of time before it’s Mitsuri’s turn.

As with Genya’s backstory, I didn’t think Muichirou’s was all that great. Again, his primary motivation for becoming a Demon Slayer was that a demon killed his family. Well, a demon killed his brother. Muichirou’s parents both died about a year before that. But, even so, that’s not much different from Tanjirou’s or Genya’s backstories.

I’m pretty sure we all assumed a demon killed at least one person in Muichirou’s immediate family. It seemed pretty obvious even before we got this flashback. Muichirou’s amnesia hinted that something happened to him in the past. And in this world, “something happening” tends to mean a demon attack.

The big twist in Muichirou’s backstory was that he used to have a twin brother. And, the reveal of Muichirou’s brother is when I had to stop taking his backstory seriously. You’re telling me their parents unironically named them Yuichirou and Muichirou? And they dress up in matching outfits? I can’t.

I get that twins with similar names wearing matching outfits isn’t unique. In fact, this isn’t even the first pair of twins who wear matching outfits in Demon Slayer. There are the twins who accompany the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, as well.

But, anyway, I’m not sure why Yuichirou and Muichirou had to have matching names and be twins. Couldn’t their names have been a bit more different? And couldn’t Yuichirou have been the older brother? Everything else could have played out the same way, and I would have been able to take it seriously.

Trauma-Induced Amnesia

Okay, so there’s one more issue I have with Muichirou’s backstory. It never actually explained how he came to have amnesia. Sure, we could assume that he developed it due to the trauma of losing his family. But, we never actually saw that happen.

So, at this point, I don’t really want to say for certain that this is what caused Muichirou’s amnesia. It’s still possible that he joined the Demon Slayer Corps and then got amnesia some other way later on. That seems unlikely. But, based on the information we have right now, I can’t rule it out.

Let’s assume trauma was the cause of Muichirou’s amnesia — just for fun. If this is the case, then we can also assume what happened after the flashback ended. We saw that Muichirou didn’t even have enough strength to walk. So, he likely passed out after what we saw.

Then, Lady Amane showed up. We know she had been visiting the twins and trying to get them to join the Demon Slayer Corps. So, it’s only natural that she would be the first person on the scene. And that would also explain how Muichirou ended up at the Master’s house.

Something else to keep in mind are the ages we were given for Muichirou in the flashback. His parents died when he was 10 and then his brother died when he was 11. When Tanjirou met him earlier in the season, he said Muichirou looked a bit younger than himself.

In case you’re wondering, Tanjirou is supposed to be about 15 right now. So, that would put Muichirou at 14 or 15. He killed his first demon at 11 and became a Hashira only 3-4 years later. That shows he really is a prodigy.

The Mist Hashira Awakens

Speaking of the similarities between Muichirou and Tanjirou, there’s one more. Toward the end of Episode 8, we saw markings appear on Muichirou’s face. Gyokko commented on these markings, saying they’re similar to Tanjirou’s. Now, Gyokko hasn’t met Tanjirou, but he was told about him.

So, what’s the deal with these markings? What are they? Why do they appear? And what do they mean? Well, as usual, we don’t know yet. But, I do have a theory that I think is going to prove to be correct.

Let’s start with Tanjirou. While he does have a flame-shaped scar on his head, that’s not the marking we’re talking about. When he uses Sun Breathing, a larger flame mark spreads on his face, covering his scar. The fact that this only happens when he uses Sun Breathing is key.

So, what about Muichirou? He’s a descendant of the first Sun Breathing technique users. So, is this why the markings appeared on his face, too? And does this mean Tanjirou is their descendant, as well? That’s one way to read into it. But, that’s not what I think.

You see, Muichirou’s markings don’t look like flames. They kind of look like clouds — as in clouds of mist. And what breathing technique does Muichirou use? That’s right, Mist Breathing. Both Tanjirou’s and Muichirou’s markings match their breathing techniques.

Additionally, we see these markings appear when these characters “surpass their limits.” Once the markings appeared on Muichirou’s face, he was able to keep up with Gyokko’s speed.

My prediction is that these markings represent an awakened state of some sort. But, what about the other Hashira? Why haven’t they “awakened?” Well, look at Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira. He does have a similar marking on his face.

Conclusion

What do you think of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 8? Did you like Muichirou’s backstory? How do you think it compares to Genya’s from Episode 6? And, do you agree with my theory about “awakened” breathing techniques? 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 how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 9 is available now.