Japanese manga series, DEMON SLAYER : KIMETSU NO YAIBA, is written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotogue. Manga represents the comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. The series made its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2016. It is adapted into anime television series by UFOTABLE and directed by HARUO SOTOZAKI.
It was announced in the 27th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018. The anime aired on TOKYO MX, GTV GYT, BS11, and other channels in Japan. Aniplex of America had purchased the license of the series for North America, and with Funimation as its partner, the series streamed on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and FuminationNow. The English dub was announced in 2019.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba is a story of the actions of the dark world (demons) on the humans. The dark world is the part of the humans. Demon Slayer is a story of a young boy, TANJIRO KAMADO, who is the survivor of the demon attack in which he lost his family and his younger sister, NEZUKO, who is also a survivor. Still, during the attack, she is possessed by the devil, yet mysteriously remains human.
TANJIRO becomes a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, to protect his younger sister and also, wants to revive her, make her human. Demon Slayer Corps is an organization that fights demons. However, the dark world is not recognized by the government and the police of the state. The natural world is unaware of the demons.
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What Has All Happened Yet?
So far, the viewers have been familiar with the demons, the twelve moons, and the demon lord: Muzan Kibutsuji, Demon Slayer Corps, and the members of the Demon Slayer Corps. For a quick recap, let’s read the summary. The story begins with Tanjiro Kamado, a young bright kid who has lost his father and had to earn a livelihood for his family.
One day when he returned from dwelling the charcoal, he finds his family being slaughtered by the demons and, therefore, appeases to take revenge. Nezuko, his younger sister, has survived the attack. It is then he meets Giyu Tomioka, a Demon Slayer Corps member, who tries to decapitate Nezuko, who shows demonic presence yet fails when she is being protected by Tanjiro, who claims to bring her back to the human state, later.
Giyu is amazed by the fact that even after demonic presence, Nezuko tries to protect her brother, realizing that she is of no harm, though surprised, he guides Tanjiro to protect her from the sun. Giyu advises him to meet Sakonji Urokodaki on Mt. Sagiri. On his climb, Tanjiro encounters another demon and meets Urokodaki, who later teaches the kid.
Tanjiro, being persistent in saving his sister, and soon after defeating the Hand demon during final selection, he becomes a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Tanjiro had a keen sense of smell. He could smell almost everything, even the abstract feelings like sadness. Kasugai crow guides Tanjiro for his tasks, and after accomplishing his first task at the town, he smells the Demon Lord, Muzan, who is disguised as a father of a human family.
Muzan knows that Tanjiro is a Demon slayer and, therefore, turns a passer-by into a demon who fights Tanjiro, giving Muzan enough time to escape. Later, Tanjiro meets Tamayo, a demon who believes in the sanctity of human life. Tamayo is a doctor who has researched the Kibutsuji Curse, and therefore, Tanjiro agrees to help her to find the cure for Nezuka. Tamayo knows how to transfer humans into demons.
Later in the series, we find Tanjiro collecting the blood samples of the demons, he comes across, to help Tamayo. Tanjiro, on his next mission, meets Zenitsu, who seems to have faith in him for carrying a demon with himself in the mission. Inoksu tries to decapitate Nezuko yet fails. Tanjiro could smell sadness and emptiness or grief from the ashes of the demons, and therefore believes that rather than being a danger, they are the most vulnerable beings.
During their mission on Mt. Natagumo, they meet other members of the Demon Slayer Corps who couldn’t fathom the fact of trusting a demon as they have lost most of their family to them. Shinobu tries to decapitate Nezuko, but Giyu stops her and asks Tanjiro to run and protect his sister. A meeting is summoned to acknowledge the actions of Tanjiro. There we witness the nine powerful demon slayers: Giyu (the water pillar), Shinobu (the insect pillar) Kyojuro Rengoku (the flame pillar), Tengen Uzui (the sound pillar), Mitsuri Kairogi (the love pillar), Muichiro Tokito (the mist pillar), Gyomei Himejima (the stone pillar), Obanau Iguro (the snake pillar), Senemishina Zugawa (the wind pillar).
The members are not satisfied and believe that a demon cannot be trusted. The master affirms the members present that if Nezuko harms anyone shortly, which she hasn’t done even when starving for two years, the three members: Urokodaki Sakonji, the former water pillar, Tanjiro, and Giyu will all commit seppuku, which is ritual suicide. Still not satisfied, Sanemi provokes Nezuko by stabbing her twice, but Tanjiro and Nezuko, together, gain the trust of the master of the Corps; the master advises them to gain the trust of the other members by fighting the demons together.
Tanjiro is ready to fight the demon lord, MUZAN KIBUTSUJI. The members acknowledge his spirit, yet the master embarrasses him by asking him to start from killing the twelve moons. The master believes in the presence of harmless demons. Muzan Kibutsuji is ready to clear the lower ranks of the twelve moons as they are of no use, and it is then we realize the demon lord is plotting for the death of Tanjiro; on the other hand, Tanjiro vows to kill Muzan Kibutsuji.
The season ends with Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inoksu leaving for a new mission to slay demon on Mugen Train. One of the twelve moons is present on Mugen Train. Demon slayer season 1 ended with suspense, letting the audience predict and evaluate the grave connection and the end of either: Tanjiro or the demon lord, Muzan Kibutsuji. The quest of Tanjiro for the cure of Nezuko awaits to unfold.
Many questions are left answered, which seem to carry the series to its next season. Demon Slayer Season 1 involved in twenty-six episodes covering the first fifty-two chapters of the manga. Season one has been a great success as it received a critical worldwide acceptance. IMDb has rewarded 8.8/10 for all its action, cruelty, suspense, and story. Crunchyroll had been more pleasant with 4.9/5 for the series. The series has been accepted in a variety of forms, such as video games, light novels, and stage play.
Before we acknowledge the expectations of season 2, the studio has announced the anime film titled DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN with its cast and crew on September 28, 2019. The announcement was made following the airing of the 26th episode, i.e., the last episode of the season one. It is expected to be the sequel to the anime series. However, amidst the pandemic COVID-19, the film is yet to be released.
What Do We Expect in Season 2?
It has been a perfect season so far. The suspense has engrossed its audience, expecting a thriller and a roller-coaster ride of emotions in Demon Slayer Season 2. One of the heart-breaking rumors, which is influencing the social media is the death of Tanjiro, and worse that could happen is that he might turn into a demon, yet this is not supposed to happen anytime soon as we all watched Tanjiro vowing to find and kill Kibutsuji.
But the twist is firm. It is also believed that season 2 will witness many deaths as it could be a plot forming for a story ahead. The death of a closed one is expected to boost Tanjiro’s vengeance on Kibutsuji. Our star cast: Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inoksu will receive more missions to kill the demons. Tanjiro was already seen learning the art of constant breathing. We may also witness the survival of Nezuko and the attack on her from the twelve moons for protecting the humans even after being a demon; earlier, it was done by Riu at Mt. Natugumo, one of the twelve moons.
Tanjiro is different from the other Demon Slayer Corps members; we witnessed him having faith in his sister, Nezuko. We also watched how he could smell the defeat, the sorrow, the grief from the ashes of the demon. He believed in demons for not being dangerous but vulnerable characters who have had family and are now not accepted and left un-loved. How will this approach lead him to trouble? The possibility of, as feared by the members of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro being killed by his sister, who is a demon, is also rumored.
We await the re-appearance of Giyo, the demon slayer, for he seems to be one of the essential characters, as he was the one whom we met at first and guides Tanjiro, who has faith in him, and in the end, expects him to do good work. Season 2 will involve the demon lord, Muzan Kibutsuji, in action as for now, he has been known to us as demon lord and has been hiding backstage.
Does the question arise? What will he do to kill Tanjiro? We watched the climax where Muzan appoints the Lower One of the Twelve Moons to kill the boy ‘who wears Hanafuda Earrings.’ The story will continue from the Mugen Train, where Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inoksu were about to get caught from the police.
Who Will Be Left Out in Demon Slayer Season 2?
The next cast will be seen again in the season 2: Tanjiro Kamado by Natsuki Hanae, Nezuko Kamado by Akari Kito, Zenitsu Agatsuma by Hiro Shimono, Kyojuro Rengoku by Satoshi Hino, and Inosuke Hashibira by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. The cast is affirmed by IMDb to be present in the sequel. We will have to wait for further updates for knowing the entire cast. We may meet some new characters.
The film is expected to fill the void in between the climax of season one and the action of season two. The deaths are confirmed, but the name is yet to be known. Since the series is widely accepted and the series is yet to be compiled in the anime, there is a possibility of the season three, afterward. The film will be released in theatres on October 16, 2020, in Japan by Aniplex and Toho.
Although the studio is all set for season 2, the ongoing projects reveal that we might have to wait for the second season. The rumors tell that season 2 is expected to be released after the film, yet the pandemic seems to challenge it.
The unforeseen tax evasion scenario at Ufotable had raised doubts for the further involvement of the studio in the anime series. However, the studio released a statement on its website that claimed the payment of the unpaid taxes of the period and also accepted to comply with all laws and regulations of the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. The challenges affirm we might have to wait for the year 2021 for season 2.
