Demon Slayer’s popularity is almost too much to believe. Though fans of the show will certainly understand how the story of Tanjiro and his demon slaying comrades has managed to become so adored that it’s within striking distance of outselling One Piece in the manga department. With the first season of the anime series having concluded, fans are waiting for the upcoming Demon Slayer film, which follows the Infinity Train arc, along with what is seemingly the inevitable announcement of a second season. So just what made Demon Slayer the anime juggernaut that it is today?
There are a number of different factors that has brought Demon Slayer to the top of so many anime fans’ minds: the animation. Ufotable, the animation studio that brings the franchise to life, perfectly portrays the story of Tanjiro, blending eclectic, fast paced, fluid colors and line work to become one of the “prettiest” franchises to date. Look no further than Tanjiro’s fight against the leader of the “Spider Family”, Rui. Tanjiro’s water breathing forms merging with his family’s fire dance technique was simply jaw dropping to see in animation.
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Another part of why Demon Slayer is so beloved is the idiosyncratic cast of characters. The series starts with Tanjiro attempting to become a demon slayer to cure his sister and stop the massacre of his own family from befalling anyone else. Later joined by fellow demon slayers in the forms of the antagonistic, literal pig-headed Inosuke and the constantly terrified Zenitsu, there’s a fantastic blend of action and humor to be found from these protagonists.
Tanjiro himself is a totally different kind of anime protagonist to boot, not attempting to become stronger to face off against bigger opponents or letting his family’s murder darken his soul, rather, he remains an optimistic, humorous young man who knows just when to get serious when he needs to.
In a nutshell, Demon Slayer has managed to find a formula wherein the series moves at a steady pace and tells its story in such a way that it has become the biggest anime series of 2019. If it truly does manage to outpace the likes of One Piece, it will have further cemented its spot with the biggest anime debut of the year.
Do you believe that Demon Slayer is the biggest hit of 2019? Why or why not? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Demon Slayer!
If you wanted to check out the original Japanese run of the anime for yourself, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s first season is now complete and streaming on Crunchyroll, FunimationNOW, and Hulu. Originally created by Koyoharu Gotoge, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba first debuted in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2016. VIZ Media fully licensed the series for an English language release, and they officially describe Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba as such:
“Since ancient times, rumors have abounded of man-eating demons lurking in the woods. Because of this, the local townsfolk never venture outside at night. Legend has it that a demon slayer also roams the night, hunting down these bloodthirsty demons. For young Tanjiro, these rumors will soon to become his harsh reality. Ever since the death of his father, Tanjiro has taken it upon himself to support his family. Although their lives may be hardened by tragedy, they’ve found happiness. But that ephemeral warmth is shattered one day when Tanjiro finds his family slaughtered and the lone survivor, his sister Nezuko, turned into a demon. To his surprise, however, Nezuko still shows signs of human emotion and thought… Thus begins Tanjiro’s request to fight demons and turn his sister human again.”
