Demon Slayer’s Mugen Train Arc Is Stirring Up a Wild Controversy

It doesn’t take much to see how big Demon Slayer has become. The hit series is one of the biggest anime on the scene right now, but that sort of popularity has its drawbacks. Time and again, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has sparked controversy, and it seems another round of complaints has come in. But this time, an ethics committee is giving the critique a better look.

The report comes from SoraNews24 as Japan’s broadcasting ethics committee put out a new statement about Demon Slayer recently. It was there the organization addressed a wave of complaints regarding season two’s Mugen Train arc. It turns out parents were not happy with its graphic violence, so the ethics committee did a re-watch before defending Tanjiro.

“There are currently some differences of opinion within our committee in regard to the scenes of sword fighting and splattering blood, so all members will watch the anime once more and discuss its contents again,” the committee shared in a new message. However, after the re-watch was done, the group felt the Mugen Train arc was not graphic enough to warrant censorship.

“More so than the blood, within the members of the committee there were some who were concerned about the depictions of bodies with severed heads. However, our overall opinion is that since the depictions are of human-like monsters, this is still within the range of what is permissible, and that proper consideration was shown by the broadcaster for a movie rated PG12 and being aired in a 9 p.m. time slot. Thus, we have concluded our discussion.”

For those curious, this new wave of complaints came after Demon Slayer began airing part of its Mugen Train arc on Saturdays at 9 pm JST. The time slot is not considered primetime in most regions, but plenty of families stumbled upon the anime anyways. This led some concerned parents to question the schedule, but as you can see, the ethics committee was not swayed by their vocal displeasure.

What do you make of this latest wave of complaints? Have you been scandalized by Demon Slayer recently? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.