Demon Slayer: Tanjiro Actor Explains Why Rengoku’s Death Hit Harder Than Expected

July 25, 2022, 3:33pm

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has finished its second season, and it would put things lightly to call its last episode batch emotional. The show doesn’t play around when it comes to tearjerkers, after all. In fact, some of its most heartbreaking moments hail from season two since it retells the Mugen Train arc, and now the actor behind Tanjiro is opening up about why the Flame Hashira’s death hit him harder than expected.

The conversation was held in Los Angeles as Natsuki Hanae, the Japanese voice of Tanjiro, appeared at Anime Expo this month. It was there the actor showed up before fans at a sold-out panel and dished about his time working on Demon Slayer. So when he was asked about Rengoku’s death and how Tanjiro reacted, Hanae said their final talk left him in tears.

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According to Hanae, the chat got to him because the voice actor for Rengoku is one of his trusted senpai. Satoshi Hino has been in the industry for decades, and Hanae has come to respect the actor without any reservations. So when Tanjiro’s actor had to bid farewell to Rengoku, Hanae could only think about what it would be like bidding farewell to Hino period. And with the advice Rengoku gave Tanjiro, Hanae said it felt like his senpai was giving him those tips in real life.

Clearly, Tanjiro’s final talk with Rengoku was hard to film behind the scenes, but Hanae nailed the scene with ease. At the panel, one of Demon Slayer’s producers confirmed the star nailed the scene on his first try, and Hanae continues to grow even stronger in his performance. So by the time Tanjiro surfaces in Demon Slayer season three, there is no telling what Hanae will be able to do.

What do you think about Hanae’s take on this scene? Do you think the actor does Tanjiro justice in Demon Slayer? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.