Some of the most fun I've had watching anime
Historically, I've been a pretty big fan of demon/hell anime, with Blue Exorcist being a front-runner for my favorite anime of all time. So it wasn't much of a surprise that I loved this too.
Story/Plot:
This is where the anime probably has the most wrong with it, but it's a lot of smaller things that add up.
- There's a fair number of missteps with what feels like basic logic. Like why does the Demon Slayer Corps just send people of random rankings around to whatever issues they find? What's the point of the ranking system if they just send Padawans out into situations where many, many Demon Slayers have already died?
- Why does Tanjiro leave Nezuko in the box alone in a bunch of random places and just simply trust no one will mess with it, get curious, or that she won't get out while he's gone?
- Why are the Hashira's a bunch of assholes when Tanjiro meets them? Nearly none of them are immediately likeable whatsoever. I get that they have to be skeptical of Nezuko, but they just seem grating regardless.
- The season ends really unceremoniously. It just felt like another episode going by instead of an entire season.
- Personally, I thought almost all of the humor was great.
- Humanizing the demons was a really unique and cool touch that I think brings a surprising amount to the show.
- The whole show has this very impenetrable air of being very simple, yet incredibly effective.
Spoiler, click to view
Almost like Zenitsu knowing only the one move, but being insanely adept with it.
Characters:
- Tanjiro, the main character is kind of refreshing for a shounen battle anime in that he's actually really kind and empathetic about the whole ordeal. Very likeable in my opinion.
- Zenitsu is 90% annoying as hell. His normal self, whiny, screaming, acting like an infant, and being uncomfortably creepy with women, is just...abrasive and not fun or funny. But when he falls asleep and becomes his badass self, he's so cool.
- Inosuke was really annoying at first, but the more he's in the show, the more and more I like him. He's fantastic comedic relief, and so entertaining to watch fight and see him occasionally humbled.
- Nezuko is downright adorable and I will hear no arguments. But that said, she feels somewhat underutilized in this season, though that sort of makes sense.
- Kibitsuji Muzan, basically the devil, is voice acted and animated so well. He's one of the coolest villains I've seen in a long time.
The Japanese voice-acting is just stellar across the board. Inosukes voice actor is definitely a standout.
Animation/Art:
- Incredible thick linework and vibrant colors consistently.
- Quick-moving, but well telegraphed fight scenes. Some of the best I've ever seen.
- The style overall reminds me a lot of traditional Japanese woodblock prints.
Final Pros & Cons
Pros:
- The characters and voice acting, aside from Zenitsu, are great.
- The animation, art, and sounds are just chef's kiss.
- The comedic relief and humor was almost always spot-on outside of Zenitsu's tantrums.
- Impressively simple-minded overall, but fantastically effective.
Cons:
- "Normal" Zenitsu is so annoying.
- The season ending sucks.
- There's a fair number of random plot issues that are all minor on their own but a bit frustrating taken as a whole.