Episode 1 - The main character, who is portrayed as extremely likable and perfect in everything he does, makes me tired. The other characters give the impression that they only serve to highlight his uniqueness, which is unnecessary because the viewer already sees what the hero can do. I prefer when heroes have balanced strengths and weaknesses, which I miss with Tanjiro. The relationship with his family, shown at the beginning in one minute, is too superficial. I feel that the anime completely ignores the potential to portray this relationship in depth. Because of this, the tragedy of his family dying didn't impress me. Even though the series tries to be touching and sad, it didn't affect me at all, and I'm the type of person who easily empathizes with characters. Yes, the characters exchanged a few cute conversations, but it felt forced, like they were trying to emphasize how important Tanjiro is to everyone around him at all costs. Plus, his family doesn't represent anything in particular their personalities or story didn't allow me to identify with or like them. Without a stronger portrayal of their relationship and characters, the fate of Tanjiro and his family felt completely without emotional impact to me. It's possible that the filmmakers may have relied on the death of the family to automatically evoke sympathy from the viewer without giving it enough time and depth.
Episode 2 - From the second episode onwards, some negative traits start to emerge in Tanjiro, such as stubbornness and hesitancy in decision-making, but his good points become more pronounced. One example of stubbornness is when a villager offers him free bamboo but Tanjiro still pays, the series again tries to emphasize how good-hearted and bad he is while also being stubborn yet in the end Tanjiro did a good thing. As for the long decision, Sakonji Urokodaki claims he misses it but that's not true. When Nezuko is attacked by a demon on the edge of a cliff, Tanjiro jumps without hesitation even though he risks his own life in doing so. This moment clearly shows that he has no problem making decisions. My point of view is that Tanjiro is no hero, he's just a normal village boy who has lived a peaceful life so far. Logically, such a person shouldn't be capable of such a sacrificial act without any internal reasoning. The anime could have improved this moment by, for example, having Tanjiro have an inner monologue where he realizes the risks of his act. Even so, it would seem illogical that an ordinary village boy would suddenly have such strong determination. Moreover, the scene where he hesitates to kill the chained demon doesn't make sense, he had no problem axing the demon before and even jumped on the edge of the cliff knowing he might die. Regarding the first encounter with the demon, it had a good atmosphere, but was disrupted when Nezuko kicked the demon in the head. This moment was funny, but ruined the scary atmosphere. In addition, the action scene was too short and ended quickly, which made it less impressive. The training with Sakonji Urokodaki when Tanjiro has to go back to the foot of the mountain when he encounters several traps could have been an interesting moment if the hero didn't act so perfectly. Tanjiro is only able to detect the traps through his sense of smell, which while it's explained that Tanjiro has a great sense of smell, it comes across as insufficient, it would have been more logical to use his eyesight or other senses. The scene is then less engaging because Tanjiro overcomes obstacles without any sign of human error. Still, I have to admit that the animation and camera work is exceptional in this anime, which is a big plus.
Episode 3 - In the third episode, which focuses on the next phase of Tanjiro's training, it's fun to watch his teacher Sakonji Urokodaki constantly assign him difficult tasks. I find this aspect humorous, but it also finally shows that Tanjiro isn't as invincible and perfect as he might seem at first glance. The problem, however, is that the actual training in this episode only takes about ten minutes. This anime does mention that Tanjiro has been training for a year, which is a nice reminder, but it would have been much better if more episodes were dedicated to training with Urokodaki. That would have given room to develop their relationship more deeply, to get to know their personalities and interests. We could see their dynamic move from a mere student-teacher relationship to something more friendly. Instead, most of the training session consists of Tanjiro's inner monologues, which often repeat the same structure. For example, Tanjiro says, "Today I had to take a big katana chopping test, which was hard, but I have to pass it for my sister." This anime could have instead shown him actually trying, which would have been much more engaging than watching repetitive internal monologues that don't need to be repeated over and over again. Another flaw is that the relationship between Tanjiro and Urokodaki remains almost untapped. Instead of a natural dynamic between the two, all we see is Urokodaki constantly talking about demons, how dangerous they are, where they come from, and how food increases their power. While this information may seem important, it doesn't add anything to the relationship between the characters and as a viewer I easily forget it because why would I care. The boulder-cutting test that is the highlight of Tanjiro's training is interesting, but its execution feels unfinished. Instead of focusing on the actual exertion of strength and progress, most of the scene is filled with motivational speeches from (boy) Sabito: "What kind of man are you who has trained for so long and learned nothing? Try harder!" These speeches are repetitive and add no deeper value. (Girl) Makomo then simply advises Tanjiro to keep training, which repeats the same pattern over and over again: training, internal monologues, and motivations that kill the scene rather than make it interesting. The ending, where Tanjiro defeats Sabito in one punch and then cuts through a boulder, feels rather vague. Sabito has been described as strong and fast, and so has Tanjiro for that matter where the difference lies. Plus the way he cut the boulder looks more like something magical than the result of real training, I still have to admit that the shot of the boulder being cut was cool.Episode 4 - In the fourth episode, right at the beginning I was struck by the scene where Tanjiro cut the boulder and Urokodaki told him: "I wasn't planning on sending you to the final selection." He then praises Tanjiro for making it, to which Tanjiro responds by crying. For me, this was an unexpected reaction, as I didn't find their relationship deep enough to empathize with the main character. I don't know if he was crying because he had to say goodbye to his teacher or if it was tears of happiness from being praised, but it still didn't leave any emotion in me. When Tanjiro got into the fight with the demons, I found it strange how he suddenly used his breath to create a wave from his katana. I admit this was a visually stunning moment, but it felt too random. Yes, I understand that he underwent hard training, but it was still pretty unexpected and too easy for the main character. What I have to commend is the design of one of the demons which is well done and really looks scary. The dynamic between Tanjira and the demon was great and the fight itself had impressive animation. However, the fight was a little too simple in my opinion. Tanjiro barely faced any real obstacles. While he did take a few hits, he seemed virtually invincible thanks to his "overpowered" weapon. It would have been more believable if Tanjiro had faced more pressure during the fight, for example if he had to retreat, hide and think about strategy before returning to the fight. This way, while the action looks great, it lacks any tension in the action because it was clear that Tanjiro was going to win. In other fighting movies or anime, everyone expects the hero to be able to win but the viewer still has to wonder how he can win when he is so outnumbered. Another thing I found odd was the presence of the siblings Sabito and Makomo. These characters appeared to comment on Tanjir's fight whether he wins or not, but I found their presence unnecessary and confusing. They had no chemistry between themselves and Tanjir, and therefore their roles in this episode felt completely unnecessary.
Episode 5 - In the fifth episode, I was intrigued by the opening, which brought an interesting flashback to Urokodaki's past when he was fighting a demon. The atmosphere of this scene was excellent and managed to draw me in. Plus, even though the demon was evil, I felt sorry for him in the end. Before, he was a man desperately searching for his brother, and when Tanjiro beheaded him, his soul went to his brother. I was surprised that they devoted such a short amount of time to this story line. They could have developed the poignant moment of the connection between the souls of the children and the demon more, which would have strengthened the story emotionally. But the rest of the episode focuses on other things, with Tanjiro asking the demons how to return Nezuko back to human form, and then getting a reward in the form of a Kasugai crow. Then there's a scene where the warriors collect the ore for their katanas though this scene could have definitely been shorter, which certainly doesn't help that one warrior who got involved starts complaining about wanting his katana right away, which I don't understand why this scene was there in the first place. The end of the episode comes when Nezuko finally wakes up from his long slumber. It didn't really hit me, though, because Nezuko as a character hasn't been interesting so far. She serves more as a liability and her relationship with Tanjiro is monotonous. Tanjiro keeps repeating the same words like, "Nezuko, I will save you. Nezuko, I will return you to human form. Nezuko, we will be together forever." It doesn't make their relationship deeper or more compelling. If Nezuko could talk and had more room for character development, it would be so much better. Instead, she's constantly wearing a bamboo muzzle, which further limits her from having any sort of personality. It's possible that her bamboo muzzle is to keep her from hurting anyone, but I see from the anime that Nezuko usually doesn't even act too aggressive hence she has more control, hence I still stand by the fact that she shouldn't have to have a bamboo muzzle. Regarding Tanjiro's emotion over Nezuko waking up, I'm not impressed at all. On the contrary, I was only intrigued by the scene where Tanjiro's katana turns black, which is very rare in this world and gave me the feeling that this could be something interesting. I laughed at the moment when the blacksmith who brought the katana was hoping for a bright red color, and when he didn't see it, he started strangling Tanjiro. Tanjiro calmly replied, "Calm down, how old do you think you are?" The blacksmith replies, "I'm 37 years old." This scene amused me with its absurdity and unexpectedness. At the end of the episode, Kasugai the crow flies in and announces Tanjiro's first mission. This got me a little excited, because I believe that in the next episode, the action might finally pick up and offer something special.
Episode 6 - I was expecting a big fight in the sixth episode, but instead the opening focuses on a conversation with Urokodaki. He explains what Tanjiro's uniform is made of, what the crate for Nezuko is painted with, and adds motivational speeches about how Tanjiro will handle everything. The only part that stood out to me was the mention of the black katana, it's supposedly rare and its owners don't usually achieve much success. I was intrigued by that, but at the same time, I'm sorry that Tanjiro, who is perfect at everything and overcomes all obstacles without difficulty, is the one who has it. It would have been interesting to see the main character fail sometimes, which would have given the rumor of the black katana a deeper meaning. Next, the episode focuses on the search for the demon that abducts girls at night. Tanjiro meets a man who tells him where one of the girls was last abducted. In the tenth minute, a fight finally breaks out. Unfortunately, the scene is filled with slow motion shots and internal monologues where Tanjiro constantly comments on his every move, such as "I have to dodge" or "I'm too close." This is repeated over and over again, which spoils the experience of an otherwise amazing animation. It would have been much better if the viewer could have watched the fluid and epic action instead of listening to the constant repetition of what Tanjiro is doing. This approach would work if it was added in smaller doses but in this episode it feels distracting. Plus I don't even get a sense of suspense, it's clear from the start that Tanjiro is going to win, so the fight lacks any real danger. An unexpected moment was the splitting of the demon, who suddenly transforms from his one form into three. However, this leads to a bizarre scene where the demon starts arguing with his doppelganger about whether he can eat a 16-year-old girl, and the doppelganger says fine, I've eaten several. At this point I was like, you're supposed to fight but this conversation drags on and I don't understand why or what the point of it was.
Episode 7 - In the seventh episode, we return to the fight that continues. Tanjiro confronts demons in the swamp, where he deals with his limitations underwater; he can't breathe properly, his body is heavy, and his movements are slowed down, as they tend to be in the water. Although he was trained in a low oxygen environment coming down from the mountain, underwater combat should be significantly more difficult for him. Unfortunately, the obstacle plays no part in the fight and Tanjiro can easily handle the demons. This again makes the fight uninteresting, too easy, and more unnecessarily drawn out than it should be. Later on, Nezuko gets in on the action, which surprised but disappointed me at the same time. She had a chance to shine and do something special, but instead she just repeats simple moves and it's left punch, right punch, and so on and so on. It makes the fight less interesting. The next part of the episode focuses on a stranger who is mourning the loss of his fiancée. He blames Tanjir and yells at him for having no idea what it's like to lose someone. I was expecting Tanjiro to take the opportunity to show his empathy and share his own pain of losing his family. But instead she just smiles, hands him the bow that belonged to her fiancé, and says, "It's time to go." I don't understand why Tanjiro is so calm in this situation, and why he is not at all hurt by the stranger's words, when he took his family's death very seriously. This moment felt strange and emotionally empty. And I don't understand why? On the other hand, I appreciate the change of scenery. Tanjiro and Nezuko are transported to Asakusa, a night city in Tokyo that is beautifully lit and glows with vibrant colors. The design of the city is impressive and gives the episode an interesting visual atmosphere. What saved the episode a bit was the last scene, where the villain Muzan Kibutsuji makes his first appearance. It was surprising to see that he has a wife and child, which completely throws Tanjiro off. But Muzan quickly distracts by using his claws to attack a stranger who turns into a demon. Tanjiro is forced to intervene against the stranger while letting Muzan escape. This moment was suspenseful and finally brought some drama, but unfortunately it was the only truly interesting moment of the entire episode.
Episode 8 - In the eighth episode, the scene where Tanjiro tries to apprehend the alien that has turned into a demon while Muzan escapes continues. Tanjiro shows his anger towards Muzan here and vows to take revenge for everything he has caused. While I wasn't emotionally affected by this scene, I have to admit that Tanjiro's voice actor gave his best in his performance. Unfortunately, because of the poorly portrayed relationship between Tanjira's family and his feelings, it didn't grab me as much as it could have. Subsequently, Tamayo, the doctor, makes an appearance, which was a pleasantly surprising moment. Her arrival was enhanced by the visuals of the anime - the magical protection that surrounded Tanjiro and Tamayo was really impressive. Meanwhile, the scene with Muzan that follows was terrifying and had a very strong atmosphere. I'll admit it gave me goosebumps. The dubbing of Muzan was fantastic, as was the music, which gave the scene a chilling feel. However, the actual content of the scene was a bit confusing. Muzan encounters a drunk man who insults him by having the stranger say 'You look like you're going to die any minute'. This obviously infuriates him, so he just kills the man. He then addresses the girl who is on the verge of death and asks her, with an ironic undertone, "Do I look like I'm sick?" or "Do I look like I'm not well?" It's hard to say what this scene was meant to suggest - perhaps that Muzan hates being a demon and longs to be human? Anyway, the atmosphere was excellent. Later, we return to Tanjiro and Nezuko, who meet Yushiro, Tamayo's assistant. I have to say, I was not at all interested in Yushiro's character. He constantly acts negative and arrogant, which could still be overlooked, but his frequent violence towards Tanjiro, I didn't find this humour funny even the first time I tried it, let alone the constant repetition of it, supposedly Yushiro beating Tanjiro mainly because of his rude behaviour anyway, was annoying and unnecessary. Added to that is the repetitive line where Yushiro praises Tamayo's beauty over and over again. Fortunately, much of the episode was saved by Tamayo herself. Her explanation of how demon healing works, how people can willingly take on the form of a demon, and especially her research on Nezuko's return to human form was really interesting. Tamayo is a likable and well-written character who brought the episode to life significantly. At the end, two demons appear in the alley. Their arrival was dramatic and promised interesting action, but the episode ended just as it was getting suspenseful. While I was a little annoyed by the ending because I'll have to wait for the sequel, I feel like the upcoming fight could finally be interesting.
Episode 9 - The fight continues in the ninth episode, which again uses great animation and interesting camera moves, especially during the hectic moments, making it a very impressive spectacle. There were a few surprising moments, such as at the beginning when the demon girl throws a special ball. This ball has the ability to change direction at will, meaning that it's never certain where the ball will go. Yushiro, who is trying to dodge, is not prepared for the unexpected maneuver, and the ball hits him directly in the head, literally severing it. It was surprisingly brutal, but luckily the demons have the ability to regenerate, so Yushiro's head grows back. I appreciate that Tanjiro had trouble dodging the balls when they were fewer, which added to the realism. But after the demon girl sent six balls that can change direction at him, I had my doubts about how Tanjiro would be able to dodge something like that even if he went through training. It makes the scene seem less believable, and I didn't feel like Tanjiro could really die. This is compounded by the fact that Yushiro gives Tanjiro paper, or as he puts it "sight", which allows him to see where the ball will go. While this was interesting, I personally would have preferred if the anime had let Tanjiro face this challenge unaided, thus increasing the tension and difficulty of the fight. Another problem is that the entire episode only focuses on the repetitive fight, which makes the scene lengthy and repetitive. While the demon girl and boy have interesting abilities, their presence in the episode is otherwise rather monotonous. They constantly talk about how they want to kill the main character and not let her chop off their heads, which personally didn't appeal to me and just unnecessarily stretched out the footage. Another striking moment is when Tanjiro, despite having a problem with the arrows, which are obviously faster than him, suddenly manages to bypass some of them without any problems. This sudden twist feels strange and ambiguous. Plus, I'm getting tired of Tanjiro constantly using the same technique with his katana to create a wave. While it's effective and cool, when he uses it too often, the fight becomes too repetitive and predictable. I would have preferred if the katana could do more than just create waves, or if it's already used in every fight, that the fight had more tension and twists to limit the main character.
Episode 10 - In the tenth episode, the fight continues, which is completely unentertaining. A few minutes in, after Tanjiro kills a demon, he falls from a great height and declares, "I have a broken leg and rib." Yet then suddenly he seems fine, and his injuries are no longer addressed. How could the writers have missed this, or is it the writer's fault? I haven't read the manga, but I still don't understand how they could have overlooked something like that. Then Nezuko protects Yushiro from the demon girl who kicks the ball, and Nezuko kicks the ball back. Earlier, Nezuko was injured but was healed. As Nezuko continues to kick the ball vigorously, Tamayo says, "I only gave her a healing serum I created specifically for demons. It is not used to increase physical strength." I wonder if this will be addressed further in the anime, but it's hard to say if I'll watch the second series I doubt it enough. At this point I was surprised by Tamayo, who was still being nice, but then the scene suddenly changed and she killed the demon girl in a brutal way. It was so brutal that the camera showed other shots and instead all you could hear were disturbing noises that the dubber put her all into. But I wonder why Tamayo didn't do this before? This fight was unnecessarily drawn out, not only by how she killed the demon girl, but also by lingering on long monologues about why demons can't live together, or if the demon girl knows Kibutsuji's true identity. Plus, the fight would have been resolved quickly and the audience and Tanjiro would have saved time. As for the scene, it had a really creepy atmosphere and was the only part of the episode that caught my attention. Afterwards, Tanjiro feels sorry for the demon girl who died because of the curse that Muzan Kibutsuji put on her. I understand Tanjiro's feelings, but I would have preferred if another character had expressed those feelings. This makes it seem like Tanjiro is the only one who feels this way, which is a bit problematic. In this scene, Yushiro is too arrogant to care, instead saying that the demon girl deserved it. Nezuko doesn't say anything because the anime doesn't allow her to speak, and Tamayo reacts surprisingly calmly to the brutality of her killing, which I found odd given her nature. While she was surprised, averted her gaze and closed her eyes, I still would have expected her to be more scared or have a stronger reaction. I have to admit, there's a cool scene where Tanjiro tells Tamayo, "Nezuko considers you people. That's why he's trying to protect you." That would be a great scene if I had a longer relationship with the characters. The problem is that she was a little hurt by Tamayo's reaction at the demon girl's death and Yushiro's arrogance. His constant repetition of how beautiful Tamayo is is annoying and unnecessary. His past, when he had to decide whether to stay human or become a demon, didn't do anything for me either, as it just felt like an empty narrative that didn't have much emotional impact.Episode 11 - The eleventh episode features Zenitsu Agatsuma, perhaps the most annoying character in this entire anime. She literally has to scream every second, which I find incredibly irritating. I understand that his screaming is supposed to be funny, especially in bizarre situations where he's the one doing the screaming, but when I hear his constant repetitive screaming, it becomes unbearable. While it's interesting that Zenitsu isn't a typical hero and is instead a scarecrow, which could be refreshing, he didn't give me a single reason to like him in this episode. It would have been better if he had a more balanced mix of positive and negative traits - maybe some positive side to at least partially balance his behavior. Zenitsu's loudness could be tolerated if he was given less screen time, or if his screams were in smaller doses. Or if the character wasn't there at all it would be a hundred times better. What also irritates me is Tanjiro's reaction, or rather lack thereof. Tanjiro is perfectly fine with Zenitsu's behavior. If he reacted to it as a viewer (by being annoyed by it too), I could sympathize with him. But instead of getting angry, he just has a worried expression at times, and then he seems resigned, perhaps because he has an incredible resistance to people getting offended. The plot of the episode also focuses on two children who are standing by the house where the demons are. They have kidnapped their brother, so Tanjiro enters the demons' house. Unfortunately, the whole episode is drawn out because of Zenitsu and his annoyingness. Plus, his clumsiness causes Tanjiro to get separated from the little girl he's with. They encounter a demon, but instead of the expected fight, the episode ends on a cliffhanger. This is all due to the fact that half of the episode was devoted to Zenitsu's screaming and his awkward attempt to flirt with a girl in the middle of the road, if Zenitsu wasn't in this anime the episode could have easily gone on and not had to deal with this unnecessary moment. I don't understand why the episode tries so hard to make Zenitsu funny when it doesn't work at all. Instead, his character is just needlessly annoying and the episode has no real development because of him. If Zenitsu wasn't given so much space, the plot could have been a lot more brisk and the cliffhanger might have felt more suspenseful instead of annoying.
Episode 12 - The fight continues in the twelfth episode, featuring Inosuke Hashibira, the pig-headed boy who has so far been considered a very brave but also completely incomprehensible character. At one point, he wants to attack the demon, but a few moments later he turns on Tanjiro, which catches Tanjiro off guard because he doesn't know why Inosuke is attacking him instead of the demon. Inosuke is still unclear to me, but I hope his behavior will be explained in the future. Meanwhile, Zenitsu is still annoying, his screaming persists even though he's now in the presence of a boy who admittedly doesn't scream, but Zenitsu still tells the boy not to scream even though Zenitsu does it all the time. This contrast is probably meant to be ironic and funny, but it becomes more of an exhausting repetition of one joke that isn't funny anymore. Fortunately, Zenitsu falls asleep for a while, which leads to him demonstrating excellent fighting skills in his sleep, accompanied by great animation and cinematography. Still, it's hard to like him just because this "cool" scene is only intermittent and his screaming remains unbearably annoying. This episode also explains that Tanjiro's injuries in previous episodes were healed by Tamayo. It's a shame that this wasn't shown in the actual episode when Tanjiro got injured - at least I would have felt that the injury wasn't forgotten. Tanjiro also mentions that he had to hide his pain constantly, which I didn't really notice because the eleventh episode caught my attention with the annoyingly distinct presence of Zenitsu. Furthermore, I don't understand why Tanjiro hid his pain. Tanjiro aji mentions that his injury was able to endure because I'm the eldest son if he wasn't the eldest son he wouldn't have made it, which I find a vague justification that would disprove something. Tanjiro starts talking in several internal monologues during the fight, saying that even though it still hurts, he can endure it because he's the eldest son. However, this doesn't make me feel any particular sympathy or concern for him. It's pretty clear that Tanjiro is still fighting without much trouble, so I don't see why I should be worried about him. At the end of the fight with the demon, it is revealed that the demon uses drums to cause the house and room to move, and can use huge claws with them. So far, that's all we know about his abilities. It would be nice if the demon didn't just do drumming, but had some other activity. We also learn about his past - he used to eat people and Muzan Kibutsuji noticed his potential, so he gave him his blood. The demon was sure that this would make him stronger and that he would be among the Twelve Moons, but he thought so. This history was probably meant to evoke some sympathy because the demon was tricked into thinking his power would increase, but for me it doesn't evoke any strong emotions. He's just an evil demon, and the past seems more like supplemental information that doesn't have much meaning.Episode 13 - The fight continues in the thirteenth episode, but there are recurring issues that have been bothering me for a while. Tanjiro, who is still feeling the pain of his injuries, has to keep fighting, but it fails to generate any suspense for me. Plus, the past of a demon who was once human and liked to write is revealed. However, one man kept repeating insults to him like, "Your lyrics are terribly boring. Every word is nonsense! No beauty, no fragility, no impact. Why don't you just stop?" These insults led to the demon suddenly turning into an angry demon and killing the man. However, the demon's past is told very briefly. Although it gives us a hint as to why the demon behaves the way it does, it could have been handled much better. The details are missing - what was he actually writing? What motivated him to write? Why did he devote so much time to it? If we learned more, his rage and reason for murder would make more sense and we might feel more sympathy for his story. This way, the past is presented in a rushed way and gives the impression that the viewer has to figure a lot of things out. A longer and more elaborate flashback would definitely have been worthwhile, but instead the filmmakers focus on how Tanjiro keeps fighting despite the pain. And while the scenes try to feel tense, I feel nothing for them. It's true that Tanjiro shows a new form of his water style in this episode, which is an impressive and brilliantly animated scene. Unfortunately, though, it only lasts a few seconds, so I barely have time to enjoy it before it's over. And for another, just because it shows a cool moment in the action doesn't mean it improves my overall impression of a fight that had no suspense. Then the episode moves on to Zenith protecting the crate with Nezuko. We learn some new information about him that might have been interesting if this character hadn't already irritated me so much in previous episodes. However, the anime obviously assumes that I'll like Zenitsu after this scene where he protects Nezuko from Inosuke, the boy with the pig mask. This scene might have struck me more if Nezuko wasn't such an understated character. He comes across more as a "cute little creature" that Tanjiro is protecting, rather than someone who has a larger role. She does get involved in the occasional fight, but I don't have a strong enough attachment to her to really worry about her. And even though Zenitsu did the right thing, it didn't leave anything in me.
Episode 14 - In the fourteenth episode, the fight continues when Tanjiro catches Inosuke constantly beating Zenitsu. Tanjiro therefore decides to intervene and attacks him. Surprisingly, Inosuke suggested that they fight barehanded, which caused Tanjiro quite a bit of trouble. Even though Inosuke was injured, he was still able to perform quick maneuvers, which made things much more difficult for Tanjiro. I have to admit that this type of fight was very hectic and dynamic, which was a pleasant surprise - it made me focus and enjoy every moment of the fight. I was especially impressed by Tanjiro, who had to do without his katana and couldn't use the water wave technique. Fighting without a weapon was something new for him, and because of that for me as a spectator. I felt like he was finally at a disadvantage, which made for an interesting change. Although I have mixed feelings about Inosuke because of his odd behavior, it was interesting to watch his dynamic with Tanjiro. Tanjiro tries to handle things gently and in a good way, while Inosuke is the opposite of him - just looking for an opportunity to fight. This contrast was fun and brought their interactions to life. Inosuke as a character may not have deeper character development, but his absurd behavior and eccentric nature make him entertaining, especially compared to the other characters. Unlike Zenitsu, who yells almost constantly, Inosuke is only occasionally whiny and can be humorous in his presence. Thus, even though Inosuke hasn't been described in much depth yet, it's great to see a simple character just doing his purpose and how Inosuke is absurd which is brilliantly done here. Another interesting moment was how Inosuke reacted to Tanjiro's excessive kindness. He even took away his food, which Tanjiro accepted without blinking an eye, while Inosuke ironically got frustrated. I enjoyed this dynamic because it was refreshing to see a character who dislikes Tanjiro, despite his endless kindness. Because in real life, everyone also runs into someone who doesn't like them for some reason, no matter how nice they are. This situation reminded me of my own experience - even though I try to be friendly to everyone, I've encountered people who bullied me and just didn't like me. Which is also the case here in Demon Slayer. Overall, the dynamic between Tanjiro and Inosuke in this episode was very interesting, funny and brought new life to the story. However, I'm not sure if the anime will maintain this dynamic into future episodes as well. Unfortunately, the end of the episode was spoiled a bit by the scene with Zenitsu, who started screaming again when he found out that Tanjiro was hiding a demon in the box. When Nezuko finally came out of the crate, Zenitsu was shocked at how cute she was. Tanjiro, however, failed to explain the situation and didn't say it was his sister, which led to Zenitsu pulling out his katana. Thus, the last scene came off rather weak, but thanks to the fun dynamic between Tanjiro and Inosuke and Inosuke's bizarre situations, I ended up enjoying the episode.Episode 15 - In the fifteenth episode, the plot continues to focus on Zenitsu, who is in love with Nezuko because he finds her cute. However, I don't feel any real chemistry between these two characters. Fortunately, the opening of the episode is saved by Inosuke, who acts chaotically but humorously. In one scene, while the other characters are chasing each other, Inosuke suddenly punches Tanjiro - apparently just like that, which doesn't make much sense, but it's still more interesting than Zenitsu just following Nezuko around and chasing her. The plot gradually focuses on Tanjiro and Inosuke going into the forest to rescue a man who's been dragged there by a demon. Zenitsu stays behind, which was refreshing because his obsession with Nezuko is getting tiresome. Tanjiro is afraid in the forest because he smells a dangerous scent, and Inosuke, full of confidence, goes first. Tanjiro's gratitude for his courage is underscored by the words: "Thank you. You said you would come with me, and that gave me courage." This moment would be great if Tanjiro were a character who truly lacked courage. But in all the previous episodes, despite his fear, he has always acted bravely. This line would fit Zenitsu, who is a typical fearful man, much better. Such dialogue could add depth to the relationship between Zenitsu and Inosuke, which would make it seem more meaningful. The next part of the episode focuses on a boy describing how his group of demon slayers in the forest suddenly started fighting each other. This part was well done - concise and without unnecessary complications. The characters then have to face controlled humans they can't kill, and have to dodge their attacks. Here the contrast is shown between Tanjiro, who is thinking of a solution to the situation, and Inosuke, who is losing patience and would like to chop everyone up. These moments were more hilarious than outright funny, but they worked. The dynamic between Tanjiro and Inosuke was still interesting in this episode, even if it's starting to feel a bit repetitive. It felt fresh in the fourteenth episode because it was a new element, but using the pair too often could feel stale. I can still appreciate it in this episode, though. The introduction of new demons that have spider motifs was also impressive. For example, the demon boy with hair styled to resemble spider legs was original. His calm words: "Don't disturb my family's peaceful life. My mother will kill you all immediately," was chilling and added to the intensity of the scene. The end of the episode was then saved by Inosuke using his seventh form of "Spatial Perception". The dynamic camera shots and depiction of the environment were really effective, giving the episode a great final touch. This moment was clearly the strongest point of the entire episode.
Episode 16 - In the sixteenth episode, the fight between Tanjiro and Inosuke continues, leaving young Murata to apprehend one of the demon slayers. Their goal is to save a girl controlled by demon webs. Once again, it turns out that simply removing the webs is not enough - they must be outwitted and tied up. While this section is predictable, it is positively saved by the teamwork between Tanjiro and Inosuke, which is both entertaining and hilarious. Inosuke's chaotic and rude reactions especially make the episode feel more lively. Overall, this first half of the episode is fine - it doesn't deliver anything groundbreaking, but it doesn't disappoint either. The episode also briefly shows Zenitsu once again reduced to his constant shouting and obsession with Nezuko, which comes across as monotonous. The second half of the episode, however, contains some problematic moments. When the demonic woman decides that she no longer needs the controlled assassins, she breaks their necks with webs and leaves them to die. Tanjir's brief flash of anger after this scene promises an interesting development, but instead his anger quickly dissipates and he returns to his usual determination and bold speeches, "I'll finally be able to find that demon! I've picked up two scent trails!" This feels underused - it would have been more interesting if Tanjiro had shown more dark emotions or had thoughts of revenge, which would have enriched his character development. The ensuing fight against the headless demon also raises questions. The anime has so far shown that demons can only be killed by decapitation or sunlight. Yet this demon survives without a head and is only defeated by a combination of Inosuke's attacks on its arms and body and Tanjiro's wave that cuts through its legs. This contradiction does not work consistently. The episode's conclusion shows Tanjiro's encounter with his demon mother, who willingly surrenders and accepts her death. We have a brief flashback in which it is revealed that her husband was a bully and the son in attendance when the mother plays with puppets so the son mentally abused her by intimidating her with the arrival of her abusive husband. This scene is obviously intended to evoke sympathy for the mother, but it comes across as superficial because it is not explained why her husband was cruel, nor why the son deliberately tormented the mother. By not exploring the background of these relationships more, the viewer is left rather confused. The episode attempts to convey a deeper message, but the accelerated pace and lack of detail make it feel superficial. Perhaps everything will become clearer in future episodes, but here it would have been better if the situation were clearer and more understandable now, without the need for further explanation.
Episode 17 - In the seventeenth episode, Zenitsu is given more space as he finds himself in a situation where he encounters a spider-looking demon - it has a spider body, but a human head. This design is really creepy, which fully justifies Zenitsu's panic and screaming. As someone who is afraid of spiders, I could identify with his fear. During the encounter, Zenitsu discovers that he has been infected with poison, and the demon describes what awaits him - cramps, fatigue, and eventually turning into a spider. This scene has a very strong atmosphere, mostly due to my personal aversion to spiders. However, despite the well-handled atmosphere, this episode failed to convince me to like Zenitsu better, as his character remains just as annoying as before. Once again, Zenitsu finds himself falling asleep and performing his "cool moment", only to return to what he was before - a neurotic and panicked character upon waking up. The episode features a flashback from his past where we see how his grandfather trained him. However, this flashback only emphasizes Zenitsu's incompetence and how others didn't take him seriously. It would have been more interesting if this flashback provided more insight into his motivation for becoming a demon slayer, especially since it's obvious that he has a great fear of demons. The flashback focuses on his weaknesses, but completely lacks a balanced view of his positive qualities. Zenitsu's only "good" quality is his ability to fight in his sleep, which is visually impressive, but not enough. The character is sorely lacking in balance - a combination of positive and negative qualities that would make him more interesting and complex. The flashback also reveals that Zenitsu gained his blonde hair after being struck by lightning, which could explain his special abilities. Unfortunately, this event isn't elaborated on any further - for example, how he could have survived such a blow in the first place. I understand that this is a fantasy story, but a little explanation would have helped. Furthermore, the episode doesn't use its potential to show that Zenitsu could be useful in other ways than sleep. It would have been interesting to see how he could handle fighting while conscious, which would have pushed his character further. This would also give his "cool moments" more weight, as they wouldn't be dependent on one repetitive gimmick. While the action scenes are well animated and the camera dynamics are excellent, the music fails at some points. The simple songs come across as boring, and the pleasant music for dramatic moments doesn't fit the atmosphere. The creators obviously tried to save the episode with Zenitsu's spectacular moment, but this trick has been used once before. As a viewer, I expect the characters to bring something new and offer development, not the same repetitive experience. Now, the episode rather induces fatigue as it offers nothing more than another variation on what we've already seen.Episode 18 - In the eighteenth episode, the story focuses on Tanjiro and Inosuke as they battle a demon - the father of the family they protect. What doesn't make sense to me, though, is why this demon is protecting the family when he's beaten his wife in the past. Two demon slayers - a boy and a girl - also appear in this episode. Their behavior seems odd: they have the same expressions on their faces and their dialogue is unnaturally calm, even though the situation in the forest is critical. Several demon slayers have died in the area, but the girl still utters the sentence, "It's a beautiful moon today. Since we've got this mission together, we might as well get to know each other better." That seemed completely inappropriate given the circumstances. Why would anyone say something so positive when there's a crisis situation to deal with? Also, what was the point of this information when they don't show these two characters in this episode anyway, except for the moment when the girl visited Zenitsu who was lying and still had the jet in him. Later, Tanjiro and Inosuke fight a demon that Tanjiro's water form doesn't work on. This was an interesting moment because it showed that Tanjiro isn't omnipotent. However, I had a hunch that he would use his stronger technique, which indeed happened. However, the demon deflected him using a tree and sent him flying to the other side, leaving Inosuke to face the demon alone. Although he was significantly weaker, he managed to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, Tanjiro meets the demon-boy and his sister who has wounds and blood on her face, the demon-boy who made his mother nervous in previous episodes so here he utters, "We're family. We have a strong bond." Tanjiro replies, "But all I can feel from you two is disgust and hatred! That's not a strong bond. It's fake!" I have to agree with that. Back in the sixteenth episode, the boy threatened his mother to call his father, plus we saw the husband beating his wife. What kind of strong bond can exist in a family where there is blatant violence? The demon boy disagrees, makes a horrified face, and tells Tanjir to do it again. This scene was clearly trying to create a scary atmosphere, but it didn't work convincingly because the situation doesn't make sense and drags on. It was clear that Tanjiro would use another attack, which he did, but the fight still ended on a cliffhanger. Inosuke's fight with the demon, on the other hand, was much more interesting. He was devastated, he could barely dodge, and it added to the tension. The action scenes with Inosuke were well done, plus his chaotic and funny moments were refreshing. Inosuke thinking of a plan goes against his natural impulsive behavior, and it was funny and original. The demon then randomly transforms into a stronger form, which at least brought some change. Inosuke continues to fight, but eventually the demon catches him and begins to choke him. At that point, Inosuke has a flashback to his mother, who seems to be leaving him with words to survive. In the present, he then says, "Who are you?" That was a powerful moment that made sense - plus it followed Tanjiro's words to Inosuke not to die. But that memory was too short-lived. It would have been better if it had been given longer runtime and more emotional emphasis, instead of the episode unnecessarily dragging out Tanjiro and the demon's confrontation. Inosuke's part was much better and honestly suspenseful, while Tanjiro's fight felt drawn out and unbearable.
Episode 19 - In the nineteenth episode, I was amused by the opening scene between Inosuke and Giyuu Tomioka, the demon slayer. It was funny how Inosuke kept talking while Giyuu calmly tied him to a tree. It was an unexpectedly funny situation. Meanwhile, Tanjiro faces attacks from the demon Rui, who decides to harm Tanjiro. However, at a crucial moment, Nezuko sacrifices herself to protect her brother. Rui, filled with envy of their sibling bond, decides to recruit Nezuko as his "sister". When his current fake "sister" argues against doing so, Rui attacks her without hesitation. In the next episode, the twentieth, it is explained that Rui's family is fake and that he is trying to recover his memories of when he was still human. While I understand his desire for family, and everyone adds a role, I don't understand why he tortures his fake family members. How is he supposed to get his memories back by tormenting them? It's true that demons are evil according to the logic of the story, but the episode tries to show Rui in a human light, which seems illogical. If Rui finally understood that his actions were wrong and realized that he was blinded by his desire, it would make more sense. The bulk of the episode focuses on the fight between Tanjiro and Rui. Rui hurts Nezuko with his webs, which motivates Tanjiro to fight despite his broken katana. It was clear that he would use his breathing technique to give him more strength. Although it was an epic moment, it wasn't surprising because it was predictable. Meanwhile, Rui continues to talk about how he longs for Nezuko as the perfect sister, and offers to spare Tanjiro if he lets Nezuko be his. Tanjiro, of course, rejects his offer, stressing that he would never leave his sister. This moment could have been powerful if the relationship between Tanjiro and Nezuko had been more emotional and better portrayed. Nezuko is rather underused as a character - she doesn't speak, which makes her less interesting, and she only gets minimally involved in the fights. Her role often comes across as an endearing liability. Another illogical moment was when Tanjiro suffered an injury from Rui's webs, but when Rui threw Tanjiro somewhere far away causing an explosion Tanjiro showed no sign of being hurt. Instead of defending himself, Tanjiro is still fighting, even if it's for his life. Later, he remembers his father once explaining breathing technique to him - and his advice sounded simplistic and simply told him to breathe. This came across as too primitive and unimaginative, which disappointed me a lot. Instead, Tanjiro could have come up with an alternative strategy to defeat Rui. The story tries to emphasize Tanjiro's love for Nezuko, but the dynamic is bland and underdeveloped. It's only when Nezuko hears her mother's voice urging her to save her brother that the story finally gains emotional power. This moment was powerful - Nezuko used her flames to attack Rui. I have to admit that the music in this episode was excellent, epic and added goosebumps to the scenes. The animation was breathtaking as always and lifted the quality of the whole episode.
Episode 20 - In the twentieth episode of Demon Slayer, it turns out that Tanjiro cut off the demon's head - but we later find out that the demon is still alive. The demon declares, "Before you could cut off my head, I cut it off myself with my webs." While it's nice that this was said, it would have been better if the episode had shown us this. Moving on though, the scene where Rui wants to kill Tanjiro is interrupted by Giyuu's arrival, which I found ironic - Giyuu appeared for a few minutes and defeated the demon, while Tanjiro fought him for the entire episode. I found it odd that Rui could have used the same tactics as before, but didn't. Maybe he was so shocked by the arrival of Giyuu, who strikes me as Tanjiro, only with a neutral expression and overpowered abilities. Also, the past of the demon girl who had to become Rui's sister is shown. She was previously attacked by demon hunters, and in order to survive, she transformed to resemble Rui in appearance. This scene was pretty disgusting, but interesting. Another demon girl then explained that if someone didn't meet Rui's demands, they would either be chopped into pieces, lose their minds, or be tied up with cobwebs and exposed to sunlight. This struck me as a strange strategy from Rui - if Rui desires his family to bring back his memories, then destroying his "members" is the complete opposite of the point. If he really wanted his memories of his family restored, he could care for his loved ones like a normal family. Instead, the episodes continually show how psychopathic and overbearing he is, which seems illogical if he's trying to restore memories. Another striking moment is when the older sister runs away from the family with the younger girl, but Rui catches them. The older sister suddenly betrays her younger sister, even though the older sister had just before claimed to be her only real sister. In addition, she later says, "They were all crazy, but I'm not like them! I made a mistake!" This doesn't make any sense - so why did she betray if she realizes it was a mistake? And how can she claim that everyone was crazy when she thought her younger sister was normal? This twist was utterly nonsensical and spoiled any attempt at emotional impact of the scene. Moreover, the relationship between these two characters was introduced in just a few seconds, making the attempt at a touching scene seem ineffective. The older sister suggests to Rui that they run away and save the family, but Rui instead punishes her alone. While the sister's suggestion made sense, Rui continued to act like a ruthless bully who ignores any possibility of restoring memories of his original family. The scene where he says, "It bothers me when your faces change back," only emphasizes his illogical and destructive behavior which is unhelpful on his part. At the end of the episode, the older sister fights the demon hunter and wraps him in a hood, but Shinobu Kochou breaks up the situation. The scene where Shinobu tells the demon girl what lies he claims about himself was, in my opinion, unnecessarily drawn out and didn't feel as dramatic as it probably should have. Shinobu, although it's interesting that she uses the poisoned sword, still came across as boring to me because she still has the same smile and emotions - she's a loveable killer. The voice actress Saori Hayami does a great job, her voice fits the character perfectly, just like Yor from Spy x Family. But unlike Yor, who has a wide range of emotions and interesting characteristics, Shinobu comes across as flat and predictable. In Spy x Family, the characters seem human - they make mistakes, they have positive and negative sides. This is missing from Shinobu, making her an uninteresting and stale character.Episode 21 - In the twenty-first episode, we learn about Ruie's past and why she behaves the way she does. Rui has had health problems since childhood and has been unable to walk normally. One day, Muzan offered him his blood, which gave him demonic powers. However, after Rui kills his first human, his parents decide they must kill him in his sleep to stop him. However, Rui learns of their plan, which enrages him so much that he murders his parents. In the process, his dying mother manages to tell him that she is sorry she was unable to give him a strong and healthy body. This scene reveals that Rui understands that he has severed the bond with his true family and sees it as his mistake. Still, it seems illogical that he has not learned any lessons from this tragic experience. Instead, he creates a fake family, which he forces to play the roles assigned to it, and repeats the same mistakes - he treats the members of his new "family" violently and tyrannically. If it were revealed in flashback that the members of the fake family had a similar plan to his real parents, such as wanting to kill Ruie, his behavior would be much more understandable. It would also make sense if Rui eventually admitted that he had treated his new family badly and tried to make amends. Even more powerful would have been a scene where the fake family expressed their willingness to forgive him, and Rui accepted the idea that the bonds between people don't have to be based on fear and violence alone. This would give his development more depth and make the story feel more meaningful. Tanjiro proves to be incredibly good-hearted - he forgives Rui, even though he has previously stated that his bond with his fake family is an illusion and that he doesn't trust him. The whole situation seems illogical. Why does Tanjiro, who has clearly condemned Rui's actions, eventually find the compassion to forgive him after all? Then there is a long scene where Shinobu insists that he must kill Nezuko because he broke a rule. While presented as kind, yet murderously cold, she comes across as rather just nice. I grew tired of her monotone expression and constant display of a single emotion, and I found her character increasingly boring. Luckily, the episode is somewhat saved by Giyuu, who brings an angry and abrasive attitude to the plot. His strong personality is refreshing and brings contrast to the story. What keeps distracting me, however, are the repeated jokes about no one liking Giyuu. I already didn't find this funny and now this motif is even more annoying.
Episode 22 - In the twenty-second episode, new characters are introduced that feel too stereotypical and unnatural to me. For example, Kyoujurou Rengoku presents himself as a brave and uncompromising fighter with great determination. Although he talks about beheading both Tanjiro and the demon Nezuko, the dubber's harsh tone doesn't match his affable expression. As a result, the character comes across as unbelievable and confused. On the other hand, I was impressed by Tengen Uzui, who, although given only a small amount of space, comes across as more natural and interesting due to his harsh expression and way of speaking. Mitsuri Kanroji is cute, but that's about it. She's constantly gushing over the other characters and her repetitive inner monologues quickly tired me out. Plus, I expected her to intervene on behalf of Tanjiro and Nezuko due to her sweet nature, but that didn't happen. Muichirou Tokitou did not impress me at all. He just stares at the sky the whole time and describes the clouds, which is the only thing we find out about him. I found this character completely empty and uninteresting. Sanemi Shinazugawa, the boy with white hair, at least brought some excitement to the episode. He tried to injure Nezuko with his katana and ended up cutting his own hand to provoke Nezuko with his blood, proving that demons can't be trusted. This scene was one of the few interesting parts of the episode. Obanai Iguro is ruthless and merciless, but I didn't find his behavior to be anything out of the ordinary. Gyoumei Himejima, a strong and compassionate warrior, may feel sorry for Tanjiro, but he does nothing to show him trust, which is a shame. The entire episode tries to build tension around the question of whether Tanjiro is right about Nezuko not eating people. Most of the time, though, it focuses on introducing characters who behave according to pre-given archetypes. The best part was the scene with Sanemi and his attempt to provoke Nezuko, because I was really interested to see what would happen. Unfortunately, this scene also ended on a cliffhanger, which ruined my impression of the whole episode.Episode 23 - In the twenty-third episode, the story picks up where the previous one left off. Nezuko is faced with the challenge of controlling his demonic instincts and must not succumb to his desire to attack Sanemi Shinazugawa. This situation is intercut with a flashback to Nezuko recalling Tanjiro's words: "Nezuko will never kill a human, and I will one day turn her back into a human." We then see a brief glimpse into Nezuko's past as she remembers her family. This moment is emotional and impactful, which leads me to question why there aren't more scenes like this in the anime that deepen the relationships between Nezuko, Tanjiro, and their family more. The episode then jumps to Tanjiro having to be hospitalized due to serious injuries. Oddly, however, before he goes for treatment, he runs off to beat up Sanemi for his behavior towards Nezuko. This scene seems illogical, as a character with serious injuries would hardly have that kind of energy and determination. This is followed by a scene from the hospital, where Zenitsu keeps screaming about how awful it is to drink bitter medicine. This part is unnecessarily drawn out and feels annoying, yet it is somewhat saved by Inosuke reflecting on his weakness and remorse for failing. Later, we watch Tanjiro speak to a sleeping Nezuko. He says, "Everything hurts and it's hard work. But I have to keep fighting because one day I will be a grown man. And then I will grow old and die." Even though Tanjiro smiles during this scene, it comes across as unnatural, especially when it's not addressed that Nezuko, as a demon, will forever be alone. While Tanjiro eventually adds that he will try to return Nezuko to human, his previous attitude towards his own mortality still comes off as odd even for a positive character like him. The next part of the episode shifts to the conference room, where the demon slayers discuss the situation with Tanjiro and the increasing demon threat. I was intrigued by a remark from Gyoumei Himejima, which reads, "If we're talking about those who joined the demon slayer units because demons killed their loved ones, or those whose families are among the demon slayer generations, we can't expect such high dedication and great results from ordinary members." This comment is interesting because it could be well applied to Tanjiro, who is also an ordinary village boy. Unfortunately, however, this insight is not elaborated more in his case, which strikes me as a missed opportunity.Episode 24 - In the twenty-fourth episode, most of the plot focuses on less substantial moments. Zenitsu spends time with the girls during training, which leads to him yelling and confronting Inosuke, which just stretches out the footage and gets annoying. Tanjiro's final training moment lacks emotional impact because the relationship between him and his master is not sufficiently fleshed out. The more interesting part of the episode is the conversation between Shinobu and Tanjiro, where Shinobu expresses her wish that humans could be friends with demons, and Tanjiro reveals her inner turmoil. The flashback to Shinobu's past, when her sister was killed by a demon, adds depth to her character, but her disdain for demons could have been more pronounced. The episode hints at interesting aspects of Shinobu's personality, but doesn't use them to their full potential.
Episode 25 - In the twenty-fifth episode, Tanjiro is training, but the constant explanation of his efforts feels unnecessary and tiresome, especially when the viewer can clearly see his progress. The training, which is supposed to last 15 days, is cut down to a few minutes on screen, which detracts from the main character's sense of effort. Zenitsu and Inosuke, however, handle their part of the training more naturally and entertainingly. The episode also reveals Kanao's past, as she begins to make her own decisions thanks to a coin from Kanae. The flashback shows a new side of Shinobu, which was an interesting revival. The blacksmith's humorous scene with Tanjiro's destroyed katana and Inosuke's access to new weapons freshened up the episode. The Tanjiro vs. Kanao fight was quick and unstretched, which was nice. However, the ending of the episode, where Tanjiro reflects on his improvement and the support from his friends, doesn't feel believable because the show doesn't show that Tanjiro really needed the team's support. Overall, a weaker but still interesting episode.
Episode 26 - In the twenty-sixth episode, Muzan spends a long time criticizing the demons he eventually kills. This scene just emphasizes how single-mindedly evil a character he is, without any deeper motivation or new information, making him a boring villain. The only positives are the visuals of the setting and the camera work. More interesting was the moment between Tanjiro and Kanao, when Tanjiro helped her find the freedom to make decisions using the coin. This moment felt genuine and had an emotional impact, with their chemistry being one of the best elements of the episode. The scene with Inosuke crashing into the train and Zenitsu's sarcastic reaction was also amusing, which livened up the atmosphere. On the other hand, Tanjiro's next speech about his bond with Nezuko felt rather unnecessary, as their relationship is not fleshed out enough to evoke strong emotions. The episode was mixed, with hilarious moments but also weak parts.~~~~~~ 
