Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃, Kimetsu no Yaiba, rgh. "Blade of Demon Destruction")[3] is a Japanese anime television series produced by Ufotable, based on the mangaseries of the same name by Koyoharu Gotouge. It follows teenage Tanjiro Kamado, who strives to become a Demon Slayer after his family was slaughtered and his younger sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon.
The series' first season premiered in April 2019, having aired on Tokyo MX and other networks, while from the second season onwards it has aired on Fuji TV. In North America, the series is licensed by Aniplex of America. The English dub of the series aired on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in the United States.
The series received critical acclaim for its storyline, animation, action sequences, characters, and voice acting (original and dubbed), as well as numerous awards, and is considered one of the best anime of the 2010s.
Christopher Corey Smith (Hantengu and Urami) Yong Yea (Sekido) Caleb Yen (Karaku) Chris Hackney (Urogi) Brian Timothy Anderson (Aizetsu) Ben Balmaceda (Zohakuten)
An anime television series adaptation by studio Ufotable was announced by Weekly Shōnen Jump in June 2018.[4] The anime was directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by Hikaru Kondo. Akira Matsushima served as the character designer. The series ran for 26 episodes, from April 6 to September 28, 2019, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[5][6][7][8]
Aniplex of America licensed the series and streamed it on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Funimation.[9][10] Aniplex of America released it on two limited editions Blu-ray volumes: the first on June 30, 2020, and the second on November 24 of that same year.[11][12] The company also partnered with Funimation to release standard-edition Blu-ray volumes.[13] Two volumes were released on September 29, 2020, and January 19, 2021.[14][15]Madman Entertainment acquired the series in Australia and New Zealand and simultaneously streamed the series on AnimeLab.[16] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Anime Limited acquired the series.[17]Netflix also started streaming the series on January 22, 2021, in the United States.[18] An English dub produced by Aniplex of America and Bang Zoom! Entertainment,[19] aired on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block from October 13, 2019, to May 3, 2020.[20][21][b] Funimation began streaming the English dub on December 8, 2020.[23][19]
The second season ran for two consecutive cours, beginning with a seven-episode television series adaptation of the "Mugen Train" story arc, broadcast from October 10 to November 28, 2021.[24][25] It included an original first episode, as well as new animation cuts and background music that differ from the film adaptation.[26][27]Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Entertainment District Arc (鬼滅の刃 遊郭編, Kimetsu no Yaiba – Yūkaku-hen) premiered with a one-hour special on December 5, 2021,[28][26] and aired till February 13, 2022.[29] The main staff and cast members from the first season returned to reprise their roles.[30][31] The second season of the series aired on 30 stations across Japan, including Fuji TV and Tokyo MX.[32]
Aniplex of America licensed the season outside of Asia.[33][34]Muse Communication licensed the second season in Asia-Pacific.[35]
According to Jason DeMarco, the executive producer who oversees the Adult Swim block, the success of the Mugen Train film initially made further seasons of the series too expensive to acquire for broadcast.[36] Two years later in October 2023, Adult Swim announced that the English dub for the Mugen Train Arc would broadcast on its Toonami block which aired from November 12 to December 17 of the same year.[37] A month later, it was confirmed that Entertainment District Arc would also air which broadcast from January 14 to March 24, 2024.[38]
Four Valentine's Day-themed anime shorts, titled Kimetsu Gakuen Valentine-hen (キメツ学園 バレンタイン編), debuted on the Aniplex YouTube channel on February 14, 2021.[39]
At the end of the second-season finale, a third season covering the "Swordsmith Village" arc from the manga was announced.[29] It premiered with a one-hour special on April 9, 2023,[40][41] and ended with a 70-minute episode on June 18 of the same year.[42]
Aniplex of America licensed the season outside of Asia and streamed it on Crunchyroll,[43] which began streaming an English dub on May 28, 2023.[44] It aired on Adult Swim's Toonami block from August 11 to October 20, 2024.[45]
A fourth season covering the "Hashira Training" arc was announced following the finale of the third season.[46] It premiered with a one-hour special on May 12, 2024.[47][48] The season ended with a one-hour special, which aired on June 30 of the same year.[49]
Aniplex of America licensed the season outside of Asia and streamed it on Crunchyroll,[50] which began streaming an English dub on June 30, 2024.[51]
Prior to airing, the first five episodes screened theatrically in Japan for two weeks from March 29, 2019, under the title Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Sibling's Bond (鬼滅の刃 兄妹の絆, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kyōdai no Kizuna).[52][53] Aniplex of America screened the film at the Aratani Theatre in Los Angeles on March 31, 2019.[54] Madman Entertainment screened the film in select theaters in Australia on April 2, 2019.[55] The film was broadcast on Fuji TV's Saturday Premium block on October 10, 2020, followed by Kimetsu no Yaiba: Natagumo Yama-hen (鬼滅の刃 那田蜘蛛山編, "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mount Natagumo Arc"), which compiled episodes 15–21, on October 17, 2020. Fuji TV also rebroadcast the series in the Kanto area, under the title Kimetsu no Yaiba Zenshūchū! Ikkyo Hōsō (鬼滅の刃全集中！一挙放送, "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Concentration! 一 All-at-once Broadcast"): episodes 6–10 aired from October 12–16, episodes 11–14 on October 17, and episodes 22–26 on October 24, 2020.[56][57] Episodes 22–26 were recompiled into a special edition episode, titled Hashira Gō Kaigi/Chōyashiki-hen (柱合会議・蝶屋敷編, The Hashira Meeting Arc/Chōyashiki Arc), which adds some new footage and special ending credits roll, and aired on Fuji TV on December 20, 2020.[58][59]
A compilation film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village, which includes the final two episodes of the Entertainment District Arc and an advanced screening of the first Swordsmith Village Arc episode, premiered in Japan on February 3, 2023.[40] The film premiered in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2023,[60] and in North America on March 3 of the same year.[61]
Another compilation film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training, which includes the final episode of Swordsmith Village Arc and advanced screening of the first Hashira Training Arc episode, premiered in Japan on February 2, 2024, with a theatrical release on February 23 of the same year.[47]
On September 28, 2019, following the airing of the first season's finale episode, an anime film, titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, was announced, with the staff and cast reprising their roles.[62] The film is a direct sequel to the series, and covers the events of the Mugen Train Arc.[63] The film is distributed in Japan by Aniplex and Toho, and premiered in Japan on October 16, 2020.[64] The film has grossed over US$500 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2020, and broke several box office records, including the highest-grossing Japanese film and anime film of all time.[65] The film was released worldwide digitally on June 22, 2021.[66]
Following the airing of Hashira Training Arc on June 30, 2024, it was announced that the manga's "Infinity Castle" story arc will be adapted into a film trilogy. Crunchyroll announced that it will release the films exclusively to theaters globally.[67]
Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina composed the anime's music.[68] For the first season, Lisa performed the opening theme "Gurenge" (紅蓮華, "Red Lotus"),[69] while the ending theme is "from the edge" by FictionJunction and Lisa.[70] The ending theme for episode 19 is "Kamado Tanjirō no Uta" (竈門炭治郎のうた, "Tanjiro Kamado's Song") by Go Shiina featuring Nami Nakagawa.[71] For the second season's Mugen Train Arc, Lisa performed the opening theme "Akeboshi" (明け星, lit.'Morning Star'), as well as the ending theme "Shirogane" (白銀, lit.'Silver'). For the Entertainment District Arc, Aimer performed the opening theme "Zankyōsanka" (残響散歌, lit.'Song of Reverberation'), as well as the ending theme "Asa ga Kuru" (朝が来る, lit.'Daybreak').[26]
For the third season's Swordsmith Village Arc, Man with a Mission and Milet performed the opening theme "Kizuna no Kiseki" (絆ノ奇跡, lit.'Bonds of Miracle'), as well as the ending theme "Koi Kogare" (コイコガレ, lit.'Yearning').[72][73] The last episode of the season features the song "Kamado Nezuko no Uta" (竈門襧豆子のうた, "Nezuko Kamado's Song") by Go Shiina featuring Nami Nakagawa.[74] For the fourth season's Hashira Training Arc, My First Story and Hyde performed the opening theme "Mugen" (夢幻, lit.'Dreams'), as well as the ending theme "Tokoshie" (トコシエ, lit.'Eternity').[75][76]
Reception
Popularity and cultural impact
The anime had received high TV rating percentage and has consistently ranked among the top ten animated shows in Japan, since the release of second season's Mugen Train and Entertainment District story arcs.[77] According to Video Research, Entertainment District Arc averaged 18.43 million viewers, with 25.5 million for episode 10 and 25.97 million for episode 11.[78] The Swordsmith Village Arc's final episode averaged 22.87 million viewers, while the double feature special of the anime's Entertainment District Arc drew 22.51 million after their broadcast.[79] The Swordsmith Village Arc also became the most-watched anime in 2023, garnering 15.4 million viewers in Japan.[80]
Gadget Tsūshin listed both the breathing techniques suffix and "Ah! The era, the era changed again!" on their 2019 anime buzzwords list.[81] On Tumblr's Year in Review, which highlights the largest communities, fandoms, and trends on the platform throughout the year, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba ranked seventh on the Top Anime & Manga Shows category in 2019 and 2020.[82][83] The second season's Mugen Train placed third on the annual Twitter Japan's Trend Awards in 2021, based on the social network's top trending topics of the year.[84] According to a 2020 poll conducted by education and publishing company Benesse, which asked 7,661 third to sixth-grade Japanese children (5,170 girls and 2,491 boys), Tanjiro Kamado ranked first on the top 10 most admired people, which placed the children's mothers, fathers, and teachers on second, fourth and fifth place, respectively, with the remaining spots occupied by other Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba characters.[85] The series helped to increase internal tourism, with many tourists traveling to similar spots to the ones featured in the series.[86][87][88][89]
According to Yuma Takahashi, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series producer, the series had three main factors for its success: "The power of the original work, the attitude towards adapting it to anime, and the environment". Takahashi explained that although many people learned about the manga through the anime, that in itself is not enough to generate a hit, stating that the original manga itself is interesting and they tried to adapt it earnestly without losing any of its appeal. The earnest attitude towards the adaptation and techniques from the staff at Ufotable were other key factors. Takahashi pointed out the changes in the anime-viewing landscape within the past few years and the increasing popularity of the streaming platforms. Takahashi said that by airing the series for two cours, it had the time to build up an audience. Takahashi added: "While the anime was airing, the story being serialized in the manga was heating up, so the timing was also ideal. It wasn't as if it suddenly became the center of attention; I feel that it steadily picked up fans and expanded its audience".[90] In 2021, in Tokushima, the Red Cross featured characters from the series on blood drive posters, which helped to increase the number of donors.[91][92]
In January 2021, Gundam franchise's creator Yoshiyuki Tomino discussed his thoughts on the series in an interview, where he said that he initially felt jealous of how the series attracted "such a dedicated and talented staff", and said: "The voice actors are great, the composer of the song that everyone knows is great. So many talented people showed up! In that sense, what I felt surpassed envy, and I started thinking, 'Man, those guys sure are something!'". Nevertheless, Tomino called the series cultural success a coincidence, explaining: "I don't think that Demon Slayer is a calculated or contrived work. I think that its assemblage was quite a coincidence", adding that in the anime industry people often get chosen for a job because they "just happened to be there" or their schedules "happened to align at the right time" and that it is rare for people with exactly the ideal talents or innate qualities to get chosen.[93]
Former prime minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga quoted the series at a House of Representatives Budget Committee in the National Diet in November 2020.[94][95] The incumbent, Fumio Kishida, has remarked that he was a fan of the series, pledging that he would improve the conditions in the anime and manga industry.[96][97] Several politicians even used motifs and patterns from the series in their campaigns in 2021.[98][99]
Critical reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba holds an approval rating of 100% based on six reviews.[100] Writing for Monsters and Critics, Patrick Frye wrote that the anime adaptation is "praised [for] the animation quality and flowing battle scenes that integrate digital effects seamlessly" while noting that "some fans have complained about weird story pacing issues thanks to flashbacks and some slow moments, but everyone agrees that once the action picks up, it's amazing."[101] Writing for Anime News Network, James Beckett highlighted the 19th episode by noting it was "a thrilling showstopper of an episode, showing off ufotable's considerable skills as producers of nearly unrivaled action spectacle."[102]
The anime series has been considered as one of the best anime of the 2010s. Polygon's Austen Goslin wrote that "Few shows over the last 10 years have so clearly or unabashedly made fights their focus, and absolutely none of them have done it as well as Demon Slayer".[103]Crunchyroll listed it in their "Top 25 best anime of the 2010s", with reviewer Daniel Dockery commenting, "From the top-notch action choreography to the understated (and sometimes not so understated) emotional moments, to the infinitely meme-able Inosuke, Demon Slayer can be a wonder to behold".[104][105] Writing for Comic Book Resources, Sage Ashford ranked it second on his list, praising its animation and protagonists, whom he called "the most likable male and female leads of the decade".[106]IGN also listed Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba among the best anime series of the 2010s.[107]Japan Web Magazine ranked the series first on its list of "30 Best Anime of All Time".[108]
Accolades
In 2019, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba won in the anime category of the Yahoo! Japan Search Awards, based on the number of searches for a particular term compared to the year before;[109] the series won the award for the second consecutive year in 2020;[110] it was third in 2021,[111] and its Swordsmith Village Arc was fifth in 2023.[112]Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba won "Animation of the Decade" at the Funimation's Decade of Anime poll, where the fans voted for their favorite anime across multiple categories.[113] In the other fan poll, Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado were chosen as one of the "Best Boys" and "Best Girls" honorees, respectively.[114] In the February 2020 issue of Animedia magazine, it was revealed that the series received eleven awards for its characters at the "Animedia Character Awards 2019". Having won the most awards in a single year in animedia history.[115][116]
In a poll conducted by Kadokawa Game Linkage of the most satisfying series of 2019, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba ranked in the first place, and it was also reported that between its debut episode and last episode the viewership numbers increased by 1.4 million.[117][118] In April 2020, the anime series won the Grand Prix award and the New Face Award at the Japan Character Awards by Japan's Character Brand Licensing Association (CBLA).[119] In 2020, the series became one of five recipients of the Special Achievement Award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards.[120] In 2021, the series won "Most Retweeted" for its announcement of the Entertainment District Arc on the annual Twitter Japan's Trend Awards.[121]
^"Demon Slayer - In Cinemas April 2". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019. Be among the first in Australia to feast on a smorgasbord of Demon Slayer episodes, before it heads to AnimeLab for its weekly simulcast season.
^ニュータイプアニメアワード2021-2022結果発表、作品賞は「劇場版ソードアート・オンライン」＆「鬼滅の刃 遊郭編」 [Newtype Anime Awards 2021–2022 Results Announced: Best Picture Award Goes to Sword Art Online: The Movie & Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba]. Livedoor News (in Japanese). October 15, 2022. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
