Why “Demon Slayer” is Great for Anime Newcomers

Remember that one anime that got you hooked on anime shows?

Here are the reasons why Demon Slayer is a good show for anime newcomers.

NOTE: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched the series yet!

A Loveable Main Character

A lot of times when talking about shonen protagonists, the most common character descriptions are typically brash, arrogant, and sometimes idiotic.

Descriptions that do not fit Tanjiro Kamado.

A kind, compassionate young man, Tanjiro Kamado is first introduced as both a dutiful son and beloved older brother who regularly goes down to the village below the mountains to sell charcoal to help support his family, taking over as the man of the house after the death of his father. He’s also well-liked by the villagers to whom he sells charcoal, as he goes out of his way to help them out in any way he can.

Although somewhat on the naïve side due to spending most of his life in the mountains, he’s far from stupid. His resourcefulness and ability to think quickly are what help him in his fights against demons.

Don’t let that kindness and compassion fool you, though. Because even though he’s far from a violent person, he will not hesitate to fight back against his enemies, whether they be humans or demons.

The siblings are later accompanied by two other demon slayers. Zenitsu is definitely dependent on how much you can tolerate his cowardice, but at the end of the day, he is a heroic young man who genuinely wants to help others and is a competent demon slayer…when he’s asleep. And there’s Inosuke, a wild child who has a thrill for fighting but also cherishes his companions the more he interacts with them.

I also just can’t forget the Hashira, a group of high-ranking demon slayers. They may not be present like our main characters, but their personalities stand out so much that you won’t be forgetting them anytime soon.

A Simple Enough Story Plot to Follow

Demon Slayer is about Tanjiro losing his family to a demon attack, and the only survivor is his younger sister Nezuko, who was unfortunately turned into a demon. Tanjiro then decides to join the Demon Slayer Corps to not only kill demons but also find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human.

Early on, Demon Slayer establishes that there are demons in the world, that the purpose of the Demon Slayer Corps is to eliminate all demons, and that demon slayers use techniques called Breathing Styles to aid them in the fight against demons. All of this information is laid out within the early part of the series so no one is left confused as to what is going on. This allows the show to focus on the characters and their goals.

Some viewers cite the simple plot of Demon Slayer as one of its drawbacks, but I don’t think a simple plot should exclude a show from being good. It can also ease newcomers to the show without overloading them with complicated information.

Comedic Moments to Balance the Serious Moments

While Demon Slayer is marketed as a dark fantasy series, it isn’t devoid of comedic moments, which is one of the show’s greatest strengths. Whether it’d be Inosuke misremembering people’s names, Tanjiro being chased by his swordsmith for not “properly” taking care of his swords, and characters showing off their quirky side, it never fails to bring a smile to my face when I see these moments.

That’s what I love about the humor of the show; it brings some much-needed levity after several emotional moments in the show, keeping it from being too bleak.

Developing Empathy for the Villains

One thing Demon Slayer reminds us viewers is that demons, the overall villains of the show, were originally humans.

It’s established early on that only one demon can turn humans into demons, and that’s Muzan Kibutsuji, the first demon to have ever existed. And we see this with Nezuko, and later an unfortunate soul who was simply having a night stroll in the city with his wife and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There are many moments when a demon is dying that we see their backstory. We learn about who they were as humans, what their motives were, and the regrets they have before they fade away.

By no means do these moments suggest that demons are absolved from all they’ve done. What it shows us is what happened that led them to what they are now, some becoming demons out of desperation, or were turned against their will and as a result of becoming a demon their humanity gradually fades away. Examples such as Rui, who obsesses over wanting a “real” family, and Gyutaro, who made the choice for him and his sister Daki/Ume to become demons in retaliation against a world that was cruel to them.

Tanjiro himself sympathizes with the demons and provides them comfort in their dying moments if they deserve it, and even muses during his fight with Gyutaro and Daki that he and Nezuko very easily could have been in their positions instead.

The Animation is Breathtaking

I’m not a huge fan of the argument that Demon Slayer is “carried by the animation”, but I can’t deny that the animation plays a huge part of why Demon Slayer is as popular as it is.

Studio Ufotable does a spectacular job of animating the scenes. Whether it’s the snow, running water, or moving trees, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s actually real life.

But where the animation really shines is the action scenes, add in the music and you’d be blown away by what you see. One particular scene in Season 1 Episode 19 was so amazing that the creators of Demon Slayer themselves were brought to tears watching it!

Because of this, I think it’s a great show for people as their very first anime to watch.