Demon Slayer Fans Weigh In On What Makes The Show So Good
"Demon Slayer" has blazed a trail all its own in the realm of modern anime. Not only is the shonen series incredibly popular (via Parrot Analytics), but its first movie, "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train," broke the record for Japanese box office revenue in regard to anime films, kicking the beloved Studio Ghibli masterpiece "Spirited Away" from the top spot it held for nearly two decades (via Hollywood Insider).
Based on the manga of the same name by Koyoharu Gotouge, "Demon Slayer" follows Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae/Zach Aguilar) as he sets out to join an elite group of swordsmen in hopes of tracking down Muzan, who murdered his family and turned his sister into a demon. While "Demon Slayer" has been roundly praised for everything (via Rotten Tomatoes) — from its lovable characters to its impressive battles to its nuanced depiction of good and evil — when it comes to what keeps fans coming back for more, there's one clear answer.
Fans think the animation stands out the most
On the r/anime subreddit, u/jianthepro asked whether "Demon Slayer" lived up to the hype surrounding it. While the answers were somewhat mixed, one aspect of the series seemed to garner near-universal praise. Even as some of the top comments weighed the series against other anime or suggested it was more standard fare, everyone seemed to agree that the quality of the animation was stellar.
"It's very pretty and well-paced. Typical shonen otherwise," said u/elderjayk, who provided the top comment on the thread. Meanwhile, u/ProtoTypeScilla compared it to the anime juggernaut "Attack on Titan," saying, "'AOT' blows it out of the water story-wise, [but] 'Demon Slayer' beats it visually, which is the main draw IMO."
While the classic shonen storytelling tropes of "Demon Slayer" might not be everyone's cup of tea, it's hard to argue with how impressive the animation and visuals are. The quality of the animation is always top-notch, but the series really shines during its dazzling fight sequences, which are dripping with style and flair.
"If you want pure enjoyment, go watch [it]. It's your generic shonen plot with cliched characters, but you will enjoy it ... either way, you can't miss the amazing animation done by Ufotable," u/i_pirate_sue_me said. Taking things further, u/Weeaboojones94 pointed out that the anime is the superior version of the story as well, saying, "It's only the anime that blows it out of the water visually because, in my opinion, the manga is very hard to look at."
The animation in Demon Slayer is incredible
When it comes to in the analysis of the differences between the "Demon Slayer" manga and the anime series, SportsKeeda breaks it down pretty well. For instance, manga as a medium can't show battles with the same panache that animation can since it exists as a bunch of still shots by virtue of the medium.
As discussed in thread created by u/jianthepro, for some fans, the plot and character motivations are relatively simplistic in "Demon Slayer," meaning the inventive battles are often the main draw. Since these spectacles are much better in full color and with top-tier animation and a ton of stylistic flair, it makes sense that the franchise grew far more popular as an anime series than as a manga.
Either way, following the high stakes thrills of its "Mugen Train" and "Entertainment District" arcs, "Demon Slayer" is set to keep things rolling for several seasons to come before it catches up with its source material, meaning fans have plenty of incredible animation to look forward to as they watch the Demon Slayer franchise unfold.