Demon Slayer Fans All Agree This Is The Show's Best Female Duo
"Demon Slayer" has been one of the biggest breakout anime hits since it first premiered in 2019 (via The New Yorker). With likable characters, sinister villains, and some of the best animation and fight scenes in modern anime, the series has launched the type of success story that only comes once in a while in the medium.
While there was a considerable delay between Season 1 and Season 2 of "Demon Slayer," the blockbuster movie "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train" also set the market on fire, managing to break box office records even while the COVID-19 pandemic was keeping plenty of folks locked away in their homes (via Den of Geek).
As fans prepare for the Swordsmith Village arc in Season 3, there's always plenty of chatter about which characters are the strongest in "Demon Slayer." With the fanbase being so massive and dedicated to the franchise, passion is never at a shortage for this particular series.
Fans love Shinobu and Tamaya together
On the r/KimetsuNoYaiba subreddit, readers of the manga series that "Demon Slayer" is based on were already anticipating the adaptation of future storylines. In a thread focused on the upcoming Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown arcs, fans joyfully celebrated their favorite female duo from the series.
u/Lacrimosa_Knight started a popular thread on the subject with a picture of Shinobu Kocho (Saori Hayami/Erika Harlacher) and Tamayo (Maaya Sakamoto/Laura Post) in celebration of the latter's birthday. "The best girls duo. Happy birthday Tamayo!" their post read, featuring some incredible fan art of the two.
Tamayo is a demon who has left behind her life of evil to become a doctor in hopes of redeeming herself. Meanwhile, Shinobu is the current Insect Hashira and one of the top fighters in the Demon Slayer Corps. While anime viewers have yet to see the two team up, from the enthusiasm of fans in the thread, it sounds like it's going to be one heck of a battle.
"The MVPS of the story. They contributed greatly to defeating Muzan and his upper moons," said u/TheCommunistGod in the top-voted comment. "The best and most dangerous duo," agreed u/Fujiwara_Aoi_237. With praise like that for the duo, anime fans will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the upcoming arc that sees the two warriors team up in battle.
The cast and crew love these characters as well
These characters also seem to be popular with the cast and crew of the series behind the scenes as well. Producer Yuma Takahashi sat down with Anime News Network to discuss the series and seemed to especially favor the insect Hashira, Shinobu.
"The character I relate to most is Tanjiro. Because the way he faces challenges with courage and perseverance really inspires me to work harder," said Takahashi. "But in terms of personal favorites, I'd have to say Shinobu Kocho. She's such a beautiful and strong lady."
That's some high praise for Shinobu, particularly in a cast as vast and impressive as that of "Demon Slayer." For her part, Laura Post, who voices Tamayo in the English dub of the series, seemed to be very happy to have landed the role as well. "Very excited to be joining the cast of Demon Slayer as Tamayo!" she said on Twitter. "If you're not watching, you should be! It's gorgeous!"
With the manga having already wrapped things up, anime fans will have to play the waiting game to see these and other exciting upcoming plotlines and pairings for "Demon Slayer."