Welcome all to another subdued week of Kimetsu no Yaiba everyone. This week is rather quiet comparatively, as we focus in on a few specific characters. Exploring Shinobu’s motivations, Tanjiro’s effect on others and Yaiba’s breathing techniques. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Starting off, Zenitsu is really losing a lot of the good-will he earned recently. It’s not that the voice is bad, I think Hiro Shimono does a great job selling it. The range is impressive and his ability to be this god damn annoying is… impressive. But the character himself seems to have turned the dial back up to 11. Screaming about women, whining about medicine, and just seeming to take umbrage with every little thing. It’s not that I don’t believe such an individual can exist, more that I just detest the archetype in the first place. The sad thing is that we don’t even really have Inosuke to balance him out. Previously in the Wisteria House, Inosuke sort of reined him in with his own antics.Yet right now Best Boy is, rightfully, morose and subdued. A shame that one characters arc sort of takes away from another’s.
As far as what actually happened this week, not much. Yaiba once again takes it slow. Focusing on building up and exploring some of our new characters a bit. Giving us a bit of a training arc. It’s an odd choice to end the series on, if I can be honest. Typically you close out on some big moment. Whether it be a fight, or some emotional highpoint. The chance for that is still here of course, we have 2 episodes left. And Yaiba is still seemingly setting up for its next upcoming arc. Such as taking Rengoku and giving him his short scene with Shinobu. Or having Inosuke and Zenitsu sort of back out of training, saying its to hard for them. Even giving Tanjiro time alone with Kanoe as a potential love interest. Just feels like an odd place is all.
Going into the actual training itself, I actually liked this. As an upgrade, this makes perfect sense. First you learn to use the breath at all and then you start training your body to use it more often. Yaiba’s idea that using it constantly will make you strong is sound as well I feel. If you constantly push yourself as hard as you can go, it makes sense that your power floor would rise with your power ceiling. The gourds are a bit odd, blowing into them to shatter them and all. Along with their sheer size. But hey, it’s a stylistic choice and basing your ability off of lung capacity is the first rule Yaiba has really introduced to its system. So I can’t fault it for leaning into that. So good job here Yaiba.
Moving on though, let’s dive into the big part of this week, Shinobu. This episode did a lot for me in regards to her character. Previously I expressed doubt, or unsatisfaction in regards to her dream and her actions. She stated she wants to be friends with demons, to understand them. Yet Yaiba then shows her effectively torturing demons, and seemingly contradicting that dream. Acting directly against it. This week though that finally makes sense. It isn’t her dream, it never was her dream. Instead it is the dream of someone she has lost, who she promised to continue. Yet Shinobu is unable to let go of this revenge, this hatred for demons. So it makes sense she would be glad for Tanjiro and Nezuko, and that she would try to pass it on. It’s like Vinland Saga in a way, tackling revenge through a different light.
So in that sense, I like Shinobu’s character a lot more now. Similar to what happened with Zenitsu and Inosuke, Yaiba dialed her up to 11 on her introduction. But once given some quiet moments to talk and shine, I think the series does a decent job with its characters. For example it even uses this moment to try and contextualize the actions of the rest of the Hashira at the meeting. Going in on Shinobu’s experiences with demons and revenge. Then passing that lens over the rest of the Hashira. It makes you think, why would they get this strong, why push this hard to get good at slaying demons, if you didn’t hate them? They have something, some experience, that drives them to be good at what they do. And it makes sense that is antithetical to Tanjiro, who the odd one out in this whole thing.
So all in all, while this was a slow week for Yaiba, it wasn’t a bad one. I dare say I even enjoyed it. Unlike 22 which had a single long scene and introduced a lot of characters, this week focused in on a few specific ones. Exploring Shinobu’s relationship within the corps. Such as with Rengoku or the lower ranked members. Or with Tanjiro and her position ala Nezuko. It also, finally, expanded on the Breath system just a tiny bit. I still think the series could do with a bit firmer rules on the whole thing. Such as the differences between them beyond their names, or their styles. But none of that really impacts enjoyment in the moment of a fight. Just my desire and love of systems. Yeah, sorry, you have a Software Developer for a reviewer, haha. But all in all, it was a fine week.
