Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba (Season 2B) Entertainment District Arc Talkback Thread *spoilers*

[PicardMan]

The episode begins with Daki tearing up the red light district and killing a bunch of prostitutes and pimps and Tanjiro getting angry. We get hints that Daki had the cliché terrible life as a human before she became a demon. She's still not terribly compelling personality wise, and this show is still behind My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen in terms of villains. The biggest event was Nezuko's new super form, which those who waited for the dub couldn't avoid getting spoiled because sub fans kept talking about it on social media. It might have seemed shocking to see Nezuko get dismembered, but then I remember that dismemberment is always temporary in shonen and easy to correct. At least that's already been a pre-established demon power and didn't come out of nowhere. The one thing to note is that the idea of sexy Nezuko being an uncomfortable idea because she pre-pubescent or barely pubescent. Maybe it's a Nelliel from Bleach situation where she magically aged at least a decade, but the fact that she's normally 12 or 13 or something makes the idea seem a little gross. I know this will inspire a lot of sexy Nezuko cosplay, but at least most of those cosplayers will be actual adults. I never will think of actual Nezuko as sexy and don't want to. Well, the fight scene was pretty awesome and it was cool to see Nezuko have an action scene. Really, sexy Nezuko is the only outright bad idea of this season and I did enjoy this episode even if the concept of sexy Nezuko made me want to barf.

 

[Yojimbo]

Tanjiro was fierce as well in his idk berserker mode even though Daki powered up. But of course, his stamina hit its limit right at the crucial moment. How many more arcs are we gonna see him leveling up only to be horribly wounded and unable to finish off the big bad? That will get repetitive suffice to say.

Nezuko was able to massively power up to a new form just from the time she spent sleeping the past 4 months or so? Her speed and regeneration were crazy. Though as their sibling ghost seems to imply, maybe her current form overwrites the spell not to harm humans. And with Tanjiro knocked out who exactly is going to be able to calm her down? Uzui might opt to put her down once Daki is taken care of. Vine tattoos on her skin? I guess that will her next blood art, making constructs to fight Daki's obi and burn them up on contact?

Yeah, that seems like a red flag for Nezuko's new look. Biologically, as a demon, she's locked into age 12 isn't she? But chronologically, she's around 14 I think. No matter which, still wrong and 'anime cliche' of Gotouge. And that's not even mentioning Daki's demon design.

Still looking forward to seeing what Uzui's sound attacks will be.

EDIT: Also, intriguing that Daki saw flashes of Muzan's past. Answers how he knew about the earrings that Tanjiro wears. An ancestor perhaps. Can't be a coincidence the mark on his head came up, too, in relation to his late father's.

 

[PicardMan]

Season 2 Episode 7 (Episode 40) "Transformation"

Nezuko overpowers Daki in their battle but she let blood lust overwhelm her and attacks a bystander. Tanjiro stops her in time. As he struggles to restrain her, Daki prepares to attack them. Uzui gets there in time, only to find something much more fearsome.

 

[PicardMan]

Unfortunately, Nezuko's form has a huge drawback in making her feral. The lullaby scene was a sweet moment, but it seems like Nezuko always gets sidelined. There was the big twist of Daki having a brother who looks to be the co-villain of the arc and he has Deadman Wonderland blood powers. Not much to comment on story wise for this season as it seems to be a really long but visually arresting fight sequence.

 

[Yojimbo]

Ah, so the pitfall is she's in berserker mode and will attack bleeding humans. And a childhood lullaby stops it. Got it. Though it is interesting we're again seeing the intervention of the "ghosts" of Tanjiro and Nezuko's family when the situation is critical for the duo or are they just Tanjrio's subconscious? Hmm.

Oooh good, this arc has a second big bad, too, just when things look wrapped up. Hmm, I guess they're twins and both have to be killed at the same time. And both their things are about looks. Hope Uzui can get a whole lot flashier. Not sure if Tanjiro not at 100%, Inosuke, and sleep mode Zenitsu will be of any help to me. We shall see.

 

[PicardMan]

Season 2 Episode 8 (Episode 41) "Gathering"

Putting Nezuko to rest, Tanjiro, along with Inosuke and Zenitsu, rushes to Uzui's aid, against his battle with the Upper Six Demons- Gyutaro and Daki.

 

[Yojimbo]

So not only a physical countdown on Tanjiro but now Uzui.

Ah, so they're both the Upper Six and have to be beheaded simultaneously. No prob. >_<

Glad they acknowledged Uzui being a shinobi didn't make sense. But being shinobi they were able to survive in secret. Well, just him and his brother.

Inosuke usually has unintended words of wisdom. So the fact he pointed out the brother fights like a mantis. Hmm. If those sickles of his get stuck in something, game over. Then again, they could exploit his devotion to his sister. Or play mind games and turn them on each other.

Ho ho, kunai launcher and they're all laced with wisteria. Dope.

Feels like with that kind of ending, next one will start with the brother avoided the beheading somehow. Legs will probably regenerate somehow.

Dug the spirit of Rengoku being around. Left such a mark on Tanjiro but he find out on Uzui as well.

 

[PicardMan]

The really long fight scene continues, but it's pretty and some would say that it's the most gorgeously animated fight scene in a televised anime ever. Uzui gets to show why he's cool and able to ward off poison. Lots of flyinning swords, but there were some cool effects with the various projectiles being launched everywhere. This fight scene is exhausting, but the eye candy is definitely there.

 

[Daikun]

Crunchyroll just released the trailer for the Swordsmith Village Arc.

 

[PicardMan]

Season 2 Episode 9 (Episode 42) "Defeating an Upper Rank Demon"

Gyutaro evades Uzui and goes after Hinatsuru. Tanjiro and Uzui rush to save her, but Daki's obi blocks their way.

 

[Yojimbo]

Uzui remembering memories with his wives at a time like this can't be good... yep, unconscious and a hand cut off. Not good at all.

Neat trick to combo two elements for a boost.

Inosuke! Very inosuke to use his swords like saw blades. Dah! Too busy taunting Daki and he gets it from the back -- no way they're gonna kill off Inosuke... Nah, no way.

Zenitsu is the only one in fighting shape at this point but even he can't get close enough to Daki, not sure how much better he'd fare against Gyutaro.

Got a feeling next week will get super bleak until someone pulls off something unexpected. Maybe Hinatsuru gathers up all those kunai she fired and manages to get enough into Gyutaro to immobilize him? Maybe the other 2 wives show up. Or maybe Uzui somehow defies super certain death and gets his third wind? Two more episodes.

 

[PicardMan]

I hear next episode's supposed to be this season's equivalent of season one episode 19 in terms of iconic moments.

 

[PicardMan]

Season 2 Episode 10 (Episode 43) "I Will Never Give Up"

Tanjiro wakes up to find himself surrounded by burning debris, with Gyutaro laughing delightedly at his plight.

 

[Yojimbo]

Dang, that was super intense. Befitting for the penultimate episode of the season. Lucky is right. Somehow managed to find one of the kunai. Saved by mental scape sister. Saved by one armed Uzui. Saved by scar despite being gouged+poisoned. Tanjiro's scar changing again (still not sure why - intense moments of physical pain pushing past this natural limit?), Uzui unleashes an ultimate move one handed and poisoned, Zenitsu augments his 1 move to go even crazy faster, Inosuke shifted his internal organs just barely in time - all for the simultaneous coup de grace. But figures it wouldn't be a clean win and Gyutaro's body still manages to expel one last blood art. Man, that entertainment district was flattened. If the Demon Slayer Corps were a secret all this time, the bell's been rung by this fight.

Guess it's a safe bet the season finale will reveal Daki and Gyutaro's human lives as they disintegrate. As for Gyutaro's poison, I guess either Nezuko's burning blood will be revealed to have curative properties or the Insect Hashira will arrive along with the Kakushi, super annoyed at the sight of Yoshiwara.

 

[PicardMan]

Season 2 Episode 11 (Episode 44) "How Many Times We Reborn"

In the aftermath, Tanjiro and Nezuko search for the others. Suma pleads for Tengen to live. As the siblings continue their search, Tanjiro smells the scent and saw Demons arguing viciously. Gyutaro recalls his past.

 

[Yojimbo]

No surprise mostly everyone would be a bawling mess and Inosuke would be hungry. And tiny Nezuko carrying Tanjiro around was adorbs.

Suma's reactions to Iguro the Serpent Hashira were spot on, lol. No shocker that Uzui was going to retire. But loved that he managed to surprise Iguro by naming Tanjiro has his potential replacement.

And again, no surprise Gyutaro and Daki had a terrible life. And off they go into hell together.

Huhn, so Kagaya and Muzan are related. And based on appearances, Kagaya's affliction is some kind of demon poison but he's somehow lived for a long time with it.

Looking forward to what the Swordsmith Village arc has in store. If we're getting two Hashira, can't be all that bad.

 

[PicardMan]

Okay, now dub fans have seen season 2 of the phenomenon that is Demon Slayer. The fight scene was incredible but I can see how people say the series is flash over substance. It's still a fun series, but I was hoping that the storytelling would have improved the same way My Hero Academia season 2 leaped in quality from season 1 to season 2. I know that it's cool to hate popular stuff, but I had fun with the show and I can enjoy it even if the storytelling is weaker than some of its contemporaries.

 

[Yojimbo]

6/21: Art of Demon Slayer book coming to USA in spring 2023.

7/2: Anime Expo live blog.

 

[Magmaster12]

It's a good show but they put way too much emphasis on tragic backstories and flashbacks, it feels like we've seen Tanjiro's family die every episode and it's made even worse by the fact that a majority of the cast is just comic relief and I get major tonal backlash.

 

[Yojimbo]

First look at the Aniplex's limited edition box set.