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I only finished this a month after it ended, so I understand I'm very late to the party. Nevertheless, although I don't write reviews, I felt strangely compelled to write one for this.

It appears baffling to me that many have passed Kimetsu no Yaiba off as a show with insipid writing and poor characters, with phenomenal animation as its only saving grace. Beyond the bloodshed, Kimetsu no Yaiba is a story of morality. Throughout the story, we see a recurring motif of empathy, often through the actions of Tanjiro, our protagonist.

It is the Taisho era, Japan. Tanjiro and his family dwell rurally in the ... mountain, selling coal and wood to make ends meet. For reasons untold, the family live sequestered from others, save for other eccentric dwellers and a small village by the foot of the mountain. They are impoverished. Life is weary and full of graft, and yet, they are happy.

Tanjiro is presented concretely — a person of impeccable rectitude, benevolent to a fault; he works industriously as the breadwinner of his family (despite his young age) and supports his mother in raising his younger siblings. He does favours for everyone in the village freely, and splits hairs over the most minor transactions, insisting on paying even if what he has is meager. He is liked by everyone, and disliked by no one.

But happiness is transient, and disaster strikes when Tanjiro descends the mountain one day and fails to return in time. He survives only with the aid of Giyuu, a demon slayer, who berates him for his obsequiousness and helplessness. The encounter is seminal: it impresses on Tanjiro the need for strength and Giyuu the chance for something different. Giyuu is cynical, jaded. It is clear that he has seen too much in his vocation as a demon slayer, but he recommends Tanjiro to his former teacher, trusting his instinct.

'...the first human every demon kills is itself.'

So enters Tanjiro, demon slayer with sword in hand and demon in tow. His very existence is paradoxical, but curiously, this antinomy allows Tanjiro to empathise with even the worst demons. Far more than pity, Tanjiro dignifies them in their final moments of quietus. He humanises them.

'...they're not hideous monsters at all. Demons are hopeless creatures. They are tragic creatures!'

Even shambling monstrosities who have committed deplorable atrocities seem to be no exception. When they are first presented, they appear reprehensible, and the furthest thing from a human. But as the fight progresses, tinctures of the whole picture are revealed. As the demons regain a hazy sense of human lucidity before their death, the curtains are dropped and the full picture is laid bare. A raddled writer. A confused child. The desire for human warmth, the abnegation, the stinging regret. A human connection.

Make no mistake, Tanjiro understands that these demons cannot be forgiven for their deeds. When it comes down to it, he is perfectly willing to unsheathe his steel. The duality of his character is well-articulated and fleshed out.

Kimetsu no Yaiba was nothing short of a masterpiece. The art, animation and music elevated it to meteoric heights, but the real coping stone, to me, was the characters and the way they were developed. Moral themes and comedy are deftly interwoven into the story alongside passionate action scenes.

Ufotable never fails to deliver. You will enjoy this.