Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 12 Review: The Boar Bares its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Last week I finished Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in a state of shock. It was as though I had started watching a completely different series than the one I had spent eleven weeks following. Everything was so similar but it was all brought down by an incredibly annoying character named Zenitsu. Despite my disappointment, I resolved to go into this episode with an open mind, and heck, I was pleasantly surprised by the end of it.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 猪は牙を剥き、善逸は眠る

Plot

Our cast is still stuck in the shifting demon’s house, and with each beat of the tsuzumi, they get further apart from one another. As strong divided as they are together, the two new demon slayers face off with demons. Tanjiro continues to battle the master of the house. While he’s worked out the trick behind the tsuzumi, he continues to struggle with his fresh wounds from the last battle.

Episode Highlights

ALMOST ate my words: When Zenitsu popped up in this week’s episode, I rolled my eyes and got ready for another painful segment. But I was pleasantly surprised by his introspection and how he was taking on board what the kid had said. I even laughed when he and the kid were chased by the demon. That’s right, I laughed at the character I claimed was unlaughable. The cherry on top was when he finally kicked some butt with that incredibly animated lightning move. Of course, any awe I had for his character quickly disappeared when I realized he was asleep during the battle. But there’s some hope yet for this blondie.

Someone else took the top spot: Last week, Zenitsu was at the top of my most unlikeable characters list but someone else knocked him off the spot this week. That was the boar boy. Seriously, what kind of twat stands on a child!? Zenitsu is annoying but this boar dude is just messed up.

Naruto run: I’m sure many fans spotted the Naruto run boar boy did as he made his way through the mansion!

A refined palate: This week we learned another interesting fact in the Demon Slayer universe. There’s a rare blood type referred to as ‘marechi’ which is considered a delicacy for demons. Not only does it supposedly taste better, it also makes demons significantly stronger.

Themes/Trivia

Cafe Event: From 13 to 30 June, a special Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba event cafe will be running in Shinjuku. Entry to the cafe is free but you have to sign up for a lottery. The cafe offers themed drinks, food, desserts, and special merch such as badges and charms. You can find out more information on the cafe over here.

Comments

One aspect of this series that I’m really enjoying is how we gain insight into the lives of demons. From way back in the final selection with the arms demon to the temari demon, each one explored a facet of the curse’s tragedy. The shifting demon of the last two episodes gave us a new perspective – one that focused on the mysterious twelve demon moons. In a flashback, we are shown that the shifting demon was expelled from the lower moon group. This scene is important for two reasons: The first is that it gives us an idea of the power we can expect from the moons. We learn the moons are divided into ‘upper’ and ‘lower’, with shifting demon being lower moon 6. He was considered too weak for this position and removed. If Tanjiro can’t defeat this demon, he won’t have much hope with the actual moons.

The second, and perhaps more interesting aspect is that demons have a limit. No matter how many humans they eat they can’t surpass their given limits. Now this brings up two more interesting thoughts. The first is that how much blood Muzan gives someone would in turn define their limit. It’s not random which demons are in the Twelve Demon Moons. He must choose them and see some potential in them when they’re humans. Then he gives them a large amount of blood so they can in turn became powerful. The second is that this once again reflects Muzan’s fear of death. By giving the demons a limit, it prevents them from ever overthrowing him or killing him. After all, I’m sure no demon’s limit would be close to Muzan’s abilities.

Don’t be a ‘Boar’!

While Zenitsu definitely did improve this episode, I’m definitely not sold on this boar boy. With these last two episodes I’m missing the days when it was just Netsuko and Tanjiro traveling around together. At the moment I don’t see much point in adding these two characters in, besides some comic relief and action scenes. Neither of them are intriguing and are in fact are pretty off-putting. While I’m sure they’ll undergo a unique character arc later in the series, it remains to be seen if it’ll be worth sticking around for.

NEXT TIME: Something More Important Than Life

Remember to check back next week for my review of episode thirteen. In the meantime, make sure to check out the rest of our Spring 2019 reviews. This series is also part of our weekly anime previews.