Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 14 Review: The House with the Wisteria Family Crest

The last thirteen episodes of Demon Slayer have been emotionally charged and intense. So it’s no surprise that our sweet boy Tanjiro needed a break. This week’s episode felt like a sleepover party with the boys. But it was not all fun and games as a shocking revelation almost sends Zenitsu overboard. So put on your pjs, grab a hot chocolate, and let’s see what happened this week.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 藤の花の家紋の家)

Plot

Tanjiro charges at boar boy who has beaten Zenitsu to a pulp and intends to harm Nezuko. They fight for a while before Tanjiro settles it with a headbutt. With everyone nursing fresh wounds, the crow tells them to travel back down the mountain where they part with the children they saved. At the mountain’s base, a strange house has appeared with a wisteria crest. The house allows the boys to rest, which they are all in dire need of. A majority of the episode is dedicated to their joking antics.

Episode Highlights

Big Brother Mode Activated: Gosh, Tanjiro just can’t switch off his big brother mode. Looking at him with Zenitsu and Inosuke, it’s like two little kids with their much older and mature brother. Tanjiro is so calm and sweet when dealing with them. Personally, in those scenes where other characters thought he was misunderstanding Inosuke, I think Tanjiro knew exactly how to get him to do some work. As a big brother he must be used to convincing or even tricking his younger siblings into doing work they didn’t want to!

Face reveal: We finally got a face reveal for boar boy. I was very interested in what was beneath that mask. So it turns out boar boy is a bit of an ikemen!

Headbutt: This isn’t the first and it certainly won’t be the last time we’ve seen a shonen hero use his head to get a point across. Other famous examples include the iconic Gaara/ Naruto fight in Naruto and Ganta/Minatsuki in Deadman Wonderland.

Themes & Trivia

Tempura: The mouth-watering meal that the boys were served at the wisteria house mainly consisted of tempura. Tempura is vegetables or seafood which has been battered and deep fried. It’s usually served with a Ten-tsuyu dipping sauce that consists of mirin (sweet rice seasoning), soy sauce, and fish stock.

Comments

Demon Slayer has always had some fun, comedic moments sprinkled throughout the last thirteen episodes; enough to give a reprieve from non-stop action but not too much to disrupt the story’s pacing. In saying that, I was still really happy to have an extended ‘sketch’ segment that took up most of this week’s episode. As many of you who have been following these weekly reviews will know, I have been struggling to like Zenitsu and Inosuke’s characters. They weren’t introduced in the most flattering way: a creep and a hot head, respectively. But this episode showed a more likeable, and in turn human side to both of them.

In this episode we also learned a bit more about Inosuke’s history which in turn has informed us a bit more about his aggressive character. He tells Tanjiro that he grew up alone in the mountains, without siblings or parents. Because of this, he’s definitely developed a ‘survival of the fittest’ mindset. However, it is interesting that he would purposely venture out to kill demons. I think that demon slaying is just another way for him to test his strength, albeit a very, very dangerous way. One thing I’d like to know is if he has a crow, like the other demon slayer initiates (save Zenitsu). Is there some way the corp is communicating where he should go or is he just running around killing demons on gut instinct!?

Sleepover Party!

This week’s episode gave some much-needed bonding time not only between the boys but also for the viewers. We finally had the chance to see Zenitsu and Inosuke in a more personal light. The episode also served to really solidify them as a group, rather than three randoms thrown together. Needless to say, I had so much fun watching this episode.

NEXT TIME: Mount Natagumo

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