Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 18 Review: A Forged Bond

Last week Papa Spider made his proper debut appearance in Kimetsu no Yaiba. The first part of this week’s episode confirmed that he’s just as horrifying as we all thought he would be. But the second part took an unexpected route. Turns out there’s more to be afraid of in that mountain than a massive spider-faced demon. Let’s see how our demon slaying squad fared against the spider horde!

Japanese Original Episode Title: 偽物の絆

Plot

Tanjiro and Inosuke work together to take on the Father spider demon, but he proves too strong for them – their swords can’t even scratch his skin! When Tanjiro attempts to pull off an epic move, the demon one ups him and flings him to the other side of the forest. There, Tanjiro meets the two remaining spider siblings, one of whom seems even worse than its father! While Tanjiro struggles physically to keep up with the demon, Inosuke’s battle is mental. When all seems lost for him, he remembers the friends and kind words that have warmed him the last few episodes. But, while these thoughts push him to do his best, the demon still overwhelms him. It seems to be the end for Inosuke when an old friend crashes the party.

Episode Highlights

Squashed like a watermelon: Oh no. When Inosuke’s poor head was being squashed by the Father spider demon, I was getting real Game of Thrones flashbacks. I can only stomach one crushed head scene in this lifetime!

Bubbles!: What was most impressive during Tanjiro + Inosuke vs. Papa Spider was not Tanjiro’s epic tree attack; it was the bubble animation. Papa Spider can’t breathe underwater and there’s an incredible bubbling on the water’s surface around him.

Butterflies: Another stunning segment was when the butterfly demon slayer found Zenitsu. Her haori shifting from the shape of a butterfly to her with the moon in the background was gorgeous. I’m glad Zenitsu survived long enough to see such a pretty sight. I’m joking, I’m joking! There’s nothing prettier than Nezuko.

Inosuke’s past: This episode gave us a small peek into Inosuke’s past, and specifically his mother. We can see that Inosuke was left by his mother in the woods, but it seems she did so as a way for him to survive. I’m hoping we’ll uncover more of his story as the series progresses.

Forged Bonds: Just as the episode title implies, this week’s episode looked at fake ties – specifically those between the remaining spider siblings. Tanjiro’s yelling at the brother spider was fantastic. It just goes to show how much respect and love Tanjiro has for the people around him. He considers it an insult when someone uses the word ‘family’ or ‘friends’ so flippantly and without proper care for those they claim they are close to.

What’s in the box?: Every time they focused on the box I was just waiting for Nezuko to jump out and start kicking butt! Hopefully, we’ll see her next week.

Father vs. Child: We know that one of the demons in the forest is part of the Twelve Demon Moons and my first assumption was that it was the father. But seeing Giyu finish him off so quickly has got me wondering whether it could be one of the siblings. The brother sibling has an incredible power, but I have to admit I am interested in the girl. She could surprise us all.

Comments

I’m going to say it: this has been my favorite episode so far. There was so much happening and it seemed impossible that the episode was only twenty minutes long. However, it never felt overwhelmingly busy. There was a string of tension that connected each of the boys, and not once did it slack. One moment my heart was racing for Inosuke and his beautiful face, the next I was squeamish on whether Tanjiro would be sliced and diced and then I was worried for Zenitsu. I was so glad the episode focused back on him for a short time. It reminded us that our thunder boy is still fighting, even when he was in excruciating pain. The words of his teacher continue to spur him on, just as the words of the old woman and Tanjiro encouraged Inosuke.

One of the central themes of the series was really highlighted in this episode: bonds. So far two of our characters have overcome significant odds. Whether it was a brief meeting or years together training, each person in their life has had a hand in shaping them. It is this idea of bonding that is also so central to Tanjiro’s character and the reason why he was so disgusted by the spider brother’s treatment of his ‘beloved’ sister. Next week, I expect Nezuko to make her appearance. Tanjiro and she can show them what a real brother/sister duo looks like!

Reunion Time!

I always look forward to each episode of Demon Slayer and have come to expect a quality episode each week. I never realized I could expect something better than what I have been seeing. Ufotable really hit it out of the park with this week’s episode. Each character uses the bonds of the past and present to propel them forward to their goals. I’ll have to start the countdown till next week’s episode again; it’ll be an excruciating wait.

NEXT TIME: Hinokami

Remember to check back next week for my review of Episode 19. 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.