Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 6 Review: Swordsman Accompanying a Demon

Our baby Tanjiro has completed his examination and is setting out into the big wide world. His first assignment is to investigate the disappearance of young girls in a certain village. But, as we’re quickly learning with this series, nothing is ever easy for our hero. The demon he faces this week has a nefarious twist which could spell some real trouble for him!

Japanese Original Episode Title : 鬼を連れた剣士

Plot

This week’s episode opens with Tanjiro trying on his new uniform and Urokodaki presenting him with a new travel case for Nezuko. With their brand new gear, Tanjiro and Nezuko travel to the village where girls have been disappearing each night. There, Tanjiro meets a boy aimlessly walking the streets after the kidnapping of his girlfriend. No one seems to believe his tale, until Tanjiro comes along. Tanjiro quickly gets to work, and his super sense of smell comes in handy to track down the demon. However, tracking the demon is easy; defeating it is another matter altogether.

Episode Highlights

The Daily Grind: Argh, the demon’s teeth grinding did a great job of grating on my nerves. I’m equal parts impressed at the sound editing and annoyed.

Time for a Hug?: This week’s kidnapping of the poor girl was straight out a horror movie. The black pool following her around her own home. The tension finally culminating with arms coming out from the pool of darkness and wrapping around her as she slept. Very well done!

Nezuko Kick: Nezuko is definitely the star of the show. I’ll never get tired of her jumping into the action with her powerful kicks. I also love seeing the siblings fighting side by side.

Themes & Trivia

Scar: Viewers will no doubt notice that Tanjiro’s forehead scar changed dramatically this episode. It used to be a pink blob, but now it’s maroon and has almost a flame pattern to it. While he did get injured in the same spot during the final selection, I do find it odd his scar changed so significantly.

Comments

As he does every week, Tanjiro stole my heart during this episode. At the beginning of the episode Urokodaki tells Tanjiro a bit more about his sword’s color. As you may remember, Haganezuka and Urokodaki weren’t exactly thrilled when his sword turned black. Urokodaki explains that not much is known about black swords and there’s a superstition that it’s because people who wield them never go very far. I assume this is a euphemism for that they die pretty early on. But Tanjiro, ever the ray of sunshine, says that even if he may not go far in the demon corps, he’s sure to find the cure for his sister. Oh, Tanjiro!

Urokodaki was really dropping information left, right, and center this episode. We also gained a clue for Tanjiro’s hunt for the cure. There’s only one demon in the world who can turn a human into a demon. That is the first demon ever, Muzan Kibutsuji. I found this particularly interesting as Tanjiro’s family home was so out of the way. If Muzan is so special, I doubt he’s just wondering the mountains on the off chance he finds some humans to feast on. I’m starting to wonder if Tanjiro’s family was specifically targeted.

Of course, I couldn’t do this episode review without looking at this week’s demon. The demon of the hour is not in-fact a singular demon. This one has split into three bodies and is able to use spells to phase through materials. He’s also probably the grossest demon we’ve met so far, with his taste for young flesh. I for one am sincerely looking forward to Tanjiro slicing and dicing this demon.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It…

Tanjiro’s first mission is off to a rough start, facing off with another super powered demon. But with Nezuko by his side, there’s no demon that the two of them can’t take down. But now that we know the name ‘Muzan Kibutsuji’, and it’s the title of the next episode, I can’t help but be worried for them. Next week, will they face off with the demon who started it all?

NEXT TIME: Muzan Kibutsuji

Remember to check back next week for my review of episode seven. 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.