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A boy and his sister. Love. Loss. Adventure. Danger.

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Okay, so today I’m going to attempt to give a brief overview of the first Volume of Demon Slayer—hopefully with no spoilers.
But just in case.. Wish me luck and may the odds be in my favor.

I really wasn’t all that interested in starting Demon Slayer but there were puppy eyes and pleases.. so yeah.
Fortunately, there were enough similarities to Full Metal Alchemist, Naruto, and My Hero Academia that I figured to give it a go because those faces were not taking “no” for an answer. And surprise, surprise.. I actually liked it.

I know a lot of you don’t read manga but you should check this one out some time, it’s fast paced and the volumes are short enough to sneak in between other reads and responsibilities.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge

Four Stars!

What it’s about:

Tanjiro Kamado provides for his mother and siblings by selling charcoal to nearby villagers until he returns one morning to find all but his sister, Nezuko, slaughtered by demons. Alive but now possessed by a demon herself, Nezuko is targeted by a hunter from the Demon Corps. Only Tanjiro’s bravery and fierce declaration to do whatever necessary to find a cure for Nezuko convinces the hunter to spare her—for now.

Directed to the home of Sakonji Urokodaki, a former Demon Slayer who now trains and prepares the next generation of hunters, Tanjiro dedicates himself to learning the skills he’ll need to survive the Hunter’s exam.

My Thoughts:

This is a pretty entertaining series once everything is set up and the main characters all come together.
The beginning starts out a little slower, a little darker, and—at times—a little confusing.. There are a lot of characters and quite bit of information about the Demon Slayers to keep up with but once we know more about WTH is going on it’s easy to sink into the storyline and just enjoy the ride.

The main group’s dynamics and more theatrical personalities are what really stood out for me.. but they don’t all come together until later in the series. This first book focuses on Tanjiro, his sister, and his hunter training.

Tanjiro’s a great character to follow. Brave, compassionate, and fiercely protective—he inspires those around him.
Nezuko, though.. I actually found her to be the least interesting of the main characters. Maybe she’s different in the anime but manga-wise? I’m not entirely sure why she’s so popular. She’s not boring, okay? It just felt like they pulled her out of a hat every now and then, usually to kick some butt, before tucking her away again.

The art is pretty good. It’s somehow a combination of styles that ends up suiting the manga well. I feel like the demons were especially well rendered but, really, each character has an individuality that’s impressive considering how many there are.

One thing that did eat at me was their ‘abilities’ (and this may be a bit of a spoiler but I fail to see how it would effect your reading experience so..)
Tanjiro has an extremely heightened sense of smell that is crucial throughout the storyline.. but it and the other hunter gifts are never really explained. Well, not yet anyway.

This is a manga I feel confident in recommending. It’s a good, fast-paced, action-packed adventure full of likable “good guys” and intriguing “bad guys.” But be prepared for a lot of heartbreaking backstories.. these kids aren’t Demon Slayers because they were bored.

And that’s a wrap..
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my review, I hope you enjoyed it!
Be sure to stay safe, have a wonderful day, and as always—Happy reading.

Have you read a manga or graphic novel?
Which is your favorite?

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