Amazing production values lifting an average story.

As beautifully animated as Demon Slayer is, the viewers can't forget that good animation doesn't write a good story. The first season of Demon Slayer can be praised for it's production values, including it's great soundtrack. Still, there wasn't much of substance or that really moved me with the exception of only 1 of it's 26 episodes.

One way to enjoy this series is through the comedy. Though most of it seemed funny, Zenitsu made it almost unbearably annoying and not. At the very least, I can understand now why he is that way. He presents a lesson that though you may run away and cry, it's important to keep going and not give up. Not only that, he is the embodiment of the saying, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." He does this in his own way. I found him likeable in the end, but I can't deny he was insufferably obnoxious for a while.

Music wise, the soundtrack is a real treat. Tragically, I often found the music too good for this anime.

I didn't find the characters a strong point. Regardless, Nezuko and Shinobu became my favorite ones. Nezuko seems more interesting than Tanjirou, and I wonder in the mystery behind her. I wonder how it must feel for her to get tossed around in the box constantly as Tanjiro fights. In that position she is convenient for the plot whenever her brother is in trouble as well. This doesn't take away from all the adorable and grandiose screen time she gets. Shinobu's personality is sinister yet hilarious. Though she appears near the end she left a bigger impact on me then the rest.

After thinking about the rest, a series of characters that seem bland and simplistic in the way they are, the only other character worth mentioning is Inosuke. He's a violent and delusional demon slayer who will change his stance immediately to save face. I feel like he is only there to make up for Tanjirou's lack of growth and boldness. That's not to say that Tanjiro doesn't take risks. Still, Tanjiro is so naively compassionate and sympathetic he should have died a thousand times by now. Inosuke feels like he was only written into the story to counter Tanjiro' personality and to keep the audience from feeling annoyed by Tanjiro by adding this brainless, violent protagonist to make up for it.

The antagonists, or the demons, are not just mindless enemies in the series. They are written in a way to give them humanity out of their tragic backstories. It feels as if Jun Maeda was hired to write everyone's backstories because it seems nearly everyone has a sob story in this anime that glosses over the lack of depth in their character. I believe hardly anyone has strong writing behind them. As a result, the series plays on the viewer's emotions with the repetitive formula of constantly throwing rushed sob stories in your face to force you to care about characters every single time. Mopey backstories aside, there is nothing really meaningful about most characters that compels me to really care about them. Despite that, Tanjiro is often used along with this formula to make you care about meaningless characters because he feels bad for them. As a high moral figure, the viewers of course will sympathize with him.

The biggest issue I have with Demon Slayer is that it feels as if the entire first season relied on the back of one episode. Those who watched it know which one I mean. Leading up to it, the series felt mediocre, dragged on with the same generic formula of fighting new demons constantly, and held up by amazing animation. All it does is help build up for that great episode. It doesn't show any real character development besides Zenitsu, as Tanjirou gets none in this season, implied by the name of the arc leading into the movie. Again, this series plays on the viewers emotions. The bond between Tanjirou and Nezuko is the only meaningful part of the series that explodes with strong emotions once they decide to unfold that mighty episode I mentioned. After that, it just goes downhill again to set up for the next arc.

Amazing animation aside, some episodes, like the second last one, just feel terrible and bland when not on the backs of amazing production values. Just as with the music, the story can feel undeserving of these production values. The writing can't carry itself when the animation decides to cool down and it shows.

This all leads me to Tanjirou. I can feel for the boy for being a character that feels almost like a holy figure in the kind and compassionate way he is. However, rather than being a great protagonist of amazing growth and writing, he comes of more like a basic hero for a 10 year old to relate to and aspire to be. He grows nothing in these 26 episodes. I can understand his merciful attitude towards demons, but he still feels too simplistic and cliche a character. Still, that doesn't mean I have fully given up on him.

It doesn't help that the fights feel ridiculous at times. What was the point of characters breaking bones if they still fight almost as if nothing happened? At least they tried to make the fights interesting as the cast try to outsmart the demons.

When the series decides to turn up it's action, it can do a great a job. During the best fight in the series, it felt like an emotional rollercoaster to go through. Sadly, many times it just feels like a hollow type of enjoyment. It's as if the staff is trying to show the viewers that it can animate something amazingly rather than to hold up a great story behind it a lot of the time.

Speaking of animation, the character designs can look very beautiful. Despite that, the originality can be poor as many of the characters, men and women, can look too much the same. I'm not sure what the deal is with Kyoujurou yet, but his stare looks horrifying to look at with how creepy his eyes look.

Kibutsuji is the main antagonist. He's done too little for me to care about him besides him causing trouble and mindlessly killing everything around him, friend or foe. I'm sure eventually the viewers will get some predictably sad sob story about him at some point regardless.

After the fact, Demon Slayer did nothing amazing for me except for that one beautiful episode. Other than that, perhaps studio Ufotable should have picked a better source material to grace with their animation.