Manga Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 8, by Koyoharu Gotouge

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 19+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tanjiro sets out on the path of the Demon Slayer to save his sister and avenge his family!

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

After dealing with several demonic enemies aboard the Infinity Train, Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke must face the demon spirt of the train itself! Even if they can stop the demon train, the minions of Muzan Kibutsuji are still out there and Tanjiro must continue to improve his strength and skills. Learning the secret of the Hikonami Kagura and Flame Breathing will give him a powerful new advantage!

Review:

I haven't been keeping up with this series, so this is my first volume in a while. And I just don't get it. I'm trying, but I just don't.

As the volume starts, we're in the middle of a train attack, and everyone's in danger, and Tanjiro is seriously wounded. There's a fight, and then some very heartwarming words are exchanged as people are dying. Tanjiro passes on some passing words to a family member, and then they're on to a new case.

Everything just feels so one-dimensional in this series. The artwork is not good, in my opinion, and doesn't give me any emotional feelings, and is very 2D. This just portrays into the words, as none of the emotions are presented well enough, and none of the characters seem very fleshed-out, so it feels rushed and one-dimensional.

I wish I liked this series, and honestly I wonder if the anime just does a much better job of it, but I just can't with this one.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 3, by Koyoharu Gotouge

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volumes: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tanjiro sets out on the path of the Demon Slayer to save his sister and avenge his family!

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

Tanjiro and Nezuko cross paths with two powerful demons who fight with magical weapons. Even help from Tamayo and Yushiro may not be enough to defeat these demons who claim to belong to the Twelve Kizuki that directly serve Kibutsuji, the demon responsible for all of Tanjiro’s woes! But if these demons can be defeated, what secrets can they reveal about Kibutsuji?

Review:

At this point, I really don't get the huge fanbase for this series. Maybe the anime is different? Maybe it gets better?

Given the previous rush of plot points, it was no surprise that this cliffhanger battle wraps up rather quickly. And of course it doesn't quite go where he hoped it would, so Tanjiro is off on another mission from the crow.

This new mission features some kids trapped inside a demon-controlled, ever-changing house. It's a bit of a puzzle, which is complicated by Tanjiro meeting another demon slayer, only this one is utterly useless and whines and cries and is too terrified by demons to fight them.

Zenitsu is more annoying than funny. But my actual issue with this volume, was the fact that supposedly Tanjiro was majorly injured—he claimed to have a broken rib and leg—and yet, he was still doing a lot of fighting and jumping around. He was doing way too much moving around to have that many injuries, and it just seemed unnecessary. Zenitsu wasn't forced to take enough of the fighting for it to be necessary, I didn't think.

The only real interest I have in this series is Nezuko, honestly. I find her character really interesting, and I want to like the brother-sister relationship focus. I'm just not all that into the other characters, or the way the story is being told, I think.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 2, by Koyoharu Gotouge

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2018

Volumes: 14+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tanjiro sets out on the path of the Demon Slayer to save his sister and avenge his family!

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

During final selection for the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro faces a disfigured demon and uses the techniques taught by his master, Urokodaki! As Tanjiro begins to walk the path of the Demon Slayer, his search for the demon who murdered his family leads him to investigate the disappearances of young girls in a nearby town.

Review:

Now that Tanjiro has passed and become a demon slayer, he can go back to his sister. He has to wait for his sword, and he's been given a bird to pass on his jobs to him. He's relieved to be with his sister again, and see that she's doing okay.

His first job is to kill the demon that's been stealing girls from a village. It's a rather quick search, really, though it doesn't give him any more info on the man he's searching for.

Oh yeah, at the beginning of the chapter, it's just mentioned that his masked friend informed him of a demon, the only one known to be able to turn humans into demons, and the man who must have killed his family. Supposedly this man is the only one who might know how to turn his sister back.

Given how abruptly this information is given to Tanjiro, and then how easily he finds him in the latter half of the volume... It feels rushed, and much too easy. It makes me think that this is a short series, but it's not, so hopefully that means we get new plot lines after a while, and this doesn't get stretched out too much. It's hard to tell right now, though.

Things seem to be working too easily for Tanjiro. As soon as he gets new information or is told he needs something, right there it comes along for him. It's too convenient for me.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Volume 1, by Koyoharu Gotouge

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 2018

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: Same as description.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tanjiro sets out on the path of the Demon Slayer to save his sister and avenge his family!

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

Learning to slay demons won’t be easy, and Tanjiro barely knows where to start. The surprise appearance of another boy named Giyu, who seems to know what’s going on, might provide some answers…but only if Tanjiro can stop Giyu from killing his sister first!

Review:

The volume opens ominously. We meet Tanjiro, who treks his way into town for supplies and work, only to get stuck there one night. Leaving his family, his many siblings, alone at home. There are rumors of demons in the woods, though he doesn't really believe that. Until he goes home and finds his family slaughtered.

This series takes a rather dramatic, dark turn, very quickly. His sister turns into a demon, and he's desperate to keep any of his family alive that he can. And thus he starts on his trek for safety, for somewhere to go and get answers, while keeping his sister alive and under control, and he stumbles onto a track to becoming a demon slayer.

The trials Tanjiro goes through are rather haunting, and dramatic. His relationship with his sister is very odd, a close kinship-like understanding. I'm intrigued by his sister's state, though, and what's going to happen with her. She's something else than human now, but she's almost protective of Tanjiro, I think.

This series feel very old-school. It reminded me a bit of Inuyasha, with such old customs and yokai stories, and the artwork falls into that older feel as well.

I'm not hooked, but I am intrigued by the characters.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!