Today, I want to share my thoughts on my new favorite anime: Demon Slayer or Kimetsu No Yaiba in Japanese. This is based on the anime series because I haven't read the manga.
The anime created by Koyoharu Gotouge portrays the journey of Tanjiro Kamado and his sister Nezuko. This redheaded hero truly stole my heart! His personality combined with the amazing storytelling of the series made the experience almost a spiritual one.
It might sound exaggerated, but for someone as sensitive as I am this was beyond exciting! I'm an Empath which means I can feel empathy for anyone. Even if they are not the kindest of people or they have hurt me in the past, I can still feel for them.
Being HSP or Hyper-sensitive Person has ups and downs like everything else. One of the downs is that I often felt stupid or strange for caring about people who had hurt me in the past or for complete strangers. I also had a hard time setting boundaries for myself. What if I made someone else feel bad? What if I hurt them?
Tanjiro is an Empath, just like I am! His story and his way of thinking deeply resonated with me. He is a strong kind hero who will respect his enemies, treat them with compassion, and never enjoys hurting them. He is the perfect combination of a strong resolve and a gentle personality.
I saw myself in him, and was able to join him in the journey with every episode I watched. This is the kind of representation I've been missing. The strong male lead that is not constantly crying like Midoriya is (sorry BNH fans, I was very quickly fed up with him) but he also shows a deep sense of empathy.
Tanjiro is the balance of yin and yang made a character. This balance is SO hard to find! I find it incredibly difficult to write as well (I truly admire the mangaka). He is a fully fleshed out character with negative sides and positive sides. He feels real, and I now see him as someone who exists. Just like I see all my favorite characters.
On the other hand, there are many reasons why you should watch this anime if you haven't already!
The visuals of the series are magnificent. You get beautiful landscapes, breathtaking scenes, and repulsive monsters that will give you the creeps.
If you love Japanese culture this is an excellent anime to watch since it shows typical cultural elements of Japan. The way they keep track of time, the values, the etiquette, the instruments, and many more!
Additionally, the story manages to pull on your heart strings like a guitarist! You will laugh, cry, and jump with each episode. For me? Art is anything that truly makes me feel...and this anime is a masterpiece.
Besides my obvious love for Tanjiro, I also fell in love with all of the side characters and villains. Even the characters I dislike as people I love as characters! The worst kind of character is the one you quickly forget. That character you don't remember the name and didn't make you feel anything.
I want stories that make me think. Stories that inspire and motivate me. Stories where I can hate and love with all my emotional strength. I want to dive into the plot and feel like everything else is fiction just for a few hours. Demon slayer gave me all that and more.
Tanjiro Kamado is a truly empowering character. He shows masculinity in a positive light and still keeps in touch with his emotions. The true role model for all of those Empaths who want to achieve great things in life, win battles, and still be Empaths.
Hyper sensitivity is a super power too. Tanjiro is never held back by his capacity to understand others. Even if he doesn't want to fight, he is able to give his all on the battlefield and be a true honorable warrior.
I believe we need more male leads that are a combination of positive masculinity and strong sensitivity. Nezuko is also a strong female character that doesn't give up her femininity in order to be strong, she is both adorable and badass!
I needed heroes that represented my deep sense of empathy while still being able to kick butt! A hero to motivate me to be better and realize others care for me as much I care for them. This is the hero I was looking for. One that made me feel I can be a heroine myself.
If you want to enjoy 26 episodes with action, drama, and comedy then find Demon Slayer on Netflix or Crunchyroll.
Thanks for reading !
Podcast episodes:
Let's Connect Monday: https://anchor.fm/bellemoon99/episodes/Lets-Connect-Monday-58--Time-to-be-yourself-e136o4t
Let's be Kind Thursday: https://anchor.fm/bellemoon99/episodes/Lets-be-Kind-Thursday-54--Loving-yourself-is-hard--but-its-possible-e13osig