Just when you think Muzan Kibutsuji would be saved last as the big bad, here he already makes his appearance. And his appearance gets even more twisty and surprising not even Tanjiro knows how to react.
The kidnapping demons mission ends in the first half with a little brother-sister teamwork! While two of the demons escape, Tanjiro leaves Nezuko to handle the third one and to protect Kazumi while he goes into the swamp to handle the others. The swamp sequence was mesmerizing. The music definitely helped but the fluid movements of the demons and Tanjiro’s advantage to create a whirlpool was all very exciting to watch. After killing them, he grabs something before he exits. Back at the surface, Nezuko is doing a great job fending off the third one but ends up getting a scratch on her forehead. But as the demon is about to attack her again, Tanjiro flies out of the swamp puddle and slices his arm off. This sounds silly but the moment was the same kind of badass hype moment where it made me cheer like an idiot. It was just so smooth and clean! Tanjiro is just really cool, and he continues to surprise me with how strong he really is.
But before ending him, Tanjiro points his sword at the demon and demands some answers. Who is Muzan Kibutsuji and where can he find him? The demon froze in fear at just the question. We see a little flashback being grabbed by Muzan, being threatened to keep his mouth shut. Muzan tells him to never tell anyone about him, because he’ll find out. He’s always watching him. The demon becomes frantic, saying he can’t, he can’t, he can’t tell him. As he regenerates his arms back and starts to attack, Tanjiro cuts him down. Again, he couldn’t get answers which frustrate him. But he turns his focus on Kazumi and putting his sleeping sister into the box.
Is it just me, or was it a terrible idea for Tanjiro to leave Kazumi alone with the sleeping girl, who never saw a thing, and the mementos of the missing girls. Won’t someone mistake him as the kidnapper/serial killer? I can only see this end terribly. Tanjiro should have taken the girl to her family and introduced himself as a demon slayer. Kazumi is broken enough. >_>
As he leaves, Tanjiro is enraged at Muzan and what he’s caused, with so many innocents dying. But he’s shocked when a messenger crow lands on his shoulder and informs him of his next mission! Go to Asakusa as there’s rumors of a demon there, and he’s gotta start immediately. So Tanjiro has to tackle a much more tough opponent: The big city.
Ufotable doesn’t just do well with fight scenes and the characters themselves, they also do extremely well with background art. They made the city of Asakusa look so large and beautiful, it was honestly breathtaking. It was such a fun scene, Tanjiro making a hilarious face, trying to make his way around the city while avoiding trains and a couple making out in an alley, as well as the giant crowds of people. It’s even funnier that Nezuko was walking around and being led by her brother, but still sleeping. Gosh she’s so cute. The Taisho era was really interesting. While the big cities were large and a lot more modern, with electricity, and was the start of Westernization, the rural areas were still very old school as if time never touched them. Tanjiro not knowing how to act or navigate there was to be expected.
They stop at an udon cart at a more secluded area, but Tanjiro’s meal gets interrupted when he catches a scent in the air. A very familiar one. The same scent he found at the scene of his family’s massacre. He runs off on his own with his sword and makes his way back into the hustle and bustle, pushing back the crowd to find the person he was looking for. Muzan Kibutsuji. But when he turns around, in his arms is a little girl who supposedly is his daughter. Then comes his wife.
Tanjiro is shocked, and I’m also shocked. Shocked that Muzan is hot, shocked that he dresses like Michael Jackson, and shocked that he just wants to live a quiet life! Tanjiro doesn’t know what to do. He puts his sword away at the sight of the little girl, but can’t believe that he could have a normal family and life, but is scared for the girl and wife because of the kind of man he is. And he shows who he is as Muzan discreetly scratches a man walking by, who turns into a demon immediately and attacks his partner. I suppose to distract Tanjiro.
What a reveal! I didn’t expect to see Muzan so soon but after this, I’m even more interested to learn about him. I wonder if he actually did kill Tanjiro’s family since he recognizes the scent, but I have a feeling he didn’t. We found the man but there’s still so many questions to be asked.
