So, I was a little late to the game when it came to Demon Slayer. The show released back in 2019 during my junior year of college, when I was looking for an internship for the summer. The best anime, at the time, was the last thing on my mind.
I only ended up binging all of Demon Slayer a year ago when I was healing from wisdom teeth surgery, and I instantly fell in love with it. It was unlike any other anime I had watched by then, somehow combining a strange wholesome nature with the story of Tanjiro and his sister, Nezuko, while also providing thrilling action and brilliant animation in a world run by demons.
I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Season 3, and I have to say, it’s blown my expectations out of the water. If anything, Demon Slayer has only gotten better with time and Season 3 is looking to be one of the best seasons of the show, in my opinion – and these are my reasons why.
The Animation Has Somehow Gotten Even Better
I just have to give major props to literally anyone who animates any kind of anime, because watching these shows always has me mesmerized. I’ve been amazed by the anime details from shows such as Attack on Titan, or even the intense Chainsaw Man from MAPPA, and have enjoyed the lovely nature of Spy x Family from Wit Studio.
But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the animation of Demon Slayer in Season 3 from Ufotable. They really said, “This season is going to have a budget.”
The first few episodes felt like any normal anime, but it’s really when the Upper Ranked demons start to appear that the animation goes crazy. Even in the first episode, that opening sequence of the Upper Ranked meeting in the Infinity Castle was incredibly animated, but it was Episode 5 that did it for me – that moment where Tanjiro is able to unleash his Hinokami Kagura. That animation blew me away. I was left in awe.
They’ve Made Better Use Of Nezuko’s Demon Powers
Nezuko’s demon form was one of the many things from Season 2 of the show that hit me out of nowhere because wow, she looked so badass and it was really cool to see her and Tanjiro fight together, but in Season 3, we really see her take her powers to another level.
It’s even more impressive when you realize that Nezuko is still younger than Tanjiro mentally, at only fourteen years old, despite her body being a demon body now and having incredible strength, so knowing that she’s still so young and doing all of these crazy stunts is wild to think about. But, she’s been working harder and harder to somehow use her powers to help her brother in any way possible.
My favorite part so far has been her using her blood to light Tanjiro’s blade on fire, which is so cool. I hope we get to see more of her learning how to use these powers as time goes on.
And The Demons Themselves, The Upper Five, Are Terrifying
The Season 2 finale of Demon Slayer, where they finally take out the Upper Rank Six siblings, was something that was truly momentous for the anime, but I have to say, these remaining devils are all collectively scary.
It’s funny, as someone who is a huge fan of darker anime. I really enjoy the Titans in Attack on Titan and all the crazy curse monsters in Jujutsu Kaisen and its prequel movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, but I really don’t think any of them hold a candle to the demons in Demon Slayer, at all. They would body them instantly.
We’ve already seen Akaza fight, but just seeing the other demons has me all excited for the future of the series. So far, we’ve seen Upper Three Hantengu fight the most this season, with Upper Five Gyokko starting to come around, and both are equally terrifying and exciting.
Tanjiro Is Still A Cinnamon Roll – But A More Powerful Cinnamon Roll This Time Around
Something I really do love about Tanjiro is that he genuinely is one of the sweetest protagonists out there. It was what I initially fell in love with him for – the fact that he really does just want to find a way to save his sister, and eliminate the demons. That is his goal; his one, driving force.
Even then, he’s still been kind to some of the demons that have tried to kill him, and always tries to do so with a smile on his face. In his darkest hour, he relies on the aid of his friends and what he has learned to somehow save him. It’s what makes him such a sweet person, which is why I like him so much more than many other anime protagonists these days.
However, Tanjiro has also learned so much over the last two seasons, and to see him now is astonishing. It’s hard to believe that this isn’t even just his first Upper Rank demon he is taking on – this is his second. He’s survived the first and it’s incredible that he has come this far and still has that same smile on his face. You just have to love him.
I Miss Inosuke And Zenitsu – But I Like The Other Characters We Are Seeing More Of Almost As Much
I will admit that Inosuke and Zenitsu were fun companions in the first two seasons. Their wacky nature and personalities, which contrasted with that of Tanjiro, really made for a great dynamic between the three, so it’s understandable why we would miss them.
I have to say, though, I don’t miss them nearly as much as I thought I would. I like the new characters we are slowly starting to get to know more, from Genya to Muichiro to even Mitsuri, which we’ll get into down below. Honestly, everyone really captures my attention – and as long as the same sibling relationship is there between Tanjiro and Nezuko, this show is still killing it.
And Suddenly, Mitsuri Kanroji Is My Favorite Hashira
My love for Mitsuri came out of nowhere. When I first learned that Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, was going to be one of the main Hashiras we followed in Season 3, I was sort of “meh” about it, just because I was really interested in the story of the other Hashiras – but wow, yeah, Episodes 1 and 5 turned that around so quickly.
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Mitsuri is literally the sweetest girl ever and is just looking for someone to love and care for, but also wants to protect innocent lives – a literal girl version of Tanjiro, if we’re being honest. She’s so kind and will do anything to protect others, and then we see her fight. God, her fight.
Let me tell you, I fell in love quicker with her than I did any of the other badass characters in Attack on Titan or any other anime because she just showed her skills off so easily. I don’t just want to be friends with her, I want to be her. She’s insane and I love her so much and now, I can’t wait to see more of this season with her.
Season 3 of Demon Slayer is still going on as I write this, and if you haven’t gotten the chance to check it out yet, I’d suggest doing so, because it’s truly the best that Ufotable has put out yet. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
