The second season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is split into two arcs, Mugen Train and Entertainment District. The first arc, Mugen Train, is an expanded adaptation when compared to the movie, so even if you had seen the movie, there are new scenes here. This is particularly so for the first episode of the season, where it sets up the Flame Hashira, Rengoku, and what he was doing before he had boarded the Mugen Train and met the protagonists. Rengoku may be a bit strange at first but you’ll soon realize that he is a strong and honest man. The striking visuals and the rousing music perfectly set the tone for the rest of the second.
The anime is set in a world where there are demons prowling in the night. The three protagonists, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, are part of the Demon Slayers Corp. Demons can only be permanently killed by severing their head by the neck as otherwise, they are able to rapidly regenerate. To make matters even more unfair, demons are usually physically stronger as well as having special abilities. It can be a somewhat scary premise and despite the amazing aesthetics and animation, this can be a violent anime with plenty of blood and severe physical injuries.
Upon the protagonists boarding the train and meeting up with Rengoku, they set about tracking down the demon that had been plaguing this train and killing many of its passengers. The arc is short at only seven episodes long and thus it boils down to a simplistic story. However, just like the first season, what elevates it is how it portrays the emotional aspect of the story. The two most prominent characters have their familiar bonds as a large part of them and this is what makes the viewer emotionally invested. Coupled with the fantastic fight scenes where the camera dynamically moves and the flashy combat visual effects, and this ends up being a very good anime to watch.
Another impressive aspect is how quickly Rengoku becomes a likeable character. He is weird at first, but he has this honest, upfront and genuine side of him where he doesn’t hide anything. He is kind and powerful, being a strong role model for the characters. He goes toe to toe with the strongest demon that the characters have encountered so far and is able to hold his own even amongst terrible odds. Even with all his power, he struggles against his opponent, and this is where it certainly feels unfair that the demons have so many advantages over humans.
The impact of the first arc is constantly felt in the second arc. Entertainment District introduces us to yet another Hashira, and he is very different to Rengoku. After the powerful performance of Rengoku, you would have high expectations of Uzui as well, in strength if not in personality. The arc moves quickly as the trio is quickly wrapped into trying to discover the demon lurking in the entertainment district. It might feel a bit too quick, considering that the trio ends up into a fight for their lives soon after trying to blend in with the population. This arc also has a simplistic story as it is dominated by fight scenes. These fights are punctuated by quick flashbacks to either reveal more of a character’s past or to shed light on their motivations. There is just enough story and future teases to keep it interesting.
Unlike a lot of anime protagonists, Tanjiro isn’t portrayed as overpowered or having main character superpowers. He is constantly in doubt about himself, which can be annoying but can be seen as humble and still being inexperienced. He is going to make it big but this season is about the journey he takes to get there. Tanjiro is still figuring out his abilities as up until now, he mainly utilized the water breathing technique but his natural affinity is to the Hinokami Kagura, a flame-based ability. He’s used it sparingly in the past given that it debilitates his body soon after using it. There’s a lot more than meets the eye to this technique as there are big teases into its history.
Tanjiro’s sister, Nezuko, is as interesting as Tanjiro himself. Despite being a demon, she is still on the side of the Demon Slayers, which has never happened before. Without devouring any humans, she still has incredible powers. She is often forgotten until the plot needs her to show off. Although, her current situation never felt adequately explained. She can change sizes at will (in order to fit into the small box that Tanjiro carries with him all the time), and she isn’t as sentient as the rest of the demons show. Just how much does she understand given that she never speaks? How much does she remember and is herself? None of these are clear to the viewer.
Somehow, despite the big climactic fight taking more than half the episodes in the second arc, it manages to keep escalating the situation without making it feel dragged out. The style the anime exhibits is something that we haven’t seen in a long time. The usual strong theme of family bond is in full display and due to the fate of previous characters, you are never one hundred percent sure that everyone will survive without harm. This keeps it tense and unexpected in many ways. The anime strikes a balance between having even a Hashira struggle against the enemy but at the same time not allowing Tanjiro to easily overcome that barrier to defeat the demon. Yet it also allows the teamwork to shine through between the three protagonists.
This was always an issue, but the anime is constantly flipping between a serious scene and then some slapstick humor. It is better handled this season but there are a lot of places where the mood whiplash is noticeable. Considering that some of the demons that Tanjiro faces are incredible threats, to have them collapse and bawl their eyes out just feels at odds with how they were portrayed just a moment ago. On the flipside, sometimes the scenes have so much happening, or that it is a such an epic sequence, that it can be hard to absorb everything in the first watching. Ultimately, the resolution of the arc is satisfying, and the end result is noted by several high ranking characters to have significant implications in the future as change has finally happened in the long battle between demon slayers and the demons.
Overall, the second season of Demon Slayer: Kimestsu no Yaiba is fantastic. It covers two arcs, and both are strong in their own way. The first is shorter with a seemingly more personal touch, while the second is longer and engaging in a different way. Both strikes hard in their emotional impact, and both should have lasting effects on Tanjiro and the others. The biggest negative is probably how light it can be on the worldbuilding and storytelling, as it feels that most of the time spent is in battle. Sure, these battles are flashy with heaps of style, and they are a lot of fun to watch, but a little bit more development in its worldbuilding wouldn’t be amiss either. However, this still ranks up there as one of the best anime to watch.