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The Real Isekai Begins Now!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , ,

A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Pt. 3

Last time on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, that reincarnated NEET Rudeus Greyrat went to be the tutor to his distant relative’s daughter, Eris Greyrat. Otherwise known as the tsundere that makes all the other tsundere’s look mid in comparison. And even though their first meeting ends with her punching his face, Rudeus eventually manages to get through to the girl, and they become friends. But before Rudy can get the chance to take things even further, these two kids are hit by this massive pillar of light that sends them off to who knows where!

So, where have Rudeus and Eris ended up? How are they going to get home alive? Will there even be a home for them to return to? In part three of my recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, find out all this and more.

 How the Heck Did We Get Here?!?!

First off, Rudeus ain’t dead. He’s alive. But when he comes to, he doesn’t understand that at first. All he knows is that he’s in this white void and back in his old body. He’s not alone, either. He’s greeted by this weird, featureless ghost guy acting like a troll. He says, “What’s up? Call me Man-God, and I’m here to give you a little advice, and you finna pay attention if you want to get your sorry ass home. Now, when you wake up, you’re going to meet someone. And even though they will look scary as Hell, trust them. They are going to keep you and that girl alive. Alright, later!”

So when Rudeus wakes up, it’s safe to say he’s not in Kansas anymore. He’s not even on the same continent anymore. Somehow, that beam of light teleported his and Eris’ sorry butts to the Demon Continent! Not only is that on the other side of the world, but it’s also the most dangerous part of the world. It’s home to all kinds of Demons, Monsters, and other races, and one of those Demons wound up finding him and Eris.

The Superd Boogeyman Stories are Fake

Meet Ruijerd, the Superd, and get ready for some backstory. Five hundred years ago, the Demon God Laplace tried to conquer the world until he got sealed away. However, while much of the world learned to put the past behind them, Ruijerd’s people, the Superd, were hated by everyone, even other Demons. Roxy told Rudeus stories about these green-haired people who killed anything that moved, even their comrades. 

Turns out, though, most of that’s cap. While the Superd did fight for the Demon God, the whole “turning on their allies” thing wasn’t of their free will. Laplace gave them these cursed spears that made them go nuts. The only reason Rujierd snapped out of it was his son sacrificed himself to bring him to his senses. Ruijerd, who might be the last of his people, goes around helping people redeem their reputations and look for other survivors. He’s also got a soft spot for kids, so when he finds Rudeus and Eris out cold, he looks after them.

After coming to (and getting Eris to chill out), they realize it’ll take them years to make it back home. And they’re just kids in the middle of the most dangerous part of the world. So, yeah. Ruijerd decides he’ll help them get home. In return, they’ll form an adventuring party to help fix the Superd’s rep. Thus, the unlikely trio begins the long journey back to the Central Continent.

The Party of Dead End! Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Even though they’re still in the most dangerous part of the world, Rudeus and Eris are still kids. And, like many kids, they’re excited to see so many new places and people, which the Demon Continent has in abundance. They’re working as the party of “Dead End,” which is what people call Ruijerd when they’re trying to scare the daylights out of each other. Boogeyman or not, they start getting that sweet street cred and having the time of their lives…mostly.

Now, this isn’t some light-hearted story, and we keep being reminded of that. Like this one job to slay a monster. They compete with some other adventuring parties when they get attacked. And Rudeus thinks it’d be a good idea to wait until the last minute to save their butts. Guess how many adventurers got killed? 

Another time when they have to smuggle Rujierd to the next continent over, they wind up relying on a group of slavers who’ve been capturing beast children. And Ghislaine’s people mistake Rudeus for one of them and throw him in a cell for a week! And this whole time, Rudeus’ been getting advice from this Man-God person, who looks sketchy as Hell.

Plus, Eris keeps beating up Rudeus whenever he starts acting pervy. Show a little restraint, man! It’s creepy!

Ups and Downs of Traveling

Despite the many hiccups, many good things happen for Dead End. They do help the Superd’s reputation and earn renown for themselves. Rudeus arrives in the village Roxy came from and meets her parents. And after clearing up the misunderstanding with the Beast People, Eris reaches the holy land of the furries. And she is over the moon. Not only does she get to spend a few months amongst the Beast People that her family loves so much, she even meets Ghislaine’s family. 

Plus, in this one port, Rudeus comes across this little Demon girl who acts like she’s this chuunibuyo and calls herself the great Demon Emperor Kishirika (she’s not lying, either. She is a Demon Emperor). When he gives the starving lady some food, she’s so grateful that she gives him a gift. She rips out one of his eyes and gives him a new one. This one lets him see into the future!

The downside to that last part is that he misses his chance of reuniting with Roxy, who’s been helping Rudeus’ Dad look for him. 

Most Awkward Family Reunion Ever.

Eventually, the party of Dead End makes it as far as the Continent of Millis. There, Rudeus has a run-in with what looks like this group of slavers trying to nab some kids. So while Eris is out hunting monsters and Rujerd’s doing his own thing, Rudeus decides, “Bet. I’m gonna be a superhero.” So he disguises himself by wearing panties on his head like a pervy luchador and goes to town on them. Until it turns out…it’s all a big misunderstanding. Those “slavers” were trying to help those kids out. And…they work with Paul.

Yep. Rudeus reunites with his Dad after five-something years, and it’s awkward as they come. And it gets even worse from there. 

So, Rudeus sits down with his old man and asks him why he’s in Millis, and Paul’s like, “Son, didn’t you get my letters? Those letter’s I left for you at the Guild?” And Rudeus is like, “I never got any letters, Dad. What are you talking about?” At any rate, Rudeus then gives the abridged version of everything that’s happened since they last saw each other. However, since he doesn’t wanna worry his Dad, he downplays how wild things got and makes it seem like some light-hearted romp. Right in the middle of doing this, though, Paul finally tells him, “So this whole time, you’ve been goofing around with your new girlfriend and super-powerful bodyguard? What the Hell is wrong with you?” And Rudeus gets confused because he doesn’t get what’s wrong, but Paul tells him to shut up. Then, Paul drops some big truth bombs on Rudy’s sorry butt. He and Eris weren’t the only ones teleported around the world.

What do You Mean, all of Fittoa’s Gone?

We already know about this from watching the anime, but that incident that sent Rudeus and Eris to the Demon Continent didn’t affect them. It hit the entire Fittoa Region, sending every last man, woman, and child to random locations around the world. Almost everyone that Rudeus knows is scattered to the winds. His Mom? She’s missing. Lilia and Aisha? Also MIA. Everyone that served Eris’ family? Who knows? Her parents and grandpa might not even be alive anymore! And Sylphie? She’s still missing, while both her parents are likely dead. In other words, Rudeus and Eris may not even have a home to return to.

So while Dead End’s been making their way home, Paul’s been running himself into the ground with the other survivors from Fittoa, trying to track down everyone still missing. They’ve had to rescue many people from monsters, slavers, and worse. So he left messages at Guild HQ for his son, thinking, “Hey, my son’s a genius. He probably realized all of this and is working on a way to find our family and friends. We can use his help!” And now Paul realizes that Rudeus never saw any of these messages; he didn’t even know the full extent of what happened, and he’s livid over it.

So Paul snaps and starts berating Rudeus for thinking he’s spent the last year or so wasting time and having fun with his maybe-girlfriend and Superd bodyguard. Meanwhile, he’s so stressed out he’s barely eating and sleeping and has to get drunk to keep himself together. And Rudeus is like, “Dad, what do you want from me? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get here? You don’t get to judge me for that shit when you’re running around with some half-naked woman!” He’s referring to one of his comrades dressed like Red Sonja, but that’s to distract guys so they won’t hit on her traumatized sister. But Rudeus doesn’t know that. And then the two start throwing hands, and Rudeus starts beating up his Dad and his face. That’s when the worst thing could happen. His little sister, Norn, who he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, walks in, sees the brother she never met beating up the only family she has, and tells him, “Stop beating up my daddy!” 

That’s when Rudeus realizes he took things too far, and all that sense of inferiority and guilt hits him like the second coming of Truck-Kun. And just like that, he goes back to his friends to sulk.

Reconciling With his Dad

Now, let’s back up a little. During his stint in prison with the Beast People, Rudeus got himself a roommate, a man going by the name of Geese. It turns out that Geese is a friend of his Dad, with them and Zenith working at the same adventuring party back in the day. And after getting out, he joined Dead End on the trip to Millishon to meet with Paul. And when he finds out what happened between them, he chews Paul out for being a deadbeat Dad.

Firstly, Geese asks Paul if he could survive the Demon Continent when he was Rudeus’ age. When Paul says, “Probably, if I had a Superd with me.” And Geese says, “Bruh, no, you couldn’t. You’d die in five seconds. It’s the most dangerous place in the world. Everything from the monsters to the land itself wants to kill you. The fact that your boy managed to make it out of there is a miracle! So quit being so hard on him for not helping out! Your boy could’ve died trying to get here! And for that matter, he probably left out the gory details because if he didn’t, you would naturally freak the Hell out.”

And Paul finally realizes that he’s being a terrible excuse for a Dad and goes to reconcile with Rudeus. It works, but not before Eris tries to throttle him, and Rujerd says, “Hey, man. From one Dad to another, get your act together.” 

So after all that’s done, Rudeus and Paul go their separate ways, with Rudeus promising to help find the rest of their family once he gets Eris home safe and sound. That, and he needs to ensure Norn doesn’t hate his guts.

Get Ready for the Next Big Moments in Rudeus’ Life

So, there you have it. Rudeus and Eris embark on this harrowing, potentially life-threatening trip to get back home, only to learn that there may not even be a home to return to. Nonetheless, they do not have any other options to work with, so they continue to press on. In the meantime, they’re getting stronger and stronger as they say goodbye to childhood and say hello to being teens and young adults. Tune in next time for the grand finale to this recap of the first season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. 

Score One for the Demon Slayers! And the Arts!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , , ,

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Ladies, gentlemen, and those who identify as neither, the Demon Slayers scored a significant win! Against all odds, Tokito the Mist Hashira managed to put an end to the terrible artist known as Gyokko. Muzan’s Demon Army has suffered a devastating loss for the second time in a short period. How did this happen, though? Find out now in the new episode of Demon Slayer!

Tokito Channels Inner Spider-Man to Waste Gyokko

What’s one of the reasons why Spider-Man’s so effective as a crime fighter? There’s the powers, the indomitable will, and his genius-level intellect, to be sure. However, another reason he’s so effective is his penchant for quips, jokes, and general mocking of his opponents in a fight. He does this because he knows it angers them; when they get angry, they’re more likely to make a mistake. Tokito uses a subdued version of this strategy in this episode to significant effect.

Having freed himself from Gyokko’s death trap with help from Kotetsu and remembering his past in full, the Mist Hashira goes to town on the Upper Four Demon. Not only does he continuously dodge Gyokko’s attacks, but he proceeds to troll him the entire time. One minute, he won’t say anything to make the Demon mad, and the next, he’ll be insulting him for reeking like fish. The best part is that this tactic works to a tee. Gyokko transforms into this fish-lamia hybrid to get even more robust, but Tokito no-sells it like it’s nothing. By the halfway point, the deranged, Demonic artist has met his end by beheading. Another one of Muzan’s best assets has died in a short amount of time!

Tokito for the Win!

This entire portion of the episode triumphs Tokito’s character growth. We’ve seen his backstory and how he had to claw his way out of Hell to end the threat of the Demons. Now, he’s not only making good on that, but thanks to Tanjiro reaching his wounded heart, he’s able to become the badass he was meant to be. In addition, we get to see the sadistic monster Gyokko die. He’ll have to make his sick, perverted form of art in Hell now.

The most emotional part of the episode came when it was revealed that Kotetsu survived. Just as important, though, is what enabled the boy to survive his injuries: the tsuba, or sword mount, that belonged to the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. That man went out like a legend, and everyone who knew him missed him. Tokito starts crying as he remembers his late comrade. Given his previously emotionless state, this act feels all the more impactful.

It’s Time for Mitsuri Kanroji to Shine

Meanwhile, the fight against Hantengu’s Hatred Demon could be better for Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya. Even though they’re giving it their all, the Hatred Demon keeps overwhelming them. Now Tanjiro’s eardrums are shattered, his left foot gets crushed, and he’s a sitting duck. 

It’s moments like this, though, when the cavalry comes in to help save the day. In this case, said cavalry comes from the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji. Fresh from defending the Swordsmith Village, Kanroji is the extra firepower the Demon Slayers will need to destroy Hantengu once and for all. That woman’s started to grow on me in the short timeframe of this season, so I’m looking forward to seeing her go all out.

We are nearing the end of the Swordsmith Village Arc at this point. While there have been plenty of incredible moments, the anime has yet to live up to the sheer destructive power demonstrated at the end of the Entertainment District Arc. z

Given how there are still a few episodes left, though, we should not have much longer to wait. It should be pointed out that by now, the Demons should consider retreating. They’ve lost this fight; they don’t know it.

I Give “Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito” a 4/5

Mushoku Tensei Is S-Rank Isekaiย 

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , ,

A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Part 1

If you’ve been watching anime for the past decade, then you know about the concept of an isekai. We know the idea: someone living their life when they get sent to another world cooler than ours. It’s a concept that goes back centuries, but the 2010s saw it explode in popularity. Next thing we know, there’s an isekai in every season of anime coming out, all trying to cash in on the hype. It’s gotten to the point where people are starting to get sick of it, and how many of them seem dime-a-dozen. Look at all the hate that Sword Art Online gets! However, a few isekai truly live up to the hype, and after years of wandering, I have found it. After all these years, I have reached one of the Seven Summits of Isekai, and it is glorious. I have discovered Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. 

Now, I know the controversy surrounding Mushoku Tensei and how some people think it’s overrated. However, it came at the right time when isekai were starting to blow up in Japanese culture. Thanks to that, it helped pave the way for the genre’s explosion in the 2010s. And once I started watching it, I realized that it was good. Like, really good! And with the new season coming out, I thought it’d be fun to recap the first season in my own words. My own candid, hilarious words. This is Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

In the Beginning…

So, this story starts out with this overweight, lazy, 34-year-old shut-in in modern Japan, and…he sucks. He’s a smart guy, but he started slacking off growing up, so he ended up in a bad high school. Then one day, he finna give this bully a piece of his mind. Their response? They beat him, strip him naked, and leave him chained out in public for the whole school to mock him. 

Seriously messed stuff, I know. And then, he decides that he’s done with the outside world. He’s just going to live at home and mooch off his parents, spending his whole time watching anime and ogling waifus 24/7. He doesn’t even try and earn money off of YouTube or get remote work, something he is fully capable of doing!

Eventually, though, his parents die, and since this guy’s wallowing in self-pity, he doesn’t even show up to his parent’s funeral. When his family finds him, they find him ogling loli waifus. And they’ve had it, so they throw him the f out of his house. That’s when he finally realizes that he’s wasted his life and wishes, “man, I wish I had another chance to do things over.”

Truck-Kun Cometh!

That’s when the dreaded Truck-kun shows up, and today’s victims are a trio of high schoolers arguing on a crossway. So the man decides, “Screw it. If I’m gonna do one thing right in my life, it’s this.” Now he saves the teens, but Truck-Kun takes him instead. But since this is an Isekai, he doesn’t die. His life’s getting started. 

The next thing this dude knows, he’s opening his eyes someplace else, and he’s surrounded by these smiling, good-looking strangers who are all happy to see him. And it doesn’t take him long to figure out that he’s been reincarnated. And once he sees the grown-ups using magic, he realizes… he’s been isekai’d. 

So, sweet. He’s finna put this new life to good use.

Oh, and from this day forward, this man shall be known as Rudeus Greyrat.

Finna Take His First Steps

So this grown man has been reincarnated into a world of magic and swords in the body of a baby but with all his memories intact. And since this is an isekai, that’s basically like a cheat code to help him get a head start. So once he relearns how to walk, talk, and read, he gets down to business. He starts reading these books on how to do magic and begins practicing in secret. And he quickly learns something. Even though those books say he has to use these incantations to do magic, and that everyone has a set amount of magic, or mana, in them… that’s all bunk. He learns how to do wordless magic and trains himself so he never runs out of mana. So, he’s a badass, and he’s only three. 

Rudeus’ so badass that his parents, Paul and Zenith, decide to get him his own magic tutor. Enter Roxy Migurdia. Instead of being some Gandalf type, she’s a cute demon loli with blue hair. She only looks young, though; she’s 30-something. Her people, the Migurdians, can live around two-hundred years, and spend 75% of them looking 13. In other words, she’s legal. Stand down, FBI.

Anyway, Roxy spends the next two years teaching him everything she knows. By the time they’re done, he’s already surpassed her. More importantly, though, Roxy manages to heal all that trauma Rudeus’ been holding onto from his past life. So when she dips on out, Rudy is a changed person. From that moment on, 

He still keeps a pair of panties he stole from her, though, as like this holy relic. It’s slightly sweeter than it sounds.

Out There Making Moves

So now that he’s not scared of the world anymore, Rudeus starts living his new life to the fullest. He’s making moves and making friends, like his new friend Slyph, this green-haired part-elf he rescues from bullies. Because he can’t stand bullying, thanks to what he went through in his first life. After that, Sylph latches onto Rudeus like glue, following him around everywhere and thinking he’s the coolest person ever. Rudeus thinks they’re pretty awesome, too, not to mention quite the looker. Give it a few years, and he thinks the girls will be trampling over themselves trying to get at them…maybe even the guys.

So Rudeus and Sylph end up becoming best friends, and soon, Rudeus decides to teach them everything he knows about magic. Pretty soon, they’re able to cast magic without incantations, which is a bit of a blow to Rudeus’ ego. Still, now the two of them can go out, make moves, and woo girls as a badass magical duo.

All of that changes, though, when they come back home after getting caught in a rainstorm. So Rudeus decides, “Alright, let’s hop in the bath so we don’t get sick.” But Sylph’s like, “Um, no thanks, I’m good.” But Rudeus thinks he’s just being shy, so he ends up forcing the matter. That’s when he gets the biggest shock of his lives: Sylph…is a girl. Her real name’s Sylphiette. Her hair was just so short that his stupid ass thought she was a boy this whole time.

Morgan Freeman: It was at this point, Rudeus knew…he fucked up.

So, yeah. Rudeus might be a pervert, but he’s got standards. He doesn’t need the FBI coming into his house and arresting him for being a pedo. So, he tells her he thought she was a boy this whole time, like a dummy, which makes her cry. However, after they’ve got time to think things over, Sylphie forgives him for being an ignoramus. 

So, bet. Now Rudeus got a potential future waifu for a best friend. 

Finna Save the Family

Not long after, Zenith discovered she was pregnant with their next kid. Happy feelings for all. Exceptโ€ฆ Lilia’s also pregnant. Now I know what you’re thinking: who’s the Dad? Well, the answer might surprise…Paul, it’s Paul. Everyone knew it was Paul! 

Morgan Freeman: It was at this point Paul knew…he fucked up.

So, here’s the thing: Lilia plans to stick around to help Zenith give birth, but once that’s done, she’s giving her two weeks’ notice. The problem is that it’s a month-long journey to her hometown. With a baby to care for, that’s a death sentence. So, Rudeus pulls a big-brained move and resolves things. He throws Paul under the bus by lying and saying the whole thing was his fault, and Zenith buys this. Okay, I don’t think she does, but she uses it as an excuse because she doesn’t want to throw out Lilia since she’s her best friend. That, and this is Paul we’re talking about. 

Full disclosure: it was Lilia that came onto Paul. She already had a crush on him from way back, and she had to spend years listening to them go at it after dark. There’s only so much a person can take, and no amount of maintenance can help. So, she did the only thing she could and cared for herself. 

So, awesome. Rudeus has two baby sisters: Norn and Aisha. 

Daddy Gets Rudy a Job

So, by this point, Rudeus is pretty happy with his life. He’s a badass magician, he’s got two adorable sisters, and his best friend Sylphie’s super cute. He’s finna enjoy his life the way it is. Except he gets this letter from Roxy, who says she’s been inspired by him to train to get even stronger and that she hopes to see how amazing he is once he’s grown up. She also got a job tutoring this Prince, but that’s for another day.

So, in his previous life, Rudeus was pretty smart and had all the potential to be successful. However, he let himself start slacking off, and everything went downhill from there. So instead, he’s going to make sure that doesn’t happen this time. So, he decides to enroll at Roxy’s alma mater and become a world-class magician. And when Slyphie begs him not to leave her alone, he decides they both should go. The only problem: how’s he going to pay for all this? His Dad won’t pay for both of them.

So, Rudeus decides there’s only one thing to do: he’s gotta get a job. And Paul pulls some strings and gets something that’s perfect for him. See, Paul’s not just some knight and former adventurer. He’s actually from one of the great houses that rules their country, and his cousin’s the heir to another great house that rules their region. Plus, his and Zenith’s old adventuring teammate, Ghislaine, who is the swolest-looking cat girl you’ve ever seen, is their bodyguard. So, he pulls some strings and gets Rudeus a job working as a tutor for the Boreas Greyrat family. 

The catch is that he can’t come home, write home, or write to Sylphie for the next five years. They’re becoming co-dependent on each other, and that’s not good, so they need to be self-sufficient. 

That’s All for Now!

And that is where we are going to end things for today. I meant for this recap to be done in one go, but it’s so huge that I had to split things up. Come back for part two as Rudeus starts his new life as a professional tutor and comes face-to-face with, quite possibly, the tsundere to end all tsundere’s.

The Sad, Sad Story of Genya.

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , , , ,

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S3 Ep 6 Review

So, after the end of the last episode of Demon Slayer, I took the initiative and looked up what the deal was with Genya. I remembered reading how he has this power to absorb a Demon’s strength by eating them, but that’s all I could remember about him. After consulting the Demon Slayer Wikia and an anime channel on YouTuber, though, I found there’s more to Genya than meets the eye. Even though he’s a hot-headed and abrasive guy in the vein of Bakugo, he’s got a very tragic past. As in, it could give what happened to Sasuke a run for his money. 

No wonder he wants to be a Demon Slayer so badly.

So Close to Victory, but Not Quite.

Last week, it looked like Tanjiro and Genya managed to end the split Demons of Hatengu of the Upper Four. All of their heads were separated from their bodies and everything. However, despite this…the Demons don’t die. Their injuries only slow them down, but they’re ready to make Demon Slayer heads roll once they heal.

This is a regular occurrence in Demon Slayer. Right when the Demon Slayers look like they’ve got things in the bag, the Demons pull an ace out of their sleeves. Tanjiro realizes that the main Demon, Hatengu, isn’t dead in this case. Instead of fully splitting into four Demons, Hatengu broke them off his body while he ran and hid. As a result, Hatengu’s body is the size of a mouse and beyond durable. The sword breaks when Genya tries to hit him with his shotgun and sword! How does that make any sense?

Now, Genya’s lost his sword, and one of the emotion Demons is about to run his skull through with their staff. That makes it the perfect time for a flashback! 

The Sad Story of Sanemi and Genya Shinazugawa

I don’t know if it was already explained, but the flashback reveals Genya’s the younger brother of the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa. AKA the man who stabbed Nezuko in her box before trying (and failing) to goad her into attacking him. The fact that they’re brothers make so much sense, but what happened to them explains why Sanemi was so biased against Nezuko.

Sanemi and Genya’s childhood was fairly horrible. Their father was an abusive deadbeat who died via stabbing on the streets. Their tiny Mother had to care for them and their five brothers and sisters. Since they were the oldest of the two, they had to look out for their Mom and siblings. 

Then, one cruel night while their Mom was out, a monster broke into their home and killed all but Genya and Sanemi. Sanemi forced the monster outside while Genya ran to find a doctor, unable to accept his siblings were dead. Then, as the sun rose, he saw something that made his blood run cold. His brother, Sanemi, stood over their Mother’s bloodied, dead body. Sanemi killed their own Mom! It wasn’t until later that Genya realized that their Mom had been turned into a Demon and killed her own family, forcing Sanemi to kill her in self-defense. Thus, Genya feels like the worst brother ever.

Genya Needs to Open up His Heart to Become a Hashira

I cannot lie: what happened to Genya and Sanemi is messed up. It might be up there with what happened in Sasuke and Itachi’s backstories; it’s that bad! Like Sasuke, Genya blamed his brother for what happened, only to realize that his brother had no choice. It was that or let himself die and, more importantly, let his brother die. In other words, Genya feels like the worst brother ever and thinks Sanemi hates him for it. That’s why he wants to become a Hashira despite being unable to use Breathing techniques. He has to rely on his ability to eat the flesh of Demons and gain their strength. However, determination alone does make someone great. Naruto proves it, Luffy proves it, and Tanjiro proves it. Genya must learn to open his heart again if he wants to succeed.

Genya’s intentions are good, but due to the absolute hell he went through as a kid, he’s closed himself off and become abrasive to everyone. His powers, while cool, can only take him so far. Now compare that to Tanjiro. Despite losing almost his entire family and his sister becoming a Demon, he remains cheerful and friendly. That equates to him making powerful friends and thus overcoming great obstacles, a hallmark of the Shonen genre.

Now, Tanjiro’s kindness even gets through to Genya. Despite wanting to secure the win against an Upper Four, he realizes he can’t do it, but Tanjiro can. So, he lets himself get skewered while allowing Tanjiro find and end Hatengu. It’s the start of good character development.

Once again, Demon Slayer slays with another awesome episode. It might be my preference, but I’ve always been fond of expository flashbacks, so this episode got points. Meanwhile, we still have depraved Demon artist Gyokko holding one Hashira hostage and another defending the Swordsmith Village. If we’re lucky, this arc will end with a fight as cool as the one that leveled the Entertainment District!

I Give “Aren’t You Going to Become a Hashira?” a 4/5

Tanjiro vs The Super Doll

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Dubs & Subs , , , , , , , , ,

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba S3, Ep 2 Review

In my review for the season premiere, I missed an important scene at the end of the episode. In it, Tanjiro’s in the woods near the swordsmith’s village when he stumbles upon a man who looks exactly like the one he saw in his dream in the episode. As we see in this episode, that man isn’t a man but a training dummy. A training dummy that puts 21st-century robotics to shame, at that! Modeled in the likeness of a long-dead Demon Slayer, it will help Tanjiro get stronger if he can get past the abrasive Hashira who called dibs on it. The Yoriichi Type Zero doll appears!

Muichiro Tokito, the Sand Paper Hashira

Picking up where the last episode left off, Tanjiro watches as one of the twelve Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, butts heads with this little blacksmith named Kotetsu. Muichiro demands to use the mechanical doll, the Yoriichi Type Zero so that he can get stronger. However, that young blacksmith refuses, not wanting it to get damaged. The Yoriichi doll was made by his ancestors three hundred years ago, and it’s so advanced they don’t know how to repair it if it gets damaged.

Muichiro doesn’t care, though. After knocking Tanjiro out for trying to intervene, the Hashira proceeds to train with it and chops off one of the arms! Muichiro’s officially the Mist Hashira, but he might as well be the Sand Paper Hashira. He’s so abrasive and arrogant he makes the likes of Sasuke, Bakugo, and Vegeta look pleasant in comparison. 

So, Tanjiro and this little boy, Kotetsu, aren’t going to take this disrespect lying down. Even though he’s only ten and knows he can’t fix the doll if it breaks anymore, Kotetsu doesn’t care. He goes full drill sergeant and forces Tanjiro to try without rest or food until he can beat the thing. It gets so bad, Tanjiro has to drink the rainwater to stay upright! 

It’s worth it, though, to fight the Yoriichi doll.

The Six-Armed Demon Slaying Doll

There needs to be a way to discuss the person who the doll was modeled after without spoiling the manga. For now, the important thing to know is that Yoriichi was a Demon Slayer who lived three hundred years ago and was a master swordsman. He was so powerful that swordsmiths had to give the Type Zero doll six arms to capture his skill with a blade fully. In addition, as Tanjiro discovers from his dreams, this man eventually meets Tanjiro’s ancestors. The earrings that Tanjiro wears match the ones Yoriichi wore in the dream. In other words, the Kamado family was close to this man.

That doesn’t do a lot of good for Tanjiro, though. Despite his best efforts, his exhaustion (and Kotetsu’s drill Sgt. behavior) almost get the better of him. However, in true Shonen fashion, pushing himself to his limits lets Tanjiro unlock a new power. And while I don’t understand how smelling the doll’s attacks works, I don’t need to understand it. It allowed him to beat the doll…and break it.

The Perfect Sword for Tanjiro, Courtesy of Yoriichi

As shocking as it was to see the Type Zero doll break thanks to Tanjiro’s training, what’s more, surprising is that a sword is embedded inside the doll. It may have shocked Tanjiro and Kotetsu, but I know why it was in the doll. I guess that Yoriichi himself put the sword inside the doll that bears its likeness as a reward. Anyone strong enough to beat the Yoriichi Type Zero would be good enough to wield the blade within. In other words, it’s likely that the sword’s special. 

Again, I never read the manga, so I am still determining what will happen next. However, I’m willing to bet that that mystery blade will become Tanjiro’s new weapon of choice before this arc endsโ€”the perfect tool to kill Muzan’s evil Demons. 

This season’s gotten off to a slow start, lacking the ecstasy-inducing action we saw in the Entertainment District’s climax. However, once things get underway, Demon Slayer will start breaking the Internet again. I look forward to seeing what happens and learning more about Yoriichi in anime form.

I Give “Yoriichi Type Zero” a 3.5/5