Hey, you! Yeah, you! Assuming that we got this up on time, do you know what’s happening in the world of anime and manga this week? Starting on Thursday, September 11th (or 9th for Crunchyroll subs), an anime film that fans have been waiting to see for a year now makes its way west. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle is making its way to theaters in America.
While commemorative popcorn buckets have been around for a while, the last two years or so have seen them surge in popularity. Movie theaters have been going crazy releasing collectible popcorn buckets and cups as tie-in merch for major movies. I’ve even gotten into it by getting tins for Superman and Fantastic Four earlier this summer. And now, its Demon Slayer’s turn.
As you can see, AMC theaters is releasing this collectible tin made to look like the Infinity Castle, complete with characters from the movie itself. In addition, they’re also releasing collectible drinking cups based on the swords of four characters from the movie: Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Giyu, and Shinobu.
They’re not the only theaters releasing buckets, though. Cinemark is also getting in on the action, but their bucket isn’t as cool as what AMC has. Japan got this cool looking bucket with straps and artwork on it.
But none of them are as cool as what fans in Malaysia got. They’re getting one with an infinity LED lid that simulates the interior of the Infinity Castle itself.
I have already made plans to go see Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle, albeit alone due to everyone I know being busy. Whether or not I buy any of the buckets or cups is up in the air, but I cannot deny that they do look pretty cool. More importantly, the fact that theaters are making buckets for an anime film is an encouraging sign of how far anime has come in pop culture. With fans in Japan raving about the movie, it’s up to us in the West to make sure that it meets the same reception.
So what are you waiting for? Go get your tickets!!
There have been a lot of horrifying villains in anime over the years. One Piece is filled with so many detestable scumbags that I can’t keep track. Madara Uchiha was an evil mastermind whose mere name getting thrown around was enough to start a war. And Frieza is so brimming with black air force energy that its become his strongest form to date! However, another name deserves to be added to the list of baddest anime villains. The monster in the dark seeking immortality, the being who stole Michael Jackson’s whole flow. The mortal enemy of the entire Demon Slayer Corps, Muzan Kibutsuji!
Demon Slayer hasn’t been around as many other big names in Shonen, but there are reasons why it’s considered one of the all-time greatest. And a big part of that is because of how much of a menace Muzan is. The penultimate episode for Demon Slayer’s fourth season airs, and the big thing everyone’s talking about is that two-minute-long scene of him arriving at Ubuyashiki Mansion, looking like the Devil himself. And the hour-long season finale only serves to hype him up even further. As Muzan tries to cut the head off the Demon Slayer Corps, he finds himself at the center of an elaborate trap. What he does in response marks the start to the endgame to this ancient war between humans and demons.
Kagaya Stares Down the Devil Himself
As lighthearted as Season Four of Demon Slayer is, there’s an unspoken sense of dread. Everyone knows the final battle against Muzan is coming, but the Corps doesn’t know when or where he’ll strike from. The Hashira Training Camp was meant to help prepare for the final battle, but even that may already be too late. After years of searching, Muzan has found the Ubuyashiki Mansion, the de facto HQ for the Demon Slayer Corps. And he shows up in the middle of the night, ready to kill the man leading the corps…only to find it’s pointless. Kagaya Ubuyashiki isn’t just on death’s door. He’s a talking corpse that should’ve died months ago. The only reason he’s still alive is because of his pure, unadulterated hatred for Muzan.
As Kagaya reveals to the Demon King, the Ubuyashiki family is distantly related to Muzan. Because their bloodline produced the first demon, they’ve been cursed to die young until they kill him. Thus, when Muzan comes to kill Kagaya, the man isn’t afraid of him. He already knows he’s going to die anyway, with his wife and two of his kids to follow at Muzan’s hands. Rather than fear death like Muzan, Kagaya mocks his distant relative for how pathetic he is and how the world will be a better place once he’s gone!
See you in Hell, Muzan!
I loved this scene. Don’t ask me why, but seeing someone stare down a monster that could easily kill them and choose to definitely flip them off is so awesome. However, it’s what Kagaya does in his final moments that is so badass that it takes even Muzan aback: he blows up the mansion and everyone in it. The anime does a great job of increasing our emotional responses by having the explosion play out in slow motion.
Plenty of fictional characters have used the “taking you with me” card before, but the context here sets Kagaya apart. He didn’t just blow himself up; he blew up his wife and two of his children. And while it doesn’t say it outright, the story clarifies that they all knew this would happen. However, instead of running or panicking, they all chose to remain calm and accept it. They understood that Muzan is such a threat to humankind that they have to pull out the contemporary equivalent of a nuclear bomb. And they do it to make sure that the Demon Slayer Corps can end Muzan here and now.
The entire sequence of events is masterfully animated, with Ufotable pulling out all the stops. And that’s only the beginning. Seeing Muzan slowly regenerate from that is both grotesque and fascinating to look at. And though he’s still alive, it really got to him. He didn’t think Kagaya would have the guts to do that. But that was just the first part of the trap that Kagaya laid.
Wrath of the Hashira
The next part sees Tamayo, one of the few demons not under his control, trap him in place with her blood demon art. Then, she injects him with a sample of the fruits of her labor: she’s finally made a drug that can turn demons back into humans. In other words, the means to turn Nezuko back to normal now exists. I didnt read the manga, so I don’t know if Tanjiro’s sister took the drug yet, but I’m willing to bet that she did. Not only does that mean that one of Tanjiro’s biggest goals is about to be completed, but the minute she becomes human again, Muzan will lose his means of conquering sunlight.
And the bad news just keeps coming for Muzan. The Hashira and Tanjiro, having been made aware Kagaya was in danger, were already in the process of rushing to the Ubuyashiki Mansion. They arrived just in time to see it go up in flames. Now they’re…I actually can’t think of a word to best describe how angry they are.
One would think that the combined might of 8 Hashira, a demon, and a boy on par with a Hashira, would be enough to pin Muzan down. However, that is when Muzan brings out his own trump card. He not only teleports himself to the safety of the Infinity Castle, but pulls in the entire Demon Slayer Corps. Every. Last. One. No matter where they are, they fall into the Infinity Castle. And we get yet another amazingly animated shot in an episode that’s already packed to the brim with them. I could feel myself getting goosebumps as my heart began to race. I started grinning like Inosuke because I knew what was about to happen. The final battle between the demons and humans was about to begin!!
And the best part? Ufotable is treating the final battle with the reverence its going to deserve. Rather than give Demon Slayer another season, they’re turning the Infinity Castle Arc (and presumably the one after it) into a movie trilogy!
Infinity Castle Needs to Break the Box Office!
To date, there is no news about when the trilogy will come out, but when it does, I am hoping that they dont just make it a limited-run event. I want to see it compete with other movies and remain in theaters as long as possible. And you can bet that I will get in line to see each on opening night!
Demon Slayer has always managed to go hardcore regarding the season finales, but this one might be the best. The animation, the story, everything is flawless! This is why Demon Slayer is one of the GOATS! I am looking forward to seeing the Infinity Castle trilogy, and I hope we can get them to break box office records!
So, the Hashira Training Arc is already ending, and it’s happening soon. I knew that this arc was going to be short, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this short. That being said, even without reading the manga in advance, I already knew that this whole arc was going to be the calm before the storm. I just didn’t expect the storm to roll in so quickly.
— Yumi ✩°｡⋆ GOJO ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ (@gojosatoros) June 23, 2024
Tanjiro and his friends continue their training under Gyomei, and thankfully, Tanjiro and Inosuke have made some progress. Both of them are now able to move the boulder, though the effort almost causes Tanjiro to pass out from dehydration. Thankfully, Gyomei is there to give him water to drink, so he doesn’t die of thirst. And in the process, Gyomei opens up about his past…and it is so sad!
— Yumi ✩°｡⋆ GOJO ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ (@gojosatoros) June 23, 2024
Gyomei was born blind, meaning that the lack of irises wasn’t just an artistic choice. Yet that didn’t stop him from living the humble life of a priest and taking care of a group of orphans. They didn’t have much, but they were still happy together. However, one night, one of them stayed outside after dark, and ran into a demon. To save himself, he sold out everyone else, leading to the demon slaughtering all but Gyomei and one other child. Then he snapped and somehow managed to beat them to death with his bare hands, an act that deeply ashamed him.
It gets worse. When the authorities showed up, they mistook the little girl’s words to mean Gyomei killed everyone and arrested him. It was only thanks to Kagaya, the head of the Demon Slayers, that he escaped execution.
…Sweet mercy, that is a sad story. No wonder the man is always seen crying like that. He’s haunted by his failure to save most of his adoptive family and for lashing out like he did. He was in the right to do so since it was self-defense, but even so, the act of killing someone is not something one should take lightly. So, when Gyomei chooses to praise Tanjiro for saving the villagers in the Swordsmith Village, he means it. He doesn’t Tanjiro to make the same mistake he did.
Too Late, Demon Slayers. The Shadows Have Arrive
And with that, Tanjiro finishes his training with Gyomei and heads to the next Hashira…is what I would say! However, the forces of darkness are already converging on the Demon Slayer Corps!
Throughout the season, Muzan and his army of demons have been laying low. That’s because Muzan is using one of the Upper Ranks powers to help locate Nezuko and the head of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And as Sanemi manages to catch one of those demonic eye monsters, he realizes something horrible: they’ve already been found out.
Sure enough, the final moments of the episode are dedicated entirely to Muzan showing up at the Ubuyashiki Mansion and confronting Kagaya. And much like all the important moments in Demon Slayer, the animation is knocked into high gear. The way the air seems to freeze as Muzan comes strolling in wearing his white suit and hat is bone-chilling to look at. It’s as if the devil himself has descended upon the Earth; and given who Muzan is, that’s pretty much accurate!
The next episode is going to be the final one of the season, and from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be an hour long. Given how it’s setting us up for the final battle, it needs to cover as much as possible. Because once that’s done, there’s no turning back. No more funny moments, no more wholesome stuff. Just a fight to the finish with the fate of all Japan at stake. Make some popcorn. This is going to be epic.
Now that Tanjiro is healed, he’s participating in the Hashira Training bootcamp. And apparently, that also means he’s helping the other trainees deal with their own issues. First, he got Giyu to join the camp, and then he gave the slayers under Tengen the fire they needed to get through their training. Now, he’s on to Tokito, and he’s not holding back on any of them! When Tanjiro becomes concerned, it falls to get Tokito to lighten up, or else none of the trainees will make it.
Tanjiro Helps Tokito Lighten Up
Ever since he regained his memories, Tokito has changed for the better. Whenever he talks to Tanjiro, Tokito is always smiling and showing real emotion. It’s clear that their shared experience fighting in the swordsmith village has changed Tokito for the better…to an extent.
As Tanjiro witnesses first-hand, while Tokito gets along well with him, he’s as cold and harsh as ever to everyone else. As a result, while he passed Tanjjro in five days, everyone else has to stay behind. And they’ve been training under him for two weeks.
— Cha the Great and Powerful (毛利蘭) (@charanime) June 2, 2024
Given how they’re fighting demons in what will be the final war, it’s expected for Tokito to be so harsh. He has to make sure they’re able to survive the final battle, so he can’t afford to go easy on them. However, he’s so blunt that its demoralizing everyone. And, once again, Tanjiro has to help.
I never took Tokito as someone who was into paper airplanes, but its a pretty fun hobby. There are even actual competitions for paper airplane making and flying. And Tanjiro challenges Tokito to a contest to see who can fly the furthest. If he wins, Tokito has to be nicer to everyone.
He gets his butt kicked! But while he lost the battle, Tanjiro wins the war.
The sight of everyone laughing and making paper airplanes and throwing them into the air together is pretty inspiring. Its like a metaphor for how the Demon Slayer Corps can go further working together than they can alone. Or a symbol of the hope that they carry for all of Japan. Either way, Tanjiro breaks the ice between Tokito and everyone, and thus, he can go on his merry way.
I’m really enjoying this training arc. Its giving us plenty of chances to enjoy time with all the Slayers. Additionally, the anime even went out of its way to add a new scene to the story in the form of a three-way duel between Obanai, Sanemi, and Tokito. And it’s awesome!
It’s moments like this that remind us why Demon Slayer has proven so popular. The animation is art in motion, and I love it. I wish that more anime could pull off what Demon Slayer manages to do! If we get more scenes like this, then I don’t mind waiting another season for the final battle. This stuff makes it worth it.
Now that Tanjiro is healed, it’s time for him to commence his anime training arc! To prepare for the final battle against Muzan, the Demon Slayer forces everyone to endure training from the Hashira. The reason boils down to the idea of the chain only being as strong as its weakest link. Having the Hashira get stronger won’t mean anything if the rest of the group can’t fight worth a darn. However, it’s not until Tanjiro joins the training under Tengen Uzui that we see how far the Corps needs to go. That shows just how strong Tanjiro is compared to the regular Slayers.
Can they promote Tanjiro to Hashira already?
Tanjiro Aces Boot Camp
In the real world, many elite special forces are known for their skill and prowess on the battlefield. There’s a good reason for that: they have to be the best to survive, which means they have to train their bodies until they collapse from exhaustion. And the training camp the Demon Slayer Corps is going through is like that, but on steroids. When the audience catches up with the Slayers working under Uzui, they are pushed to their physical and mental limits. It’s like Hell for all of them.
The series has made it no secret that Tanjiro is stronger than most Demon Slayers despite only being a rookie. Seeing how he outpaces all of them in Uzui’s boot camp demonstrates how big the gap is between him and the others.
Only he would reminisce so fondly about being cracked like a glowstick 🤣
It’s actually funny to see how much better Tanjiro is compared to most of the Corps. Whereas the others are winded, out of breath, and barely able to complete their exercises, Tanjiro is the opposite. He barely breaks a sweat and does everything with a big grin. That’s how far ahead he is of the rank-and-file. But it gets to the point where the other trainees feel disheartened by the gap in strength.
Strength Through Unity
I’ve never undergone a training camp like the one the Hashira are running, but even I know they’re not working everyone like this to be cruel. Any good military instructor knows that soldiers need to be tough to survive on the battlefield. And since they’re fighting actual Demons, the Demon Slayer Corps can’t afford to rely on a small handful of elites to win. They need everyone to work together to bring down Muzan.
Lucky for the trainees, they have inspiration in the form of Tanjiro. In a late-night training session with Uzui, Tanjiro shows everyone how strong he has to be to fight a Demon. And seeing him hold his own against a former Hashira lights a fire in everyone that refuses to go out.
The rank-and-file of the Demon Slayer Corps may never reach the same level as the Hashira and Tanjiro, but that’s not the point. They know they won’t reach that level, but they realize they don’t care. They can still support the Hashira and ensure that they’re ready for the final battle.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and thanks to Tanjiro, that link has gotten a little sturdier. His task done, Tanjiro moves onto the next part of his training with the Mist Hashira.
I don’t know how long this season of Demon Slayer will be, but I’m actually hoping that we don’t rush toward the final battle. The final battle against Muzan is going to need to take up an entire season on its own, its so big. So I don’t really care if we have to wait until next season to see Tanjiro wreck Muzan. This training will make it worth it.
Before we get started, let’s make it clear that I have every intention of covering the new season of Demon Slayer. The only reason I didn’t cover the season premiere is because I saw it in theaters months in advance and reviewed it. So we’re jumping right into the Hashira Training Arc starting now!
At least, that what is supposed to be happening. However, for the training to work, the Demon Slayer Corps needs all of the Hashira present. And, as Kagaya explains via letter to Tanjiro, Giyu Tomioka isn’t particpating. His inferiority complex and past trauma is keeping him from doing so. Thus, it falls to Tanjiro to light a fire in him.
Assemble the Hashira!
The episode picks up where the previous one left off, with Kagaya summoning Ms. Tamayo and Yushiro to Demon Slayer HQ. With Nezuko having conquered the sun, a cure for Demons is at hand. That makes Tamayo a target, and all the more imperative that she works with the Corps on this. It would seem that Tanjro and Nezuko’s efforts to prove their trustworthiness have paid off.
The meat of the episode, though, focuses on the task that Kagaya gives Tanjiro: getting Giyu Tomioka to join the training. That proves easier said than done, even for someone as friendly as Tanjiro. However, it’s still funny seeing Tanjiro follow and annoy Giyu for days on end.
There’s a good reason why Giyu refuses to join in on the training arc, though: he doesn’t consider himself worthy of being the Water Hashira. And the reason behind that is pretty tragic.
Back when Tanjiro was training to become a Demon Slayer, he was assisted by the spirits of his master’s students that died during the Final Selection. One of those students, Sabito, was Giyu’s best friend. According to Giyu, he almost single-handedly killed all the Demons during their year’s Final Selection. However, he still died fighting the Hand Demon that Tanjiro killed. Ever since then, Giyu’s been dealing with an intense case of Survivor’s Guilt.
It’s not hard not to feel bad for Giyu. This moment will hit anyone who’s watched someone die protecting them right in the feels, but Tanjiro especially knows what Giyu’s going through. He still feels guilt over how Rengaku died protecting him, even thinking to himself how, had he lived, he could’ve taken down Muzan. It’s hard to keep going when someone you think was more deserving to live dies in your place. However bad he might feel though, Tanjiro understands something that Giyu’s forgotten: the importance to keep on living.
Don’t Give up on Life. Ever!
Before Giyu trained to become a Demon Slayer, his older sister was murdered by a Demon. Even though she was going to get married the very next day, instead of saving herself, she chose to save Giyu by hiding him, sacrificing herself in the process. That left Giyu with his first feelings of survivor’s guilt, until Sabito told him not to think like that. Thinking he should’ve died instead would be an insult to the memory of his sister. And by that logic, it would also be an insult to the memory of Sabito.
Finding the means to keep going in life when you lose someone trying to protect you can be one of the hardest things anyone can endure. However, the lesson that Demon Slayer teaches Giyu is that no matter how painful it is, he needs to keep living. Maybe if he does, he’ll find a reason why he was spared.
Oh, and Giyu and Tanjiro get into a speed-eating contest, which was funny.
Now We Have to Learn about Shinobu
That’s one more Hashira that’s joining the training, but as the episode ends, another one is shown to be sitting things out: Shinobu Kocho, AKA the one that’s supposed to be working with Ms. Tamayo.
As I said in my review of the compilation movie, I don’t know how long this season will be. However, I’m still going to enjoy it. Demon Slayer is one of the best Shonen series in the post Big-Three generation, and I’m looking forward to seeing the ending get animated. If the studio is smart, then it will air the final battle as a movie!
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-To the Hashira Training Review
In 2023, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba released a new movie to drum up hype for the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc. It wasn’t so much a new story, though, as it was a compilation. It mainly covered the end of the Entertainment District Arc, which had some award-worthy animation, before segueing into the first episode of the upcoming arc. Having missed out on that, I resolved to avoid making the same mistake this time. So I got tickets for the opening night of the following compilation film, To the Hashira Training. And, even though it meant having to rewatch the finale to the Swordsmith Village Arc, it was still worth seeing.
The Calm Before the Storm
If you last saw it a while ago or never read my review, the first half of the compilation film is a good refresher. Tanjiro slew Hantengu of the Upper-Rank Four, and, in a tearjerker of a miracle, Nezuko gained the ability to survive in the sun. The bad news? Before he died, Hantengu told Muzan about Nezuko, making her his top priority. If he devours her, he’ll become immune to the sun, making him nigh-unstoppable. The final battle is upon them, and everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps knows it.
First Look of The Wind Hashira and Serpent Hashira from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba "Hashira Training Arc".
The anime scheduled for Spring 2024 and the first episode will be a one-hour special!
The preview the film gives us of the first episode of season four starts with the Hashiras Sanemi (the scarred guy who stabbed Nezuko) and Obanai (the one with the snake) going on a mission to rescue a woman from Demons. What ends up happening is they get a glimpse of Muzan’s stronghold before getting thrown out.
For those who hoped the season four opener would have some fantastic action, the opening is as good as it gets. The rest of the episode, as will the entire arc, is merely the calm before the storm. The remaining Hashira point this out when they convene at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, saying how Demon attacks have gone down. They know Muzan’s readying his forces to capture Nezuko, making a full-scale war inevitable. And with Rengoku dead and Tengen forced to retire, they’re short on manpower.
To highlight the sense of urgency even further, the leader of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya, is dying. The sickness that’s rotting his flesh and rendered him blind has progressed to the point where he’s bedridden. This means it’s up to the Hashira to prepare for the final battle. And, since this is a Shonen anime, there’s only one solution: an anime training arc.
Time to Train!
The Hashira (except for Giyu) decide they need to train not just themselves but the entire Demon Slayer Corps. So, they gathered all the lower-ranked members and organized a massive boot camp to toughen them up. The end goal is to get the lower-ranked members closer to their level, giving them a better chance of winning the war that’s to come. And while we only see the start of things, it looks like it will be brutal.
The program has another purpose, though. With Tokito and Mitsuri getting the same marks as Tanjiro, which gives him superpowers, the other Hashira wants to do the same. It may be the deciding factor in the final battle. However, all they know is that they can only come out when under extreme conditions that could kill them, and they come in contact with someone who already has the Mark. There’s more to it, though. Manga readers will know it, but the anime doesn’t state to increase the tension. From the looks of things, though, the Mark has some serious downsides.
The Hashira Training Arc is Coming!
Serious topics aside, the episode has plenty of funny moments to lighten the mood. The funniest, by far, revolves around Nezuko’s attempts to relearn how to talk. When Zenitsu returns and sees her walking in the sunlight, he gets lovestruck and asks her to marry him. Until that is, she calls him Inosuke. The latter insisted Nezuko get to know her name, much to Zenitsu’s annoyance. And my amusement.
The episode/film ends with Tanjiro preparing to join the training. More importantly, though, Ms. Tamayo, who’s been working on a cure for Demons, gets summoned by Kagaya to collaborate with one of the Hashira—progress at last.
How long will the anime’s fourth season be last? It may only cover the Hashira Training Arc, making it shorter than previous seasons. And, as much as I want to get to the final battle, splitting it up would make the pacing easier. Either way, I’m going to enjoy this.
RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Terrifying Monsters in Anime
Halloween is the time of year where people embrace the macabre and monstrous, and anime is filled with some of the biggest monsters in all of fiction. From demons pulled straight from myths and legends worldwide to conventional monsters like vampires and zombies, anime has them all. In the spirit of Halloween, it seems appropriate to talk about the monsters of anime that will give everyday people nightmares.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime, and here are my picks for some of the most terrifying monsters to be found in anime.
Titans, Attack on Titan Franchise
Woe to those who see one of the Titans approaching them, for they are almost always harbingers of death. Created when a certain group of people are injected with their spinal fluids, Titans are hulking, near-mindless monsters. Their only goal in existence is to find one of the nine people with the power to shift in and out of Titan form and devour them so they can regain human form. Thus, they chase down any human they see in the hopes of eating them. In the Attack on Titan universe, the number of deaths they’ve caused is enough to kill the world’s population three times over.
What makes the Titans so horrifying is that, unlike many fictional monsters, they usually appear distinctly human. Seeing a group of giant, naked, grotesque caricatures of human beings running towards is the stuff of nightmares. Is it any wonder people in Attack on Titan are so afraid of them?
Demons, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
While Demons are not a new thing in works of anime, the Demons in Demon Slayer are unlike anything fans have seen before. Craving human blood, vulnerable to the sun, and capable of turning more humans into them, they have more in common with vampires than that of classical Demons. However, that doesn’t really matter, though, considering that they’re still horrifying.
What makes the Demons in Demon Slayer even more dangerous is the many and varied powers they can possess, ranging from super-strength to being able to rewrite the world around them on a whim. Worst of all, their progenitor, Muzan, is so monstrous that he’s compared to a force of nature. Is it any wonder why the Demon Slayer Corps is constantly struggling to wipe them out?
The one positive trait about them is that they’re not entirely devoid of humanity, as proven by Nezuko.
Devils, Chainsaw Man
Imagine a world where the thing that you’re afraid of, the very concept of it, could take physical form and threaten you. That’s the kind of world that serves as the setting for Chainsaw Man. In this alternate version of Earth, Devils are real, and they are the phsyical manifestations of the things that mankind fears. And the more humans fear them, the stronger they become. No matter how silly or absurd it may be, if someone is afraid of it, there’s likely a Devil for it.
What makes the Devils of Chainsaw Man truly horrifying is that there are things that almost every living thing is genetically programmed to be afraid of. Falling from great heights, darkness, and even death itself are things that all life instinctively fears. Imagine how powerful their Devils are. No wonder why the only people who choose to become Devil Hunters have a few screws loose.
Shinigami, Death Note
Death is already a scary concept by itself, but what if there were extra-dimensional beings capable of killing you with a pen and a notebook. If that sounds terrifying, then the Shinigami of Death Note are the stuff of nightmares. Grotesque in appearance and residing in an alternate plane of reality, the Shinigami have only one purpose in life: to end the lives of others. To that end, they use the power of their Death Notes to end the lives of humans living on Earth and use them to extend their own lifespans.
The scariest part about the Shinigami, besides their appearance, is their almost universal apathy regarding humanity. At worst, they view humans as sources of food for themselves; at best, they’re sources of entertainment. Even Ryuk, the one who gave Light Yagami the Death Note that let him become Kira, abandons Light when he finally gets cornered. They don’t care about mankind, and they never will.
Cursed Spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, feeling too many negative emotions isn’t just bad for your mental health; it can lead to the creation of supernatural monsters. Cursed Spirits are beings that manifest from the collective cursed energy that leaks out of humans whenever they’re feeling negative emotions. Much like the Devils in Chainsaw Man, they’re the embodiments of mankind’s fears and anxities, and thus can take many forms that range from the simple to the truly demonic.
While they can be scary-looking, most Cursed Spirits are capable of being dealt with by the Jujutsu Sorceror’s that protect society from the shadows. That is, however, except for Sukuna, the King of Curses. The amount of black air force energy he has in him is so powerful that he managed to persist a thousand years after he died. The only hope the Jujutsu Sorceror’s had of finally being rid of him was by gathering all his cursed energy into his host, Yuji Itadori, and then finally killing him. As of now, that still has yet to work out.
So, does everyone agree with my picks. I am well aware that there are plenty of monsters in anime that are just as terrifying as the examples I came up with. However, if I tried to mention them all, we’d be here all night. Feel free to let us know any other scary monsters in anime that you think should be on this list.
Anime that Make for Perfect Binge Sessions for Halloween
Every year for Halloween, it’s a tradition of mine to watch at least one Halloween special or scary movie every night in the month of October. While I haven’t always met this self-mandated quota, the process has led me to broaden my horizons into the horror genre, which is something that I normally want nothing to do with. As it turns out, the world of anime is filled to the brim with plenty of scary shows, movies, and OVA’s meant to have people sleeping with one eye open. In addition to serving as inspiration for amazing costumes, horror anime can also serve as ideal binging material to get one into the spirit of the holiday.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime blog, and in honor of Halloween, I’m sharing some of my top picks for anime to binge for All Hallow’s Eve. Some of these I’ve even managed to cover on the blog, so if they interest you, then go check out my reviews for shows like Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer.
Hellsing Ultimate & Hellsing Ultimate : Abridged
You can rarely talk about the horror genre without mentioning vampires, and anime has them for days. While some of them depict vampires as waifu’s and husbandos, there are those that play them straight, with the Hellsing franchise standing near the very top. The series follows the exploits of Alucard, the strongest vampire in the world, as he serves the Hellsing Organization in their mission to protect Britain from supernatural threats. On its own, Hellsing Ultimate is a violent, bloody, and dark story where main characters can drop like flies.
Then, we have Hellsing Ultimate: Abridged by TeamFourStar, which is even better than the official series. The once stoic and perfectionist Alucard is now a goofy, bloodthirsty, over-the-top wearer of black air forces voiced by the talented Takahata101. TeamFourStar balances the genuine horror of facing an army of Nazi vampires with their own brand of humor, and the result is a masterpiece. Compare the moment when Alucard returns to London in the official release with what TeamFourStar does and tell me which doesn’t get you more hyped up.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is among the most famous anime in the world, and for good reason; it gave us some of the most terrifying monsters the world has ever seen. When it first came out, Attack on Titan looked to be a post-apocalyptic horror anime telling the story of mankind’s desperate fight for survival against an anime that didn’t just want them dead but to eat them. However, as time went on, the series expanded its ideas of what can be considered horror. From the realization that the enemy they had fought for so long had an unsettling connection to them to looking at the psychological toll war can have on everyone, Attack on Titan painted a bleak picture of mankind. And fans have eaten it up.
At the time that this is being published, fans are eagerly awaiting for the series finale to air on Crunchyroll on November 5th, 2023. Given the hype surrounding the ending to the manga, fans are going to be discussing what happens in Attack on Titan for years to come. Fear the Titans.
Chainsaw Man
It may be a newcomer in the world of Shonen anime, but Chainsaw Man has already garnered a massive following. Set in an alternate 1990s Japan, Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, a teenage boy who hunts down Devils for a living. After his Yakuza handlers betray and kill him, Denji’s reborn as the titular Chainsaw Man, capable of cutting up anyone dumb enough to fight him into bloody, bloody chunks. Instead of being motivated to help others or do good, Denji wants to live a good life. That, and to get a girlfriend. The man has his priorities straight.
The first season of the anime might not have fully capitalized on the over-the-top violence fans were expecting. However, there’s no denying that Chainsaw Man is a good Shonen-Horror anime. The main antagonists of the series are the physical manifestations of everything that mankind fears. And once the violence gets started in earnest, no one will be safe from dying horrifically. This is one of the darkest of the new wave of Shonen hits, and it’s likely to be one that people will talk about for years.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yet another example of the recent trend of dark Shonen anime, Jujutsu Kaisen operates on a similar premise to Chainsaw Man. In a Japan where sorceror’s secretly battle against monsters called Cursed Spirits, Yuji Itadori’s a seemingly ordinary kid. Until, that is, the day he becomes the unwitting host for the most dangerous Cursed Spirit in history. Thus, he’s forced to become a Jujutsu Sorceror and gather the other fragments of said Cursed Spirit in the hopes that when he dies, he can take this threat with him to his grave.
JuJutsu Kaisen is part of the next generation of Shonen anime, and it has already garnered a massive following. The premise of people fighting against the supernatural embodiment of negative feelings is an interesting take on the usual Shonen formula, but it doesn’t make it any less awesome. In addition to the horror factor, the show’s also gotten a lot of praise for its sense of humor. From Yuji’s Dub VA creating that iconic shout-out to Mega Thee Stallion to Gojo being a full-on rizz god, Jujustu Kaisen is super entertaining to watch. Don’t let the humor fool you, though. It knows when to get dark and serious.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
When Demon Slayer cooks, the whole world eats well. Set in Meji-era Japan, Demon Slayer follows the story of Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who’s entire family is slaughtered by the Demon, Muzan, and his sister, Nezuko, turned into a Demon herself. Against almost everyone’s objections, Tanjiro refuses to let Nezuko die, vowing to kill Muzan and return his sister to human form. Thus, he embarks on the life of a Demon Slayer.
Demon Slayer has become legendary for how amazing the animation is, but it also stands up well in the horror genre. The members of the Demon Slayer Corps are constantly forced to fight against Demons that range from normal in appearance to outright abominations, and are usually considered the underdogs doing it. What really makes Demon Slayer great, though, is what the story represents on a thematic level. If Demons represent the worst of humanity, then the Demon Slayer Corps indomitable will against overwhelming odds represents its best. That alone is worth giving it a shot.
High School of the Dead
Zombie Apocalypse’s can be as commonplace in anime as they are in western media, but few are as notorious as the unfinished High School of the Dead. When a zombie pandemic strikes without warning around the world and society collapses, a group of largely high school students bands together to do their best to survive. At the same time, though, they’re dealing with a threat just as dangerous: their own hormones and how that can affect their relationships.
I will be blunt about this: if you’re looking for something that’s thought-provoking and deep, then Hight School of the Dead is not for you. It’s an anime that focuses almost as much time on the fanservice from the beautiful girls as it does on the sheer blood and gore and trying to be edgy. However, it also knows what it is and makes no attempts to hide that from the viewers. If you’re looking for a show filled Evil Dead levels of ridiculous violence, then this might be worth your time.
Or…you can watch this instead.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
A show that came out this year, Zom 100 is essentially the anti-High School of the Dead. Like HOTD, the world falls victim to a zombie apocalypse that leaves everyone struggling to survive. Whereas HOTD seems cynical and jaded about the whole thing, the main characters of Zom 100 treat it like the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Considering how miserable they were in their lives before it happened, though, they all agree that this is much better.
I’ve already talked about this show extensively in my reviews of each episode, so I won’t explain much of why I think it’s binge-worthy for Halloween here. However, I must warn you that the first season is currently on hiatus due to production issues. If anything, you should still watch it and show the studios that we want it to continue!
Soul Eater
Lastly, we have the supernatural dark fantasy, Soul Eater. Set in a world filled with witches and other supernatural entities, Soul Eater follows the exploits of three teams from the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a school headed by Death himself to protect the world from evil. To do this, some groups of people can transform themselves into living weapons capable of being wielded by their partners called Meisters. If they grow strong enough, they can become a weapon capable of being wielded by Death.
Soul Eater is, for all intents and purposes, what would happen if Tim Burton were to create his own anime. In fact, Tim Burton is often cited as a major source of inspiration for the gothic style and tone of Soul Eater, with critics and fans making positive comparisons to his works like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Given that film’s status as a classic Halloween/Christmas film, it’s only fitting that this anime be watched around Halloween. Not to mention there is a Soul Eater AMV that runs to a cover of “This is Halloween” on YouTube.
Anime Villains that Can Induce Nightmare Fuel in Fans
There can be no good without evil, and that means that a great hero needs a great villain. Batman has the Joker, Cloud has Sephiroth, Spider-Man has the Green Goblin. The best heroes have the best villains, and the best villains can be as popular as the heroes. However, no matter how much people may like them (or like to hate them), that doesn’t change the fact that they’re evil. If people were to somehow encounter them in real life, they’ll generally have three choices.
Run for your life and pray that they don’t come after you.
Bow down to them and pray that they spare.
Make peace with your impending death.
Since Halloween is about scaring ourselves, here are some of the villains in Shonen anime that are the stuff of nightmares. Villain’s that, if encountered by someone unprepared, should be run away from as fast as you can.
DIO, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
There’s hatred, and then there’s the concentrated malice that is known as DIO. As the overarching antagonist of most of Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, DIO is one of the most vile beings to ever walk upon God’s green earth. Which is ironic because his name means “God” in Italian!
Despite starting out as nothing more than an extremelycruel bully to Jonathan Joestar, Dio graduated from that and humanity when he used an ancient mask to become an immortal vampire. After that, Dio slaughtered his way through Victorian England before the OG JoJo took him down, sacrificing his own life in the process. Unfortunately for the world, it didn’t stick.
DIO (now all caps) returned a hundred years with JoJo’s body and a Stand power that let him stop time, and even then, he wasn’t satisfied. Had JoJo’s descendant, Jotaro Kujo, not slain him, he would’ve eventually evolved his Stand into one that could rewrite reality itself. The worst part, though, is that even in death, DIO remained a threat thanks to his followers, one of whom would find a way to end and restart the universe.
DIO is like Dracula on steroids. He’s brilliant, has almost no regard for humanity, and worst of all, incredibly charismatic. Even if someone manages to resist his charisma, it won’t matter since he can implant a parasite in their brains and force them to serve him. Anyone unlucky enough to cross his path should run, lest he devours you mind, body, and soul.
Frieza, Dragon Ball Franchise
There are a lot of villains in the Dragon Ball franchise that would terrify even the bravest people. However, even when stacked against beings like Cell, Majin Buu, and Goku Black, Frieza stands as the biggest villain in Dragon Ball for good reason. Series mangaka Akira Toriyama based him off his own worst nightmares fused with real estate speculators that, at the time of his creation, were raking in dough at countless other’s expense. As a result, unlike most villains in the franchise, Frieza has an unthreatening appearance and eloquent way of speaking one might expect from Hannibal Lecter, which only makes him all the more terrifying.
While he was eventually surpassed by stronger villains like Cell and Majin Buu, Frieza remained the most popular villain in the franchise. That popularity would eventually see him not only come back from the dead (twice), but gave him a power-up that put him back on top. At the time of this writing, Frieza’s gotten to the point where he’s stronger than Goku and Vegeta. The only reason they’re still alive is because he let them live just to prove a point. Unless you’re a Super Saiyan or a god of destruction, then Frieza is the last person that you want to anger. He will not kill you but your entire species in the process.
Also, he’s got his own heavy-metal theme song.
Akainu, One Piece
There are plenty of villains and monsters in One Piece that make ordinary people tremble in fear, but few of them can get away with their actions by being one of the “good guys.” That’s different for Navy Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, AKA Akainu (“Red Dog.”) Akainu is everything wrong with the Marines personified. If you step out of line with his extreme views on justice, he will not hesitate to kill you. And with his Magma Magma Fruit powers letting him turn his body into magma, there’s little anyone can do to stop him.
Many of the actions that Akainu has committed over the course of the series would, in a fairer world, likely constitute as war crimes. From blowing up a refugee ship on the off-chance a singlefugitive would be on board to killing his own men for getting in his way or losing their nerve, this is someone that shouldn’t be put in charge of anything. For fans of One Piece, though, his biggest crime was murdering Luffy’s brother, Ace, right before him. This monster needs to be stopped, and many fans would love to see Luffy beat him into the ground before the series ends.
No, really. Luffy needs to beat him to a pulp and avenge his brother’s death.
Muzan Kibutsuji, Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba
He may look like Michael Jackson, but Muzan is a complete and utter monster. The centuries old progenitor of all Demons, Muzan is less of a person and more of a plague upon the world. Born a sickly human a thousand years ago, he took an incomplete medicine to survive, only to have it turn him into the first Demon. Since then, he has plagued Japan from the shadows, spawning countless Demons. His ultimate goal is to attain true immortality and conquer the light of the sun.
Even with his weakness to sunlight, Muzan is a terrifying, nigh-immortal foe. With a healing factor that rivals the likes of Cell or Majin Buu and an insatiable will to live, Muzan is the stuff of nightmares. Not even his fellow Demons are safe from him, as he’ll kill them for no reason. Any unlucky soul who finds themselves facing him shouldn’t even bother running. Just pray to God to let you into Heaven when you die.
WARNING: This Final Entry Provides MAJOR SPOILERS for Chainsaw Man. Anime-only fans and those who haven’t read the manga, stop reading!
Makima, Chainsaw Man
This blog’s review for the 9th episode of the Chainsaw Man anime called Makima a dangerous and, indeed, scary person. That had been written with little knowledge about what happens in the manga. That assessment turned out to be accurate to the extreme. Makima isn’t just a dangerous woman. She’s a menace!
While the anime has dropped hints that Makima isn’t a normal person, the manga eventually reveals that she’s actually the Control Devil. AKA, the embodiment of humanity’s fear of control, oppression, and the loss of free will. As such, her ability to control those she sees beneath her is so broken it puts Lelouch Vi Britannia’s Geass to shame. She’s a manipulative, cruel, and sociopathic villain whose idea of a perfect world is one without Devils and everyone under her heels. In other words, she’s the stuff of nightmares.
The worst part is the fact that she’s almost impossible to kill. Any damage done to her gets sent to some random person instead. With nigh-immortality and the ability to manipulate almost anyone she meets, she’s an enemy to everyone who loves free will. It doesn’t matter if she’s called a waifu; she’s a monster.
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