Mitsuri Kanroji

Mitsuri Kanroji Is Sakura Done Right

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

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S3, Ep 10 Review

Everyone remembers Sakura Haruno from Naruto, for better or worse. She started as Sasuke’s number-one fangirl and didn’t do much. Then Sasuke ran away and she dedicated herself to getting stronger, which she did, gaining superhuman strength. However, nothing could save her from the menace of poor character writing. Even someone who thinks she’s overhated like me understands that she was underutilized. Thankfully, we live in a world where there’s an improved version of Sakura in anime. Her name is Mitsuri Kanroji, AKA the Love Hashira, AKA Sakura 2.0.

Mitsuri Kanroji is such a Badass

After she swoops in to save Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, the disrespectful demon calls Mitsuri Kanroji a shameless tramp, angering her and the fandom to no end. However, she proves she’s anything but as she proceeds to demonstrate the power of her Love Breathing style. It lets her cancel out other people’s attacks, making it extremely powerful. Unfortunately, she makes the mistake of going directly for Zohakuten’s head, unaware it’s not his real body. Thankfully, the counterattack that follows doesn’t kill her.

It turns out, despite her small size, Mitsuri’s muscles are denser than a normal human’s. As a result, she survives that initial attack long enough for the others to save her. 

It’s at this moment, though, where we learn about her backstory, and how it makes her better than Sakura.

Those People Don’t Know what they’re Talking About

As we see in Mitsurri’s memories, she’s always been this incredibly strong. When she was a baby, she could lift a pickling stone that even adults would have trouble carrying! As a kid, she could out-eat sumo wrestlers and beat them in arm wrestling contests! Instead of giving her a happy life, though, Mitsuri’s abilities brought her hardship. The man she was interviewing for marriage dumped her for this, plus her pink hair color! 

After that happened, Mitsuri felt ashamed of who she was and started hiding it from the world. She wanted to find love and fit in with others, but all this did was make her miserable. All this led her to join the Demon Slayer Corps to help people, find love, and be herself. And it worked!

This is how you write a better version of Sakura Haruno. Sakura’s initial motivations were shallow, self-centered, and continued to be a big part of her throughout Naruto. While she got better, she never lived up to her full potential. In contrast, Mitsuri’s motivations, while similar, come off as more genuine. She wants to love people, and for people to love her for who she is, something many can relate to. It’s what makes her a better version of Sakura.

Hantengu’s Done Running

Thanks to the efforts of Mitsuri, Zohakuten’s distracted long enough for Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko to chase after Hantengu’s main body. The coward continues to flee, but despite his best efforts, the Demon Slayers aren’t going to let him escape. The Demon’s crocodile tears deserve no sympathy from anyone; he’s done.

There’s one problem, though: as Nezuko goes to make the final blow, it becomes apparent that dawn’s almost upon them. If that happens, Nezuko could die! They need to finish this soon for her sake!

Next week, we’re getting the finale to the Swordsmith Village arc, which is a shame, since I thought there would be two more episodes. Given what has happened, though, I think that it’s ending at an appropriate time. At least it doesn’t drag things out like many other Shonen anime tend to do!

I Give “Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji” a 4/5

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