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Loved Demon Slayer? Then You'll Love These Too.

If This, Then That

By Einreb OrtegaPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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Kimetsu no Yaiba or loosely translated and more well known as Demon Slayer, written and illustrated by Koyoharu and Gotouge an action-packed fantasy manga with an anime release in 2019 that garnered popularity for its characters, unique story and it’s incredibly beautiful animation and illustration. With the release of the movie earlier this year, continuing on the story from where the first season of the anime left off.

The day I saw its premiere, I was surprised with the mixture in attendance and having spoken to a few of them after the movie a lot of them said that Demon Slayer was the first anime they watched and from it sparked a keen interest to watch more anime.

While season 2 of the anime is not set to air for at least another 12-15 months I’m sure some people would like something new to watch to pass time as we wait in anticipation. With this, I present 3 anime’s that you will easily enjoy and love if you are a fan of Demon Slayer.

Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer

To find out what makes Demon Slayer be considered a ‘god-tier anime let’s break down the formula a little.

Plot

The premise of the anime is set in Taishõ-era of Japan, centring around a boy named Tanjiro Kamado and his younger sister Nezuko. When the pair's family is killed by a demon attack resulting in Nezuko turning into a demon herself, Tanjiro seeks a cure for her. Eventually leading him to join a secret society known as the Demon Slayer Corps. Made for the sole purpose of combating the demon disaster. While demons possess superhuman powers, relative to the number of humans they’ve eaten, the Demon Slayer Corps are only human. To make up for this gap in physical prowess Demon Slayers utilise sword techniques referred to as “Breathing Styles” utilising one's control of their breathing to enhance their physical abilities. Paired with special swords known as a ‘Nichirin Blade’ the Corps. Can stand toe to toe with even the strongest of Demons.

While the use of fighting demons as the core plot is not new, Koyoharu’s approach to how the story unfolds and how every dilemma is overcome breaths new life into this plot. With a mix of emotions and subplots conjoined with a truly unique vision, they all dance in perfect harmony, presenting a story both entertaining and visually striking.

Art and Animation

In Japan, anime’s are developed by animation studios. Ufotable a reputable and well-known animation studio was tasked with creating the anime adaptation. With a deep resume filled with the likes of the Fate/ and the Kara no Kyoukai series Ufotable is no stranger to translating unique and compelling stories into visual works of art, and that is exactly what the anime adaptation of Demon Slayer, simply a work of art. Producer Yuma Takahashi stated that the earnest attitude of the Ufotable staff towards the development of the adaptation is what made the success of Demon Slayer.

The way the characters are illustrated with emotions, strong colours juxtaposed with an overall dark setting showcase coupled with incredibly well-composed theme songs and with animation that is almost as fluid as live-action, what you witness is a rich and dynamic presentation that is hard to be distracted from.

Character Development

As an avid anime and manga fan, one of the few minor complaints I hear from fellow fans that bring down a potentially good manga or anime is simply the lack of character development. This makes sense, it eventually gets to the point when a viewer gets sick and tired of the same personality despite everything being centred around the protagonist. Well, fear not as Demon Slayer as plenty of this. The use of flashbacks to provide the back story of the characters in focus at the moment provides a great contrast with their past from their present giving the viewer a sense of relation and emotional sentiment towards the characters.

Now with that being said, let's look at 3 different anime’s that I would recommend if you enjoyed Demon Slayer and are thirsting for more.

Guilty Crown

It's one of the very first few anime’s I ever watched. The incredible storytelling and visuals left me feeling emotional for a few weeks after binge-watching in a day. Like Demon Slayer, Guilty Crown also presents a unique premise of the story. In Guilty Crown, protagonist Shu Ouma is given the “Power of the King.” A monstrous power that allows him to extract items from people known as Voids, physical manifestations of one's psyche in weapon form. Using this ability he helps Funeral Parlour in their campaign against GHQ to liberate Japan from its clutches.

A completely original story, made by Production I.G it utilising well-paced storytelling that leads the viewer in a forest of emotions. Backed by stunning visuals that include a balance of 2D animation and CGI, Production I.G, like Ufotable, creates a work of art that has never been replicated as good as this. The original music created by Supercell is rememberable and fits the theme of a dystopian future perfectly and will most certainly stand the test of time.

Attack on Titan

We are all somewhat familiar with what titans are, in Greek mythology they were giants and gods of the earth before being overthrown by the Olympians Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Similarly in this anime Titans also rule the world. Roaming around the earth, preying on and feared by humans for their insatiable hunger. To combat the Titan threat and to save humanity from the brink of extinction, the last liveable city is barricaded around 3 walls. Peace is granted for almost a century until one day the walls are breached. Attack on Titan follows the story of Eren Yeager as he joins the military to fight against the Titans, seeking revenge for the death of his mother.

Wit Manga did a spectacular job adapting Hajime Isayama’s vision from the manga to the screen. The use of desaturated colours and incredible voice acting help emphasise the dark theme, without making the viewer feel out of touch. The characters emotions are well-drawn and help you feel the struggle they feel when watching. It is jam-packed with emotional rollercoasters thanks to unexpected plot twists and fluid animation making the fight scenes, whether it’s humans fighting Titans, or Titans fighting Titans easy to follow. Titan’s fighting Titan’s? When Titan’s are the enemy? Curious? Well, you’ll just have to watch to find out.

Fate/… Series

Another truly and I mean truly unique concept as a plot for an action-packed, emotional roller coaster of an anime series. The brainchild of Kinoko Nasu from Type-Moon. The setting centres around a Hunger Games-like competition known as the “Holy Grail Wars” As the name suggest the prize for winning this intense and deadly battle royale is none other than the mythical Holy Grail. Participants usually involve highly proficient magicians, to assist them in their quest, the magicians can summon one familiar, a temporary reincarnation of a ‘Heroic Spirit’ from the history books. Each heroic spirit is separated into a categorical class system, which is an easier way of identifying what type of familiar you have. The classes are Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker.

At the start I was hesitant in watching the Fate/…series as it seemed boring and that there would be a lot to get my head around. But after the release of Fate/StayNight: Unlimited Blade Works in 2015, I was immediately hooked. Like Demon Slayer, Fate/…series uses extraordinary and well planned out animation combined with small touches of CGI that demonstrates perfectly the prowess of familiars and the intensity of the Holy Grail Wars. Its nail-biting intensity keeps your attention at all times and during slow-paced moments, doesn’t hesitate to focus on the main characters more. Character development plays a strong part in the anime’s impact, as it is evident that such a fight to the death has left a toll on the characters both mentally and physically.

With these suggestions, I hope you were able to take something away to help quench your new-found thirst. If you do decide to watch these recommendations, I also hope you found them as incredible and as enjoyable as I did.

Thank you!

entertainment
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About the Creator

Einreb Ortega

New to this Vocal thing, but hopefully will get better with time. Interests include fashion, photography and music.

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