Watching 'Kimetsu no Yaiba' Episode 22

After the epic fight that took place in the woods against the spider clan and the surprisingly heartfelt end to that story arc, we find Tanjiro and his sister in a precarious situation. Both Tanjiro and Nezuko are taken to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the two of them are supposed to be executed as a result of Tanjiro breaking the rules of the corps and travelling with a demon, while Nezuko is a demon herself. Tomioka of the Hashira is also to be reprimanded for protecting Tanjiro and Nezuko.

This was 20 minutes that flew by. The tension in the episode was so high that I found that when the episode ended both of my fists were clenched hard in anticipation of what would happen. Granted, we are still a few episodes away from the finale of the season, and as such the episode ended in a cliffhanger. That being said what a cliffhanger it was.

Right from the start of the episode you are introduced to the strongest demon slayers, and what is great to see is that they all too so distinct from each other that, when they attach personalities to the character models and even if you do not know the name of the character, you will immediately recognize him or her, along with their personality. This is an incredibly hard thing to do at the best of times, and yet this show makes it look effortless. We start right off with the Kashira debating on what to do with Tanjiro and his sister; however, there are those among the group that want to know the reason why he is traveling with a demon, while the others simply wants to kill the two and get on with the day, remaining steadfast in the rules that had been created for the corps.

This was something that we always felt as something that needs to be addressed. Eventually there is going to be a time when Tanjiro is going to be summoned, and he will be challenged by the rest of the demon slayers. For it to come so swiftly after a moment that truly embodied the bond between the two siblings, makes this moment hard to get through. Deep down, as this is a show, you know that things are going to work out, it is how that things are going to work out that really keeps you on edge, and at no point in this episode could I have predicted what was to come. This is fantastic writing, where you are able to put the characters into a situation that is going to push them to the absolute brink, the characters themselves are put to struggling while the audience is on the edge of their seat.

While things were at a stalemate among the Hashira, it was only when Shinazugawa entered, that the tension rose from an already high up into the stratosphere. While the others were debating on what to do, Shinazugawa went out of his way to prove his point, going so far as to stab Nezuko over and over again, prompting Tanjiro to move despite his near crippled state to still floor Shinazugawa and try to protect Nezuko.

The stakes are raised so high that you get the feeling an all out fight is going to break loose, and it is here that we meet the leader of the Demon Corps. While his character design is unique, he was not what I was expecting. It was a frail looking man what seemed to have been crippled at some point in his life. Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Despite this frail demeanor, by the behaviour of the Hashira we can see the immense respect others have for him. Even Shinazugawa was in line and well behaved.

Kagaya goes so far as to say that Tanjiro and his sister was accepted while knowing about their situation, here we find just how much trust is placed in Nezuko not harming a human. Urokodaki, Tomioka, and Tanjiro are all willing to give up their lives if the day ever came that Nezuko hurt a human. Kagaya goes so far as to say that there are three people that are willing to put their lives on the line because of their belief in Nezuko not hurting people, turning to the Hashira he asks if there was anyone with just as much conviction to propose the other. What is fantastic about Kagaya is that he is a leader that talks sense and logic above all else, one who has the respect of the group to such an extent that with a single whisper the enter group would silence to listen to him speak. This inadvertently creates a lot of intrigue towards Kagaya, why is he so revered, and why is he so respected by the others?

Shinaguzawa was not easily deterred, and so goes so far as to stab Nezuko over and over again through the box she is in. Then taking her inside to the shade. After being stabbed many times, anyone would be mad at the person that stabbed them. We are left wondering if Nezuko would go to demon mode and attack, condemning Tanjiro and the others, or if her more human-side will win out.

This was an episode, composed primarily of people talking, and this was one of the most riveting episodes of Kimetsu no Yaiba that I have seen. So far studio ufotable has completely knocked the show out of the park, at a consistent basis.