Demon Slayer Volume 1
Synopsis
One average day, the sweet charcoal seller Tanjiro Kamado makes his way to town to sell his charcoal and uses his incredible nose to smell any minor quibbles to help the local villagers. He is stopped on his return home by an older man who believes horrible demons are hunting humans in the woods at night. Tanjiro returns to a gruesome scene of his family slain by a suspected demon. He finds his sister Nezuko has survived the attack, but to his surprise and dismay, she has turned into a demon. Convinced he can save his sister, Giyu Tomioka spares Nezuko and commands Tanjiro to seek out a man named Sakonji Urokodaki to assist them. Tanjiro and Nezuko’s journey continues to the mountains, hoping to find a cure for Nezuko and training Tanjiro to become a demon slayer.
Review and Recommendation
I’m excited to continue this spooky season with one of my all-time favorite manga and anime, Demon Slayer! Demon Slayer will always be special to me because it is the series that first piqued my interest in manga/anime and cemented me as a fan. Volume one begins with minimal exposition of demons and their lore. The reader's exposure to this lore is told from the perspective and experiences of Tanjiro (the main protagonist of Demon Slayer) and other characters that fill in the gaps. I thought this choice helped keep the story's pacing smooth and engaging. The story doesn’t quickly give an exposition dump of every detail of this demon world but instead allows the reader to figure out the world along with the main character. The presence of demons is subtly mentioned as new characters are introduced. For example, the first mention of demons is from an older man who sets the plot into motion for Tanjiro. The next character, Giyu, further explains demons and then sets Tanjiro on his next mission to help his sister and set him on the path to becoming a demon slayer. Each scene flows perfectly into the next without drawing the story out or making it dull. The series also has incredibly well-written characters. Tanjiro is an optimistic and charismatic character who brings a cheerful air to the otherwise dark and gory tone. This optimism stays with him despite the tragedy thrown his way. Also, even though Nezuko doesn’t speak in volume one, her charisma and charm are shown through her actions. I loved reading about their journey together and how, despite everything, they stayed with their goal and optimistic nature. Demon Slayer Volume One is a heartwarming and exciting book to read on any crisp fall night.
Cautions
*Spoiler Alert* (A spoiler alert is being issued because there are mentions of specific plot points that relate to the rating of this review.)
Volume one of Demon Slayer is not as gory as other books in the series, but there is still mild gore. For example, in the beginning, there are images of Tanjiro’s slain family. Blood can be seen on the walls, and there are close-ups of his family members lying dead on the ground. There are a few more scenes with blood coming out of the characters, too, but that can be expected because this story is about demons, which eat people for strength and energy. Besides the gore, the first volume has no foul language or suggestive images. I would recommend this book to teens or older readers.
