An Introduction to Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer is a manga series by Koyoharu Gotouge, published from 2016-2020 in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Tanjiro’s journey to become a great warrior in order to avenge the murder of his family. #demonslayer 1/7

Accompanying Tanjiro is his sister Nezuko, spared from death at the hands of demons, but now a demon herself. Along the way, Tanjiro is opposed by the demons of Muzan and aided/trained by the Demon Slayer Corps. 2/7

The story unfolds within Taisho-era Japan (1912-1926) and offers a rich portrayal of Japanese history and mythology with a particular engagement with the rise of modernity in Japan through industrialization and urbanization. 3/7

Interestingly, this period also traces its name to a passage from the I Ching which speaks to achieving excellence through morally correct behaviour, something that Tanjiro exhibits to great effect in the series. 4/7

Despite the series’ relative youth, it is already one of the best-selling mangas of all time, with over 220 million copies in circulation. Arguably, its success as an anime (both TV and film) is even greater. 5/7

The October 2020 release of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train set the record as the highest grossing anime film of all time as well as that of the highest grossing Japanese film of all-time. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle just broke records itself. 6/7

In the weeks ahead, we’ll explore the nuances and impact of a manga juggernaut with its finger on the pulse of what modern manga readers are connecting with most. 7/7