Review of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc
Before I start my review about this new Demon Slayer season, I must address that I recognize the apparent flaws of the story. Anyone who hates this anime can easily list out from A to Z and I would agree with every point they say. Without further ado, let's jump straight into it. Story: 6/10 The story is quite simple, nothing goes out of the ordinary and has some amazing storytelling right off the bat. Infiltrate, discover, attack, persevere, and win is the whole story. But the execution of the story was fine and plausible. Throughout the episodes, there weren't any moments that made me feel disgustedor had me screaming at the top of my lungs for anything insufferable, though I wasn't fond of the story pulling some bullcrap suddenly just to increase the stakes because the author knows these characters aren't really something to root for unless they are always getting ambushed. Also, the humour wasn’t cutting it just like the previous seasons. Therefore, at its best, it’s a decent shonen that manages to be entertaining.
Art: 10/10
Unfortunately, this is one of these occasions where I would rather give this an 11 thanks to Ufotable for their godly effort on this anime that doesn’t deserve their love. Just as expected is an understatement, I was blown away by each scene that was happening. Let me emphasize what this season offers in a nutshell. You've eaten this food before, you ate it so much you grew tired of it, the same taste, the same smell, the same fulfilment, it never gets any different. But then, somewhere out there, as you got home, you see the same food, but it releases a different smell despite using the same ingredients. You realized that it's literally the same thing, but for some reason, you feel tempted to take it and so you sat down. The moment you took it, you feel the warmth and love the food. Why does that happen when you don't even like it anymore? Well, that's where Ufotable steps in. Ufotable is a caring mother that has their very own touch that distinguishes their tastes different from anything else. And that's why I love it, it's handled with care and passion to the point this season was able to prevail as a work of art. The fluidity, the choreography and the intensity of the whole fight had me trembling with excitement. In other words, it's a feast for the eyes.
Character: 6/10
I get it, the characters don't have much going on for them. The main characters, the supporting characters and the villains aren't exactly the best-written people you could possibly find. The author's idea of making the supporting characters repeat the same lines repeatedly can get old and tedious. However, the intensity and the stakes behind every strike, every movement was taken into consideration and made the subpar characters worth paying attention to since they are the ones who must prevail amongst others. Well, at least the characters are serviceable and don't go over the top on their mistakes that might drive me to the point of insanity.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I love this season, it has the same fundamental storytelling just as the other arcs after the training arc, but with higher stakes. Let’s not forget to pay credit to this season’s opening by Aimer, my goodness that opening never fails to surge me with spirit and hope, knowing what to expect is indeed the greatest to ever been witnessed. With that said, I am looking forward to its sequels and despite all the backlash, the way I watched it still hasn’t changed a bit.