Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc

Episode 2

Some folks seemed to be at odds with my muted response to last week's double-length introduction to this new Entertainment District Arc, which is totally fine, since it isn't like my opinion is legally binding or anything. I simply didn't dig Demon Slayer's continued attempts to wring pathos from Rengoku's death at the end of Mugen Train, and the comedy of the episode largely fell flat for me, too. Let it never be said that I simply don't like Demon Slayer as a whole, though, since “Infiltrating the Entertainment District” is proof positive that I can totally get on board for an exposition heavy, comedy focused episode of the show! It just has to be, you know, fun to watch.

First things first: Uzui Tengen has more personality in one of his elegantly ringed fingers than Rengoku ever managed to demonstrate throughout the entirety the series. He's a flamboyant and possibly insane asshole with a harem of beautiful ninja wives and no shortage of ridiculous schemes. The fact that he has penchant for beating the ever-loving bejeesus out of Zenitsu is merely a cherry on top of the sundae that is the God of Flashiness. The comedy of Demon Slayer is normally very hit-or-miss for me, and while Zenitsu's screeching still made me beg for the sweet release of death more than once this week, I actually had a lot of fun watching one oversized and gaudily dressed idiot try to wrangle three tiny yet infinitely more troublesome idiots. This is an anime that is already chock full of great reaction shots, but its face game is totally on point here.

Also, I find the very concept of this arc an intriguing change if pace compared to the relatively straightforward demon hunts of missions past. For anyone who was unaware going in, the storyline's localized title of “Entertainment District Arc” is strangely obtuse given how upfront Demon Slayer is with where things are going down. This is the Red-Light District, and in this era of Japanese history there is a whole sub-culture of hierarchies and political subterfuge to be found in and between the brothel-clans that run things. Each of Uzui's wives was sent to infiltrate the three largest courtesan Houses to suss out the demonic influence that Uzui is certain will be found in the Red-Light District: Suma went to the Tokito House, Makio to the Ogimoto House, and Hinatsuru to the Kyogoku House. So, not only will the boys have to put on their espionage faces and tackle an ever-so-slightly more cerebral mission, but there are multiple factions to consider, not to mention the looming threat of whatever the hell Muzan is up to.

It's an ambitious setup, especially compared to the last few months consisting of little more than “The Gang Fights a Train.” Like I said up top, though, “Infiltrating the Entertainment District” isn't just about doling out all of the prerequisite exposition you need for a complicated plot like this; it's also really damned funny! I laughed at the goofy sight of the boys in their terrible, caked-on makeup. I laughed at how Inosuke naturally makes for an incredibly gorgeous courtesan-in-training, despite not being able to talk on account of his “husky voice”. I laughed at how much of a baller Zenitsu is at playing the Shamisen (though I hate Demon Slayer for giving Zenitsu even one character trait that I have to begrudgingly respect). I even laughed at Tanjiro's kind of pathetic attempts to get more information out of the girls at Tokito House, since not only is Tanjiro physically incapable of lying without having grotesque facial spasms, but he doesn't even try to mask his more masculine features, and not one single person seems to notice or care. Granted, I'm not sure how much that last part was even supposed to be a joke, but it amused me, so I'll take it.

I don't know what the Entertainment District Arc has in store for us, but I'm glad to see that Demon Slayer seems to have refreshed itself and found its groove again. The jury's out on whether or not the show will be able to keep up the momentum for the entire season, but I'll be holding on to my ticket for the Hype Train, just in case it rolls back into the station again after all. Also, we might get to see Uzui beat up Zenitsu some more, and that's worth the price of admission all on its own.

Rating:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.