Demon Slayer Season 3, A Hit Or Epic Fail?

The latest and the most hyped Demon Slayer Season 3 aka Swordsmith Village Arc finished airing on June 18, 2023. With new characters, terrifying villains, and stunning visuals, let us see if the latest season of the popular Shonen series lived up to the hype!

Normally I start my writing by writing something about the show itself. Introduce it, give it a small summary and explain the ins-and-out in the shortest way possible. But I already did that in my last (and very first) article about Demon Slayer, published on April 16, 2023. So, you can go and check that out.

And if you’re too lazy to check it out, I’ll give you a summary of the article itself. There I introduced Demon Slayer along with the plot and its creator. I mentioned what the show has been about, gave small details of the characters including the villains and set my expectations for the show. Now, without further ado, let us begin the review of Demon Slayer Season 3.

Manga vs Anime

The battle between Manga and Anime has been this never-ending custody battle between two different mediums containing the same plot and story. Sometimes the anime wins due to its animation and soundtrack, and the fact that they released a huge number of episodes, which means you cannot read the manga to stay ahead. And then there’s the manga, which wins that very battle with elegance. Where anime uses animation and music as their cheap tricks to win against manga, that very manga uses its art style, plot and pacing to win the fans over.

Because of this very reason, Manga comes out on top in this never-ending battle between Anime and Manga. And there have been some great examples, like Tokyo Ghoul, The Promised Neverland, Seven Deadly Sins and of course, Berserk. And during this very battle, one particular show came out of a studio with “UFO” in their name. And just like an alien, after creating a show with a confusing continuity that is still discussed today, they took a manga that despite following the Shonen trope, experimented with it and took over the World with it.

And that show was Demon Slayer, which has always come on top when it came to the battle between anime and manga, until now. If you followed social media while Demon Slayer Season 3 was airing, then you noticed that among the countless AMV and memes where fans expressed their love for the series, there were some that complained about the recent animation style from Ufotable.

Whether it was the overuse of CGI on the Fish Monsters from Gyokko, it was an eyesore. Or some facial expressions of Tanjiro during his fight with Urogi (Joy counterpart of Hantegu) that caused netizens to launch a cancel culture on Twitter. Ufotable had made a few mistakes that caused a stain in their reputation regarding their perfect animation. However, these mistakes can be forgiven. But there are some issues that I wish to address as well. Before I do, let me mention some good points about Demon Slayer Season 3.

Demon Slayer Season 3 Strengths

As mentioned before, the characters introduced were right on the money (because I had read the manga beforehand). They had their strengths, with their weaknesses overshadowed. Even without the inclusion of one-half of Kamaboko Squad. You come to hate Muichiro for the first time you see him because of his attitude. However, Tanjiro himself challenges your perception towards him and fleshes him out to be a character you want to give a hug to.

The same cannot be said about Muichiro’s Kasugai Crow. Uzui Tengen of Season 2 being the flamboyant one wasn’t annoying but rather welcoming, but this one is so preaching towards Muichiro and his connection with Yorichii (The First Breath User), that it not only worships him but also undermines everyone around him. Glad that we didn’t see more of her.

Then there’s the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji. Despite her voracious eating habit and unrivalled strength, she is a sweetheart. Unlike other Demon Slayers, who are motivated by vengeance against the Demons, Mitsuri joined the Demon Slayer Corps because (although she says she is looking for a husband,) she wants to be accepted. You could say that she is the living embodiment of “Be Real and Love Yourself.” Because her journey to becoming a Demon Slayer was of self-love.

Her abnormal status makes her a low-key social outcast. And despite having a very supportive family, she doesn’t feel accepted anywhere especially when her fiancé calls off their engagement. She does attempt to change herself only to feel suffocated. That’s when Kagaya Ubuyashiki told her, “Take pride in your own strength. All those who speak ill of you, fear your talent and wish they could be you, that’s all.”

Of course, we can’t talk about Demon Slayer Season 3 without talking about the Demons. And that are Gyokko and Hantegu. One is a sadistic self-proclaimed artist, and the other is a delusional monster believing he is innocent and pure. The two demons test your hate limit. But you will surely hate Gyokko more than Hantegu.

And of course, I must mention the fights. The Kamaboko Squad is no stranger to fighting multiple demons. However, whether it is Rui and her Spider Family, or Gyutaro and Daki, they felt like a singular threat rather than multiple. Demon Slayer Season 3 sort of upped the ante by having the two demons located in different places, and if that was not enough, Gyokko set his (Poorly rendered) Fish Monster on the Townsfolk. You could say, they sacrificed the Dynamic Fighting they introduced in the second season for a more large-scale threat.

I should mention that the fight scenes shown in Demon Slayer Season 3 were quite confusing in the manga, that I had probably skipped multiple pages. The anime makes those moments shine. Especially when Tanjiro unlocks his red-glowing blade.

And finally, I must mention how Demon Slayer Season 3 made me cry over a scene that I had seen coming and knew how it ends. Demon Slayer might be the second show on my list that made me cry despite knowing the spoilers. They managed to use their “cheap tricks” against manga. The animation and music, and the perfectly dramatized sequence, brought me to tears.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

With all the good that I mentioned, you may think, Demon Slayer Season 3 might have lived up to the expectations. But you’re wrong. Personally, I’d rank this season above the first one and below the Mugen Train Movie. And of course, the Entertainment District Arc is at the top. But why?! You see, the answer is simple and it is a matter of perspective and responsibility. In terms of perspective, we are at fault. But in terms of responsibility, Ufotable is at fault as well.

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc, was not only a visually stunning season but also the one that raised the bar of Ufotable’s animation. So much so that whenever we see another offering from Ufotable or any other studios, we may subconsciously compare it with that particular season. Entertainment District Arc was set in a very flamboyant location with a very flamboyant Hashira by the side. So obviously, every episode in the anime is a visual spectacle. But Swordsmith Village Arc, having a calm and quiet setting, is unable to challenge the previous season’s animation.

So far, the only great animation from Demon Slayer Season 3 was the scene of the hot iron being struck by a hammer in the first episode. Apart from that, the wooden dragon during the Kamaboko Squad’s fight against Zohakuten is also worth mentioning. But it doesn’t come close to that serene scene of the iron being stuck by the hammer.

And lastly, I’d like to mention the ending of Demon Slayer Season 3. This can be considered a responsibility from Ufotable’s side. It seems, being blinded by their success, they made several mistakes. Among these is obviously the animation problem that I have mentioned. But then, of course, there’s the extra content they added.

Demon Slayer Season 3 should have ended when Muzan learns of Nezuko’s achievement and vows to consume her. But they went ahead to explain Muzan’s backstory (understandable). Then they had to create a stretched ending where the villagers of the Swordsmith Village thanked Tanjiro for saving the village. I’m sorry, what about the other Hashiras? Were they sleeping during the storm? The teamwork and all-character importance point that attracted me to the series in the previous seasons were missing entirely in this climax!

My Verdict!!!

Demon Slayer Season 3 despite being the most hyped show and the lucrative offering from Ufotable, failed to live up to their expectations in the first episode. In my previous article about Demon Slayer, I mentioned how it may be a top contender for the Anime of The Year Awards. But after watching it, I don’t know if it will be nominated.

It’s not a complete failure, but seeing how Ufotable always produces and improves upon the previous season, it seems the previous season has set some high standards. And it is a standard that this season had failed to live up to. Let’s hope that the future offerings coming from them will set new standards for Animation and of course, be a hit.