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A review by rereader33
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 21 by Koyoharu Gotouge
5.0
************SPOILERS UP AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**************
Holy FUCK, THIS WAS AWESOME!
Right from the start, readers get repeatedly kicked in the feels that made me cry because dammit, Gotouge, why can't I have nice things?! Is it bad enough I had to lose Rengoku so early, but now I've lost Genya and Tokito?! And holy shit, both of their farewell scenes were so damn painful, dammit! It's even worse considering this is the most relaxed point in the volume and also the most heartbreaking. But damn, Gotouge really knows how to handle emotional scenes with tenderness, care, and empathy. You will forever have my respect, Gotouge.
After that, the volume is tense moment after tense moment as our heroes grapple with the growing threat that is Muzan. I love how the ones dealing with this threat and are having emotional breakdowns over it aren't just the Hashira, but Kiriya as well. Seeing him finally breakdown not only over the loss of many demon slayers but his newfound responsibility was a great character building moment. This poor kid has been thrust into this role way earlier than anticipated and not only has to think about what's best for the demon slayers, but also how to get rid of Muzan once and for all. It's a shame he was introduced so late, but this small moment of him breaking down did wonders for his character.
Speaking of great character moments, Yushiro was an absolute BOSS this volume! Him taking control of Biwa and fucking with Muzan was gold! Not only that, but the savage rage depicted on his face when he calls out Muzan for killing Tamayo was terrifying yet so cathartic. He's pulled his weight throughout the entire series, but this volume is where he really got to shine.
While I don't think Muzan's final form is that original in design, I do like the fact that there are multiple mouths on his body to symbolize his unabashed gluttony for power. Aside from that, it's not that interesting. It does look cool, I'll give it that.
The fight scenes in this volume were top notch all around. While Muzan's fighting style is lackluster (seriously, all he does is whip his body around and slash things) I do love watching the Hashira fight against him. Especially Kanroji, seeing as her sword is effectively a whip. The struggle between him and the Hashira is pretty incredible and really sells Muzan as a threat. While it's a bit anticlimactic that this fight is effectively a stalling match, what makes it interesting is seeing the Hashira band together and try different things to stall him. Also, the other slayers giving up their lives to help the Hashira was heartbreaking but noble. And of course, the fight choreography and artwork are stellar as ever, make the fights even more enjoyable.
I can't believe we're getting to the end of the series, just two more volumes! This is a relatively short series by Shounen Jump standards, but I'm still enjoying this final arc. Looking forward to more!
Holy FUCK, THIS WAS AWESOME!
Right from the start, readers get repeatedly kicked in the feels that made me cry because dammit, Gotouge, why can't I have nice things?! Is it bad enough I had to lose Rengoku so early, but now I've lost Genya and Tokito?! And holy shit, both of their farewell scenes were so damn painful, dammit! It's even worse considering this is the most relaxed point in the volume and also the most heartbreaking. But damn, Gotouge really knows how to handle emotional scenes with tenderness, care, and empathy. You will forever have my respect, Gotouge.
After that, the volume is tense moment after tense moment as our heroes grapple with the growing threat that is Muzan. I love how the ones dealing with this threat and are having emotional breakdowns over it aren't just the Hashira, but Kiriya as well. Seeing him finally breakdown not only over the loss of many demon slayers but his newfound responsibility was a great character building moment. This poor kid has been thrust into this role way earlier than anticipated and not only has to think about what's best for the demon slayers, but also how to get rid of Muzan once and for all. It's a shame he was introduced so late, but this small moment of him breaking down did wonders for his character.
Speaking of great character moments, Yushiro was an absolute BOSS this volume! Him taking control of Biwa and fucking with Muzan was gold! Not only that, but the savage rage depicted on his face when he calls out Muzan for killing Tamayo was terrifying yet so cathartic. He's pulled his weight throughout the entire series, but this volume is where he really got to shine.
While I don't think Muzan's final form is that original in design, I do like the fact that there are multiple mouths on his body to symbolize his unabashed gluttony for power. Aside from that, it's not that interesting. It does look cool, I'll give it that.
The fight scenes in this volume were top notch all around. While Muzan's fighting style is lackluster (seriously, all he does is whip his body around and slash things) I do love watching the Hashira fight against him. Especially Kanroji, seeing as her sword is effectively a whip. The struggle between him and the Hashira is pretty incredible and really sells Muzan as a threat. While it's a bit anticlimactic that this fight is effectively a stalling match, what makes it interesting is seeing the Hashira band together and try different things to stall him. Also, the other slayers giving up their lives to help the Hashira was heartbreaking but noble. And of course, the fight choreography and artwork are stellar as ever, make the fights even more enjoyable.
I can't believe we're getting to the end of the series, just two more volumes! This is a relatively short series by Shounen Jump standards, but I'm still enjoying this final arc. Looking forward to more!