Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has only been around for a decade, and yet it’s already become a groundbreaking evergreen shonen staple. Gotouge’s Demon Slayer manga ran for 23 epic volumes from 2016 to 2020 before ending on a strong, satisfying note that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Demon Slayer’s anime adaptation wouldn’t happen until 2019, but it completely took over the industry.
Tanjiro Kamado’s noble efforts to save his sister, Nezuko, and eliminate deadly demons while he refines his Hashira skills have fueled four fierce seasons and are now wrapping up in a box office record-breaking feature film trilogy. Demon Slayer has proven itself as an essential piece of modern shonen royalty that’s even resonated with general audiences, but it’s far from perfect, and there’s an even more impressive crop of exceptional anime that beat it at its own game.
Jujutsu Kaisen Details An Epic War Between Sorcerers & An Ancient Demon
Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen started a few years into Demon Slayer‘s manga run, and they’re both extreme shonen series that revolve around the extermination of demonic entities. Demon Slayer tells a completely serviceable story, but its structure, battles, and tone almost feel like the perfect starter anime for those who are interested in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Demon Slayer confronts some dark ideas, particularly in the backstories of its many demons, but Jujutsu Kaisen is actually part of Weekly Shonen Jump‘s iconic “Dark Trio.” JJK explores a more psychologically intense and viscerally violent narrative that consistently trumps Demon Slayer‘s best ideas It’s much more unpredictable in its storytelling and pacing, and there are many non-linear segments that creatively utilize various narrative techniques.
Demon Slayer‘s pacing is also clunkier than Jujutsu Kaisen’s. There are entire seasons that are focused on one big battle, whereas Jujutsu Kaisen is careful not to fall into the formulaic pitfalls that JJK’s power system also completely knocks Demon Slayer‘s out of the water. Jujutsu sorcery and cursed energy evolve in deeply satisfying ways that lead to unforgettable fights.
Demon Slayer creates endless anticipation over its ultimate antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji, but they still pale in comparison to Jujutsu Kaisen’s central threat, Ryomen Sukuna. The only area in which Demon Slayer might be able to trump Jujutsu Kaisen is its visuals, but even this becomes a close call as MAPPA continues to top themselves.
Yu Yu Hakusho’s Concentrated Combat & Comprehensive Character Development Can’t Be Topped
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best battle shonen anime of the ’90s and a title that’s only become more popular since its debut as modern anime fans encounter its brilliance. At 112 episodes, Yu Yu Hakusho isn’t egregiously long, but it’s nearly twice the length of Demon Slayer and manages to accomplish a lot more.
Both anime are interested in the delicate balance between humans and demons, with Demon Slayer‘s Tanjiro and Yu Yu Hakusho‘s Yusuke Urameshi even experiencing similarly scary transformations during their respective endgames. Demon Slayer still just ends up feeling like the “CliffsNotes” version of a bigger, better story. Yu Yu Hakusho actually has the time to get lost in slice-of-life escapades with its characters outside of battle, while also making sure that each of the core four cast members all get their due.
There are plenty of moments in Yu Yu Hakusho where Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama are pulling their weight without Yusuke. To this point, Yusuke’s arc is just more moving than what Tanjiro experiences. Tanjiro grows and changes, but Yusuke’s shift from a reckless juvenile delinquent to a sage spirit detective who helps unite and heal several worlds is wonderfully powerful.
Attack On Titan Builds To An Illuminating Apocalypse Full Of Morally Complex Combatants
Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan are two of the biggest anime of the 2000s, but they’re also operating at very different levels. Attack on Titan has reached a massive fanbase and become a huge hit, despite its dark storytelling, but Demon Slayer‘s more bombastic battles and explosive action have literally formed Japan’s highest-grossing film, anime or otherwise.
Demon Slayer‘s success is not in question, and it’s exactly the right vibe for those who want chaotic fight sequences that aren’t afraid to succumb to style over substance. Alternatively, Attack on Titan tackles a much more thought-provoking story about war’s endlessly toxic nature and its tendency to vilify the other.
Attack on Titan begins as a more traditional man versus monster narrative, only to gradually pull back the curtain and present a more psychologically haunting story where man is worse than any monster. Demon Slayer never struggles when it comes to humanizing its monsters during their final moments, but it’s not like the anime ever explores game-changing twists in which the Hashiras are revealed to be more wicked than Muzan Kibutsuji and his top-tier demons.
To this point, Attack on Titan features very patient storytelling regarding its scope, characters, and world-building. Certain ideas take multiple seasons to pay off, which is so satisfying for those who are invested in this amazing adventure. There’s not nearly enough meat on Demon Slayer‘s bones, even if it’s still a fun ride to go on.
One of the biggest reasons that Demon Slayer has made such an impact in movie theaters is because of ufotable’s stunning high-budget work with the anime’s visuals. They’re the type of epic setpieces that can truly thrive on a giant movie screen. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood‘s animation from 2009 can’t compare to Demon Slayer, but the fantasy shonen anime surpasses it in every other department.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, like Demon Slayer, is set in a fantasy world that’s governed by a dangerous form of magic, known as alchemy. Edward and Alphonse Elric, like Demon Slayer‘s Tanjiro, head out on their adventures to aid their family and reverse a grim fate. Demon Slayer distills this progress through training, breathing techniques, and battles, whereas Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood uses alchemy more as a thematic element, with the actual story being a heavily political and philosophical one.
Death Note’s Cruel Cat-And-Mouse Mind Games Lead To A Prolific Psychological Feud
Some anime take some time to draw in the audience to their original worlds and creative ideas, while other titles succeed with strong premises that are impossible to ignore. Demon Slayer‘s vengeance-fueled mission to massacre monsters does little to stand out initially, while Death Note hits the ground running.
The shonen thriller revolves around Light Yagami’s twisted power fantasy, as he acquires a magical notebook that has the ability to kill whoever’s name is written inside it. Death Note becomes a psychologically intense mind game as Light evades detection and tries to trigger a new world order through his executions. Light meets his match against several adversaries, all while the series goes to morally uncomfortable places.
Demon Slayer wants its audience to root for Tanjiro every step of the way, but there’s real guilt that’s experienced by supporting Light’s dark decisions. There’s a case to be made that Near and Mello aren’t as compelling competition for Light as L, but Death Note‘s later episodes still expand upon its premise — and Light’s development — in fundamental ways.
- Release Date
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2019 – 2024-00-00
- Network
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Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV, Kansai TV, Tokai Television Broadcasting, Fukui TV, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, Iwate Menkoi Television, Sendai Television, SAGA TV, TNC, OHK, Ishikawa TV, Kochi Sun Sun Broadcasting, TV Shizuoka, UMK TV Miyazaki, Television Shin Hiroshima System, NST, NBS, Sakuranbo TV, TSK, Ehime Broadcasting, KTS, NIB, Fukushima TV, TOS, AKT, Toyama Television, TV Kumamoto, Okinawa Television Broadcasting
- Directors
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Hideki Hosokawa, Shinya Shimomura, Akihiko Uda, Takuro Takahashi, Shuji Miyahara, Masaru Takeuchi, Toshiyuki Shirai, Takuya Nonaka, Yuki Ito, Ken Takahashi, Takahiro Majima, Yusuke Shibata
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Natsuki Hanae
Tanjiro Kamado (voice)
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Akari Kito
Nezuko Kamado (voice)