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Hiromu Arakawa’s grand return to shōnen adventure has been thrilling to watch. Daemons of the Shadow Realm could have played it safe and delivered a familiar adventure that fans of Fullmetal Alchemist could easily predict. Instead, Arakawa and Bones Film created a show that stands on its own with a thrilling new story.

With incredible battles between dangerous daemons and a compelling cast of characters, Daemons of the Shadow Realm has what you want from a Shōnen Anime. However, Daemons of the Shadow Realm delivers far more than that. It sets itself apart, delivering surprises and astonishing moments that make it an exciting addition to the genre.

The Attack on Higashi Village Is Mind-Blowing

image via Crunchyroll

The raid on Higashi Village is brutal and immediately sets the stage to show how Daemons of the Shadow Realm sets itself apart. While Hiromu Arakawa is known for the shocking moment that instigates Edward and Alphonse Elric’s journey, that intimate horror is far different than the scale of violence seen in Daemons of the Shadow Realm.

After establishing the series’ setting as a medieval Japanese village, that set up is demolished as the Kagemori clan massacres the village using modern guns, helicopters, and daemons. The ensuing battle is exhilarating as Yuru has to take down modern soldiers with only a bow and arrow.

The boldness of taking the time to set up Higashi village before destroying so much of it sets the tone for what follows. Daemons of the Shadow Realm is willing to take big swings and commit to them. Plus, it allows for the contrast of a protagonist who has grown up in a medieval world seeing modern Japan for the first time.

Asa and Yuru Have a Sibling Relationship That Puts Demon Slayer to Shame

Yoru, a young man in yellow hoodie with a bow and arrow stands ready to battle with Asa, a young woman in a white shirt with an eyepatch in Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Daemons of the Shadow Realm shows a unique relationship between the opposing forces within it at the start. With Yuru and Asa on different sides of a conflict, the two clans don’t stop their war against each other just because the twins want to reconnect and understand each other.

Asa and Yuru share a deep sibling bond that’s disturbed by the conflict between their clans. It would be simple for that narrative to fall into a simple rivalry, or for them to be enemies or allies right off the bat.

Instead, Daemons of the Shadow Realm allows their relationship to be messy and complicated. Asa’s love for her brother is strong, and Yuru’s loyalty to her is powerful. But when Asa’s friends have killed Yuru’s friends, even the strongest bond is tested.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm Combines Pokemon with a Dark Fantasy

There have been countless shows and games about people and their monstrous partners working together to battle each other or have adventures. Daemons of the Shadow Realm brings paired monsters into a dark fantasy, but without pushing it into grimdark.

The daemons commit intense acts of violence towards human beings and each other. They also form close, loving bonds with their masters, and viewers see how masters who don’t treat their daemon’s right don’t earn their full power or loyalty.

People on both sides of the conflict between the Higashi and Kagemori clans care for their daemons. Showing that both sides can have the compassion and care it takes to properly control a daemon contributes a level of depth to the feud.

Yuru is a Hero and a Hunter

Yoru, a young man with red eyes in a yellow hoodie points with his left hand while standing between his daemons left and right in daemons of the shadow realm

When Yuru attacks the Kagemori clan members in the parking garage, he acts on his instincts as a hunter. The first episode opens with him hunting a pheasant, establishing his skill at hunting prey as an important part of his character. This attitude shocks the other characters, who are more used to a modern city-based outlook on life.

Yuru is trapped after his attack by Jin Kagemori’s daemons, but escapes. After having his own daemons, Left and Right, shatter the lights in the parking garage, Yuru slices through the back of Jin’s legs and takes him hostage. While Haruo and Akio Kuroya are shocked at this brutality, Yuru thinks it’s obvious he won’t bleed out.

While heroes willing to resort to brutality are nothing new, Yuru’s medieval attitude about violence being dropped into modern day Japan is fresh and fascinating. It’s not just that Yuru was raised in a village that lived like they were in the past and doesn’t understand modern toilets, his attitude towards how he approaches situations is fundamentally different.

Asa Killing Her Doppelganger Flips the Script

Asa a Young Woman with black hair a red aye and an eyepatch stands in a white camisole in a japanese house in daemons of the shadow realm

When Asa is first introduced in Daemons of the Shadow Realm, she kills the girl that Yuru believes to be his sister. This immediately sets her up as a unique foil to her brother Yuru. She is both an antagonist and a protagonist, opposing Yuru in his goals while trying to achieve her own ambitions that she sees as benefiting him.

Everything that Asa does is for her brother, and she is constantly working to gain her brother’s affection. She leads the raid on Higashi village as a rescue mission, believing that she’ll be able to reunite with her brother and regain her family. This backfires for her, as Yuru has trouble trusting the Kagemori clan after the attack. Asa is a complex character whose actions don’t fall only into good or evil. She believes that all her actions are justified and that she’s doing the right thing.

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Gabby Chomps her Way Past Edward Elric Expectations

Gabby, a girl with blonde hair in a red hooded cloak stands on stone steps with her daemon Gabriel behind her in Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Gabby is a brilliant subversion of audience expectations. Visually, she looks like a gender-bent version of Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. She has blonde hair, a red coat, and a similar face. But from her first moments onscreen, Gabby shows she’s a different character. Though there are some similarities between her and Edward Elric.

Where Edward Elric was teased for being a dog for the military, Gabby shows what it would be like if Edward didn’t question his orders. Edward questions authority and can dismantle frauds and injustice because of it. If Gabby is ordered to kill someone, she kills them. She’s loyal to the Kagemoris, and to Asa, to a fault.

Despite her ruthless demeanor, she still holds herself to a code of conduct and refuses to kill children. She will go out of her way to protect Asa and sleep next to her to make her feel safe. Gabby first appears friendly, then appears ruthless, then loyal. Yet, each of these revelations fit with what’s been established about her.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm has fantastic characters and a story that isn’t your normal shōnen adventure. The journey Arakawa’s new series embarks on will have even more twists and turns from here on out. There will doubtless be more daemons to explore, and the mystery of Asa and Yuru’s family is only just unraveling.