Demon Slayer Season 2: Entertainment District Arc Review

Kimetsu No Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen REVIEw

By: Preston Simmons | Written: February 14th, 2022

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Reaching new highs

*minor spoilers for Demon Slayer Season 2 ahead*

Demon Slayer Season 2: Entertainment District Arc was one of the most adrenaline-pumping, beautifully animated, bar-setting shounen I have watched in recent memory, surpassing the heights that the first season previously reached. It was also one of the best shows to watch this Winter Anime Season.

True, the bar has been set for shounen, but not in all ways. In terms of animation, Demon Slayer Season 2 is by far the best. However, in terms of story, it’s nothing groundbreaking. It’s not that the story is terrible by any means. The story that it does tell is told well. It’s not boring, but it’s no Neon Genesis Evangelion. Though, it’s not trying to be.

Instead, what it is trying to be is the flashiest, fast-paced, blood pumping action show of the decade, and in that regard, I would say it hits the mark, and then some.

Demon Slayer Season 2 is an achievement in the shounen genre and the perfect sequel to a fantastic show.

A New Hashira Arrives!

Demon Slayer Season 2 takes place immediately after the events of Mugen Train. As is a tradition at this point, each arc focuses on a new Hashira that will take Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke under their wings. In this season, that Hashira is Tengen Uzui, the flashiest Hashira there is.

The arc truly begins once Tengen arrives on the scene to inform the group of a possible Demon threat in the Entertainment District of Yoshiwara. So that’s where the group goes to investigate and neutralize the threat.

Unfortunately, Tengen doesn’t get much time to shine in the first episodes of the arc until around the 6th or so, which is more than halfway through the eleven-episode season. It’s a shame because Tengen is one of the best new aspects of the season. His characteristics and background are among the most interesting parts of the season because of how unique a character he is.

Tengen is in a polyamorous relationship with three wives, he’s a ninja whose entire personality revolves around being as flashy and stand-out as possible, and his attack style is based on utilizing sound to neutralize his enemies.

The wait to see Tengen in action might be long, but when he arrives, oh, does he live up to expectations.

A Tale of Two Siblings

Though the action is the main draw of Demon Slayer, the story also deserves credit. Though it is nothing exceptional, it’s an excellent story. The heart of Demon Slayer Season 2: Entertainment Arc’s story is the relationship between Tanjiro and Nezuko and their paralleled opposites through Daki and Gyutaro.

Since season one, Tanjiro’s main goal has been to find a cure for his sister Nezuko after being turned into a demon. Nezuko is Tanjiro’s pride, joy, and inspiration to improve and get stronger. Everything he does, he does for the sake of Nezuko. Tanjiro achieves this through acts of love and compassion, and because of that, Tanjiro’s personality saved Nezuko from her Demon urges.

Demon Slayer Season 2 asks the question, what would have happened to Tanjiro and Nezuko if Tanjiro turned to hate and anger after what happened to his family, and instead, both of them became demons? That question is answered through season 2’s villains, Daki and Gyuutaro.

It was excellent watching as Daki and Gyutaro’s backstory was revealed and seeing as Tanjiro realized that at any point in time, that could have been him and Nezuko.

Though, as mentioned before, the story of this arc takes a backseat when it comes to the main highlight of season 2, the action.

The Best Animated Fights of the Decade

Simply put, Demon Slayer Season 2: Entertainment District arc had some of the best-animated fights of the decade, if not of all time. The choreography, the colors, the smoothness, the constant sakuga, and the incredible musical score playing during the sequences, overall, there is so much that can be praised about the fights in this season.

Storywise, the fights were incredible because of every single important character and their draw-dropping moment. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Inoske were fantastic when it was their turn to shine. However, the absolute stand-out was Zenitsu.

Arguably, for characters, Zenitsu is the weakest link. He’s constantly whining, scared, and crying. However, for the majority of the action of this season, Zenitsu is asleep. When he’s sleeping, he’s an entirely different character. He’s calm and collected and has some of the most remarkable action moments in the whole series. If only he could be asleep at all times.

The best part about the fights, though was how tactical they were. Daki and Gyutaro fight together as one and as siblings, are the perfect team. Because the pair have perfect offense and impenetrable defense, it’s up to the group to work together in perfect synchronization to defeat them. It’s an ideal showcase to display how far Tanjiro, Inoske, and Zenitsu have come as a team.

But Upper-Rank Demons are not to be taken lightly. Alone, it’s clear that our main characters stand no chance against their enemy, which shows just how high a hill Tanjiro’s ultimate goal of defeating Muzan is. Instead, the Hashira Tengen was a necessary element in the battles. The fights’ speed, brutality, and beauty are ramped up to ten when Tengen is on screen. And it’s when Tengen is on screen that the animation and action genuinely shine.

The fights were some of the best-animated sequences I’ve seen in anime. And I can’t wait to see more.

Demon Slayer Season 3 Officially Announced!

That’s right. Demon Slayer Season 3: Swordsmith Village Arc has officially been announced, and it looks like the focus will be on two Hashira this time, Muichirou Tokitou and Mitsuri Konroji.

If it’s anything like the Entertainment District Arc, it’s sure to be good.

Final Thoughts on Demon Slayer Season 2: Entertainment District Arc

Overall, I thought the season was excellent—a vast improvement over the previous season in terms of animation. The story is not as strong as the last season, but still great. In terms of entertainment, each episode felt like five minutes, and I haven’t had more fun watching an anime in a long time.