Between a Rock and a Demon // Kimetsu no Yaiba Ep. 7 Review

Muzan Kibutsuji: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 7

Otaku Voice Staff

Were back to the battle against the three-bodied demon. The one head is still chattering like an idiot, and the sound is still obnoxious. It was just the start of Nezuko’s time to shine, and in Kimetsu no Yaiba episode 7 she continues to strut her stuff.

This episode is not as heavy in the action as the last, but it does begin with some. Tanjiro didn’t defeat the demons in the last episode, so he is left to contend with them in episode 7. A lot is revealed at the end of the episode which gets me quite excited for where the show is headed. I am surprised at how quickly we got to the first confrontation between Tanjiro and Kibutsuji Muzan, the first demon.

Entering the Demon Swamp

Tanjiro’s brilliant plan to defeat the three-bodied demon is to dive right into their portal world. They all seem to refer to it as a swamp, but Tanjiro has no trouble breathing down there. He also has very little trouble dispatching the two demons underneath. They really underestimate the strength of Tanjiro. Above them in the alley, the remaining demon also underestimates Nezuko.

The final demon makes a good point. Nezuko really hasn’t developed any special power or ability to alter herself. She definitely has the strength and speed of a demon, but she lacks the flourish. Her moves are basic in the eyes of the chattering demon. Its doesn’t stop her from distracting him long enough for Tanjiro to return.

With a few more moves, Tanjiro dispatches the demon’s arms and questions him. I get that Tanjiro is going to take every opportunity to ask demon’s where is Kibutsuji Muzan, the original demon and their creator. There is a pretty important scene here where the demon breaks down at the mention of Muzan’s name. In a quick flashback we see Muzan threatening the demon if he is ever revealed. It is pretty important that Muzan stay incognito. With no more information to reveal, Tanjiro quickly executes him.

The second half of this battle shows how hard headed Tanjiro is. He is diving right into the demon’s lair with no concern for his own well being. Tanjiro is trying to interrogate demons who probably are not going to give him any useful information. None of this matter to Tanjiro. His only concern is kill the demons and save his sister.

Small Fish in a Big City

After this excursion into the small town, its on to Tokyo. The scenes of early 20th century psuedo-modern Japan are gorgeous. There is a distinct difference from the older more tradditional town we just left. The scenes in Tokyo are bright and almost neon. You can really see where Japan was headed in this early period. There isn’t as much western influence especially in the dress of the inhabitants, but the trolley is a clear sign of the times.

Tanjiro and Nezuko are definitely not suited for this place. I am not sure any demons are either because of the crowds of people. The siblings were born and raised on the top of a mountain outside of small village. Tanjiro is definitely having a hard time coping with that. I like that they show the culture shock he is going through. The animation does a wonderful job of making it look like he is melting. It is in stark contrast to his rather cool disposition entering the previous town. He is going to have a hard time hunting demons here.

Despite all of his hardship in the big city, Tanjiro does have a mission here. He is in Tokyo to kill demons, and there is a very special one here. As he begins to eat dinner, he catches a very specific scent. The scent of Kibutsuji Muzan.

Kibutsuji Muzan

Rushing through the crowds, Tanjiro confronts Muzan, and freezes. I am a little disappointed that his first encounter with the big bad enemy feels a little weak. I know he is dumbfounded by the world around him, but I expected his resolve to be stronger and more aggressive. Its a moot point since it appears that Muzan is holding a small child. Not just any small child, but his own with his human wife steps away.

Muzan’s human companionship begs a dozen question I hope will get answers in the next couple of episodes. Urokodaki did claim that he is the original demon, so he must be immune to some of the inhuman side-effects of being a demon. It makes sense that he has survived over a thousand years by living among humans.

Despite being in front of his own wife and child, Muzan moves pretty fast to cause a disruption. We already knew his power is to convert humans into demons, but we didn’t know how it worked. While everyone is looking at Tanjiro, he scratches the back of a passerby who instantly turns and bites his female companion. This is pretty out of the blue and has put our hero in quite the bind. Its his job to kill demons, but is he going to be able to kill a demon in the middle of a crowded city?

So far in Kimetsu no Yaiba we haven’t seen much demon activity in front of a crowd. The three bodied-demon fight occurs in front of a bystander, but the boy was pretty cognizant of the situation. Now that we are in Tokyo, in front of a modern thinking crowd, you have to wonder what the reaction to a demon beheading will be. Obviously a rampant demon will be worse, but this doesn’t look good for Tanjiro.

Final Thoughts

The Kibutsuji Muzan reveal is rather juicy. Tanjiro is stuck between a rock and a couple of hard places. He now has to take a step back before he attacks and assumingly disables Muzan. Tanjiro also has a wild and rampant demon on the loose that is his responsibility. We are left with quite the cliffhanger this week. I look forward to more Muzan in the next episode.

[Source and Further Reading]
[Episode 6 Review]
[Image via Crunchyroll]