Tamayo & Yushiro // Kimetsu no Yaiba Ep. 8

The Smell of Enchanting Blood: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 8

Otaku Voice Staff

After the last couple of episodes we are going in a different direction for this episode. In Kimetsu no Yaiba episode 8 its more about building up the surrounding cast. We were just introduced to the ultimate villain, and this episode takes some time to flesh him out. There are two other demons of note here, Tamayo and Yushiro.

Still on the streets of Tokyo, Tanjiro’s hand is forced and he goes to restrain the freshly converted demon. The demon’s wife gets away without to much damage before Tanjiro is able to restrain him. This is where the episode takes an interesting turn. He is in the middle of a very busy street with the demon he is searching for standing a few feet away. Seeing Tanjiro’s need to save everyone above all else is a telling sign of his character. He is still optimistic in spite of everything he has encountered. Even as the police begin to swarm him, he tries to keep the situation neutral even if he can’t be calm.

Fortunately Tanjiro is bailed out of the situation before things go too far. Kibutsuji gets away, but another demon approaches. One with good intent according to Tanjiro. Its Tamayo and Yushiro, who are here to save the day even though they are demons. Its not just Nezuko and Kibutsuji who can control their demonic impulses. Both our newfound friends have control.

Tamayo’s Request

Tanjiro first realizes that Tamayo has a unique scent. It is of a demon, but not of blood. She is self described as a doctor, and is not controlled by the typical impulses of a normal demon who needs blood and human flesh. She still needs blood, but her a Yushiro need far less and can get it without killing. Tamayo’s magic is displayed through some gorgeous animation. The streaks of flowers are like Tanjiro’s water breathing techniques. The studio clearly is going all out with respect to the character’s special abilities.

When the group finally settles at Tamayo’s secret home, she has a special request for Tanjiro. She knows that there are ways to convert humans to demons other than Kibutsuji, he just happens to be the best. After speaking with Tanjiro, she believes that there must be a way of converting a demon back into a human. Its just going to take a lot to get there.

The first thing that Tamayo needs is Nezuko’s blood. The fact that Nezuko hasn’t feasted on human flesh or blood for over two years and yet maintained her strength makes her special. Even Tamayo, who has control over herself, still requires a modest amount of blood. Nezuko’s blood might contain some secrets to regaining humanity.

The second thing that Tamayo needs is the blood of other demon’s like Kibutsuji. Specifically she needs the blood of demons that are similarly powered to him. From their first encounter Kibutsuji is very powerful, something that is reinforced in this episode. Hopefully Tanjiro is up for the challenge.

Kibutsuji’s Curse

The other half of Kimetsu no Yaiba episode 8 revolves around Kibutsuji Muzan. There is a lot of build up around Tamayo and Yushiro along with Kibutsuji, the original demon himself. We know from the previous episodes that he is the one who creates demons, and the one to kill Tanjiro’s family. This episode we get a great peek into his motives.

He wants to be the perfect living being. He is driven by the lust not specifically for power, but for perfection. When he comes across a trio of drunks in an alley, one of them sets him off by calling him sickly. I think a master demon should have a thicker skin, but if it looks translucent them maybe it is pretty thin. He literally exclaims to one of the drunks “I’m a living being who is infinitely close to perfection.”

Kibutsuji’s ability to quickly dispatch the group highlights how powerful demons in general, as well as how close to perfection he is. He annihilates two of the trio with a single blow each. He then proceeds to melt the third girl with just his pointer finger. Its a brutal scene to watch as she melts in horror. He is not to be trifled with, and Tanjiro probably got away with his life in the last episode after watching Kibutsuji in this episode.

Final Thoughts

The very end of the episode is exciting for some reasons, and disappointing for another. Obviously the next episode is going to be the battle between the evil demon twins vs. Tanjiro & Yushiro. I am always excited for an action packed episode, especially since Kimetsu no Yaiba has so far brought it. Yushiro being an unknown brings some fun to the fight hopefully. It is disappointing though because the introduction of the twins confirms that we won’t see Tanjiro vs. Kibutsuji for a while. He is going to use intermediaries until the fight is forced.

For a character introduction focused episode there was a lot of humor in Kimetsu no Yaiba episode 8. The show hasn’t shied away from some comedic elements, but Yushiro & Tanjiro’s back-and-forth was amusing. The udon noodle cook was also a lovely surprise. Overall this episode is a good setup to hopefully a great episode 9.

[Sources and Further Reading]
[Episode 7 Review]
[Image via Crunchyroll]