Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Episode 11) – Tsuzumi Mansion

Tanjiro, on the way to his next mission, bumps into one of the other Demon Slayers to have survived the final selection trial. It looks like they’ll be working together…
What did you watch?
I can’t believe we’re already at episode 11 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Luckily this series is twenty-six episodes long, so we’re just reaching the middle. That means more Tanjiro, more Nezuko, and more of the demons and their weird and sinister powers. While last week’s episode didn’t really end on a cliffhanger, it did end in the middle of a scene, so let’s pick up where we left off. From this point on, spoilers will appear like a demon bubbling out of the floor…

What happened?
On the way to his next mission, Tanjiro met Zenitsu, one of the other survivors from the final selection trial. Nothing appears to have changed. Zenitsu was worried about dying after the trial and even now he was still worried. So much so that he was begging a girl to marry him. Tanjiro managed to pull him away to allow the poor girl to go about her business.
Before long the two are running to their mission at the request of Tanjiro’s crow. They arrive at a secluded house in the woods and find two children cowering outside. They say that their brother was abducted by a demon and taken inside. Then a man falls out of the upstairs window, covered in blood. Tanjiro and Zenitsu go inside to find and slay the demon.

What did you think?
There were several things that I really liked about this episode. The introduction of the Demon Slayer with the boar mask was epic. He’s going to be an awesome character, I can already tell. I also loved the demon with the tsuzumi drums set into his flesh and his ability to manipulate the mansion as he wished. Other than that, there was one thing that really killed this episode and that was Zenitsu!
I’ve enjoyed the rare comedic moment where Tanjiro would overreact to things like not wanting the basket for free or Yushiro not thinking Nezuko was beautiful, but Zenitsu took things too far. It completely overpowered the episode.

What was your favourite moment?
Less of a moment, but I loved the creepy mansion and the way the rooms switched every time the demon tapped the tsuzumi. I feel like the mansion is more an extension of the demon and less an actual structure. I’m also a little suspicious of the children they found outside the house. There’s no way they would have run inside unless they too are part of the mansion.

What was your least favourite moment?
Every time Zenitsu started to panic and wail like a baby. I have no idea how he got through the final selection trial unless he has a split personality that kicks in when he’s in mortal danger. He was funny for about two minutes, but after that, it killed the dark mood of the episode.

Who was your favourite character?
Tanjiro was cool as usual, even continuing with a fractured rib and leg. I’m assuming they’re really minor breaks. Other than him, there was Demon Slayer with the boar mask who made a stunning entry and then squared up against the creepy tsuzumi demon. Plus he has two swords with jagged blades. I think this guy is going to be a badass and we have an epic fight coming.

Who was your least favourite character?
This is an absolute no brainer. Zenitsu. Zenitsu. Zenitsu!!! I can only hope that this side of him quickly makes way for a less comical character. Having some comedy is good because it makes the serious elements that much more dark and sinister, but too much comedy and it spoils the mood. This was the first episode where I felt that they’d genuinely got something horribly wrong.

Would you like some more?
Of course. I’m still really enjoying this series and there was definitely enough to keep me interested. Mostly, it’s because of the potential fight between the boar mask Demon Slayer and the tsuzumi demon. I keep saying it but the demons are excellent and have endless potential given the variety of magic and skills available to them, which seems to be limitless.

Other reviews in the series
- Anime
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Cruelty
- Episode 2 – Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki
- Episode 3 – Sabito and Makomo
- Episode 4 – Final Selection
- Episode 5 – My Own Steel
- Episode 6 – Swordsman Accompanying a Demon
- Episode 7 – Muzan Kibutsuji
- Episode 8 – The Smell of Enchanting Blood
- Episode 9 – Temari Demon and Arrow Demon
- Episode 10 – Together Forever
- Episode 11 – Tsuzumi Mansion
- Episode 12 – The Boar Bares Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps
- Episode 13 – Something More Important Than Life
- Episode 14 – The House with the Wisteria Family Crest
- Episode 15 – Mount Natagumo
- Episode 16 – Letting Someone Else Go First
- Episode 17 – You Must Master a Single Thing
- Episode 18 – A Forged Bond
- Episode 19 – Hinokami
- Episode 20 – Pretend Family
- Episode 21 – Against Corps Rules
- Episode 22 – Master of the Mansion
- Episode 23 – Hashira Meeting
- Episode 24 – Rehabilitation Training
- Episode 25 – Tsuguko, Kanao Tsuyuri
- Episode 26 – New Mission
- Movie
- Season Two – Yuukaku-hen
- Episode 1 – Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui
- Episode 2 – Infiltrating the Entertainment District
- Episode 3 – What Are You?
- Episode 4 – Tonight
- Episode 5 – Things Are Gonna Get Real Flashy!
- Episode 6 – Layered Memories
- Episode 7 – Transformation
- Episode 8 – Gathering
- Episode 9 – Defeating an Upper Rank Demon
- Episode 10 – Never Give Up
- Episode 11 – No Matter How Many Lives
- Season Three – Katanakaji no Sato-hen
- Season One
- Analysis
- Bonus Posts
- Manga
- Volume 1 – Cruelty
- Volume 2 – It Was You!
- Volume 3 – Believe in Yourself
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Idk, I thought the annoying character was really funny. xD
He was funny, I just felt that it overpowered the episode and changed the tone too much.
True, it definitely did change the tone.
Yep, this was the first episode of Demon Slayer where I seriously had doubts about the series. If Zenitsu continues like this and remains dominant in the episodes, I can see a lot of the goodwill this series has built up disappearing. That was really annoying.
Agreed. His tantrums were so overpowering, it completely killed the dark tone and the compassion of Tanjiro. This guy had just fallen out a window and died and then Zenitsu has a melt down and you almost forget about what happened. I really liked the demon and the boar mask demon slayer. They both fit the series far better.
[…] someone else. One thing I like to do is to throw out predictions, and, would you believe it, in my review of the last episode I said, “I have no idea how he got through the final selection trial unless he has a split […]