Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Episode 14) – The House with the Wisteria Family Crest
With the Tsuzumi Demon slain, Tanjiro emerges from its house to find Zenitsu protecting the box with Nezuko in from the Boar Masked Demon Slayer! FIGHT!!!
What did you watch?
It’s episode 14 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and it looks like we’ve reached the end of the Tsuzumi Demon arc. Well, almost. There are still a couple of loose ends to take care of and even with his injuries, Tanjiro is not going to back down from this fight. This series is a joy to watch. The animation is beautiful, the story is straightforward and well-executed, and the characters… well, Tanjiro and Nezuko are really cool, but the rest are still developing, shall we say? Get ready for spoilers after this angry picture of Tanjiro.
What happened?
Tanjiro and the Boar Masked Demon Slayer, who we learn is called Inosuke and was one of the five to survive the final selection trial, fight. In an attempt to protect Zenitsu and Nezuko, Tanjiro flies into Inosuke and hits him hard in the sternum, breaking several of his ribs, but that’s not enough to force Inosuke to back down. If anything, it spurs him on, excited by the prospect of the fight.
They go back and forth, showcasing their speed, agility, and fighting styles. Ultimately, it ends with a massive headbutt, which terrifies Zenitsu and forces Inosuke to remove his mask, revealing his soft and gentle face, which doesn’t match his voice or his physique. Moments later he passes out from the blow. He wakes to find Tanjiro and Zenitsu burying the bodies of the victims. Inosuke wants to resume the fight until Tanjiro tricks him into helping. Soon after, the crow appears and leads them all to a house to recover.
What did you think?
The first part of the episode was electric. The fight between Tanjiro and Inosuke was fast and fluid and a joy to watch. After that, it rapidly went downhill for me. As if Zenitsu’s cowardice wasn’t annoying enough, now we have Inosuke with his bullheaded approach to everything. It felt like the episode turned into some bizarre slapstick comedy with Tanjiro knocking out Zenitsu with a chop to the throat while Inosuke fired himself headfirst into a tree in the background. I really can’t say that I enjoyed anything in this episode after the fight concluded.
What was your favourite moment?
Easy. That was the fight between Tanjiro and Inosuke. Inosuke has such an incredible fighting style, which is presumably self-taught from fight wild animals. He’s flexible and fast, fighting low to the ground making it hard to counter his movements. I am kind of curious how he can see anything in that mask, but that is the least of my worries right now.
What was your least favourite moment?
There were several moments that could have been individually funny, but when they were all on top of one another for the majority of the episode, it just felt too much. I’ve enjoyed the balance between the serious business of slaying demons and the more comedic elements that occurred when Tanjiro interacted with other humans, but this had no balance and all felt way too over the top.
Who was your favourite character?
This is a really hard one because no one really stood out. Even Tanjiro chopping Zenitsu seemed to out of character, so that seemed weird. He was definitely the best character of the three on display in this episode and the rest of the series for sure. I’m looking forward to getting back to the missions and seeing more demons.
Who was your least favourite character?
It was a close one, but Inosuke took the lead from Zenitsu in this episode. Once more, they seem to have taken a character trait too far and made it seem cartoony. What’s worse is that they seemed to have it working at the end of the last episode. Zenitsu was less frantic and more considered, Inosuke was brash and determined, but not crazy. Then, the fight was over and everything went wrong for me.
Would you like some more?
I’m not too worried as I have loved the series to this point and I think once things get serious again, it will fall back in line with the other episodes. For me, the balance hasn’t been quite right in a couple of the recent episodes between the darker and lighter elements. Hopefully, we can get back on track sooner rather than later, because I do genuinely love this series and wouldn’t want it to swing too far in that direction.
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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