Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Episode 20) – Pretend Family
Tanjiro and Nezuko combined powers to finally behead Rui… or didn’t they?!? Exhausted and injured, Tanjiro can only hope that they did, because he doesn’t have any energy left.
What did you watch?
Has anyone calmed down from the excitement of episode 19? I’d imagine not, but that’s not the end of it, like any good demon slayer, we’ve got to dust ourselves off and get ready for more. So, here we go. This is episode 20 of Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba and there will be spoilers.
What happened?
Tanjiro had combined his water breathing technique with the Hinokami kagura to create an incredible new form. On top of that, Nezuko unleashed her Blood Demon Art – Exploding Blood. Together, they combined attacks and finally removed Rui’s head… or so they thought. Tanjiro was exhausted and covered in cuts. He’d lost a lot of blood and struggled to crawl to Nezuko’s unconscious body. Then, he noticed something odd. The smell of a demon dying was mysteriously absent. He glanced back and was not prepared for what he saw.
It turned out the Rui removed his own head at the last second, saving himself from the effects of Tanjiro’s blade. That allowed him to keep on fighting and simply reattached his own head. Now, he was furious and more than happy to kill Tanjiro without waiting. He unleashed a terrifying attack with his blood webs. It looked like it was all over for Tanjiro, but then Giyu swept in and slashed the webs. He praised Tanjiro for lasting this long and took over the fight!
What did you think?
So, this episode was never going to live up to the last one. That would have been difficult to do. It was another great episode and one that played to the strengths of Demon Slayer, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel a little cheated. All the emotion and intensity that went into the final scene of the last episode were for nothing. I’ve looked back at the fight in slow motion and have yet to see anything that could give a hint that Rui had removed his own head. Sure, he didn’t die so it must be true, but it seems like another annoying last second switch.
What was your favourite moment?
So, we also got to see Shinobu fight against Rui’s sister who had just captured another demon slayer in a cocoon that was about to dissolve him. Shinobu managed to get close enough to the demon to touch her and ask about the cocoon. It startled the demon and she instantly tried to capture Shinobu, but she wasn’t fast enough. Then, having knocked her to the ground, Shinobu began to question the demon, asking if they could be friends, but the demon lied about how many people she’d killed. This disappointed Shinobu who then decided that they couldn’t be friends and that she would have to die. I thought she was a very interesting character and I hope we get to see much more of her.
What was your least favourite moment?
I’ve already mentioned my disappointment that Tanjiro and Nezuko had failed to kill Rui thanks to the last second change, so instead, I’ll take this time to talk about Giyu. Wow! This guy is powerful. So, with a demon slayer this powerful, why hasn’t Muzan Kibutsuji been taken care of. I get that Rui was eleventh in the twelve Kizukis buy Giyu barely seemed to break a sweat. It’s great that Tanjiro has more room to grow and develop his own powers. I guess, I just still feel a little cheated by it all.
Who was your favourite character?
I loved seeing both of the more experienced demon slayers in action, but I think Shinobu is the far more interesting of the two. Giyu is obviously a vision of what Tanjiro can become if he trains hard and perfects his skills. Shinobu, however, is more dark and sinister. She seems to enjoy toying with her prey and even a little with her allies based on how she was with Zenitsu last week. We definitely need to see more of both of them.
Who was your least favourite character?
It’s Rui again. I found the whole flashback to him assembling his family to be a little odd. Usually, we’ve been getting these when the demon is dying and more often than not it’s left us feeling a little sad for the person that became the demon. It would show them before they transformed, but not his time. We just saw more and more of how much of a monster Rui was and it didn’t make me feel anything for him.
Would you like some more?
So, I’m guessing this is the end of the battle. Now, everyone can return to Wisteria house for some rest and relaxation… please don’t let there be a repeat of the three stooges disaster from a few episodes back. For the most part, I’ve really enjoyed this series and there’s no way I’m about to drop it now, but as I said there have been a couple of moments that really took the shine off the series for me. Anyhow, I think we’ve got time for one more big arc, so bring it on!
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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I know right. when the hell did Rui cut off his own head !? it certainly was a cheat so that we could get the whole Giyu intervention but they could’ve been a little more honest with it by inserting something in last episode that would’ve kept us alert.
other than that, great episode and i cant wait for more Hashira vs Kizuki showdown
Exactly. If they’d just given us a little hint at the end of the last episode it would have been so much more effective.
It’s going to be cool to see some of the even stronger Kizuki Demons too.
Shinobu really was one of my most favorite character throughout the show. I just love her smiley yet passive aggressiveness personality. However, she is still a caring character once you really get to know her and I dont know, feels like that fluffy and warm mother figure xd
Yeah, her passive aggressiveness is a lot of fun, especially the way her and Giyu bicker. There is something warm and fluffy about her, but I also feel like you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her.
You really don’t. She’s hella scary