Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Saturday Spin-off) – Susamaru

I felt like the better moments of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba were when it involved the demons. So, how about a spin-off series that follows one of the demons? What if that demon was Susamaru?

What’s going on?

It’s that time of the week where I propose a new spin-off from one of the anime series that I’ve watched and reviewed. This week, I’m looking at Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. This is obviously a fairly well-known series, getting all sorts of recognition for its stellar animation, but similarly attracting criticism for the comedic intrusions of certain characters… cough, cough, Zenitsu… cough! Well, worry not. I am about to propose a very dark series that focuses on what I think were the series’ stronger elements.

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What’s the pitch?

The story starts with a small girl playing with a Temari. She’s from a poor family and life is particularly tough. The Temari is the only thing she cherishes and the local bullies know this. They take the Temari and throw it into a river, mocking the girl as she cries on the riverbank. Unable to move from the spot, she watches as it drifts further and further away. The bullies walk away laughing and joking without a second thought for the little girl. As the sounds of their voices fade into the distance, a man in a suit crouches down beside the little girl and tells her that he can help her get her revenge.

The sobbing little girl stops crying and looks up at the man, his eyes a brilliant shade of red, peeking out from beneath the brim of his hat. She takes a deep breath and says, “What do I have to do?” He smiles at her and places his hand on her shoulder, brushing her neck with the tip of his fingernail. She falls forward, gripping the ground and dragging her fingers through the dirt, but she doesn’t scream. Her days of being weak are over. She rolls onto her back and stares up at the sky, power surging through her body. The man is gone, but she knows what comes next…

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Where did the inspiration come from?

I’m not sure exactly why, but there was something about Susamaru that connected with me. She is a strong female character and has some very nice shoulders, but that’s not enough to warrant a series of her own… is it? Possibly not, so let’s look at Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba for a second. One of the repeated elements was showing Tanjiro’s compassion for the dying demons. Sometimes, we’d get a flashback or two of bits of their life. Well, for this spin-off it will focus entirely on Susamaru becoming a demon and how that changes her life. I see it as a dark story full of vengeance and death, plus we’d get to see Muzan Kibutsuji giving her pushes in the right direction. Honestly, I’m getting excited just thinking about this one. There’s so much potential.

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Other posts in the series

• Rin and Myura (Isekai Cheat Magician)
• Valkyrie (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious)
• Susamaru (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
• Hinawa and Maki (Fire Force)
• The Exercise Video (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?)
• Cain Madhouse (To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts)
• Shizuku (Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest)
• Kohaku Lost? (Dr. Stone)
• Chio’s Daily Commute (Chio’s School Road)
• The Noob! (Overlord)
• Shizu (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
• Noir (Fruits Basket)
• Sniper of the Dead (Highschool of the Dead)
• Liu Xuelan (Darwin’s Game)
• Two Minds, One Body (The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?)
• Plundered (Plunderer)
• Japanese Mochi! (Fruits Basket)
• Pokemon NO! (Pokemon)
• Every Action! (Infinite Dendrogram)
• Hunted to the Ends! (Somali and the Forest Spirit)
• Is It Wrong to Use Sex to Try to Beat a Dungeon? (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)
• Two Blades (Jormungand)
• Regeneration (The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor)
• Samurai School for Girls (Project A-ko)
• Meet the Takagis (Highschool of the Dead)
• Far From Fantasy (High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World!)

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