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A review by rereader33
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 18 by Koyoharu Gotouge
4.0
I have A LOT of conflicting feelings about this volume, most are negative. But before I get into them, let me say that I still really liked this volume and that I'm still pumped to see where this arc goes. Okay? Okay, let's go.
My first issue is with the finale of the fight between Giyu, Tanjiro, and Akaza. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVED Akaza's backstory. It painfully shows the cycle of violence and how difficult it is to escape from it. Also, Akaza taking responsibility for his actions and accepting his death was really cool. HOWEVER. Even though Tanjiro cut off his head, Akaza was the one who did himself in and I was kind of dissatisfied with that conclusion. This is the guy that killed Rengoku, probably the most beloved Hashira, and I was so stoked to see Tanjiro take revenge on Akaza for killing him. But in the end, Akaza pretty much ends himself and while yes, technically Tanjiro killed him by taking off his head, Akaza was able to regenerate and could have continued fighting. He just chose not to and while it is a narratively fitting end, I can't help but be disappointed by it.
The second issue I had was with the fight between Kanao and The Upper Rank 2 (sorry, don't remember his name) and how Inosuke just...kind of...highjacks the fight. Like, Kanao was having this moment and we FINALLY got to see her in action, but then Inosuke shows up and pretty much steals the spotlight from her. And my major issue with this is that we've gotten to see Inosuke fight MULTIPLE TIMES already, I wanted to see Kanao really duke it out with a higher ranking demon. But instead, Inosuke crashes the party and while his backstory is finally given and is truly heartbreaking, it doesn't make up for my aforementioned gripes. Granted, if those two end up working together I am SO THERE for that, but I really wanted to see more of Kanao and watch her shine. But it looks like THAT'S not going to happen...
Despite my complaints, this was a really solid volume with hard hitting moments and great action. Now I'm curious to see what'll happen next!
My first issue is with the finale of the fight between Giyu, Tanjiro, and Akaza. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVED Akaza's backstory. It painfully shows the cycle of violence and how difficult it is to escape from it. Also, Akaza taking responsibility for his actions and accepting his death was really cool. HOWEVER. Even though Tanjiro cut off his head, Akaza was the one who did himself in and I was kind of dissatisfied with that conclusion. This is the guy that killed Rengoku, probably the most beloved Hashira, and I was so stoked to see Tanjiro take revenge on Akaza for killing him. But in the end, Akaza pretty much ends himself and while yes, technically Tanjiro killed him by taking off his head, Akaza was able to regenerate and could have continued fighting. He just chose not to and while it is a narratively fitting end, I can't help but be disappointed by it.
The second issue I had was with the fight between Kanao and The Upper Rank 2 (sorry, don't remember his name) and how Inosuke just...kind of...highjacks the fight. Like, Kanao was having this moment and we FINALLY got to see her in action, but then Inosuke shows up and pretty much steals the spotlight from her. And my major issue with this is that we've gotten to see Inosuke fight MULTIPLE TIMES already, I wanted to see Kanao really duke it out with a higher ranking demon. But instead, Inosuke crashes the party and while his backstory is finally given and is truly heartbreaking, it doesn't make up for my aforementioned gripes. Granted, if those two end up working together I am SO THERE for that, but I really wanted to see more of Kanao and watch her shine. But it looks like THAT'S not going to happen...
Despite my complaints, this was a really solid volume with hard hitting moments and great action. Now I'm curious to see what'll happen next!