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The Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc was not well received due to underwhelming antagonists, lack of comedic relief, and more.
Demon Slayer is one of the best modern shonen anime titles to have come out. Furthermore, this title has set incredibly high standards for animation quality. This is quite the statement because we have animation studios like MAPPA that have created some of the most entertaining titles in the world. There are plenty who aren’t the biggest fans of this series, and their biggest gripe is the simplistic nature of the anime.
However, this is an example of a simple story with complex characters that can create an entertaining and impactful show. However, this wasn’t the case for every single story arc. There was one arc in particular that didn’t do well—the Swordsmith Village arc.
The Swordsmith Village arc in Demon Slayer had a few flaws, and it wasn’t as popular as some of the other sections of the story. Furthermore, the fanbase is rather ruthless when providing their opinions on the series. Ufotable has set exceptionally high standards, and fans never fail to hold them up to it. Therefore, this article will take a look at some of the many glaring issues in this story arc and also examine the chronology of certain events that determined fans’ overall perception.
Demon Slayer’s Swordsmith Village Arc Featured Poor Villains
So far, there was plenty of build-up for the Upper Moon demons. Based on what we had seen earlier, even the Lower Moon demons nearly killed the likes of Tanjiro. Furthermore, the introduction of Gyutaro and Daki set the tone for the remaining Upper Moon demons to come. It took the combined efforts of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Tengen Uzui, and his three wives to defeat the demon. Gyutaro and Daki nearly took out a Hashira and some of the strongest demon hunters in their rank.
This showed that every Upper Moon demon from here on was more than capable of killing even the stronger Hashira. However, the two Upper Moon demons introduced in the Swordsmith Village arc seemed quite weak.
Gyokko, the Upper Moon 5 demon, and Hantengu, the Upper Moon 4 demon, were the primary antagonists in this arc. The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, defeated an Upper Moon demon all by himself. Muichiro is undoubtedly the most talented Hashira. However, defeating an Upper Moon demon all by himself downplayed the power and abilities of the demon in question.
Hantengu, on the other hand, seemed powerful. However, Mitsuri, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya’s teamwork was enough to beat the Upper Moon 4 demon. We expected him to be far more powerful than Gyutaro and Gyokko combined. However, the lack of serious repercussions downplayed the two primary antagonists in the aforementioned arc.
The Visuals Were Slightly Underwhelming
There is no doubt that Ufotable is consistent when it comes to animation. However, there were a few areas that suffered from suboptimal animation. Specifically, the scene involving Gyokko’s fish monsters. The animation studio decided to use CGI for this section, and the fanbase wasn’t a fan of it. They preferred the traditional animation method, which was smoother and more organic.
Similarly, the CGI used during the Mitsuri Kanroji vs. Hantengu fight also received poor feedback. There were plenty who had no opinions about it. However, a sizable portion of the fanbase was not a fan of the studio’s choice of using CGI. Fans are used to seeing a particular animation style because Demon Slayer almost never uses CGI. This disruption seemed to have had a negative effect on the story arc.
Timing of the Swordsmith Village Arc
The Entertainment District arc is considered the best arc in the anime so far. Additionally, this section of the story took place right before the Swordsmith Village arc. Therefore, fans had ridiculously high expectations. The final fight involving Tengen Uzui, Tanjiro, and Gyutaro was outstanding. The visuals captivated millions across the globe. In fact, some even considered that the best fight animation of all time. Such were the standards that Ufotable had set.
Therefore, the Swordsmith Village arc had big shoes to fill. It felt like this arc was set up to fail. While it didn’t particularly fail, it certainly was one of the most underwhelming arcs in the story. Fans’ memories were still filled with the incredible fight scenes wherein Tanjiro unlocked his Demon Slayer Mark for the first time. This, combined with the downplayed villains, negatively impacted the story arc.
A Severe Lack of Comedic Relief
There is a reason why Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira are considered fan favorites. Their ability to provide a good laugh is severely underrated. Fans understood their value in the Swordsmith Village arc in Demon Slayer. Fans felt their absence in the anime. Furthermore, none of the characters can replace someone like Inosuke in the series. Hotaru Haganezuka was funny and gave us a few hilarious moments.
However, he cannot replace the likes of Inosuke and Zenitsu in the anime. Inosuke’s voice actor has done a phenomenal job in creating a boar-like screaming effect. That alone makes every single joke funnier. The recurring botching of Tanjiro’s name was sorely missed in the Swordsmith Village arc in Demon Slayer.
Conclusion
Hantengu and Gyokko were simply poor antagonists and, therefore, negatively impacted the arc in question. The likes of Daki and Gyutaro also had compelling backstories, unlike the Upper Moon 4 and 5 demons. Therefore, fans couldn’t form an emotional connection to these demons, which again impeded the overall viewing experience.
Furthermore, the arc was set up to fail given how Ufotable handled the Entertainment District arc. Anime fans tend to have a great memory, and they don’t forget important moments. However, the Entertainment District arc featured an era-defining fight scene that will be talked about for years to come.
Therefore, the Swordsmith Village arc had big shoes to fill. This only made things harder for the animators to adapt what is considered one of the dullest arcs in the series. These are some of the reasons why the Swordsmith Village arc in Demon Slayer was severely underwhelming. That being said, fans are excited for the Infinity Castle arc, which is considered the most exciting arc in the manga.
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