Tag Archives: Ufotable

Final Thoughts: Demon Slayer

December 6, 2019 Jack Scheibelein 1 Comment

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

One of the reasons I stopped watching seasonal anime, aside from an increasingly busy schedule, is because following all of what is popular all of the time is kind of a chore. This is not some hipster statement meant solely to ridicule what is popular, but it is to say that only following something because other people are can shift a person’s perspective on that anime. Demon Slayer is a show that, had I been watching it week by week, I probably would have enjoyed a lot more than I did. This is not to say that the show is bad, but rather that some parts of it could have been executed differently. Here are my Final Thoughts.

UFOTABLE: Busted!

It is hard to argue that Studio Ufotable has a bad track record when it comes to animation. After all, they have the Fate/ series, along with other projects like Garden of Sinners, under their belt. Now, most recently, they have Demon Slayer, the animation of which is indeed a cut above most of the other shows that aired this year. Not only do the more static moments of the shows still look good, but the action scenes show a level of care and quality found rarely outside of studios like Ufotable.

One of the best examples of this comes near the end of the series, in the fight between Tanjiro and Rui, where Tanjiro almost manages to beat Rui by himself. Not only does the this scene in particular have an incredibly unique color pallet, the movement of the animation is on par with the rest of Ufotable’s best.

A Fun Supporting Cast

Anime like Demon Slayer rarely ever work without a fun supporting cast backing up the main character, and even then sometimes they still do not. Luckily though, Demon Slayer’s supporting cast is pretty great. Zenitsu, while occasionally being pretty annoying and distracting, brings a lot to the table as a comedic relief. Zenitsu also has a lot of potential as a character, in that his backstory is one of most interesting out of all of the characters in the show so far. Inosuke, too, is a great character. While not as interesting as Zenitsu, he still shines through as unique, in that he does not think to much but still responds to Tanjiro with a level of respect that almost crosses him over into Tsundere territory.

Tamayo, the demon doctor who appears near the beginning of the series, is also pretty compelling. She serves as Tanjiro’s first bit of new evidence that not all demons are bad, and that there are those who are even willing to help those in the human world, as she was once a demon herself.

Tanjiro and Nezuko

My biggest gripe with the series as a whole really comes down to Tanjiro as a main character. While certainly a lot better than other protagonists, his development over the series leaves a lot to be desired.

At the beginning of the series, the show gives us Tanjiro’s origin story. He leaves home for a day only to return to his family slaughtered and his sister turned into a demon. However, Tanjiro’s single-minded focus on revenge for his sister becomes a bit boring after a while, as it feels like that is one of his only character traits. It is not until Zenitsu and Inosuke are introduced a little later on that it feels like their is a significant change of pace in the story.

Nezuko falls into a similar boat. While admittedly cute, she does not do a whole lot outside of acting as the catalyst for Tanjiro’s journey to become a Demon Slayer. It is not often she contributes to the story outside of being Tanjiro’s sister who was turned into a demon.

Conclusion

I do not think it can be said that Demon Slayer is bad, because it is not. It has a lot of great moments, a ton of stellar animation, and enough in main story that makes it worth sticking around. However, part of me still feels like there is a lot more to learn about both Tanjiro and Nezuko and I hope more of that comes out as the series progresses.

How do you all feel about Demon Slayer? Let me know in the comments below.

Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friendos!

Anime/Manga, Episode Reactions

Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode One Reaction

April 18, 2019 Jack Scheibelein 2 Comments

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

Well, I think Ufotable did it again. They managed to take an IP that I had heard nothing about whatsoever, and make me want to go back and read it in addition to watching the anime. Kimetsu no Yaiba, while not necessarily on the level of some of their best work, at least so far, has managed to come off as incredibly exciting.

Kimetsu no Yaiba follows Tanjiro, a young boy who works to provide for his family after his dad died when he was young. One night, after leaving to go to town, he comes back only to find his family dead and his sister Nezuko barely alive. He soon realizes after going to look for a doctor that his sister is a demon, and is attacked by Nezuko. Soon, he is saved by a demon hunter.

On the surface, Kimetsu no Yaiba seems like a fairly straightforward show, with its plot in episode one set up pretty seamlessly in combination with the ending credits which shows a steady progression of Tanjiro learning to become a demon hunter and avenging his family against multiple foes. In classic shonen action series fashion, Tanjiro will probably continue to power up while making new allies who will also continue to power up and help him along on his quest.

However, even despite this someone simplistic vibe that the show gives off, I am still fairly excited for it. The plot seems to be moving in fairly fast-paced way, and a lot of questions have already been established right off the bat. For example, is there a way to cure his sister of being a demon? I do not know, but I definitely want to find out.

Other than that, though, I do not have much to say other than that I have faith that Ufotable will deliver on the animation, if nothing else.

How do you guys feel Kimetsu no Yaiba? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you would like to support The Aniwriter or are just feeling generous, consider donating on ko-fi or by using one the affiliate links down below:

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

30 Day Anime Challenge, Anime/Manga

30 Day Anime Challenge – Day 16: Anime with the Best Animation

May 8, 2018 Jack Scheibelein 3 Comments

Hello, Anifriends

So, one of the things that I feel like I take for granted when talking about a show is animation. I think a lot of people will sort of arbitrarily judge the animation of a show when reviewing a show just to talk about it, and I am definitely guilty of this. I just wanted to preface today’s challenge by saying that I am by no means any real judge on quality animation. But…if I had to pick a show with the best animation…

Fate/Zero

I honestly don’t know how else to prove this other than saying just go watch the show, which you should really do anyway.

Although, I guess when saying an anime has the best animation, that does not necessarily have to be referring to its overall quality. Best could also mean most fitting of the shows overall theme and tone. In that regard, I would say that Fate/Zero does a pretty good job too. The darker color palette more than delivers in setting a creepy background, fitting for a battle filled with plenty of questionable moral people.

The Darker palette also helps illuminate some of the more impressive visual effects the show has to offer. For example, the servant’s weapons. The way that Lancer’s Gae Bulg glows a crimson red, and the way that Excalibur lights up for Saber when the two are fighting really shows an insane level of detail that went into the show’s production.

Also, I don’t really think this that controversial of an opinion, but Fate/Zero has hands down some of the best looking C.G. in anime. Not that I am an expert in that department either, but it definitely blends in better than most of the shows that were using C.G. around the same time.

Which anime do you think has the best animation? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!