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Demon Slayer 3 x 11 (Patreon)

Published:
2026-09-14 22:37:44
Imported:
2026-09
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  • 745253587.mp4

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I was a tad critical - don't hate me haha!

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Comments

JoshyBoi1912

Great way to end the day! I remember this episode being quite the rollercoaster, the same one I imagine i’m about to watch you go through xD

Animuchan

Infinity castle 2 is projected for 2027 and part 3 2029, that is if there's no dely. But considering how long it took part 1 to get to streaming part 2 would probably be 2028 and part 3 2030. So yeah...it's gonna be a while lol.

Simon Scott

I feel like any foreshadowing of nezukos transition would have made the situation completely unbelievable rather than a "surely they wouldn't" situation lessening the emotional impact

Anna Kyruin

I totally agree with you that I would have loved way more foreshadowing of Nezuko's evolution. I think it's a great plot point but... it's like when you read a mystery novel and they give you tons of clues and all of them are red herrings and then the solution to the mystery is something that the narrative never even hints at. If we'd gotten the message from Tamayo before this episode at some point, just the part about Nezuko prioritizing something etc, not the part about conquering the sun, I think that would have been enough. That said, I really do like the execution of the moment cinematically. It's just that the setup for it was all kinds of missing.

izimatsara

The only bit of foreshadowing i can remember about nezuko is that her blood art exclusively hurts demons like the sun (which was mentionted in the vid but not in regards to foreshadowing this) Edit: i also think it's a rushed development btw

Sierra Folsom

I feel as if they wanted to mix in the perspective of the actual characters having no clue as to what is going on, and the viewers seeing the explanations of what’s happening. The part after showing Miss Tomayo saying that Nezuko’s blood is the cause of the demon from season one breaking from “Muzan’s curse” which his curse IS the sun to be fair, seems to be the shows way of explaining Nezuko being able to conquer the sun. I do think they should’ve done a bit of a better job explaining Muzan’s past because it always left holes for me too, I’m sure the manga has a better explanation.

Daiga54

Muzan's goal to me was always obvious its classic Vampire behavior and it always confused me why Muzan would make so many other demons if he doesn't actually care about spreading his abilities. In fact it seemed like that was against his nature with how much he seemed to detest the other demons so I really liked this explaination. I will say I was very confused at first but I also can't really think of a better way to introduce it the only way for them to realize she is immune is to be put in a situation exactly like this not like anybody is just gonna let Nezuko be out in the sun the only other way I could think of is to have Nezuko get beheaded by one of their swords but I don't think that would be a very satisfying way either.

galerien

I find myself quite sympathetic to your criticisms. Nezuko's sudden immunity to sunlight certainly does feel like it could have been built up to more, and can feel a bit cheap with this execution. Tamayo's explanation coming after the fact certainly doesn't help. I do find that Demon Slayer's issue is in part that, in the interest of developing a fairly lean and fast-clipped shōnen, some of these elements haven't been given adequate time to breathe. There are certainly other series that belabour the point far too much, to the extent that it feels like padding.

Olivia Smart

My theories of how Nezuko conquered the sun is based around the fact that the Kamado family has ties with the Hinokami Kagura (sun breathing) technique. Another one is that because Nezuko has never ate a human being, and instead has been sleeping, maybe her body was focusing on trying to put all that energy into conquering the sun? It’s a bit iffy, but those are the main ones I could think of when I first watched it. I do have another theory, but due to it being connected to the demon slayer fanbook and the possibility that they might add it to the movies (which I really hope they do), I will not say it. Overall, great video!! I can’t wait to watch more of the coming content!!! I never watched Haikyu, but knowing you’re gonna react to it I might watch it!

Daniel

You finding out you were right about Muzan is so satisfying lol

Mina E.D

It cracks me up with the way Tanjiro literally came to the village to resolve things with Haganezuka and get his sword, yet he ended up leaving the village without the sword and with Haganezuka still semi pissed. Its like when you go to the mall for something specific and come back with everything but the thing you set out to buy. Except you also encounter man eating demons at the mall. Its hard to imagine Demon Slayer continuing without Nezuko, who to me is the heart of the show. It would also be a bit sadistic lol. A lot was taken from Tanjiro from the beginning so its not like the show's capacity for cruelty isn't there, but taking her away would be too much. I took the conquering the sun thing as a pleasant surprise, but I totally get why others would prefer some sort of foreshadowing.

Buzzard

The part that got me the most was when a burning Nezuko clenched her tiny fist, as if to say "get out there and DO IT, Onii-Chan!"

L

Yes, a quite lot of people agree Muzan is hot , lol. About Nezuko ability to conquer the sun , there are a couple of theories and details later in the series but maybe after the series is fully completely animated to revisit this topic again.

Citrine

Yeah something I noticed even as a big fan of demon slayer is that it told more than it showed this season. It was like this in the manga too but I kinda wished that the anime took a little more liberties with it. Just a tad 🤏

Mina E.D

Muzan spending time tryna conquer the sun when he shoulda been trying to conquer that runway

The_Venomous_Viper

I agree with you about the Nezuko reveal not being foreshadowed enough, I'm probably even more critical of this season than you hah It is a pet peeve of mine to do a fake out character death with all these flashbacks trying to get a cheap emotional gut punch, without the actual consequences of a character death. It is unearned. I am fully with your rankings too, Entertainment district, then Mugen Train, and then this one (I actually even like S1 more than this arc). The upper ranks were uninteresting compared to Daki, Gyutaro, Akaza, or even Rui from S1. They get little to no backstory and what they do get isn't interesting (I don't think every demon needs a sob story backstory, just something intriguing) and even their powers/designs aren't as good. I like both the new Hashira, but really that's the only part of S3 that's enjoyable. Even Muzan's backstory is disappointing, he is just a guy who got powers from medicine, just went with being called "demon" because some villagers called him one and he went with it. So, while I do think you are going to get some hate for your take on YT, I'm in full agreement.

Pina Simon

You don't need to worry about it sounding like unnecessary criticism! I'm pretty sure it's pretty agreed upon that it should've been more foreshadowed. About the excessive Tanjiro internal monologue thing though, that's not completely the show being geared towards a younger audience. That's also like a holdover from the manga? There's that the manga is made from static pictures and you can't fit much frames and information inside a more limited medium, hence the narration. But the manga has also a narrator outside of the characters that isn't present in the anime so Tanjiro gets the lines clarifying stuff that's not longer necessary to clarify + extra narration making it very busy. Besides I don't think it's geared towards young enough audiences that it needs to spell everything out (in my experience that thing starts phasing out in middle school and in high school you should be able to do some basic to mid tier inferences). With all the violence and the Mitsuri oversexualization I think this show is mature enough to also trust that the audience can figure all that stuff out. I also dislike the imbalance for other reasons. Mugen Train ranks higher in my fave arcs than Entertainment District because even though I liked that it touched upon how Daki was affected by such an awful place it puts me off how it also tried to diminish how terrible the place is. It does that by not making the houses the mains were in have any problems outside of Daki and the way Tengen described it in the first ep and him being all worried about the demon possibly hurting them but not about all the abuse that they would be exposed to, considering how he's presented as such a protective and concerned husband. It makes it feel that Daki's grief is outdated and an isolated situation. Makes it so that Daki is the sole originator of unhappiness in the current timeline. (And it's not like Red lights districts in Japan have changed that much between Daki's era, Taisho Era and now, the debt system that we didn't linger much on still happens to this day, getting sold, not getting paid, being trapped, it's common and one of the women in my city is a survivor of a Tokyo RLD) It's like, oh really? You can be gory and sexualize women for fan service but not have an honest conversation about red light districts' sex trafficking. Yk, something that's actually a bit too complex to be shifty/cagey about it in what's probably one of the first instances your target audience encounters about the topic.

foxboy64

the way i see it, you can think of it more as a spiritual thing than a physical thing with nezuko. muzan is obviously evil, the medicine worked and gave him abilities but he murdered the doctor that saved him so was cursed with being unable to walk in the sun with the rest of humanity. he no longer is a human, he is an irredeemable demon. contrast that with nezuko. the first thing she does is resist the insatiable demon hunger to eat humans. she gains the power to live without needing to do it. a little bit of the curse was lifted for her as a reward for proving herself. and then here, in the face of the sun, she makes the choice to sacrifice herself to save other humans. one could read her sudden ability to survive sunlight, as the gods lifting that aspect of the curse for her again for once more proving her selflessness. that's just my read into it, anyway. this show does have MAJOR supernatural, spiritual threads running all the way through it with the ghosts and such speaking from beyond the grave, seeing the souls of demons literally walking into hell and all that stuff.

Jay Fischetti

Demon Slayer leans into some divine symbolism and ideas inherent to its central theme, of peasant uprisings and ancient knowledge, the sun as a symbol that cleanses the world of evil, a purifying force and how Tanjiro, the Kamado's warmth and how good burns evil. There's much to talk about how it treats passing down knowledge and traits. You might find some similarities between Yukio Mishima's works and Demon Slayer, sacrifice and the beauty of a fleeting life, militarism and the hierarchies at play, even the Taisho era which is one of Westernization and modernization - something Mishima wrote in critique of and something in which Demon Slayer's action is rooted in. The author of Demon Slayer is very private but the symbols chosen are intentional and the core themes lean deeply into the passing down of ones traits.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

Which is why I mentioned both perspectives but I'm not a fan of fake out deaths. To me it cheapens the emotion. Foreshadowing doesn't have to be obvious but even a little indication that the sun was something possible for her to conquer would have been nice. Rather than just completely defying all the rules you've set up since S1 and then rush us through the fact that this is something that can be defied.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

Which is why in my outro I discussed why I understood it from a narrative perspective, but why I also felt it was poorly executed and rushed 😅

DrSophieDarlingReacts

Which is why in my outro I discussed why I understood it from a narrative perspective, but why I also felt it was poorly executed and rushed 😅

DrSophieDarlingReacts

Oh cinematically stunning but just rushed 😅 I also don't like fake out deaths!

L

i totally understand . they also created a special insert song for the moment when nezuko kicked tanjiro, by the same composer of episode 19 composer and same singer for dramatic impact 😁

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I'm not disagreeing with the set up of it but it could have been paced better. It's very rushed and because of that it lessens the significance as it feels more like the stakes are there just to be discarded as and when the writer feels like it. It cheapens the emotion. Story wise I can grasp it but even still they should have threaded it in better.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

As I said in the outro - I'm not mad she's alive, but the pacing and the way it was executed feels off and rushed 🙈

Ervin

Now wait a minute, I agree with you up until you mentioned their powers and design. While I agree that Gyokko's design is horrendous, I won't let you slander my goat Hantengu like that. Even Gyokko's powers were better than any demons before, except for Akaza. And Hantengu's power to manifest his emotions who each have diffrent powers is amazing. Not to mention their ability to fuse with eachother like with Zohakuten. And we only saw Anger take controll and manifest into hatred, we don't even know what emotion we could get if any of the other clones took controll. Like what emotion would Sadness bring? Hantengu's powers are so much more interessting than Gyutaro's and Daki's, I would even put it above Akaza's power

Ervin

Yeah, the author sadly had to rush the show and finish it, so she probably made Nezuko just immune to the sun so she has a reason to finish the show earlier

Sierra Folsom

I understand, more for everyone else also having a hard time wrapping their head around the around the poorly explained way they did it. 🫶 totally agree with loads of what you said and makes sense your view on it. Especially with someone with so much literature experience (from a little baby writer) definitely poorly executed could’ve been done a better job, even with a slightly younger audience watching 🤷‍♀️

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I think it feels off because the arc is so short but then there's also no further mention of the Blue Spider Lilly until this episode, and then the meaning of it is just kinda thrown away in favour of Nezuko being the now source of Muzan's hunt. Which is fine and I get that but they could have thrown in little foreshadowing moments or given us a full episode of Muzan's backstory prior to Nezuko's sacrifice that would have tied in more concretely.

Goldie

HAIKYUU!!!! YESSSSSSS BEST NEWS EVER I havent watched the reaction yet, im too busy being hype for Haikyuu

Sierra Folsom

Yes honestly the idea of a full episode showing Muzan’s story and tiny bits of the idea of the blue spider lily possibly not being needed would’ve been helpful and honestly a fun episode haha. Like you were saying it doesn’t diminish the love for the anime it’s just some obvious plot holes that are there.

Daiga54

Nezuko has consistantly defied all the rules since episode 1 even the rules that were made specifically for her like her healing so I don't think thats an arguement. I do agree the fakeout death sucked but the sun is not much of a leap when you consider Nezuko is sibling to the only sun breather from a family of sun god worshippers whos blood art is fire related and only burns demons like the sun and as I said has consistantly broke all the rules shown to us about demons.

Benjamin

I feel like Tamayo's letter coming earlier would have been the perfect foreshadowing (minus the comment about the sun, as that would have been too obvious

Goldie

I finished the reaction and think that this season had fantastic characters but agree that it suffered from pacing problems. I also think that nezuko’s “breakthrough” moments throughout the series suffer exposition-wise compared to tanjiro because she is not the POV character like tanjiro, and until now couldnt talk like [checks notes] every other character. My fave arcs are entertainment district and the next one, so i also think that the swordsmith village arc has the not fun role of being the bridge between those two seasons which probably didnt help it either. Just my two cents, but i loved your analysis!

Benjamin

I feel like Yamayo's letter coming earlier would have been the perfect foreshadowing (minus the comment about conquering the sun, as that would have been too obvious). The fake out death didn't bother me however. After all, if you're a writer and you have a character you know will become immune to something that should kill them, what better and more dramatic way to reveal it than having them exposed to said thing and have everyone think their going to die only to miraculously survive.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

As I said in the video - I'm not mad at that. I'm mad that it's shoe horned in with very little build up or even foreshadowing. Hell, we could have had a full Muzan episode that would have set the premise better before revealing she was still alive rather than just having it after the fact. Tomayo's letter would have been a better set up if mentioned earlier in the series. If we had seen more of Nezuko beyond just action. There's a lot of ways they could have done it but it felt rushed rather than fleshed out. I can see the connection to the story and the themes, but the execution was poor.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I think even with her not being able to talk they could have utilised her more than just action. It truly felt super rushed and the execution fell short. The emotional sentiment was great and I truly felt for them, but the pacing impacts it to the point that it's like "right well this wasn't set up at all prior" making it seem like they threw it in to give Muzan direction rather than connecting it properly to the themes. We know it's connected. We can see that but the lack of build up and foreshadowing to just "oh she's immune to the sun" was a bit like "right okay this could have been done better."

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I literally said in the episode she defies the rules, but there was NO SET UP to this moment. There was no hint of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing doesn't have to be explicit. Hell they could have focused on her more outside of just action scenes. I never said it was a leap but it does defy the rules that have been established by the series with no build up to that moment in relation to Nezuko. She's been on the back-burner pretty much the majority of the series until she needs to be a catalyst for the story and then all of a sudden she's a chosen demon. It feels poorly planned / paced despite us seeing how it connects. We know how it does. Doesn't mean it can't be critiqued for where it falls short. She's not the only demon that defies either but none of them can step out into the sunlight. It's wholly unknown phenomenon that should have meant we had more focus on Nezuko as a character, rather than just using her as a way to drive the plot and the antagonist. If they gave her half as much focus as Tanjiro then it wouldn't be such a critique. But I think you are forgetting that Tanjiro's technique is not actually sun/fire. It's connected but there's no mystical element to it. It's a sword form passed down his family line and can be honed by anyone that knows its significance. It just happens to be Tanjiro's family that inherit it. Nezuko's Demon Blood Art is not fire but blood. I'd say conquering the sun is more her drive to be human than because of her connection to a dance she only witnessed and never learned.

Goldie

100% i ended up chalking it all up to the selflessness of her choice to make tanjiro choose the humans over her being the ‘Catalyst’ for the whole sun protection breakthrough but i definitely think this season prioritised a lot of action sequences over the important thematic setups. I cant wait for you to watch the next arc tho (and then infinity castle AND THEN HAIKYUU!!) 🤩

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I guess but that's never been shown to be the case for her evolution before as it's all been biological so again it kinda is defying its own rules for the sake of Nezuko. We know there's a spiritual element to the show but we should have had that emphasised further if that was the case :')

OriginalsFX

It’s completely okay to criticize something and still love it lol. But I do love the passion in the comments

Joe Jackson

I get it, season 3 was (for me anyway) a weaker season than the previous 2 and it's kinda like they tried to claw something back with a few left turns and a cheap fake out death in the finale. Chin up though because season 4 is a banger and Infinity Castle is incredible.

Caroline O.

Hi Sophie! No hate from me, I completely understand where you're coming from! I feel like the themes and the character arcs are firmly set, but that the plot lack a bit of connective tissue. We had the talk with Tamayo in season one, where she mentions that Nezuko's body evolved during sleep, which was enough for me to infer that sleeping was not just for healing, and we sees it in action during the next seasons, where Nezuko keeps unlocking new skills. But for the sun's part in particular, just a scene of Nezuko, awake in the day, looking at Tanjiro in the sun from the shadow would have been enough, and would add a nice contrast with Muzan doing the same in the last episode. And maybe move the letter without the last bit in the first episode of the season. I think the weakness in foreshadowing can be explained by the author's inexperience in writing long stories. They only published short ones before Demon Slayer, so the pacing issue is understandable! But I'm glad you still enjoyed the episode! I'm always more sensitive to theme and character than plot so I personally enjoyed it very much! Can't wait to see your reaction for next season <3

Xantoom

Something worth mentionning about Nezuko that I did not see in the other comments is that in chapter 39 of the manga, when Tanjiro's life is flashing before his eyes when fighting Rui, we can see a memory shard of the Blue Spider Lily (impling Tanjiro has been in contact with it) next to the memory shard of Nezuko. This is completely cut from the anime adaptation, and for me it's the worse cut along Tanjiro being a narrator far more often in the manga explaining things here and there than in the anime adaptation (though the later I undestand why they did not keep it for the pacing).

kplrn

I agree with the critiques, but (oh no butts) if I were to try and rationalize Nezuko evolving to conquer the sun, perhaps it had something to do with how she, like Tanjiro, descended from a line of Sun-breathers. As a daughter, she wasn't taught the techniques but I'd like to think she may have also inherited a bit of the genetic memory of her ancestors, just like Tanjiro. Her Blood Demon Art being able to burn even Upper Ranks as if they were exposed to sunlight makes me think she could have been capable of Sun Breathing if she hadn't become a demon (and was taught). Also, the fact that Tanjiro was able to incorporate aspects of Thunder Breathing in this fight is perhaps, again, due to his ability to do Sun Breathing. It is the origin of all breathing techniques after all. So it's like you've learned the foundation, everything else is a derivative you can get to from there (aside of course that it's hella cool and very shonen lol). It also makes me think of what Urokodaki said about wielders of black swords (I think you mentioned this in a previous episode) and how they are unable to master a technique and you said how it could be perhaps that they would have been suited to learning Sun Breathing but since the technique was lost, so were they. That perhaps the black sword users (would-be Sun-breathers) were able to learn multiple techniques (but never master them) because all the techniques could trace their origin to the Sun. Not trying to argue! XD I never actually thought twice about this finale aside from that fake out (but of course I was too emotional then to even think about it). These were just thoughts I had watching this episode again after a while and hearing your thoughts about it, which is why I love watching your content. It makes me think more about the media I consume beyond just passively watching. 100% agree with your points about the writing.

Ster_arch_13

I agree with your statement about Tanjiro‘s internal monologues and I‘m glad you said it. I‘ve felt this way about them since my first watch and nobody else ever talked about them so I thought I was alone with that lol

Ji

I totally agree with the internal monologue comment! Although I do really love DS now, there was a time when I had to stop watching midway because I got so annoyed by it lol. And in terms of DS having a younger audience, that really always confused me. It seems to be catering to a younger audience considering its writing, humor, character design, etc, and yet there is so much gore and some unnecessary sexualization. I was living in Japan when S1, mugen train, and S2 came out, and I was really surprised by the amount of merchandising and marketing geared towards children. I had just watched AoT then, so I expected the audience to be similar considering there isn’t really any sexualization in AoT and DS is only a little less gory (and I believe they’re both shonen). I was back in Japan when infinity castle came out, so I watched it in the cinema, but there was a guy gooning every time a female character appeared on screen 🫩 So yeah, all that to say, I still love DS but I really don’t understand who its trying to market itself to

DrSophieDarlingReacts

They didn't descend from Sun Breathers. They have no genetic relation. There's also no mystical element to sun breathing as it's a sword form, a technique passed down, the elements we see are purely for entertainment and aesthetic value. Sun breathing was passed to Tanjiro's family through friendship but there's no ancestry or genetic relation to the art. Meaning anyone could have done the technique if taught it but Tanjiro's family just happened to be the inheritors of the dance form. So the genetic argument and ancestry doesn't work because it doesn't align with the narrative. Nezuko's Demon Art is also blood but it looks like fire and it burns, but it's called 'exploding blood' which ties into her genetic mutations of her body to try and harm demons and save humans. There's a lot that could have been done though to further expand upon this that would make the writing stronger, rather than "lol surprise she's not dead but we're going to use her as a story catalyst now instead of an actual character." I enjoyed the finale but just aspects fell short for me :')

kplrn

Ah but I thought their father, grandfather, etc would be considered Sun Breathers because they practice the techniques of Sun Breathing. They're not swordsmen but they know the forms, they just adapted it into a dance and then Tanjiro adapted it back into sword forms. So I've always thought their family practiced Sun Breathing except they called it Hinokami Kagura, and instead of sword fighting, they do the dance. And yes, there is no actual elements, but I think the focus was on breathing and forms. Kinda like how sword styles in real life kenjutsu have schools sharing mechanical principles because they're offshoots of a single style. I think technically any demon slayer who has learned a breathing technique would be able to learn other techniques as well because of the same roots, I just thought (admittedly because it sounded cooler) that it would have been easier for Tanjiro because he knew the parent technique of it all. But yeah, execution was off :/

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I think Tanjiro is the first to discover what it truly is or at least that's how it was implied to me :')

AzureSkies

Your point about the pacing is very much valid, demon slayer is very dear to me but I still have my critiques, doesn’t mean I love it any less. I can appreciate the emotional climax of Nezuko conquering sunlight which probably makes me look past how sudden it is… I think there was so much focus on other characters this season that Nezuko wasn’t prioritised until this very moment, so the payoff is more confusing than satisfying, though I will still tear up regardless, especially when Genya smiles at the siblings. Great reaction and commentary as usual! looking forward to the next arc. ^_^

Caroline O.

Right? And it would have constrasted with Muzan's anger at the limitation so nicely, too!

Sonja Seren

Exactly. Even something as simple as her almost not making it back to box in Mugen Train but instead of burning we see her foot or hand in the light unharmed for a moment.

Mateo_Tano

I think we've pretty much talk about everything surrounding Nezuko's use for the plot and our different opinions on the episode but I'd want to add a bit to it. First of all this was the first arc I read instead of waiting for the anime, so when I read the Nezuko thing I didn't mind so of course the same happened with the anime. Is it a leap of faith (i think it's called that way) the viewer/reader have to take? Kind of, yeah. But as you've said Nezuko has always being special: not only she's tied to sub breathing, but she's also not under Muzan control and so on with the odd things about her. It's sure is a decision for the narrative rather than Nezuko herself, but it's such a HUGE decision with huge consequences that that leap of faith feels like worth it. It's like a little "a wizard did it" for the sake of the greater good. So overall I think it's the correct decision and it's well done given how the story is built, but I undertand your sentiment. Hinting it prior, in my opinion, would've been... Wrong in a way? I know that's how Demon Slayer works, but the sunlight thing is something that either happens or not, so I think hinting it wouldn't have been effective. Again, it's the big leap of faith of the show and one big fake death so although I consider it perfect (because it elevates the manga) if you don't like those things it's... Weird, specially when Demon Slayer has always being consistent with its doing. It's presented as a miracle and it is! But miracles are a bit weird to make sense. So overall I get your points! This is still my favourite episode of the season and probably top 2 of the series overall. That 11 minutes sequence with Nezuko is a masterpiece in animation, music, emotion... Even the pacing which you mention and it's something I agree to disagree cause art is subjetive after all! About Muzan... He is his the reason of his own downfall! And it's so funny seeing it cause he's so smart yet so dumb 😭

DrSophieDarlingReacts

It's more every story has to build to a point they are making otherwise it feels shoehorned in. It's not so much Demon Slayer has to but it's one of the core aspects of writing is setting the stage. It doesn't have to be anything huge or obvious, it could have been something as subtle as the beginning of the arc with Nezuko looking at Tanjiro through the box in the sun, a small moment that we could go "omg look at the full circle!" It feels shoe horned because Nezuko is given next to no focus other than through action scenes, and because there's no building on her it makes her nothing more than a plot device for Muzan's arc rather than a functioning character. It's jarring. I wish they had given her more attention or at least suspended our disbelief a little with having us believe she was dead longer. It felt cheap to be 'omg she's dead' to a minute later 'oh she's fine and can conquer the sun'. If they had spaced it out better I would have less criticism, even giving us an episode of Muzan's backstory off of a cliffhanger of us thinking Nezuko is dead. It could have been tied in better than it was. I'm not angry she's alive. I'm glad she didn't die but I just feel they could have orchestrated it better, set it up better, used Nezuko more as a character without reducing her down to just a plot device :( Absolutely! We can agree to disagree because I know I'm probably in the minority criticising haha! There were aspects of the finale that were beautiful but I have to critique what I feel needs discussing from my own perspective <3

Wyld89

Tanjiro and Thunder Breathing What I like about what he did here was that it wasn't a true thunder breathing technique. He didnt suddenly learn something out of nowhere. He adapted a lesson from thunder breathing and applied it to his existing skills. Which is how new breathing techniques are created and how someone like Tanjiro who's body doesnt fit any one breathing style fights. So that fits with established lore to me. One of the most important lines of the series to me: "It was for this reason...for this reason alone...for a thousand years I've continued to increase my kind unwillingly!" Muzan doesnt care about demons or conquering humans or anything else. All he wants is immortality and perfection for himself. Every demon he created was just to see if THEIR unique power would be to withstand the sun so he could consume them and take the last power he needs for himself. Finally revealing the villain motivation after all of this time. It also goes back to what Tamayo said in S1 to the 2 assassins that came after her. The reasons demons dont work together is because Muzan won't allow it. He's fearful of them gaining more power than him. Which is why he resents having to make them. Finally confirming your Muzan illness theory: Yay! So hard not to say anything and spoil that you were right SO early in the series. About the Nezuko Reveal: I think it was important to show how devestated Tanjiro was feeling in that moment and all that he was thinking about, not just to pull on our heart strings. It made his lack of decision and his actions carry more weight. So that part wasnt cheapened for me. I also feel like her finding a new ability in a desperate life/death scenario is in keeping with the show, going all the way back to Tanjiro searching through his memories as he was about to die to Rui. But all in all, it definitely could have been foreshadowed more, maybe hinting that Tanjiro had already received a letter from Tamayo earlier or something, but then it cheapens his emotions/changes his decision/spoils Nezuko getting this ability, so I'm not sure HOW you foreshadow this one. About the handholding nature of the narrative: Ya, that's definitely a feature of the genre. Honestly though, your perspective might be a little colored by your advanced knowledge of the medium. In watching other reactors, MANY adults DEFINITELY need the internal monologue to understand what's going on (and even still dont fully get it)

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I mean it could be as subtle as whilst they're travelling to the Swordsmith Village, Nezuko looking out the box at a sunlit path, it really doesn't need to be spelled out but rather GIVE US SOMETHING because at this point Nezuko is less a character and more a plot device to pull out when needed :(

Wyld89

So I can finally talk about a connection I made that I accidentally spoiled for you a little bit earlier on (sorry about that again!). This episode was the last in the series that has any sort of allusion to that. During the first episode we see Muzan as a child living with this family, his parents appear to be having a dinner party. We as the audience are thinking, "why the hell is he staying with this family?" During the dinner party, his father talks about what a good dutiful son he is, how much he reads, and how he is sickly and cant go outside in the sun. But THEN he mentions - he's runs a pharmaceutical research company. And Muzan is constantly reading his medicinal books. I believe Muzan infiltrated this family to keep up with cutting edge medical research and learn if anyone discovered anything about the Blue Spider Lily. This is reinforced because in between that time and this episode, during the Upper Moon meeting to discuss what happened in the Entertainment District, Muzan spends the meeting performing test with chemistry supplies. My theory is that his government work for the first cover we see (back in Asakusa, when he has a wife and daughter) is likely either related to the government's research into similar topics, OR has something to do with why the government never recognizes the Demon Slayer Corp as a legitimate organization. Sidenote: now that we know Muzan WAS indeed sick, that probably explains why one of the Spider Demons in Rui's family said that Rui was one of Muzan's favorites. They shared a common experience through their illnesses as humans.

Poison8Ivy

When I saw this episode with my buddy, we didn't think of the same thing. My buddy thought the way you do about it, but I came to the conclusion that there are signs throughout the show. Like every demon has sead that Nezuko, there something strange about her. Not just she has her humanity and a kind soul, but I think that's the hints. I think the reason that Nezuko concerned the sun is due to her and Tanjiro's heritage. Tanjiro is Sun Breathing, Nez blood art hurts and heals demon blood so I think Nez is a demon Sun breather somewhat. And back to my buddy he and I think that Tanjiro and Nez has something to do with the blue spider lily, like there mom made soup with that ingredient or something like that. lol but I could be completely wrong lol... but I think that's the tie in the blue spider lily and Nez. by the way I love your take on the shows you watch, you make me think and see different sides to these shows Thank You for being you.

kplrn

I guess you're right. They could have just passed on the mechanical aspect of the breathing technique without actual mastery. It was only with Tanjiro the potential of it got unlocked because he had properly learned Water Breathing. T_T I've always thought since it was revealed that Sun Breathing was taught to their ancestor and the fact that they passed it on through generations that they were de facto Sun Breathers

DrSophieDarlingReacts

I appreciate your perspective! Though it's coincidence primarily that Tanjiro knows Sun Breathing and it's because he knows the true meaning of it being a sword form. The rest of the family saw it as dance. Whilst they have a connection to it they're not genetically linked to the originator of sun breathing. If thay was the case I'd be more understanding. I'm not angry Nezuko is able to survive but I hate that she's just used as a convenient plot point instead of an actual character. There's so much they could have done. It's a huge leap from her overall progression to conquering the sun. Especially as her Blood Art is Blood and not fire. There's so many hints they could have given that would have been subtle like her looking out the box at a sunlit path at the beginning of S3. Instead of a build up or setting the stage they just throw it in and go "oh she's a chosen one" when they've barely given us any development of her on screen. Every time she progresses it's solely to benefit the plot which is such a shame. She deserves more.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

Nope I think you'd only classify if you knew the truth of it snd could utilise it. Which is why Tanjiro is so significant as he's the first in so long to utilise the breathing technique for its true purpose. I could be wrong!

Josh H

Technically we knew Tanjiro is a Sun breather which is why he can learn other forms. Nezuko is of the same bloodline. Yea when we were kids we never realized the monologues lol.

DrSophieDarlingReacts

They're not genetically related to the originator of sun breathing. No, he learns the forms because the dance is inherited and passed down. He's just the first to understand its true purpose and, as a result, is able to incorporate other breathing styles as they all branch from sun breathing. So it's not in their bloodline. To be in the bloodline they'd have to descend from the originator. They don't. Tanjiro is a sun breather by chance. The rest of his line are not nor is Nezuko.

Gpinko

I hear your criticisms and I agree I wish there were some ways to foreshadow things beforehand. And there are definitely small ways to do that without giving away the reveal; like it still could've had the same emotional weight and shock but the outcome makes more sense when you finally see it. For me personally, despite the foreshadow part I actually really loved the emotional rollercoaster 😂 I was fine with Tanjiro's despair instantly flipping to relief. But I also wasn't convinced she was totally gone, and it was still emotional for me. 28:34 my absolute FAVORITE moment no matter how many times I see it, when Tanjiro cuts through the body and the absolute RAGE and PAIN on his face that its quivering, the anger in his eyes....we've never seen him like that before and something about it just gets me every single time. Also YEAH...no demons in this season had any empathetic stories 🤣 even Muzan himself. And like you said, I'm fine with that. Sometimes demons are just....demons, even as humans. But i did find Hantengu's form as a demon very interesting from a psychological/symbolic perspective in the ways he split from his emotions to protect himself. And that in the end, in the Heart of his Resentment is Fear. However I will say that his four forms in the beginning were nowhere near as scary as Gyutaro. They literally couldve killed Tanjiro and crew in a snap and they just played around with them for a few episodes. HAIKYUU NEXT!! I just finished catching up to this show about 3 months ago and I honestly love it so much. Sophie, I can promise you, even if you aren't a sports person and know nothing about volleyball, you will fall in love with this show and also know so much about volleyball by the time you catch up 🤣 because I am saying this as a person who ALSO did swimming as her sport, and did not participate in any other sports with balls or coordination. Don't worry, you will learn, and more importantly, you will love the characters. I will confidently say this, and if I'm proven wrong I will eat my words haha.

Jech

Okay lemme tell you somethin. I have been WAITING for you to see this episode right, knowing what a wild rollercoaster it would send us on. And despite that, you did better than me miss ma'am. I was already tearing up at the Nezuko flashbacks despite knowing what was to come, I was just so in the moment with Tanji-kun. Once he teared up, I was a MESS. All that followed by confused happy tears... and then fan service back to our favorite super girl. This episode is burned into my soul. Oh PS, I don't know this but I figured she has never eaten a human was a factor and her blood art being fire based/healing/anti-demon like you said. But, just an assumption based on the outstanding details about her. I still cried to see her burning up so wtf lol

Shouto

Finally have time to catch up (at least for this ep for the moment lol) and this ep is definitely why season 3 is not my favourite arc despite it having two out of my three favourite Hashiras and my favourite Blood Demon Art in the series. I never read the manga either so when I first watched this episode I had really complicated feelings too lol I 1000% agree with you that the lack of foreshadowing soured the Nezuko reveal for me greatly- like the inclusion of all the flashbacks and the song were basically rendered pointless with how sudden and weirdly paced the reveal ended up being (and to me it felt really forced like the studio was truly going out of their way to make viewers emotional only to do a complete 180). I wish they included moments of Nezuko interacting with the sun or hinting to aspects of her and the sun beyond the Kamado family passing down the tradition of Hinokami Kagura (ie of scenarios I think would have worked; maybe in past seasons instead of her being scared of the sun she’s indifferent to it, or she sometimes playfully traces the outline of the sun shining through the windows of a room and her finger steaming instead of burning, or even Tamayo hinting earlier that her bodily constitution is so vastly different from other demons and that her sleeping may be causing another effect beyond Nezuko recovering her strength- heck they could have even had a comedic moment with Nezuko teasing Tanjirou by sticking her socked feet out of her box during the day and not getting caught like there’s literally so many ways they could have hinted at her being sun-proof throughout the series especially in season 1 when things were more calm. If they really wanted it to be a better twist then they could have shown her still burning after Tanjirou slayed Hantengu but the burns were slowly healing and no longer spreading and maybe end the season with her going into another mini coma to further adapt to her body changing yet again). I think it’s unfortunate that this arc especially treats Nezuko as a plot device more than an actual character, especially because I love how they handled her in the Entertainment District Arc I love Demon Slayer but as beautifully animated and cinematic as this episode was, the story execution was just not it lol. I do think the pacing does improve again after this arc in terms of character building and story telling though (again I haven’t read the manga so idk if that will hold up but I will say that season 4 and the movie thus far absolutely feel more fleshed out so I think you’ll appreciate that) Anyways enough of my ranting, amazing reaction as always and I will do my best to fully catch up to your reactions this weekend lol

Tennomusha

My understanding of the interactions of demons and demonslayers is that they are metephors for trauma and coping mechanisms being treated by purpose driven frameworks. Every demon has an incoting incident that creates their toxic behaviour and every demon slayer has a purpose to life that redirects the self from engaging in toxic behavior. The story of Tanjiro and Nezuko is one of toxic self sacrifice and radical empathy. It seems to me that Tanjiro creates an enviroment for Nezuko where she is able to heal from her trauma without being made to feel evil for her suffering. Sun breathingnis the source of all other styles as empathy is the source of all prospcial purpose in life and successful treatment of trauma. As Nezuko is able to imcrease her independance and heal she become more human; she doesn't need to eat flesh, she becomes strong, she can walk in the sun etc. Tanjiro is making her human in his pursuit to learn how. I see her decision to sacrifice herself as a catalyst for evolution to her next stage of being human.

WillDaBeast Grasslands

I had the same criticism watching the first time around, and I'm anime-only so I have no idea what happens in the manga. This is the first time Demon Slayer had one of these mid-battle turnarounds with seemingly zero explanation for the turnaround, but I'm assuming that it's on purpose as more of a "to be continued" narrative device rather than just going for a cheap audience attention-grab (which it can double as). I'm not as critical about it only so long as they do explain it later on, which I believe they will. Tanjiro and Nezuko are the most integral elements of the story, so I trust the writers to respect that and bring us back down to Earth at some point later on, possibly during another chaotic moment such as this one via a backstory of some kind. That would be the ideal outcome imo, since it would be consistent with their formula of using backstories to give us the missing pieces of the story and it's characters. If I'm wrong and we never get an answer as to why Nezuko survived this, then I'll be very disappointed and sad, but I just don't think that's going to be the case, since the story very much has a "facts first, reason later" kind of approach. That being said, the execution of this tactic in this episode feels off and a little bit inorganic. I think they had the right puzzle pieces but perhaps just arranged them in a slightly suboptimal way, compared to how they usually fit. I don't know, I'm not a writer so I don't know if I could do any better, but I agree with your sentiments in that way.

2danimehoe

I was crying so hard while Nezuko was burning even though I've watched this episode so many times already!!!! I just wantedto mention that the song that plays as Nezuko is burning is called "Kamado Nezuko no Uta" or "Nezuko's song"!! The lyrics always gets me because it's lines that Nezuko has said throughout the show and is talking about her believes. In season 1 we also get "Kamado Tanjiro no Uta" in the fight with Rui and that song also has destroyed me, since it has lines from Tanjiro, his believes and things that others have said about Tanjiro. So, i just wanted to put the lyrics here, in case you want and have time to look through them 🥹 "Kamado Nezuko no Uta" On and off They come, floating The gentle memories The pieces of the dream that I saw that day Even now, they stay in my heart I believe That what's important is the "present" And to move ahead to the future The sun shines brightly Smiles bursting radiantly These precious bonds Will never die out On and off They come, floating The gentle memories The pieces of the dream that I saw that day Even now, they stay in my heart I believe That what's important is the "present" And to move ahead the future The sun shines brightly Smiles bursting radiantly The precious bonds Will not die out On and off A shallowing slumber That tomorrow is filled with The blue color of the sky that I saw that day Will someday find its way amidst it I want to pin the blame on someone else For this endless translucence Let me be friends with everyone In this everlasting heart of mine The sun shines brightly Smiles bursting radiantly These precious bonds Will never die out The sun shines brightly Smiles bursting radiantly These precious bonds Will never die out "Kamado Tanjiro no Uta" Close your eyes, And remember that passing voice. I can't return, I can't go back. There is only deep darkness. I can't return, I can't go back. There is only deep darkness. You hear a gentle sound and it makes you cry {Zenitsu is the one who says this specific line} No matter how painful it is, Move forward (move forward) Keep going (keep going) Cut off that despair. Even if you lose, even if you fail, You have no choice but to keep on living. No matter how beaten you are, There is something you have to protect. Even if you lose, even if you fail, You have no choice but to keep on living. No matter how beaten you are, There is something you have to protect. This is the path you chose, Get ready to face destiny. Covered in mud and scratched your feet, Look at that thin thread you can't see by eye. You hear a gentle sound that makes you cry. No matter how painful it is, Move forward (move forward) Head forward (head forward) Cut off that despair. Even if it hurts, even if you are in pain, You have no choice but to stand up. No matter how beaten you are, There is something you have to protect. There is something you have to protect.