Demon Slayer has dominated the anime industry over the past few years, and now it seems to have taken over the world of American comics. The manga has allegedly outsold the latter, a feat only shared by legendary series like Dragon Ball and One Piece.
The influence of Demon Slayer can be seen across the world. Even non-anime fans get converted after watching the series. While many may believe it’s the gorgeous animation quality, it might not be the case. It’s all because of how simple and easy Koyoharu Gotouge’s writing is.
Underneath the grandeur of Ufotable’s animation quality, the series isn’t exactly complicated and follows a classic Shonen formula. It doesn’t deviate or add anything complex to make it stand out from other fantasy Shonen series. Some try, but Demon Slayer always comes out on top.
The success of Demon Slayer lies in its simplicity, and fans don’t mind that
When you think about it, Koyoharu Gotouge hasn’t written anything that hasn’t already been done. Although tragic, Tanjiro Kamado has gone through what almost every Shonen protagonist has. The trope of the protagonist’s family dying or simply being absent isn’t new.
Moreover, Tanjiro’s goal to train hard and eradicate all demons, specifically Muzan, after his family was slaughtered, is quite simple. Restoring Nezuko’s humanity is also a very sympathetic goal. He is the heart and soul of the series, and fans can completely relate to his plight.
So, Demon Slayer surpassing the American comics industry in the number of sales isn’t surprising. It’s a series that appeals to everyone. It might not have complicated heroes, but it does have some great, sympathetic villains. Even so, their tragedies are quite easy to understand. This doesn’t apply to Muzan.
Fans also agree that the news isn’t shocking and that it’s well-deserved. One Reddit user summarized why it’s popular appropriately.
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byu/vector_inspector24 from discussion
inKimetsuNoYaiba
Moreover, compared to the Big Three, it doesn’t have a huge cast and power systems to memorize. It’s an easy series to get invested in, unlike One Piece, which has 1000+ chapters.
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byu/vector_inspector24 from discussion
inKimetsuNoYaiba
Demon Slayer has cracked the Shonen formula and executed it well. Combined with Ufotable’s animation quality and the efforts of the voice actors, it was a guaranteed success. It’s no wonder fans would explore the manga series in the meantime. It doesn’t have to be perfect to win.
Demon Slayer isn’t flawless and can heavily rely on the animation, but it’s got something for everyone
Let’s not confuse popularity with perfection. Like any series, Demon Slayer will have its flaws. The anime relies entirely too much on the animation carrying it and overdramatizes a lot of simple things, like the Breathing Styles.
Fans do acknowledge that the reliance on the Shonen formula can make it fall short. However, the different personalities of the cast allow fans to have enough variety to still enjoy the story. The problem with this is that not everyone gets equal screen time.
Still, Gotouge has created something for everyone. The action is undeniably thrilling, the story is simple but effective, and the characters are attractive and compelling. The theme of family and overcoming trauma might be overused, but it works well in Demon Slayer, and we see the result of it.
Demon Slayer is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
