One of the charms of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is that the characters of the demons that appear as enemies are not just villains, but have deep backgrounds and sad pasts. The demons who fight the Demon Slayer Corps were once human, and each became a demon after going through the sadness and suffering they each carried. This time, Osamu Manga will focus on the demons' pasts and explore the points that we can empathize with while reading the stories behind them.
1. Rui: A lonely boy who wanted to be loved by his family
Rui, the Lower Rank Five of the Twelve Kizuki who appeared in the Natagumo Mountain Arc, is a demon who created a "family" with his own power and was obsessed with family ties. What Rui wanted was the love of his family that he had once lost. He was a sickly child who gained strength by being turned into a demon by Kibutsuji Muzan, but he was deeply hurt by the past when his parents rejected him.
Rui tries to forcefully create a family and maintain bonds because of his loneliness, but his method is twisted and he can only bind his family through fear. At the moment Tanjiro touches her family's feelings, Rui remembers the true love of her family that she lost, and her sadness is expressed.
This is what Osamu Manga thought! Rui's love for his family was so strong that he became a demon, and that love became distorted. Seeing the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, he reaffirmed the true family love he had been looking for, and his pain pierced my heart.
2. Gyokuro: The pain of an artist who was not recognized
Gyokuro, the Upper Rank Five, is a character who stands out for his frightening nature as a demon, but behind his background is the pain of an artist who wanted to be recognized as a human. Gyokuro was looked down upon by those around him from a young age, and felt a strong inferiority complex because he was not recognized by anyone. Even after he became a demon, he continued to pursue perfection as an artist and create his insane works, but deep down he was obsessed with the desire to have his value recognized.
Even during the battle, he is shown to be furious when Tanjiro and the others do not appreciate the pots and sculptures he makes, and we can see his sadness and suffering.
Osamu Manga thought this! Gyokuro's madness is caused by a strong sense of loneliness in his heart that he wants to be recognized. I realized that his obsession with art comes from human weakness, and I felt that he is a complex character who cannot be called a simple villain.
3. Enmu: The tragedy of a man who continued to escape into dreams
Enmu, the Lower Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki who appeared in the Mugen Train Arc, tormented Tanjiro and the others with his ability to control dreams. The power of dreams he uses is to temporarily trap the opponent in a happy illusion and make them turn their eyes away from reality. Enmu himself is an entity that seeks comfort in the dream world to escape from the painful reality, and even when he was human, he lived an unfulfilled life.
In Enmu's past, we can see glimpses of him being unable to bear the harshness of reality and only trying to feel happy in his dreams. His dream world was nothing more than a place to deny reality and escape. However, Tanjiro's strong sense of reality and his feelings for his family shatter Enmu's dream, revealing his weakness.
Osamu Manga thought this! Enmu was so desperate about reality that he could only feel happy in his dreams. Tanjiro was the polar opposite of him, and I think this was the moment that made his sad weakness stand out even more.
4. Gyutaro and Daki: A story of siblings filled with love and hate
Gyutaro and Daki, the siblings who appeared in the Entertainment District Arc, were once poor humans. Gyutaro was discriminated against by those around him because of his ugly appearance and poverty, and lived his life protecting his younger sister Daki (Ume). However, when his sister tried to use her beauty as a weapon to get ahead in life, she was caught up in a tragic incident, and the two became demons in despair.
Their story is vividly depicted with the strong bond between siblings and the sadness of being trapped by their demonic powers. In particular, in the final battle with Tanjiro and the others, Gyutaro's compassion for his sister was depicted, highlighting the human love in his heart. Even after becoming demons, the affection between siblings was not lost, and the two were together until the very last moment.
This is what Osamu Manga thought! The sibling love between Gyutaro and Daki was contrasted with the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, and it was very sad. The path they chose was tragic, but their bond as siblings was strong until the end, and their suffering felt real.
5. Hantengu: The fate of a man who kept running away
Hantengu, the Upper Rank Four, is a demon full of fear and evasion. In his past, he was a coward who committed crimes but continued to justify his actions and tried to avoid responsibility. He always hid his weakness and shifted the blame to others, but even after he became a demon, his personality did not change and he was an entity that could only run away.
His ability to split symbolizes his weakness, and he is depicted as being driven by fear despite being a strong demon. Hantengu's character embodies the loneliness that comes from continuing to run away and the sadness of running away from responsibility.
Osamu Manga thought this! Hantengu's sad end as a demon is the result of continuing to run away without facing his own weakness. His ability to split also symbolizes the weakness of his heart itself, and it is painful to watch.
Summary
The demons that appear in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" are not just enemies, but beings who once suffered as humans and became demons because they were trapped in despair. Each of them has their own sadness and suffering in their past, which makes the story deeper and more relatable. As an Osamu manga, I feel that knowing the demons' sad background makes the fight against them not just a conflict between good and evil, but a moving story that depicts human weakness and suffering.
Knowing their sorrow, I think Tanjiro and his friends' fight takes on even greater meaning.
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