Eleven new episodes, which follow the worldwide hit Japanese animated film, are available on Wakanim and Crunchyroll. A successful recipe even if it does not have the same energy as that of the original manga.
In May 2021, cinemas reopened in France with the film showing Demon Slayer: The Infinity Train, extension of season 1 of the anime. A box ! It has since become the most successful Japanese animated feature film in the world. With The Pleasure District, sequel in eleven episodes available on Wakanim and Crunchyroll, it is now half of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga which is adapted into anime.
The plot, still set in the Taisho era (1912-1926), sees Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu, three teenage demon slayers, summoned to defeat the upper moons, formidable enemies. These new episodes take place in Yoshiwara, a district of sex workers, where unexplained disappearances accumulate. Matrons and prostitutes go missing or are found mysteriously murdered. The trio of characters will infiltrate this environment by cross-dressing and, after four episodes of investigation, make the swords speak.
Gender codes sublimated
After a long introduction to the story, enhanced by a few touches of humour, the production qualities of the Ufotable studio become evident again. The action and brawl scenes are always animated with extreme care – they are the signature of this series. And, even if they seem slow, the first episodes manage to raise the dramatic stakes: Tanjiro’s family has been murdered by demons, and his little sister, who fights with him, partially transformed into a monster. In demon slayerthe emotions speak at the same time as the blades in sequences destined to become cult as they are technically impressive.
Moreover, the qualities inherent in the series remain: exemplary care taken in the production, bizarre and endearing characters, an effective plot that sublimates the codes of the shonen genre (manga intended for young boys, such as One Piece) and a retro Japan in which we dive with pleasure, despite a sometimes lazy rhythm. Because the anime adapts too small a portion of the manga to restore its energy, those who have already read it will notice. Corn demon slayer remains and will remain despite everything one of the flagship series of its generation.
To have
T Demon Slayer: The Pleasure Quarter, action anime created by Haruo Sotozaki (Ufotable studio), Japan, 11 × 23 min. Available on Wakanim and Crunchyroll.