Studio Ufotable’s action-oriented anime series Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba’s newest installment: Entertainment Arc – the second arc of season two- was a triumph, wrapping up on Feb. 13 with the eleventh episode. Incorporating stellar animation, profound character development, and seamless soundtracks, the show proves to be one of the best of the year so far. 

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba showcases battles between demons and their slayers. Demons are creatures of the night that were once human but now have uncontrollable blood lusts, and the Demon Slayer Corporation’s mission is to protect the populace of Yoshiwara, Japan from these creatures. The Entertainment Arc features a developing demon slayer Tanjiro Kamado (Voiced by Zach Aguilar) recuperating from the death of fellow demon slayer Koyjuro Rengoku (Voiced by Satoshi Hino). 

The series follows the lives of Tanjiro and his fellow demon slayers, Zenitsu Agatsuma (Voiced by Hiro Shimono), and Inosuke Hashibira (Voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) as they train to hone their breathing techniques, alongside overall combat skills throughout their journey in Yoshiwara. The trio’s mission, along with top demon slayer given the title of a “Hashira”, Tengen Uzi (Voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi), is to terminate the demon threatening the livelihood of the district.

The animation studio, studio Ufotable, doesn’t let down viewers. From the release of the first season back in 2019, the animations were smooth and made every fight enthralling. The fights are seamless with smooth transitions and captivating compositions. The studio seems to break its budget every episode, consistently improving its animation quality and 3D rendering capabilities. 

The show’s soundtrack seamlessly ties together scenes. Cultivated by the manga writer Masaru Shiina, the soundtrack adds an aspect of suspense to every fight, or sorrow with every death, without overpowering the viewer. Finding the perfect middle ground, the soundtrack adds to scenes while still allowing the viewer to develop their own opinion of the emotional impact of the scene. Even with these prodigious aspects of the show, what makes Entertainment Arc so special is its captivating character development. Writer Koyoharu Gotouge shapes Tanjiro’s character with immaculate development. Unlike the stereotypical anime main character, such as Saitama in One Punch Man or Wang Ling from Daily Life of The Immortal King wielding unimaginable power, Tanjiro faces tremendous obstacles while training to reach the pinnacle of the demon slayers. This more realistic character development adds a sense of anticipation where viewers question the true extent of Tanjiro’s power and his potential.

Building upon strong character development, this anime sets itself apart from its competition by including a strong female lead, pulling itself above the rest of the pack. Tajiro’s sister, Nezuko Kamado (Voiced by Akari Kitō), wields power as a demon more immense than Tajiro himself. This addition, accompanied by strong female antagonists, places the show leagues ahead of most animes. Even twenty-first-century animes like One Piece feature blatantly sexist plots where the male leads save helpless female characters.

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba Entertainment Arc proves to be one of the pinnacle shows of new generation anime. With this in mind, I award Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba Entertainment Arc five out of five feathers.