Book Review
Title: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Vol 8 by Koyoharu Gotouge
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Rating: 5 Stars
Obviously Volume 8 is the second half of the Mugen Train arc, while Enmu is defeated, Tanjiro has a serious stab wound to the stomach that will be fatal if he allows the blood vessel to rupture again but there are no deaths and most of the passengers have relatively few injuries but this isn’t the end of the arc since an upper moon has appeared in form of Akaza. Akaza has been how powerful Rengoku is and offers to turn him into a demon but he refuses because they have different views on who is and isn’t weak and the battle between them begins. Akaza is an incredible martial artist and this has only been enhanced by his transformation into a demon and despite Rengoku’s speed and sword skills he is swiftly on the back foot with Akaza.
Tanjiro and Inosuke want to help but the difference in the skill levels means joining the fight will mean death for them. Eventually Akaza lands a killing blow on Rengoku but even with this he refuses to let Akaza flee as the dawn approaches. Akaza is left with no choice but to sacrifice his arms in order to flee the rising sun as Tanjiro calls him a coward for doing so. Tanjiro spends Rengoku’s final moments chatting with him as he requested and he asks Tanjiro to go to his family home and pass on messages to his brother and father, he also adds there might be some information on his father’s breathing technique stored in the journals of the former flame Pillars.
Tanjiro visits the Rengoku home before he is fully recovered and his confronted by Rengoku’s alcoholic father who calls Tanjiro a breath of the sun user and briefly explains that it is the original breathing style that all other breathing styles were created from. When he begins bad-mouthing Rengoku, Tanjiro ends up fighting with the father and briefly knocking him out. In this time he speaks to Rengoku’s younger brother who explained he once dreamed of become a swordsman but his nichirin blade wouldn’t change colour so he gave up on that dream. Now with his father retired and his brother dead it seems to Rengoku line of flame pillars has come to an end so he passes his brother flame guard onto Tanjiro. As Tanjiro leaves, he promises to write to the boy and the boy returns this sentiment by telling Tanjiro he would speak to his father and pass on any information.
Back at the Butterfly Mansion, Tanjiro stumbles upon Uzui Tengen, the Sound Pillar attempting to kidnap some of the girls for a mission and he along with Inosuke and Zenitsu agree to go in their places and they are heading to the Red Light District which means this is beginning of the Entertainment District Arc in the anime.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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