Due to various circumstances, we do not know about all Demon Slayer character. Sometimes it’s about how the story plays out. Other times, it’s because people like the Kamado siblings and their closest allies, like Inosuke and Zenitsu, are the main focus. Demon Slayer: A Tale of Water and Flame is a manga that aims to bring more benefits to those who want to get acquainted with Hashira, specifically showing Giyu Tomioka and Kyojuro Rengoku, their motives and relationships with other members of the cast.
Everything starts in Demon Slayer: A Tale of Water and Flame together with Giyu prepare for a new mission. But he’s not the only one among the Demon Slayer characters at the destination. Shinobu Kocho happened to go there. Which honestly works for the best. That’s because the opening is used to show exactly how bad Giyuu is at getting along with people. He’s trying to explain who he is and who he works for. But due to his nature, people don’t understand. Until Shinobu appeared, everything was properly explained. It also means that as the two begin to deal with the demon, whose townspeople are just an anamotazu (man-eating bear), we’ll see how observant they are. We have to watch as we both grasp what’s going on.
But the important thing here is to see how Giyu and Shinobu interact with each other. Due to the structure of Demon SlayerThe main story line, it’s not always possible to see Hashira interact. Here, we can see Giyu and Shinobu interact casually and professionally. We see her teasing him, and he struts. We watch him confide in her while they share a meal. There is also art that suggests a deeper relationship between these two Demon Slayer characters we probably see often. It also means there’s more context to when we see how the two react to each other in the proper story.
The second half of the book is dedicated to the Hashira Kyojuro Flame. Likewise, it is dedicated to establishing him beyond the human being we see in the Mugen Train season and movie. Which means everything started before he became Flame Hashira. We see what his family and personal life is like. Readers get to witness the interactions with his father and brother. They become flies on the wall in an encounter with Hashira that immobilizes his fate.
But while he interacted with quite a few Hashira during that meeting — like Gyomei Himejima and Sanemi Shinazugawa — they weren’t. Demon Slayer characters that have the most meaningful interactions with Kyojuro. Instead, Mitsuri Kanroji is also the most important person. She was Kyojuro’s disciple when the story begins. We watch him practice with her. During the conflicting climax of this story, we see him constantly encouraging her. He shows faith not only in himself but also in his students. And so we see how she is essentially part of the Rengoku family and how his influence allows her to accept and grow into who she is.
The result is Demon Slayer: A Tale of Water and Flame really helps you get to know these characters. We better understand who they are and how they interact with other Hashira. It complements the relationships suggested or mentioned in the original series. In each case, people will feel like they know Giyu and Kyojuro better.
The Demon Slayer: A Tale of Water and Flame manga is available via Viz Media. The demon Slayer anime is airing on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
