Summary
Demon Slayer's creator, Gotouge, originally intended for a darker, humorless tone for Demon Slayer but their editor, Katayama, suggested adding humor. Introducing humor into characters like Zenitsu and Inosuke sets Demon Slayer apart and balances out the grim elements. Similar to Jujutsu Kaisen, combining humor with action in popular anime is important because it provides insight into character personalities and escape from dark events.
Demon slayer is currently achieving enormous success and popularity both in the United States and around the world. Outstanding series won Anime of the Year in the 2020 Crunchyroll Awards and had the ninth highest manga sales ever. Since the anime's release in 2019, the series has become more and more admired, receiving several theatrical films and three anime seasons, with a fourth currently in the works.
Although Demon Slayer features seemingly endless action and sadistic demons tormenting humanity, the series also has a more humorous side. The show's comedic moments provide welcome breaks from the usual bloodshed and intensity of the story.
However, Tatsuhiko Katayama, editor of Demon Slayer, recently stated in a MANGA Plus interview that The original idea of the manga was actually the complete opposite, without any humor at all. Katayama went on to explain that he “didn't think it was suitable for serialization” due to its darker and grittier nature and perhaps some sillier scenes could improve the idea.
Demon Slayer creator Gotouge intended to make the series much darker
The original concept of Demon Slayer had no funny moments
Demon Slayer editor Katayama expressed his concerns to author Gotouge, suggesting a number of potential changes to improve the manga's plot and overall direction, which has a more cheerful and positive main character. Gotouge clearly heeded his editor's suggestions, giving fans a more interesting and fun version of the Demon Slayer, which was subsequently published and quickly gained popularity. While more serious series are often highly rated, in the action anime genre, seeing humor is extremely scarce. Demon Slayer's inclusion of hysterical scenes that help escape the sadder plot points sets it apart from the competition.
“Due to its serious tone, lack of humor, and dark story, it does not qualify for serialization. I thought it would be impossible to pass unless the main character remained unchanged, so I asked Gotoge-sensei if there were no brighter, more normal characters in the world he created.” – Katayama, Demon Slayer editor
It's hard to imagine Demon Slayer without Tanjiro's optimistic and hopeful personality, Zenitsu's trademark yelling and awkwardness, and Inosuke's stubborn antics and mispronunciations of names. Quite simple by Tanjiro. But if Gotouge had kept the series the way it was originally designed, these aspects would never have been included.
A darker concept for Demon Slayer could also be an interesting manga, but fans will definitely agree that Hysterical anime interactions combined with traditional dark fantasy aspects of the series, providing the perfect combination, neither too bleak nor too humorous.
Demon Slayer wouldn't be the same without humor
Although it is an action series at its core, more humorous moments are also integral to Demon Slayer
One of Katayama's main suggestions for Gotouge was to change the main character, and this created Tanjiro Kamado, one of shounen's best protagonists. Tanjiro certainly could have been a sharper, more sinister character. His entire family is murdered, and he lives in a world filled with cannibal demons hunting him and those he loves. This concept could certainly make for a bloody, sad, and hopeless series, and it would make sense for Tanjiro to be more negative and sad, but surprisingly, Demon Slayer is much more positive than what one would expect when hearing that description of the premise.
It's inspiring that, despite the difficult circumstances in his life, Tanjiro is still able to find the inner motivation to continue fighting for the good of humanity. This version of the character has more aspirations and motivations than the previous darker, meaner version, so Gotouge's choice to give the hero a loving and fun attitude is a right choice. There are a lot of shounen heroes who are rude and daring but are more violent and heartless, so Tanjiro is more creative and fresh in comparisonas he represents a protagonist that is different from the stereotype seen in most action franchises.
Tanjiro's positive and kind extroverted nature is unique
Quite surprising that Demon Slayer may differ significantly from the series fans know and love today, according to Katayama's comments. As a more serious show, anime may still thrive but may not be as popular as it is today. Heavier moments in Demon Slayer, such as character deaths, like the beloved Flame Hashira Rengoku, battles between evil demons, tragic backstories of characters, and elements otherwise gloomy, lightened by humorous instances. Although anime's solemn moments impress and impact viewers, Interesting scenes balance out the edgier parts.
Jujutsu Kaisen is another popular Shonen anime with comedic elements
Gege Akutami, the author of the series, also recognizes the importance of balance between drama and laughter
Another anime that incorporates humor into its narrative of destruction, battle, and devastating loss is Jujutsu Kaisen. Although Jujutsu Kaisen offers fewer silly scenes than Demon Slayer, it still showcases some of them, such as Gojo's goofy personality and the childish antics between Jujutsu high school students like Yuji , Megumi and Nobara. The fact that Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer are two of the most popular anime and manga series worldwide is telling: fans love the humor mixed with their action and battles. These humorous moments not only bring laughter but also give insight into the characters' personalities.
For example, jokes like Zenitsu's noisy tantrums reveal his inner feelings of anxiety, while Inosuke's rough and destructive actions show fans his more aggressive personality. . On another note, not only is some of the tension of serious events relieved by the inclusion of jokes, Children are also more likely to enjoy anime and seek it out, opening up the series to a new demographic that might not otherwise appeal to them. Luckily, Gotouge took Katayama's advice to add humor to the story. Demon Slayer, otherwise the series might not have become one of the true shounen classics it is today.
Source: MANGA Plus