Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer swept the manga and anime worlds, capturing hearts, rocketing to the top of bestseller lists, and transforming ordinary people into diehard anime and manga fans. However, this powerful and excellent shonen manga is also an excellent historical manga. It takes some liberties, with its titular focus on slaying demons, but it still honors a specific period in Japanese history. Demon Slayer takes place between 1912 and 1926, during Japan's relatively brief Taish era. With the introduction of automobiles, electricity, and Western fashion, it was a time of transition.

Tanjiro, the protagonist, is a country boy who grew up with his family in the snowy mountains. As such, he wields a sword and has long hair. He knows very little about modern city life. This is a minor aspect of Demon Slayer, but it is present in every arc in some way, even if only aesthetically.

This is the same time period that is rife with romantic imagery of cowboys in American fiction. Demon Slayer is similar in many ways to Demon Slayer. There are walks down dusty roads, rowdy and seedy city neighborhoods, and steam train battles, just like in Western fiction. Demon Slayer is a lot more cowboy than it appears. If you like the aesthetics of the 1920s, particularly in Japan, you'll enjoy how Demon Slayer looks and feels. It's also a fantastic historical manga in terms of shonen manga.

Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Original run: February 15, 2016 – May 18, 2020
Volumes: 23
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Slayer-Kimetsu-no-Yaiba-Manga/s?k=Demon+Slayer%3A+Kimetsu+no+Yaiba+Manga