The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -Entertainment District Arc- anime has finally reached its peak. As of February 13, 2022, Demon Slayer Season 2 Episode 11 titled No Matter How Many Times I Am Reborn has been released.
And on May 1, 2022, an English dub version of Demon Slayer Entertainment District will be available to watch on streaming platforms, including Crunchyroll and FUNimation. An action-packed season may have come to an end, but the second course of the second season has given fans plenty to ponder in anticipation of Demon Slayer Season 3: Swordsmith Village Arc.
An announcement of the Swordsmith Village Arc anime isn’t the only good news either. With the overwhelming success of Demon Slayer Season 2, it’s currently likely that future arcs like the Demon Slayer Season 4: Infinity Castle Arc will also come to life in an animated adaptation.
Before the release of the next season, fans will have time to stop and reflect on everything that happened in Season 2. And while the first court’s blazing flame show was stunning in its own right, the second court takes an even flashier turn.
What Happens in Demon Slayer Season 2 Episode 11?
Like the Mugen Train Arc that followed Kyojuro Rengoku, the Entertainment District Arc follows Tengen Uzui – the flashy and flamboyant shinobi Hashira – and gives a deeper insight into the ninja’s life beyond the glitz and glamour.
Living in the luxurious lap of the Flower District is not as fantastic as it seems. Behind flower-painted walls full of women and wine hide horrid beasts that prowl at night. A demon is hiding in the red light district and Uzui is determined to take him down with the help of his three wives Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru. When he loses contact with his wives, he heads with Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke to the heart of the Yoshiwara Entertainment District to learn what has happened.
So far, Tanjiro’s encounter with a friend with the self-proclaimed God of Festivals in the Entertainment District Arc has sparked a dress up campaign, awareness of the harsh life of courtesans, and an introduction to fan-favorite Muscular Mice. But what has Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Episode 11 done to bring it all to a close?
Warning! Spoilers ahead.
From the aftermath of episode 10, Gyutaro and Daki have been beheaded, but at a high cost. Tengen Uzui has lost an arm and an eye and is suffering from the effects of the demon’s venom. Tanjiro too struggles to hold his breath as the immense pain slowly begins to fade the light from his eyes. And if things weren’t already worse with Inosuke and Zenitsu’s injuries, as a last ditch effort, Gyutaro wants to tear the city apart with one last Blood Demon Art.
All seems lost until Nezuko rolls out of her storage box. Using her own Blood Demon Art, she is able to negate the devastating attack of the enemy demon. Whether that will be enough, however, remains unknown as Tanjiro slips from consciousness and takes the viewer with him.
This leaves a lot of speculation about Nezuko and her power for anime-only viewers. Earlier in the Mugen Train Arc, Nezuko was able to free Tanjiro and his friends from the soporific power of demon Enmu. The fact that she is able to negate the effects of the higher rank Blood Demon Art means that she will be an integral ally of the demon slayers in their battle against Muzan and his hordes.
That said, future fights won’t be easy. Echoing the Mugen train arc, writer Koyoharu Gotouge pulls no punches when it comes to putting their demon hunter in difficult situations. Hashira Rengoku has dealt a fatal blow to demon Akaza, and despite Nezuko’s best efforts, the Flower District has been razed to the ground.
But all is not lost. Tanjiro wakes up and with the world around him reduced to rubble, Nezuko’s new gift proves the source of the hope needed. Gone from sadness to lighthearted pleasure, the cute sister’s ability to destroy is enough to free Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Uzui from the poison that was meant to destroy them.
Fans won’t be crying for yet another Hashira this season, but to say Uzui is capable of fighting again is a longshot. He and his wives are reunited after a stormy event that set them apart. And after fellow Hashira Obanai Iguro arrives, Uzui confirms that he is retiring – leaving one more Hashira seat open.
Despite Iguro’s surprise, Uzui notices that the fate of the new era of demon slayers rests with Tanjiro and his friends. Tanjiro, previously on trial for refusing to kill his demon sister Nezuko, has kept his vows. Unconventional is an understatement, as the young demon slayer has a soft spot not only for his demonic kin, but for all demons.
Before their heads finally fade, Tanjiro is able to confront Gyutaro and Daki and show them one last shred of humanity before their end. By seeing their past lives, he can understand the events that led to them becoming demons.
Born poor and in a violent household, neither Gyutaro nor Daki received compassion from the world around them before turning into demons. Horrible and rude to the people of his village, Gyutaro lived the life of an outcast until his sister, Ume – who later took the name Daki – was born. For every bit as mean as Gyutaro was seen, Ume was beautiful. But due to the circumstances of their class, Ume was forced to become a courtesan while her brother saddled others for money as a debt collector.
Life, despite the harsh reality, was made worth living because the two were together. However, that ability to make the best of a terrible situation was undermined when Ume was burned alive for stabbing a traveling samurai. Upon finding the site of Ume’s burnt body, Gyutaro sought revenge, but the samurai found him first and knocked him down.
Working as a hired muscle gave Gyutaro the ability to repel his enemy. He killed the samurai. However, the victory was bittersweet when Gyutaro realized that his sister was slowly slipping away. It was then that a higher-ranking demon, Doma, found them. The demon took pity on the two and offered them eternal life at a price. Considering how the two lived, the cost may not have been as high as it was for the others.
Returned to life – or rather to life – Gyutaro chose to flee after becoming a demon. In his mind all he was holding was his sister. If it weren’t for him, he believed that she would never have been in the situation that led to her moribund state and that she would have blossomed. Unbeknownst to him, Ume could no longer feel otherwise: she wanted to stay by her brother’s side no matter what hardship that might lead to.
It’s no surprise that this is where the episode title, No Matter How Many Times I Am Reborn, comes from. Gyutaro and Daki, despite their fight during their last moment, thanks to Tanjiro’s kind heart, can remember the words they shared the day they became demons.
When Tanjiro and Nezuko see the couple languish, it’s a bittersweet moment. Granted, the world has been rid of a higher rank demon and the Demon Slayer Corps is one step closer to stopping Muzan. But Hashira’s ranks dwindle and with each battle Tanjiro and his friends get closer to death. Even more ominous, viewers get another peek at the mysterious Infinity Castle where the Upper Ranks are summoned after the deaths of Gyutaro and Daki.
Whether the Tanjiro and friends with Nezuko as an ally will be able to gain strength and defeat the remaining demon hordes is something to be answered in future Demon Slayer anime adaptations.
What’s Coming in Demon Slayer Season 3?
Manga readers may have a plot edge as the Demon Slayer manga ended on May 17, 2020. But if the anime adaptation remains as faithful as it has been, the Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc is the next story to come. Demon Slayer’s official Twitter confirmed this along with a teaser trailer featuring the next two Hasira in the spotlight: the cold, distant Muichiro Tokito and the warm, bubbly Mitsuri Kanroji.
Fans of the Hyottoko mask-wearing swordsmiths are in for a treat. Tanjiro’s next journey takes him to the village where the blacksmiths work tirelessly to supply the Demon Slayer Corps with sharp steel. As for what Tanjiro will find once he arrives? Stay tuned for Demon Slayer Season 3 to find out!
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