As much as I love Demon Slayer, I can't overlook the series' glaring issue

Many anime fans today consider the Demon Slayer series to be among the best—both in terms of its storyline and its flawless visuals. While the ongoing anime has won several awards and gained international recognition, it may have treated some characters less favorably than others.

In the same breath, as the series draws near its conclusion with the Infinity Castle arc films, followed by the Sunrise Countdown arc, fans and viewers take a look back on the events so far. Upon a closer look, the series has shown some glaring issues that might have cost it some credibility.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains potential spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime and manga.

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Some characters needed more fleshing out in the Demon Slayer series

The Demon Slayer series has undoubtedly attracted several fans with its impressive storyline and immaculate imagery throughout. With a well-thought-out story by mangaka Koyoharu Gotouge, the series now heads into its most highly anticipated seasons yet: the Infinity Castle arc and the Sunrise Countdown arc.

While fans eagerly await these upcoming arcs, a closer look back at the series so far reveals a subtle yet glaring issue. Despite doing an impressive job with its characters—from their designs to their fight sequences—the biggest issue with them can be seen with the fleshing out, or not enough screen time for some major characters.

One such notable character from the Mugen Train arc is Kyojuro Rengoku, the former Flame Hashira. Arguably one of the highest-ranking Demon Slayer characters in terms of popularity, Rengoku played a major role in the arc and even acted as a pivotal point for Tanjiro's character arc, even after his death in the season.

While no complaints could be drawn about how the arc was played out from the production side of things, the issue lay with Rengoku's screen time in the arc. Yes, it is understandable that Tanjiro Kamado, being the main protagonist, should have the main focus on him, but at the same time, Rengoku was more like the protagonist of the arc.

The arc provided the least of Rengoku's past narrative and even reduced his screentime to mostly focus on the Akaza fight near the end of the series. With his death by the end of the anime, fans have been faced with an emotional breaking point, especially because of how lively he was until that point. Some fans even expressed how they felt that Rengoku deserved more screen time in the film.

By the narrative that Rengoku dies and inspires Tanjiro for his future massively, out of respect, he deserved more than what was shown of him in the series. Based on the Demon Slayer narrative, it is highly unlikely that he would be featured further in the series, at least in the main storyline, which feels like a letdown of potential exploration of a fan-favorite character.

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Final thoughts

The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku from Demon Slayer, had one of the most impactful deaths in the series. While his passing created an emotional breaking point for several fans, a more fleshed-out approach to his narrative could have added greater depth and closure to his character's exit, especially after his brief but hugely impactful contribution to the narrative.

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