Is Demon Slayer less complex than other shonen series?

There have been many debates among anime fans concerning Demon Slayer's plot and its simplicity in comparison to other shonen anime series. It is one of the most popular shonen anime and manga series at the moment. While the manga did well when it made its debut, the series’ popularity skyrocketed after the anime adaptation.

Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer fans often end up on numerous social media platforms, bantering about storylines and animation quality, and this has led to a few heated discussions too. One of the most important discussions is regarding the plot of the anime and its simplicity. Many claim that the show's plot follows typical anime tropes and is too simple for a shonen series.

So, how justified are their claims? Let’s dissect the plot of the series and understand if it is indeed too simple for a shonen anime series.

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Demon Slayer: Does the sheer simplicity of the series affect the viewer’s experience?

It’s not surprising to see anime fans casually throw around the term “mid” to describe a show, and Demon Slayer has been a target for a while now. It is believed that the plot of the series is extremely simple, and that is a big reason why the series does not appeal to a few members of the community. Now what we need to understand is the essence of a shonen anime series and why fans love it.

Fans loved the Dragon Ball series as they grew up because of the sheer hype one felt every time someone went Super Saiyan in a fight.

While it was interesting to see how Madara ended up manipulating those around him and instigated a war, Naruto fans were more excited to witness the fights that took place between Kakashi and Obito, and Madara vs Might Guy. These were moments in the show that have been etched into every fan’s memories.

Koyoharu Gotouge took a similar approach with his magnum opus as well. The fight sequences create huge hype and add to the emotional and physical turmoil felt by the characters. While the plot of Demon Slayer is extremely simple, it certainly doesn’t affect the viewer experience. One of the most popular anime content creators, Gigguk jokingly described the sheer simplicity of the plot as:

“It’s so simple, your grandma can follow along.”

When it comes to Demon Slayer's plot, one can conclude that it is extremely simple. Demons threaten the lives of humans, and demon hunters attempt to kill them so that people can live in peace. It follows the typical tropes of a good vs evil story.

The reason why Demon Slayer is so popular is because of its top-tier animation. Ufotable set the standard, and what they managed to achieve in a TV series put certain movie-level productions to shame.

The Entertainment District arc has some of the best fight scenes in the show so far. The fight between Gyutaro and Tengen is considered to be one of the best anime fights of all time.

The fight scenes are quite organic in the sense that multiple fights are taking place on the same battlefield, overlapping with each other, and the choreography is immaculate. The vibrant colors take the visuals to another level, the sound effects give life to all fights, and the music perfectly sets the tone. The results are amazing fight scenes that are going to be remembered for a long time.

While most series feature intense fights only for a few episodes, Demon Slayer gives its fanbase about six or seven episodes of pure hype. Each episode surpasses the previous one, and the animation only gets better.

It lacks complexity in terms of plot, but it makes up for it by creating memorable fight scenes that get the entire fanbase hyped. This jaw-dropping moment of pure excitement and thrill is the essence of a good shonen anime, and Demon Slayer nails the brief.