Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
1920s-set anime has fantasy violence, scary imagery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Demon Slayer
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 67 parent reviews
Parents say this show is engaging yet contains significant violence and mature themes, making it more suitable for teenagers and older. Many reviewers highlighted the exceptional animation and character development, with some praising the positive messages woven into the storyline, though they cautioned about the gore and suggest parental guidance for younger viewers.
- mature themes
- positive messages
- violence caution
- exceptional animation
- parental guidance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 374 kid reviews
Kids say the show is visually stunning and has a great story with strong messages about family and perseverance. However, many reviews emphasize the graphic violence, intense gore, and some instances of suggestive content, making it suitable primarily for older teens and suggesting parental discretion for younger viewers.
- graphic violence
- stunning animation
- strong messages
- parental discretion
- older teen audience
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA features good-natured boy Tanjiro (voiced by Natsuki Hanae in the original version and Zach Aguilar in the English dub) who sells charcoal to help support his family after the death of their father. But everything he knows changes when the rest of his relatives are massacred and his younger sister Nezuko (Akari Kitô/Abby Trott) is transformed into a human-eating demon. To save his sister and avenge his family's death, Tanjiro trains with Sakonji Urokodaki (Hôchû Ôtsuka/Brook Chalmers) in hopes of destroying demons as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Is It Any Good?
This popular series offers an entertaining story with many of the elements the anime genre is known for: high-stakes action, detailed world-building, and emotive characters. But unlike most, it's set in the Japanese Taishō period (1912–26), a time marked by a division between more technologically advanced, foreign-influenced societies and those living more traditionally. In addition to period-inspired outfits and other details, there are references to Japanese folklore and Onmyōdō-inspired (Japanese cosmology) rituals throughout.
The connections to Japanese history and cultural practices add a fresh dimension to this series, but it doesn't have much character development beyond Tanjiro. Some of this concealment makes sense, but viewers might be left wishing they knew more details. Nonetheless, if you're an anime fan who enjoys well-choreographed action sequences and stylized animation, the series is worth tuning into.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba fits into the genre of Japanese anime. How does the series portray violence, and is it in keeping with the genre's style? Does the violence have a level of impact that's different from that of live-action shows, given its stylized nature?
Why do you think manga artist Koyoharu Gotouge set the story in Japan's Taishō era? What symbols represent the period throughout the series? How are the disparities in technological development and other social tensions of the time addressed?
The series is adapted from the same-named Japanese manga. How do the two compare? How is it similar to or different from other series that are adapted from comics or graphic novels?
How do characters show compassion, courage, integrity, and teamwork? Why are these important character traits?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 6, 2019
- Cast : Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kito
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Integrity , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : April 11, 2026
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