Since it burst onto the international anime scene in 2019, Demon Slayer has maintained its popularity with ease. Beyond boasting over 220 million manga copies sold, its most recent film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle, grossed nearly $800 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. Its action sequences, fluid animation, and engaging plot have done plenty to catapult it to the upper echelon of anime history, but at the end of the day, its characters are its lifeblood, with fans connecting with many of Demon Slayer's cast, from heroes to villains.
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While not often ranking highly in popularity polls, Genya Shinazugawa is one Demon Slayer character that has a powerful lesson to teach, even if his initial off-putting demeanor makes it difficult to connect with him easily. His lone wolf mentality makes him very different than the energetic and friendly protagonist Tanjiro, but there is a reason for his chosen solitude, and it's one that many viewers took to heart when it was finally revealed in the show's third season.
A Hard Childhood Doesn’t Often Lead to a Simple Adulthood
A Dual-Wielding Demon Slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps, Genya is the younger brother of Sanemi, the Wind Hashira. His first introduction in the series isn't entirely positive, as his seemingly permanent bad mood and lack of manners didn't immediately make him a fan favorite addition. Working together seemed entirely beyond him, and viewer rage peaked when he grabbed Kanata's hair and screamed at her during Final Selection, simply because he was impatient. From provoking Tanjiro to verbally assaulting numerous other characters, patience was set to wane with Genya. However, when introduced to the horrors of his past, many fans decided to give him a second chance.
As it turns out, Genya and Sanemi's father, Kyogo, was far from supportive. Cruel and aggressive, he frequently beat his wife, Shizu, and his children for what seemed like no reason, also choosing to hurt others whom he deemed as lesser. Eventually, this poor behavior caught up to him, and he was stabbed to death by those he had harmed. While this led to a kind of peace for his family, it also meant the loss of their income, leading to even more hardship, just in a different sense. During this period, Genya cared for his family, striving to be a good role model and look after his mother alongside Sanemi.
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One day, Shizu is late to return home, and upon arriving, she breaks into the house with incredible speed and strength. Having been turned into an uncontrollable demon, she killed several of her children instantly, while also scarring Genya's face. Unaware that he had been attacked by his mother, Genya is shocked when Shizu is defeated by his brother Sanemi, denouncing him as a murderer and finding it impossible to cope with the unfathomable loss.
The regret of being unable to save his siblings, paired with the lasting scars from his father's abuse and the subsequent abandonment of his own brother, took its toll. While he seemed to blame Sanemi for Shizu's death, in truth, Genya blamed himself, and while he eventually forgave Sanemi for what took place that fateful day, such wounds aren't so easily healed. When the pair is reunited during Hashira training, he attempts to apologize for his harsh words, but Sanemi isn't quick to accept. Anger is easily born from frustrating circumstances, but it's an emotion that doesn't have to fester or rot—it can, in some circumstances, act as a catalyst for positive change.
Maybe the Power of Friendship Isn’t a Cheesy Sentiment After All
It's an impossibility to live completely and utterly alone, cut off from all other humans. When pondering what humans are capable of, whether that be betrayal, heartbreak, or something else entirely, it's clear why Genya's self-reliance began. Demons may be dangerous foes, but humans are often dangerous in a less concrete way. The Demon Slayer's fear of loss, his fear of being harmed, and his lack of confidence when it came to his strength made his decision an easy one following the rocky road that was his childhood years. However, in meeting Tanjiro, his path diverged, whether he realized it at first or not. To let others in is to risk some amount of pain, but that's a gamble that must be taken if we want to grow, heal, and live a life worth living.
After coming together to take on a common foe, Genya saw the positives that could come from camaraderie on and off the battlefield, even if this proved to be a hard-learned lesson. At some point, anger reaches the upper limit, and when there is nowhere for it to go, it can begin to deflate, like a neglected balloon. Self-loathing and loneliness get old, and seeing what existed beyond it was all it took for Genya's rough demeanor to start to crack. Slowly, Genya starts outwardly showing care to Tanjiro and those he fights beside, even sharing in laughs and training side by side. Thriving after a painful upbringing is far from easy, but it's also far from impossible, and that's the powerful lesson that Genya's character teaches as Demon Slayer progresses.
Plenty of anime series tout the power of friendship, and while it may sound like a silly platitude rather than a concrete piece of advice, it's worth internalizing. Opening your heart to true friendship also opens countless doors, from self-love and acceptance to a feeling of safety and warmth that isn't easy to find alone. In Genya's case, anger at his circumstances was given the chance to evolve into something positive due to his interactions with others. His growth as a character isn't absolute, and he sometimes slips back into old habits, but that isn't a sign of failure. We become who we were meant to be over time, and that process is messy and unpredictable. Having buddies to face the hard times with can make it all worth it.
Demon Slayer
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge's shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
- Number of Episodes
- 63
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.26 (Hashira Training Arc)
