This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: The Strength of the Hashira
Series: Demon Slayer #8
Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 180
Words: 8K
In this volume we conclude the fight on the railroad train that has been taken over by a demon. He’s pretty much destroyed by one of the Hashira, the upper ranks of the Demon Slayers. There are lots of terms tossed about, like “Pillar”, so you know there are degrees even in the upper ranks. And the manga-ka then has an upper level demon show up to show that they too have their hierarchy.
Man, I’m getting too old for manga. Once again, we have a one on one fight between a high powered demon slayer and a demon and the demon slayer dies. Of course he does! Which is why the leader of the Demon Slayers should be sending out the Hashira in pairs or even quads to take down one demon at a time with overwhelming force. Weed out the higher ranks and then go after the demon king. But it’s not happening that way; because of story conventions and expectations. It’s stupid, that’s what it is.
And that’s why I’m saying I’m too old for this. I see a possible solution, a path to victory and either the manga-ka also sees it but has ignored it for “story reasons” or he’s so young that he doesn’t have the experience to see the solution at all. Either way, watching people get killed through pure stupidity because they have to do it on their own is getting on my nerves. It’s also a VERY good indication that I’m getting my reading mojo back and am ready to dive back into a slightly more mature story telling.
And if I hear even one “Yeahhh, more mature with all that Cthulhu stuff, or that faux-Star Wars stuff, suuuuure”, I’ll stick a cherry pie in your eye. Because that is how us mature folks handle a situation like that…
★★★☆☆
From Wikipedia
ToC & Synopsis – click to open
“Ending in a Dream”
“Akaza”
“The Strength of the Hashira”
“Whose Victory?”
“Scattering Into Dawn”
“Looking for Something”
“Wielder”
“Move Forward—Even If Just a Little”
“Kidnapper”
The Mugen Train derails from Enmu’s fatal wound when Tanjiro severed his neckbone with his Hinokami Kagura. Rengoku manages to prevent any casualties. Rengoku teaches Tanjiro to use his breathing to close his wound and prevent its reopening. The victory is short lived when Akaza, the Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki, appears and targets Rengoku while making attempts to convince him into renouncing his humanity and become a demon. The battle ends with Rengoku fatally wounded as he attempts to hold Akaza down to be killed by the morning sunlight, only for Akaza to rip off his arms and flee into the woods as Tanjiro angrily called him a coward. Rengoku leaves parting words for Tanjiro to give to his younger brother and father, who may have the information about the Hinokami Kagura. Rengoku dies after seeing a vision of his mother expressing pride honoring his childhood promise. Disheartened by his loss, Tanjiro pays a visit to Kyōjurō’s family and learns some rumors about an ancient lost technique that looks too similar to his family’s Hinokami Kagura.
No comments:
Post a Comment