The Five Talents of Zenitsu Agatsuma from:”Demon Slayer” Knowing his own weakness makes him stronger

I’m SYO, and I am a film writer. This time, I will feature on “Demon Slayer”, which is now popular not only in Japan but all over the world. I’ll discuss the five attractions of Zenitsu Agatsuma!

“Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” has broken box-office records and audience numbers in Japanese movie history, and Zenitsu is one of the most popular characters in the movie. By the way, he won first place in the second character popularity poll announced in “Weekly Shonen Jump” issue 47, published on October 26, 2020. So, this time, I’ll write about Zenitsu, who is the most popular character in “Demon Slayer”,

Also, as one who has been reading the manga written by the original author Koyoharu Gotouge, before “Demon Slayer” is serialized. I felt that “I absolutely have to do this,” and decided to write about this work.

To introduce how great Zenitsu is, I cannot avoid mentioning some of the parts which are not been made into anime yet, as he gets cooler and cooler as the story progresses. I’ll try not to mention it specifically, but please make sure that I’ll touch on unanimated parts a little bit.

1. An emotional life of the party, who are fun to watch

Quote:Amazon

First, I’ll give a brief outline of Zenitsu: he is a member of the “Demon Slayer Corps” an organization that fights demons and is positioned in the same group as the main character, Tanjiro Kamado, as well as Inosuke Hashibira, Kanao Tsuyuri, and Genya Shinazugawa. His fighting style is “Thunder Breathing,” in which he moves at high speed. Incidentally, his trademark yellow hair was discolored by being struck by lightning.

One of Zenitsu’s characteristics is his high-tension personality that changes expression from one moment to the next. He is also a bit emotionally unstable. In “Demon Slayer” which has many serious and heartbreaking scenes, Zenitsu plays an important role in the gag parts.

In the anime version, the voice actor Hiro Shimono’s “dirty high-pitched voice” such as “Gah! and “Oh no!” is also a big part of the gag, making the audience laugh and not get bored.

He also has a complex about his unattractiveness. And even he swears at his senior and superior officer, “Hashira” out of envy. The mischievous part of him is also funny. In the rehabilitation training that he works with Tanjiro and the others, touching a girl becomes his motivation, and they show his desires so much that he is pulled away by those around him…

2. Awaken by falling asleep, which makes the gap from a loser

Quote:Amazon

Zenitsu, however, is not only a clown. As a swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps, he has a high fighting ability. He uses “Thunder Breathing,” to move at blinding speed and overwhelm his enemies. When he shows his true power, he is so fast and strong that even the most skilled demons are horrified.

However, because Zenitsu is extremely timid so he is usually unable to overcome his fears and make full use of his potential. This is because he has very low self-esteem due to his lack of parents and friends and acquaintances. However, when he exceeds his capacities and passes out or goes to sleep, he is freed from tension and anxiety and awakens at once. He shows great performance, rather than a power-up, which I think is the cool setting that allows him to fully utilize his original ability.

He was training in swordsmanship to repay an obligation to his master, former Hashira, who took care of him. He wants to change and wants to be a strong, decent person. His character is a mixture of weakness and strength, which is one of the reasons why he is so beloved.

In “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” and the following stories, we see Zenitsu becoming stronger both physically and mentally, step by step. If you have not read the original work, please look forward to seeing Zenitsu’s devotion to his training for some reason, and the episodes in which he evolves!

3. The clumsy strength of Zenitsu, which can only use one “Form”

Quote：Amazon

Zenitsu’s fighting style has one more notable point. That is, he can only use one Form. Originally, the charm of “Demon Slayer” lies in the variety of forms used by the swordsmen. For example, Tanjiro uses both Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura, so-called Dance of the Fire God, and each has several Forms.

However, Zenitsu could only master one of the six forms of “Thunder Breathing”, “Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash”. Instead, he took that one form to the extreme and develop it into a special move. He further developed his unique fighting style by evolving it into a series of attacks, such as “six fold” and “eight fold.”

He accepted what he could do is limited, and develops his skill accordingly. Zenitsu may appear soft and weak at first glance, but he is a hard worker behind the scenes and has a martial side to him as well. He is a character who lives up to the motto, “know your weakness, and you will become strong.”

4. Kindness that always leans on those who are weak and his loved one

Quote：Amazon

Because Zenitsu knows he is “imperfect,” he can do his best for those who need help. Zenitsu’s reason for fighting is kindness in wanting to save and help others.

When he first started working with Tanjiro, he protected the box containing Nezuko, Tanjiro’s younger sister, even though he was beaten up by Inosuke, who was selfish. He also tried to rescue a child from an ogre while half crying during a mission, save a woman who was about to be taken away from him with shivering and care for his companions… He has a noble spirit of self-sacrifice that allows him to put his life for the sake of others.
The most impressive of all is the way he confronts the enemy headless of danger for the heroine he loves, Nezuko. In “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train”, he rushes to the scene with divine speed to protect Nezuko and dispatches the demon’s attack in an instant. I am sure that many people were impressed by this scene.

5. A man with commonsense: the leader of the trio

As I mentioned that Zenitsu is a lively person. However, because Tanjiro is extremely serious, rigid, and inflexible, and Inosuke, who grew up in the mountains, is reckless and difficult to handle, Zenitsu often keeps harmony with the trio.

When Inosuke sees a train for the first time in his life and gets excited, Zenitsu tells Inosuke to not to be so exciting, or when he is on a different mission, he pulls back on the eccentric Tanjiro, who is a bit of an eccentric pillar. He is the voice of the readers in the work, and at the same time, he is the one who pulls them together and says, “Let’s go!” He is also a good caretaker of the two.

Even before they boarded the Mugen train, he advised Tanjiro and Inosuke to hide their swords behind their backs and worried about whether it was a good idea to bring Nezuko along on the mission. It shows his broad perspective and thoughtfulness. Zenitsu’s kind-hearted characteristic appears in these scenes.

Summary

At first glance, Zenitsu tends to be seen as a character who is full of energy, but he thinks of his friends and benefactors more than anyone else, which is why he will stand up to any demon who tries to take away his happiness. Zenitsu is a straightforward character, despite his occasional browbeating at his own weaknesses and outbursts of inferiority complexes, simply and honestly tries to follow his love with single-minded devotion.
Because of him, “Demon Slayer” might have been able to make such rapid progress. I look forward to seeing more of Zenitsu in future anime adaptations.

※ This information is for 02/16/2023. Please check the latest delivery status on each site.