REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Entertainment District Arc,’ Episode 2 – “Infiltrating the Entertainment District”

Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District Arc Episode 2 continues ufotable’s adaptation of one of my personal favorite Demon Slayer story arcs by finally bringing us to the legendary Entertainment District. After the introduction of the Sound Hashira Tenzen Uzui, Tanjiro and the gang appear to be in a bit over their heads when they offer to go with Uzui.

Right off the bat in Entertainment District Arc Episode 2 we see that Uzui is clearly less likeable and less respected than previous Hashira we have seen in the series. He introduces himself as the “God of Festivals”, and only Inosuke takes him at his word. Tanjiro and Zenitsu are both immediately skeptical of Uzui, and they believe him to be just as crazy as their boar-headed friend. This dynamic is quite intriguing, since Tanjiro specifically has always seem captivated by the Hashira in his previous encounters. The fact that both him and Zenitsu were not immediately awestruck could set up for some really interesting interactions going forward.

While Uzui might not have blown any of the three away at first, the same cannot be said for the Entertainment District. As soon as they enter, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke are blown away by how big and bright the Entertainment District is. It is a jarring difference from the small towns and more traditional settings that they have experienced so far throughout the series. Tanjiro comments that the city looks like it is in the middle of the day when they arrive, even though it is clearly nighttime when they enter. The fish out of water feeling for all three of them puts them at a disadvantage right from the start, which is likely going to make their mission more difficult in future episodes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Entertainment District looks as vibrant visually to the viewers as it feels to the characters in the show. The already brilliant animation of Demon Slayer really brings the city to live. The bustling crowds and business of a large city are really felt visually, and I almost felt as overwhelmed as the main characters. The wonderful animation and art design really helps show how different the Entertainment District is from anything else our heroes have encountered before.

The Entertainment District is mainly known for being more of a “red-light district”, which is coincidental what the Japanese title of the episode (yuukaku) refers to it as. The main focus here is on brothels, and Uzui quickly informs the trio that they will be searching for his three wives who have infiltrated different brothel houses in search of more information about the demon threat. What he doesn’t tell them, until it’s too late, is that they will have to go in some very interesting disguises. Typically I would find an anime storyline focused around brothels and prostitution to feel too much like fan service, the historical context here makes it feel a bit more organic. The “men dressing as women” gag itself does feel pretty outdated though.

Like in the first episode, most of Entertainment District Arc Episode 2 is spent laying the groundwork for what is about to come in future episodes. It isn’t until the very end that we finally get a brief glimpse of the demon that is threatening the Entertainment District, but it already seems like they are going to be quite the enemy for the heroes to thwart. I love the direction this season is headed in so far, and the stakes are only going to get higher from here. It’s easy to see why Demon Slayer is one of the top anime of the year, and it is only getting better as the weeks go on.

Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District Arc Episode 2 is streaming now on Funimation and Crunchyroll.