REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba- Entertainment District Arc,’ Episode 6 – “Layered Memories”

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 starts off strong from the very start as Tanjiro looks to defeat the Upper 6 ranked demon. We also get a glimpse at Kyojuro Rengoko‘s father looking for redemption, while the rest of the gang are trapped with Uzui. The stakes are getting higher than ever, but can Tanjiro and friends come out on top?

Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 primarily focuses on the battle between Tanjiro and the Upper 6 ranked demon, which should be a welcomed decision for fans of the excellent art and animation style of the show. Demon Slayer is well known for beautifully animated fight scenes, and the battle in the Entertainment District is arguably the most visually impressive to date. Not only does every move add to the weight of the battle, but we also see the destruction caused and how it affects the citizens of the Entertainment Arc. The fear and despair is palpable, even if the citizens themselves don’t receive much screen time. The dark lighting and damaged buildings paint an immaculate picture of just how dangerous the Upper Rank demons are.

The fight scenes may be the biggest focus of Entertainment District Arc Episode 6, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any interesting new story beats added in. The Upper 6 ranked demon Daki is shown to have memory flashbacks that don’t belong to her. I won’t give away who they belong to, although it should be easy to guess, these layered memories (hence the episode name) cause Tanjiro to recognize that Daki was a human-like him once. We also learn that Daki was sent to eliminate Nezuko, not Tanjiro. It is quite clear by now that Muzan Kibutsuji sees Nezuko as the biggest threat to his rule in the shadows, and the setup for the climax of the series is sure to pay off in the future.

The most fascinating thing for me in the entire Demon Slayer series is how Tanjiro and his sister never feel too powerful. Their struggle to overcome the challenges before them is an ever-present theme throughout the series, and it is especially prevalent in Entertainment District Arc Episode 6. Tanjiro physically struggles to the point where his eyes are filled with blood, and Nezuko overcomes her physical limitations as a demon to discover new abilities. Their will to fight and press on is the cornerstone of the series, and it continues to become more impressive the further into the series we get.

The only real downside I could think of for Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 is that we don’t see much from Uzui, Zenitsu, or Inosuke. They appear to be on their way to join the fight, but they only have a few moments of screen time and don’t contribute at all to the battle with Daki. I hope we’re able to see more of them in Episode 7, although I understand why they don’t play an important role in this week’s episode.

Overall, Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 is a fantastic episode with one of the series’ most incredible fight sequences. The stakes are constantly growing, and the character growth and development is such a fascinating thing to watch as the series goes on. I can’t wait to see where things go from here, as it feels like the show is getting closer and closer to the ultimate climax.

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc Episode 5 is streaming now on Funimation and Crunchyroll.