Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6: Gentle But Scary

Quick Summary of Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6

In Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc episode 6, “Layered Memories,” Tanjirou continued fighting what appeared to be a losing battle against the Upper Six demon Warabihime/Daki. The longer the battle went on, the less blood Tanjirou retained in his body. And that was before the deep wounds Tanjirou received when Warabihime/Daki destroyed the neighborhood all around him! Can Tengen Uzui disentangle himself from the underground battle in time to assist Tanjirou? Or will he prioritize the safety of two of his wives, Makio and Suma, over a fellow Demon Slayer?

Warning! This post may contain spoilers.

My Turn to Host!

Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime has graciously consented to review this season and this episode with me! Before we get into the episode, Irina, how was your week? Has Omicron affected life in Canada as much as it has here in the states? How’s work going for you?

There is a lot of work as always. Yes, I believe the Omicron strand actually hit us first and we’re breaking all records so far. Hospitals are running out of room which is not something that has happened that much here but mortality is still low. 

It hasn’t affected me personally in any way though. And hopefully it will remain this way.

Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 Review

Opening Thoughts

The running battle between Tanjirou and Warabihime/Daki took up most of the episode. You’d think with that much action, there wouldn’t be much to say! But Demon Slayer managed to pack a lot of narrative into twenty three minutes, so there are a number of points that are worth discussing. Before we get started, do you have any opening thoughts, Irina?

Not really. I have to confess I really liked this episode but I didn’t think there was that much to discuss in it. I’m curious to see what you came up with!

Tanjirou’s On Fire!

This episode treated us to some serious growth of Tanjirou’s combat power, but, in a development I welcomed as realistic and dramatic, we got to see that the growth was not infinite. We also learned that Warabihime/Daki apparently attended the Syndrome School of Villainy (the punchline is around 01:20) (Syndrome being from the Incredibles). But maybe best of all, the episode showed us what happens when Nezuoko gets seriously, seriously angry. I gotta say, that’s my favorite part of an episode that had a lot of moments I liked.

It’s a well-worn trope, but it’s a trope for a reason. Warabihime/Daki gave Tanjirou a serious beat down. He had rallied, but she was still too much for him. Things took a turn for the worse when some poor man came outside to complain about the noise. Warabihime/Daki, of course, took a dim view of any human who would speak rudely to her (or speak to her at all most of the time). So, to demonstrate her annoyance, she slashed up the entire neighborhood. Tanjirou barely managed to save the man’s life. But the man lost a leg and Tanjirou endured a deep shoulder and chest wound.

The carnage, and the lives it devastated, affected Tanjirou deeply. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Warabihime/Daki attacked because she was angry. That was a mistake. The devastation she left awoke something in Tanjirou. He’d been consciously focused on trying the Hinomaki Kagura. That focus slowed him down. Now, his fury at seeing what the demon had done all around him, he stopped thinking and acted.

He nearly cut her head off. To her shock and surprise, his flaming attack blew through her defenses, and only one of her Belts still held her head on. 

Irina, I’m guessing that you knew his blade slicing through her neck wasn’t the end of her. What did you think at that moment?

Is Warabihime/Daki Using the Right Tactics?

It’s like her entire body is in fact made up of that obi and she can change it at will. And like Tanjiro said, it bends and is too soft to swiftly cut through. I did figure it would have been way too early to get rid of such an important antagonist but I do admit part of me did hope that she was a red herring baddie and that we would now get the real bad guy of the season revealed.

I’m not entirely sure I would chalk up Warabihime/Dabi’s miscalculation up to anger exactly. I mean, she didn’t seem angrier than she usually does. The temper on that lady! And from the little we have seen, it does look like the character tends to act on impulse in general. She’s not the mastermind type and more the brute force instinctual type. After all, she has rarely had any true opponents in the entertainment district and she mostly grew strong from consistent and abundant feeding without interruption. She would have had no need to develop much of a strategic mind in those circumstances, even though she did come up with a very successful feeding strategy.

Earlier, the Belts that had been attacking Tengen, Inosuke, and Zenitsu returned to Warabihime/Daki. Apparently, that confirms they were not a separate being. Now, returned to her full strength, she regained her poise. She called Tanjirou’s attack a fluke, but she did get more serious. She used her Blood Art to fashion a constricting web of Belts that she hurled at Tanjirou. She felt supremely confident that if she had nearly defeated him before, now he would have no chance.

On the plus side, Warabihime/Daki is certainly not lacking in self-confidence! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Gotta say: She needs to keep focused. Her interior and sometimes exterior monologuing seemed like a constant distraction. At least Syndrome learned when Mr. Incredible escaped during a monologue. But Warabihime/Daki kept it up. So Tanjirou invoking and using Hinomaki Kagura, Burning Bones, Summer Sun came as a complete shock.

Warabihime/Daki’s Rising Panic

I loved seeing the demon’s rising panic as the effect of Tanjirou’s attacks overcame her arrogance. This last attack was so violent, so fast, and so effective, that before she even realized it, Tanjirou’s blade was again at her throat. And this time, he was ready for her Belt trick.

Irina, did you think he might pull it off?

Personally, I thought it was epic but I always do. I’m not too hard to please. But from past collaborations I know that you were very unhappy with similar moments in other shows so I wonder how you saw it.

I did note that there were a heck of a lot of conveniences this episode and I know you really dislike plot contrivances and you usually point them. I figure this is a professional trait since as an author, these sort of faults probably stand out. How did you feel that Tajorou suddenly happen into this newfound power right as it was the most useful for him? And how Nezuko intervened at the exact right second.

Full disclosure, I teared up when Nezuko finally showed up. I’m a sap and I guess I missed the character more than I had realize. I was like all yeah! You go! Nezuko YAY! But even as I was gleefully cheering, I did realize this was some pretty cheap audience manipulation and not exactly subtle and nuanced writing. And just like I care about certain production aspects, there are people that care a lot about writing.

Good questions! I was cool with Tanjirou because the narrative has been building towards him getting a better handle on his Fire Breathing side. And with Nezuko, yeah, the craftsman in me kind of frowned. But I did enjoy the misdirection with Tengen. It looked like he’d be the one to arrive instead – so that was fun.

Breathe, Tanjirou, Breathe!

Unfortunately for Tanjirou, he had forgotten to moderate his breathing. In fact, he may have forgotten to breathe entirely. What I loved about this development is that it fits perfectly with the idea that Tanjirou is trying to switch from Water Breathing to Fire Breathing techniques in the field. He’s done great to get this far, but a new technique needs time to perfect. And he just didn’t have that time.

A vision of his deceased little sister reminded him to breathe. Just in time, too! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Now, earlier, we saw that when Warabihime/Daki’s Belts returned to her, that left Tengen, Inosuke, Zenitsu, Makio, and Suma free. Tengen didn’t want to leave, which seriously pissed off Insouke. But Makio and Suma said they’d be all right, and Tengen headed for the battle. So, when Tanjirou fell, unable to breath, merciless before the monologuing demon, I figured it was Tengen’s cue to arrive.

So I was absolutely delighted when who should kick Warabihime/Daki’s head clean off but Nezuko! Not sure how she got there, but she apparently sensed that Tanjirou was in a bad way. And boy, was she unhappy about this turn of events!

Warabihime/Daki, though, was delighted, because Muzan had ordered her to be on the lookout for a demon that had gotten away from him. So, the Upper Six demon attacked (after she regenerated her head, of course). 

Unfortunately for Nezuko, she only has one move. The kick. Warabihime/Daki countered the next attack easily, then used her Belts to slice Nezuko into pieces. Then the Upper Six slammed Nezuko’s head, still connected to her torso and one arm, through a couple of buildings to land in a tangled heap.

Up until now, I kept thinking about how little combat experience Nezuko had. Irina, what were you thinking at this point? And did you like her entrance?

I thought the fact that Warabihime/Dabi basically destroyed Nezuko in mere moments was amazing. They gave her a last minute hero entrance and Nezuko has always been the ace in the hole so seeing her get completely dominated was a powerful moment. If they had left it there and had Tengen rescue them or something, it really would have secured Warabihime/Dabi as a powerful and frightening foe. But the events that followed sort of made me forget about this scene. Not forget exactly but it’s not what the important part of the episode was and didn’t end up being my takeaway. You know what I mean?

I think so – and I think my reaction was similar. Even the story craftsman part of my brain was aghast at Nezuko’s treatment, so chalk up a score for character over plot!

Nezuko paid for her lack of combat experience. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Warabihime/Daki’s Monologuing Catches Up with Her

Warabihime/Daki decided that since there was no way Nezuko could regenerate, she’d indulge in some more monologuing. Syndrome would be very disappointed in his pupil. So imagine the Upper Six’s dismay when Nezuko threw off the debris that had buried her. She had rebuilt her lower torso and both legs. Right in front of Warabihime/Daki’s eyes, Nezuko reconstituted her missing arm.

Then something happened that I’ve been waiting for since the early episodes of the first season. Nezuko became so angry and that chomped through that bamboo bit that she’s been warning. And she began to grow. Not only physically, but in terms of raw projected power. Her aura was so intense that the Upper Six had to step back in fright.

That looks good for our team, right? Nezuko is now unmuzzled. She has a pretty (but deadly?) leaf pattern covering her exposed skin. And she has grown a single off-center horn. Looks like she might be a match for the Upper Six now.

On the other hand, I have to wonder: Did she just become more of a demon and less of Nezuko?

What do you think of this development, Irina?

I wonder why it affected her chest size so much… 

I’m kidding, I understand fan service and really I don’t mind. It’s just that I have gotten so used to Nezuko’s character design and I really liked it. So when she suddenly showed up as her ecchi spinoff counterpart it really took me out of the moment and I couldn’t help just laughing. It instantly lightened up everything and reminded me what I was watching.

Our little Nezuko is all growed up. Leafy, too! Nezuko paid for her lack of combat experience. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

This said, I was happy to see the muzzle go. I wonder if she can talk now? A lot of demons talk, why not Nezuko? I’m also wondering what the leaf pattern is about. Do you know Crow? Is it alluding to a power or a Hashira or something? I figure the horn is because cute but the leaves are unusual and I think they must have a narrative reason.

Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6 Closing Thoughts

I really don’t know – and I’m looking forward to finding out!

Next episode, I’m guessing we’ll see Warabihime/Daki face off against a foe unlike any she’s faced before: Nezuko Unbound. Any closing thoughts about the episode? Irina?

It was another beautifully animated episode. I wonder how much money goes into these, they are like crack for the eyes!

Other Posts about Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen – Episode 6 discussion
• AngryAnimeBitches Anime Blog: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen Episode 6
• Random Curiosity: Kimetsu no Yaiba S2 – 06

This Collaboration (I Drink and Watch Anime and Crow’s World of Anime!)

• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 1: Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 2: Deep Sleep
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 3: Should Have Been
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 4: Insult
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 5: Move Forward!
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 6: Akaza
• Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc Episode 7: Set Your Heart Ablaze
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 1: Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 2: Infiltrating the Entertainment District
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 3: What Are You?
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 4: Tonight
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 5: Things Are Gonna Get Real Flashy!!
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 6: Layered Memories
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 7: Transformation
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 8: Gathering
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 9: Defeating an Upper Rank Demon
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 10: Never Give Up
• Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Episode 11: No Matter How Many