Koyoharu Gotouge’sDemon Slayermanga has received critical acclaim and success throughout its run in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series inspired anequally successful anime adaptationalongside various spin-offs, games, stage plays, and an art exhibit currently taking place at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum. The anime is still going strong, with the second season coming off the heels of thehighly successfulMugen Trainfilm.
While anime fans still have plenty ofDemon Slayercontent to look forward to,manga readers said goodbye to the series a little over a year ago. The manga totaled 23 volumes, running from 2016 to 2020. Given the immense popularity and success of the series,Demon Slayer’srelatively short run comes off as a bit of a surprise.
Weekly Shonen Jump has featured a number of different manga over its lifetime, with many iconic series’ calling the magazine home. Popular titles likeDragon Ball,Naruto,andBleachenjoyed years of success throughout their respective runs, and juggernaut titles likeOne PieceandMy Hero Academiaare still going strong. Every one of those series – except forMy Hero Academia – ran for at least ten years.
RELATED:Every Character In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, Ranked
Longevity doesn’t necessarily equate to quality in a manga, butDemon Slayerseemed primed to beyet another of Weekly Shonen Jump’slong-running success stories. Many fans were caught off guard at the announcement, and while there has been much speculation as to the reasons behind its short run, neither Gotouge nor Weekly Shonen Jump has given any readers any reason to assume anything irregular caused it.
There’s still a decent amount of content for the anime to adapt going forward. Once season 2 is done with recapping the Mugen Train Arc,the remainder of its run will be spent adapting the Entertainment District Arc. From there, all that’s left to be adapted is the Swordsmith Village Arc, Hashira Training Arc, and Final Battle Arc, which is split into the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown Arcs.
The reason whyDemon Slayer’sfinale feels so irregular is that the early parts of the series seemed to be setting up a longer narrative experience. The introduction of Muzanalongside the Twelve Kizuki’s Upper and Lower ranks, as well as the difficultly in restoring Nezuko, could have made for much more content than was put out. The ending ties all the major plot points together and gives its main players a satisfying send-off, but it ultimately feels rushed.
RELATED:Demon Slayer Loses Ongoing Appeal To Trademark Hashira Designs
Perhaps this is due to other incredibly popular Jump serializationshaving longer runs in comparison. BothNarutoandBleachran for 15 years, whileOne Piecehas been going strong for over two decades. A series likeDemon Slayercoming to an end just as its anime adaptation started breathing new life into it is not something that manga readers have come to expect from the industry.
While fans would have likely enjoyed getting more out of the manga before it finished its run,Demon Slayerstill manages to tell a complete and fulfilling story. In an industry where it would’ve been easier to extend the series’ narrative rather than end it when it did, Gotouge should be lauded for their decision to tell the story they set out to tell.
Demon Slayeris licensed in English by Viz Media and can be streamed on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu & VRV.
MORE:Demon Slayer Collabs With Phone Company To Turn Anyone Into A Hashira
