WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer Season 2, now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll and Hulu.
Although there have been several breakout hits over the past decade, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood remains an undisputed champion of starter anime, perfect for beginners to sink their teeth into and veterans to enjoy as well. Upon the premiere of Demon Slayer, the explosive positive response raised the question of whether Ufotable's production would rise to become one of the anime greats -- especially following the financial success of the Mugen Train film.
However, Season 2 of Demon Slayer saw a trend that veered away from the formulaic safety of Season 1, and may eventually cost the series in ratings. While introducing the Hashira was a nice move to expand the cast -- especially when each has such a strong personality -- putting them out of action again so quickly makes their appearance almost worthless, as if played entirely for tragedy. This, among other reasons, raises the question of whether Demon Slayer remains an ideal starting anime like Fullmetal Alchemist.
What makes a great starter anime? A structured plot helps viewers stay engaged and able to keep up with the storyline in a manner similar to the stories they grew up learning, with heroes and villains and a clear end goal. Second, anime that avoid an excess of references to Japanese culture are easier for someone outside that culture to understand and connect to. Lastly, elements such as fan service being kept to a minimum make it easier for many to enjoy a show.
Going through these standards, it's clear why certain anime have succeeded so. FMA:B sets the clear goal of Edward and Alphonse Elric getting their bodies back. The story takes place in the land of Amestris, which is based on a vaguely European culture. Besides Lust embodying her sin in a manner that makes sense in the story, there are only minimal instances of fan service when Winry Rockwell briefly has parts of her breasts exposed. FMA:B's winning formula has earned it a first place spot on MyAnimeList and a ranking of 9.15, which doesn't seem bound to change anytime soon.
Similar to the Elrics, Demon Slayer's Kamado siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko have the goal of turning Nezuko from a demon back into a human and killing Kibutsuji Muzan to avenge their family. Though the show does take place in historical Japan, the fact that Tanjiro is as bewildered by the Taisho Era as anyone else evens the playing field. Season 1 didn't feature much fan service, mostly arriving with Kanroji Mitsuri -- the Love Hashira.
Demon Slayer does have a shock factor when it comes to gore -- but nothing more emotionally distressing than the fate of Fullmetal Alchemist's Nina Tucker -- and even becomes humorous by the second episode when Tanjiro begins his training. As the show continues and introduces stylish villains and amusing allies, the similarities to how FMA:B progressed by introducing the Homunculi and eventual Team Elric are clear. By the time Season 1 wraps up, the fact that Demon Slayer has a current rating of 8.56 and ranks at 84 on MyAnimeList is no surprise.
Killing Rengoku Kyojuro and having Tengen Uzui retire in such quick succession would be the parallel to Fullmetal Alchemist incapacitating Roy Mustang the season following Maes Hughes' death; it's too much, too fast. Not only that, but the fan service in Season 2 of Demon Slayer increased dramatically. One of the main antagonists, Daki, spent most of her time in an incredibly revealing outfit, while Tengen's wives all wore very revealing outfits as well.
Nezuko's demon growth spurts had her practically bursting out of a kimono built for a young girl. Official art teasing the series' "Swordsmith Village" arc only promises the fan service getting worse, with Mitsuri's skirt flying up as she looks back over her shoulder. This sexualization was entirely unnecessary in Season 1, as proved by its popularity, and every instance moves the series further from the recipe for a great starter anime.
Of course, some of the blame for character design lies with the manga, but Ufotable has the ultimate authority as to how a scene is animated and what elements are focused on. There could have been minor changes made to clothing to make it stretch with Nezuko's body instead of revealing her legs and cleavage, or less close-up shots of Daki while she fought. These were all conscious choices made by the staff to sexualize women's bodies in a way they didn't in Season 1, and the way Mitsuri was drawn to promote the "Swordsmith Village" arc was entirely up to Ufotable.
However, Season 2 of Demon Slayer scored even higher with fans than Season 1, with a MAL rating of 8.91 at 19th place. Part of this is certainly due to the fact that this arc just aired. Anime in the spotlight tend to attract attention and votes, but that doesn't entirely explain the jump from 84th to 19th place between seasons. While the story might have become less newbie-friendly, fans don't seem to mind.
After all, Demon Slayer still maintains a solid plot and helps keep the viewer secured in its world while introducing fun new characters and holding tight to the importance of Tanjiro and Nezuko's sibling bond. Season 2 also successfully upped the stakes by killing or maiming the Hashira while introducing more difficult opponents in a logical manner. Also, like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood -- and something that differentiated Fullmetal Alchemist '03 from FMA:B -- Demon Slayer is working from a completed manga and can plan accordingly.
While Season 2 increased the fan service and has started a disturbing headcount of fandom favorites, Demon Slayer has hardly ruined its chances of becoming the next anime classic, as evidenced by its high ratings and enormous grossing for the Mugen Train movie. However, only ten years will tell if it's still spoken of on the same level that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood remains at today as the ultimate starter anime.
