Demon Slayer has set a standard with its visual graphics, fast-paced storyline, and action sequences. Each season outclasses the previous one. In fact, the same standard was maintained in the movie Mugen Train, which surpassed the success of Spirited Away at the Japanese box office.
Originally serialized in 2016, Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga was animated by studio Ufotable. It comprised three seasons with the first being Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the second being Mugen Train Arc and Entertainment District Arc, and the Swordsmith Village Arc as the third.
While the anticipation for Season 4: Hashira Geiko-hen arc is high, fans have been revisiting the anime to replay their favorite moments. One such fan praised Demon Slayer‘s animation quality after rewatching a certain scene, which could be yet another reason for Gotouge’s magnum opus being better than One Piece and Naruto.
Also Read: 3 Anime Inspired That Koyoharu Gotouge to Come Up With Demon Slayer
Fan Points Out Why Demon Slayer is Better Than One Piece & Naruto
Demon Slayer undoubtedly has a striking animation quality. This aspect comes off more refined with the animes’ attention to detail during fighting scenes. As seen on the r/DemonSlayer subreddit, user u/KnYchan2 shared a few slow-mo frames from Season 2 to point out that Tengen was “spitting blood during the fight” against Gyutaro.
Did u notice how he’s spittin blood during the fight:
byu/KnYchan2 inDemonSlayerAnime
Replying to the video, user That_guy43218 questioned the budget per episode of the anime, “What was it… Was it 80k per episode right? Now I am super excited for next season. Hope they bump up the budget to 160k per episode. That bath scene episode gonna be lit af.”
According to ScreenRant, Demon Slayer did have a budget of $80,000 per episode. It was lower than One Piece‘s average of $90,000 per episode set by Toei Animation and Naruto Shipudden‘s budget of $100,000 set by Studio Pierrot. Despite featuring several battles throughout the series, their animation arguably pales in comparison to that of Ufotable.
Bigger budget doesn’t necessarily mean better visuals. Nonetheless, it is believed that the per-episode budget of DS will be doubled or even tripled for the upcoming season. Hashira Geiko-hen arc is expected to be released in August next year.
Demon Slayer Producer Revealed a Shocking Fact About The CGI Animation
For those of you who didn’t know, Demon Slayer incorporates a blend of 2D and 3D graphics with occasional use of computer-generated imagery (CGI). The task is entrusted to workers who have been in the field for over 5-10 years. This speaks volumes for the reason for the anime’s success.
Interestingly, the CGI graphics for the animation is hand drawn by the team at ufotable. Producer Yuma Takahashi revealed this fact during an interview with Anime News Network in 2019:-
“ufotable’s staff is primarily composed of people who have been working there quite some time, about 5-10 years… They’ve gotten better at their craft throughout the years, and even the CG elements in Demon Slayer are all derived from work that is drawn by hand. it’s not their aim necessarily to make the best anime ever, but to make the best Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.”
Takashi also disclosed his favorite parts of the animation, which include the water-breathing technique used by Tanjiro in slow motion and the sound elements of a manga brought to life, such as the voice of Zenitsu.
Also Read: Tanjiro Was Originally Planned to Have a Missing Arm Like Guts from Berserk
