Former Dragon Ball Editor Kazuhiko Torishima Praises the Incredible Beginning of Demon Slayer

A 2021 interview with former Dragon Ball editor Kazuhiko Torishima resurfaced, in which he talks about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and says that the beginning of the story is incredible.

Torishima said the following about the beginning of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:

“The way the first chapter is constructed is extremely well done. Right at the beginning, Tanjiro carries his sister Nezuko on his back and says, ‘I will save you no matter what,’ and from the very first page it is clear who the protagonist is, what he does, and what his goal is. In addition, the line ‘Whenever happiness is broken, there is the smell of blood’ appears twice. This line summarizes the theme of the work.”

He also goes into more detail about what he thought of the beginning of the manga:

“Carrying someone on your back is something typical of Asian culture. In the West, children are left with babysitters, but in Asia they are carried on the back. Lone Wolf and Cub tells the story of a samurai traveling while pushing a baby carriage, but there are no heroes like that in other countries.

“Carrying someone makes fighting more difficult, so it is clearly a disadvantage in combat. But that is where Tanjiro’s purpose and motivation come in. The moment he puts Nezuko down, he stops being Tanjiro, in a sense. The goal of ‘saving his sister’ is something close and understandable even for children.

“Manga is made up of panels, dialogue, and illustrations. Compared to someone like Toriyama, Koyoharu Gotouge is not particularly skilled at drawing long shots or action scenes that clearly convey space. However, the dialogue has so much strength that it draws the reader in.”

What do you think about his statement? Is the beginning of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba really as well crafted as he says? The full interview can be read here.