Demon Slayer's Elegant Storytelling - What's in an OP? 

"Inosuke is a best boy who wouldn't actually hurt Zenitsu" Inosuke's intro: literally beating Zenitsu close to death

I really like how Zenitsu moves, very rigid but also extremely fast and each movement with a purpose. The way he tilts his whole body into the strike gives an extremely contrasting view compared to him running away flailing his body.

Tanjiro *always* has cut/callused hands. It's a symbol of his effort, pre or post sister-demon.

"As he sits looking at his garden" The Blind man. Bruh

Demon Slayer: One of the only anime that has arguably better animation in the episodes instead of in the OP

"As he sits looking out at his massive garden." 9:33 I bet he wished he could actually do that

Tanjiro: faces danger Zenitsu: runs away from danger Inosuke: I AM THE DANGER REEEE

"Inosuke meanwhile is all too eager to be the danger." Inosuke: I am not in danger, Monjirou. I am the danger! A guy opens his door and gets slashed and you think that of me? No. I am the one who slashes!

“Or maybe it’s just a hint that we’re going to space one day” Demon Slayer pulls a Darling in the Franxx

Imagine how much would’ve changed if Tanjiro actually ended up killing Giyo with the axe he barely missed.

I love the changes in the "What's in an OP" process! The pause button, zoom-in effects, and cutting to points in the series that flesh out what the OP touches on all work really well. The series has always been great, but these slight modifications add a lot of flavor to the visual experience. Also, hugs and support Geoff

"What makes Demon Slayer's opening so great?" *SUSUMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~*

I dont think Tanjuros hand at the end is covered in dirt. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to show how worn they are from the severity of his training in order to show the lengths of efforts he is willing to go to. Other than that, great video, thanks for all of your hard work.

"inosuke is a harmless good boy" dang right he is

When are we getting "whats in a waifu: kamaboko Ganpachiro"?

I love how if you pause the opening in the Muzan shot, you can actually identify which upper moon is which, despite them not appearing in this season. The details in this opening are insane.

As much as I love these videos, I just don’t have the same eye for criticism. When I’m judging an op I literally have two criteria: 1: does the song slap? 2: is the animation cool? In this case the answer to both questions is a resounding yes, so it gets my official seal of hype.

Your praise of Inosuke catching Zenitsu is far too relatable. He's such a good boy.

Also wanna mention how much of a darn bop Gurenge is The ED too. The ED is also a giant bop

Others have mentioned it, but notably, Demon Slayer’s op doesn’t have dramatically better (if better at all) animation than the show’s fights. That can be taken in multiple ways, but I choose to interpret is as a sign of fantastic fight animation. Is this a suitable sacrifice to the algorithm?

Demon Slayer? You mean Nezuko’s Bizarre Adventure?

The beginning shot that highlights Tanjiro's back also highlights his earrings, which become more important later on in the series. Something that's not a spoiler (but was often overlooked) was that his father said that they would be passed down to him along with the dance of the Fire God--if nothing else.

Can't wait for the SPACE arc of Demon Slayer.

I'd never thought about right-to-left movement being tied to heroicness, I'm going to keep an eye out for that now!

Geoff, keep kicking ass. We appreciate you so much.

I really want to talk about how hard the Thunder Breathing animation goes. I watched a video of this OP long ago, and at the part introducing our hero party, I thought, _I haven't even watched the show and yet the comedy dynamic between coward boy and boar-man already feels out of steam._ When they did the spinning shot in the middle of the chorus, I felt, _Thanks for the reminder that Yellow-striped Yellow Shirt exists. /s_ And then two seconds later this dude jumps down and proceeds to hit The KASWOOSÇE®, in a singular shot so powerful, it deflected any shade I may have already thrown at him back into my mouth.

So Muzan's infinity castle is on the moon, confirmed. You heard it here first folks!

9:50 One neat detail about this part is that once the hashiras are introduced, the intro shows all of them as clearly as Giyuu and no longer in the shadows.

"Zenitsu is first shown frantically running from danger, his second favorite pastime." That's because his favorite pastime is planning his and Nezuko's wedding, thank you very much.

MEDIUM LEVEL MANGA SPOILER Literally finished the manga yesterday, just realized Genya is pictured in a sunset lit area because he eats demon parts and has been undergoing demonization - he’s between Kanae, a demon slayer in the sun, and Tamayo and her assistant, a demon of the night.

I feel so bad. I didn't know that the channel was kinda going through something right now. It looked just about as fine as I was use to but I guess I didn't really look into it. I keep wondering if you'll do a jjba part 5 what's in an OP but this makes a little more sense now. Keep up making the great content and I look forward to anything that you post whether I actually watch it or not

Can you imagine the headaches nezuko suffers with while being on tanjiro’s back? All the flips and spins he does while fighting demons while she is in her smol form in that box, she must be bouncing around in there like crazy

Can't wait for S2 where their breaths become stands.

I just noticed that when Zenitsu uses thunderclap and flash near the end his eyes aren't visible

Commenting as a sacrifice to the algorithm.

This is a comment so RU-vid likes Mother’s Basement more

Geoff, it is admirable that your commitment to quality content has not suffered despite your, presumably, incredibly mentally and emotionally taxing circumstances. I always appreciate the level of critical analysis in your videos, and that's more true now than ever.

What about how the shadows over the hashiras lift as they're revealed in the show

Now having finished the manga, there is one thing I'd like to point out in the OP that I feel you either missed or left out to avoid spoilers (SPOILERS FOR MANGA AFTER E.D. ARC FOLLOW): The transition shots with Kanao, Genya, and Tamayo/Yushiro is twofold. Yes, it does make a nice transition from day to night, like you said, BUT it also is a transition from human to demon. We know that Kanao is human, we know that Tamayo and Yushiro are demons. But what we don't find out until the Swordsmith Village Arc is that Genya is something in between, able to consume demon flesh in order to temporarily gain their strength and powers. So the transition from Kanao in the daylight, to Genya at dusk, to Tamayo and Yushiro at night is actually a brilliant bit of foreshadowing if you can read the context clues at the beginning and end of that sequence.

One thing you forgot, in the opening as you meet the Hashira more and more the revealed ones aren’t hidden by shadow anymore which is cool.

Can't wait for Demon Slayer: Season 2 (In Space!)

I feel like the Moon is just representing the Demon Moons and that last shot of Tanjiro and Nezuko looking to the Moon is just a representation of how it will be an uphill battle to win. Lol let's hope it's not telling us that they are going to space

"He (Urokodaki) cares for the boy. He knows what horrors he'll face as a demon slayer" ... Yeah agreed. Sure. But it was two maids in a house Tanjiro barely knows that teaches him how to properly use the breathing technique.

Who else is pumped for Demon Slayer 2: Zenitsu in space?

This is a comment with a gun for its head, fighting the Algorithm.

"UFO-shaped table" Have a like, sir

The reason tanjirou and nezuko’s bond is so strong is because all the love tanjirou has for his four dead siblings and parents is directed to Nezuko and the same goes for nezuko. 😭😭

You have got to admit that the hashiras' shot infront of the goldenish moon is seriously the most badass shots in this OP

Emotional undertones ✅ Fantastic action✅ A song you can dance or workout to ✅✅ - - Yup... Demon Slayer has it all

12:59 Dr. Stone: *NERVOUS SWEATING*

I'll be honest, when I first saw this OP, I thought you were going to tear it apart for not doing anything particularly special. My own analysis lead me to see it as pretty bog standard for a Shonen OP. But, as always, you analyzed it on a higher level and had some stellar insights. Awesome as always, Jeff.

This is a comment so that Geoff feels better and the algorithm is happy

Mother's basement: *uploads new op video about demon slayer* Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Golden wind op 2: am i a joke to you?

I hope there isn't another copyright infringement in the distance.

I always assumed the first shot was Tanjiro's father. The camera cuts to Tanjiro symbolising how he inherited his father's breathing technique, earrings and with Nezuko the fight against Muzan. Or something like that, at least that is my interpretation. It would make the odd camera angles and lack of Nezuko/Box/sword make sense.

When I first saw the shot of Nezuko's hair falling down, it was legit breathtaking. I don't know why, but I was simply in awe at the beauty and subtly of that one image.

No lie, when it showed the end of that whole “cutting of the boulder” arc to the demon Tanjiro fights for the final selection- I was so moved by it. I love how this anime/manga doesn’t paint things just black and white. You can tell the writer put a lot of thought, detail, and love into this work

The still shots with Kanao, Genya and Tamayo might have some really neat symbolism in regards to the day/dusk/night transition, but it's a spoiler, so be cautious. I believe the reason that they're each in those times reflects something about them. Kanao uses the insect breath style, which comes from the breath of the sun. Tamayo is night because she's a demon. And the most interesting, in my opinion, is Genya, because he can't use a breath style, but eats parts of demons to power himself up, essentially being between the two worlds.

you didnt mention that the first time tanjiro appeared alone and the first time nezuko appeared alone the song said (I must become stronger) both have to became stronger to protect each other. they are both the main character. you can say the Demon and the Slayer

I am late to the Demon Slayer fandom. I watched the movie, and went on to watch the entire anime. I can't get enough of it... And just want to say, this analysis is *chef's kiss*.

I would like to point out in that every episode when a new Hashira is introduced, in the following intro their silhouette against the moon is very clear. So in the last couple of episodes all the hashiras lack a silhouette in that shot in the intro.

good touch on the green pause symbol. really helps differentiate the current scene being analyzed as opposed to the stock frames strengthening whatever it is your saying in that point. works well

your videos are always so detailed, interesting and well-scripted i'm honestly impressed keep it up!! :)

After meeting the Hashiras. In the OP their scene, they’re shadows have been lifted and can now see them.

Ah shit the moon represents (spoilers) Moon Breathing Style why didn’t I see it

As always, your analysis has revealed themes and subtext I never even considered. Thanks for analyzing things and helping me develop my own analytical eye

The moon could be a reference to one of the most powerful demons in the series, while I won't spoil it. He is heavily associated with the moon, just lie Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer's are associated with the sun, which will extinguish the demons.

That right to left thing is insane, I would never notice that but you explained it so well - well done MB 👏

My money is on them going to space, watch the demons actually be aliens.

One thing worth noting is that Tanjirou's actions in the chorus sequence of him fighting the demons flows into each other. He jumps into the air and swings his sword down towards the ground. This cuts into the shot of the 2 demons and him on the ground, where he lands offscreen and then jumps, dodging incoming attacks and goes in to strike Before he finally "lands" into the drum demon's fight, on the ground.

(minor spoilers for Genya's powers) Could the Tamayo, Yushiro, Genya and Kanao scenes be representing their powers? Tamayo and Yushiro are seen at night as they're demons, Kanao is seen in day as she's a demon slayer and Genya is seen in dusk (SPOILERS) because of his eating demons shenanigans, gaining demonic properties, while still being a demon slayer.

Gotta keep the support up for Geoff! These videos really helped me develop my love for anime, which transitioned in helping me build a new connection with my dad (Who is now making a slow transition to Otaku with how much anime he's seen). So here's a comment saying you're brilliant and we hope you stick around!

I’d love to see a What’s in an OP for the second Opening of Vinland Saga, purely cause I want to hear you talk about how much history they crammed into the first few seconds.

@12:06 that's nice evidence of Tanjiro's hard work and perseverance with his swordsmanship. that's a thick set of callouses. wow

Demon Slayer's anime is probably one the few that's better than the manga

just got into demon slayer and KNEW you had some amazing videos for me to watch. Thank you!

I'm still waiting "What is an op? : Golden Wind"

More Demon Slayer content, yeah! Love the new stylistic changes to What's in an OP too. And, I appreciate your commitment to getting Kamaboko Kentaro's name wrong at every opportunity.

Quick, everyone throw your dignity upon the algorithm's fury.

Love the overlay when pointing out specific details. Very nice touch.

Muzan is going to space to use his most powerfull ability: MOONWALKING.

Never knew even just the way people are facing could mean so much. Thanks for allowing me to enjoy every OP you disect even more than I already did!

Whether he had this lined up just in case the views and likes were in dangered, I DON'T CARE! I LOVES IT! BRING ALL THE OP ANALYSIS THAT MADE ME FIRST LOVE ESSENTIALLY ALL THE STUFF GEOFF'S TO SAY!!!

I always watch your what’s in an OP video just to kick myself for not noticing the small details. Everything usually moves so fast that I tend to take openings as just a sequence of cool looking animations that vaguely spoil the season. But it really does have a lot of subtle storytelling, and I love that about anime. I hope your channel continues on and RU-vid stops being so unfair.

I'm absolutely living for Demon Slayer videos!

I pressed like right from the start of the video, because I was waiting for this one. Then I laughed so hard at "you did it Inosuke" that I literally tried to press like button second time. Took me some time to process it. Geoff, buddy, you just made my evening!

Geoff has forgotten Shill.. Geoff has learned RU-vid Rage!

Okay, amazing video as always. But I need to say two things: The editing style in this one was SOOOOO good. And watching this made me realize how good and efficient of a music Gurenge is.

When you write a resume of a book that is longer than the book itself 😂😂😂👍

1. Amazing video as usual, just started watching demon slayer a couple days ago and I’m already halfway through it. 2. Commenting to help boost the video for the algorithm, your videos deserve it

Let’s hope they don’t copyright strike again

This video analyzed the OP better than any essay I wrote for AP literature

Demon Slayer? Never heard of it, I've only heard of That One Time Micheal Jackson Got Reincarnated As A Demon Lord And Turned My Sister Into A Demon

The editing of these videos are great. I always enjoy your "What's in an OP" videos

The Full Moon for some reason represents the demons: The Upper Moons and The Lower Moons

You know I can never get enough of you talking Geoff, even for serious subjects. It reminds us all that you're human, relatable & not a cold soulless robot. 💜 That being said I actually haven't finished the first season of Demon Slayer so thanks for all the spoilers you fuck!😊 But also I couldn't wait to watch this, as soon as I saw the OP I was excited for your analysis! I played myself.

I'm still kind of disappointed that the OP didn't change to show the Sun God Dance after episode 19.

The point you made about characters facing left or right is also to some extent applicable on the supporting characters in the still shots: First time we see Kano (who is facing right) interact with the main characters she beats down Tanjiro and tries to kill Nezuko; Genya (who is facing right) is shown to be kind of an asshole; Lady Tamayo and Yushiro (both facing left) are shown to be really kind. Really nice details!

In some ways, this anime can be viewed as a metaphor. It shows that, no matter how much pain anyone goes through, how harsh things can seem in the moment, it doesn't prevent them from showing kindness and sympathy. The demon slayers can be seen as people who seek to remove and/or prevent pain in ways that may be violent. The demons can be viewed as people who have let the pain of things that have affected their lives consume them. It shows the different ways in which people deal with trauma. Tanjiro, shows those who don't let the pain consume them and instead use what they've gone through to help others, and the demons, who let the pain of what they've gone through consume them in a way that makes them appear as heartless monsters, when, under the surface they're just people who have been hurt and couldn't find another way to deal with it. It's subtle enough but if you actually notice it, it makes the show a million times better than it already is.

Geoff really jumped right into this one. It set up a sense of hype/tension as you waited for him to eventually zoom out and drop his thesis for the vid.