So sorry it’s taken so long for a new update, y’all! December has been so busy, but I’m hoping I can at least get to the end of volume 10 before the end of the year!

We’ve entered a new era, or arc: the entertainment district! And we’ve been introduced to a new Hashira: Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira (even though, we’re still not over Rengoku, okay? Sheesh, they’re tryna move us along quick, LET US HEAL).

the diva Hashira.

That’s really what Tengen should’ve been. We already saw his personality shine through when he was trying to take Aoi in the last manga volume/anime episodes. Now, he’s telling our nephews that he’s a god, and they should do as he says 😭 like, sir, PLEASE, we JUST met you. It didn’t take RENGOKU to do all that for them to have respect for him!

It’s funny to see Zenitsu being logical because usually he’s so scared we don’t get to see him calling other people idiots 😂 but that’s exactly how he views Tengen. “Cringeworthy” is what he says in the anime about Tengen and Inosuke (since Inosuke introduces himself as “King of the Mountain”, and Tengen calls Inosuke creepy for it).

*side note: In the anime, there’s a cute detail that maybe I just noticed, but as our nephews are riding into the entertainment district, you see Inosuke with his hand on Tanjiro’s shoulder. I feel like that’s SUCH a big deal because Inosuke usually doesn’t like to rely on anyone, or be close to them. I feel like Rengoku’s death really changed them all in so many ways!

the babysitting Hashira.

Tengen really could’ve had this title too (at least at first in the entertainment district), because as soon as they get there, here go Inosuke and Zenitsu running off with their own agendas, and Tengen has to run after them. These scenes aren’t shown in the manga, but I think it’s interesting that Tengen even tells Zenitsu, as he drags him away from some of the courtesans, “You’re too young for that kinda stuff.” (I wonder if utofable purposefully put that in the episode to lay any wondering thoughts about Tengen and the whole spanking incident to rest.)

THREE WIVES?! and three courtesans…

I guess, he did say he was a “Lord”, but THREE WIVES?! You already know Zenitsu went CRAZY because he thinks Tengen is too weird to have ONE wife! 🤣

Not to mention, you already know who the three courtesans going undercover are going to be…

It’s funny because later when Inosuke gets chosen into one of the houses, they take his makeup off, and they say he looks prettier that way 😂 Tengen overdid it on the makeup part, for sure!

But our flashy diva of a Hashira cleans up nicely, okay! He had to be less noticeable so, none of his usual gear could be worn…

Tanjiro and Inosuke get taken quickly, but Zenitsu is last, and does a killer guitar (shamisen) solo after getting hired at the last courtesan house they need to infiltrate. Seeing our nephews dressed as nieces to get intel is kinda precious 😭 Tanjiro doesn’t have full face makeup, but he keeps the blush on his cheeks, and does the things he’s asked.

Which is how he finds out about some of the women disappearing, either dying or committing “ashinuke”, which means “to run away without paying off your debts.” He also has to lie about Oiran Suma (one of Tengen’s wives) being his older sister so he can get more info, but the fact that he can’t keep a straight face when lying is just like our honest Tanjiro 😂

Seeing Inosuke’s reconnaissance is crazy to me because hearing his voice (in English dub) coming out of his more feminine face, and not the boar head he usually wears throws me off a little because I’m not used to it! Because of his voice, Tengen advises Inosuke not to talk at all (not him saying he has the voice of a dying animal 💀). At the end of season 3, episode 2, we see Makio being trapped by what we assume is a demon, but we don’t see it fully just yet.

The next episode (s3,e3) follows the manga nicely. We’re reminded of Zenitsu’s great hearing ability, and I’m still thrown off by Inosuke’s harsh voice and pretty face 😂

What I need to know, is how these people don’t realize our nephews are male! Inosuke I can understand because of his face, but Tanjiro and Zenitsu?! They must be just a couple of pretty boys!

Zenitsu comes face-to-face with the demon though, and he can tell that she’s an Upper Rank because he didn’t even hear her come up behind him. 😗 She must be THAT evil because she doesn’t even try to blend in with the humans, personality-wise. She doesn’t care about being nice; she’s straight VICIOUS. And our nephew Zenitsu ain’t having that! But he eventually gets his ass beat by her (it took ONE HIT).

Meanwhile, Tanjiro is torturing the owner of his house by being a bit too helpful. And we see a sketch from the manga come to life as the owner of the house Inosuke is in catches him doing his little back bending trick.

Something I didn’t notice was the owner of the house holding a knife behind her back when confronting the Upper Rank demon in a flashback from 2 days prior. But it’s definitely there in the manga as well; sad to see her fate because she was actually wise about who the oiran was…but not about actually confronting the demon.

And then we see…

Kibutsuji?!

He’s waiting for the Upper Rank demon in her room (who we find out is named Daki, and she’s Upper Six), encouraging her to stay on her guard, and telling her how proud he is that she’s become so powerful by devouring humans.

Apparently she’s killed SEVEN HASHIRA?! SEVEN?!? That’s absolutely NUTS. But it would be a woman demon thoughhhh

Anyways! Kibutsuji praises her HIGHLY for this, and then we come back to the present where Daki knocks Zenitsu out cold. Then, a scene of Tanjiro smelling the stank of the city at night (probably all that…entertainment. Plus the demon lol!).

At the end of s3,e3, we get an added scene of Zenitsu waking up after getting knocked out. Three girls of the house, including the one he defended, are there to take care of him, and wish him well. But once they leave, that’s when he’s taken by Daki. Or, her belt, rather. In the manga, it’s only said by one of the ladies of the house that “Zenko” (Zenitsu) disappeared. We don’t actually get to see it happen!

real danger.

Tengen, Tanjiro, and Inosuke meet on top of a roof, and Tengen relays how Zenitsu isn’t coming, and feels bad about putting them in harm’s way all for the sake of saving his wives. He tells Inosuke and Tanjiro to abort the mission without shame; that life is all about survival (in the manga, he says “to survive means victory”), and that he’ll go on alone.

…you already know our nephews won’t do that! Not with our third nephew still out there!!

We also find out that they’re not the lowest rank anymore! They can tell what rank they are by it showing on the back of their hand: they’re now KANOE, fourth from the bottom! We love a promotion! And we love that Inosuke was knowledgeable about it; poor Tanjiro didn’t know 😂

The new plan? Meet at Inosuke’s courtesan house at night to confront the demon, despite Tengen’s orders. Tanjiro believes it’s moving through passageways between the houses since Tengen did surveillance outside of each of them, and didn’t see anything.

I think it’s funny that Oiran Koinatsu already knew Tanjiro was a guy, and Tanjiro thought he was being so deceptive. I mean…mans didn’t change his voice or anything, just put some blush on his cheeks, and thought he could pass as a girl 😭💀 but the Oiran is a queen for not ratting him out! LOVE THAT! Not to mention, she’s about to leave the house and the district to get married?!

Which makes it even MORE TRAGIC when she gets kidnapped by Daki immediately after Tanjiro leaves 😱 but Tanjiro catches the faint smell of the demon with his super sniffer.

***Inosuke’s Name for Tanjiro this volume is: “Souichiro” (pronounced soy-ree-chew-row) 🤣

For Tengen being as flashy as he is, it’s funny to me that he has mice (but you already know they’re wearing the same flashy headgear as him)! But they bring Inosuke his swords:

Inosuke gets impatient when Tanjiro doesn’t show, and decides to take matters into his own hands! Tengen finds out info about Warabihime, the Oiran who is actually Daki, and decides to hunt it. Meanwhile…Tanjiro actually finds Daki, and begins fighting her.

I’m personally so proud of Tanjiro because he’s, once again, grown so much and come so far to be able to face an Upper Rank demon! 🥹 He may still be scared, but he knows what he’s gotta do, even if he’s doing it alone. LET’S GO, NEPHEW!! (But not Daki calling him ugly 😭 like SHEESH!)

S3,E5 begins with Tengen finding one of his wives, Hinatsuru, all tied up in Daki’s belt. He gives her an antidote for poison she drank as a cover to find out about Daki, but she was discovered anyway. Tengen takes care of her, then tells her to leave once she’s better. He was so gentle with her, didn’t reprimand her about the mission even though she was crying because she failed 🥺 Tengen then finds the battle happening underground, and uses his swords to start digging (Sound Breathing, First Form: ROAR!)

Back to Tanjiro and Daki. Daki points out that Tanjiro’s sword is all chipped, and he realizes it’s because he’s not wielding it well. He begins to doubt himself and his training since he isn’t built for water breathing. But he is built for the Hinokami Kagura 🔥, and he uses some of Rengoku’s last words to hype himself up!

Tanjiro is CRUSHING it, with both fighting and recovery! Then we go back to Inosuke, who’s scaring the ladies of the courtesan house by running around in his usual boar attire, and destroying the floors and ceilings 😂 He also knows how to do dislocate parts of his body so he can fit into places?! The lore is lore-ing!

Inosuke finds Daki’s nest where she’s hidden away Tengen’s other 2 wives, and many other women, plus Zenitsu. The belt starts talking to Inosuke, calling him a dirty man, but Inosuke says the “Worm Belt” (“Worm-Obi in the manga) is grossing him out 💀 (to think that he could be grossed out by anything is truly…something).

He’s able to free Tengen’s wives (Makio and Suma), Zenitsu, and some of the humans, so the wives and Zenitsu help him fight the belt. It’s technically attached to Daki but acts like an entity on its own.

Tengen FINALLY makes it to the nest, and Makio and Suma are so relieved (Suma is crying like I would tbh 😂), and we don’t see a lot of Tengen’s tenderness and affection towards them in the manga, but in the anime, they made sure to show his approval of their work (head pats. Not kisses…head pats). It was still SO CUTE THOUGH.

The anime also shows a flashback of Makio thinking about Tengen’s orders to prioritize their own lives over the mission, the lives of other humans, and then his life, in that order. She struggled with this originally because of her background as a kunoichi, but Hinatsuru encourages her to embrace it as Tengen has asked.

Up next, it will be Tengen’s turn to fight!

And (finally) that’s the end of volume 9! Again, I hope I can finish volume 10 before the end of the year, so let’s look forward to that!

Mishy 🦋🩵✨