Demon slayer vol 20 By koyoharu gotouge

As the corps battles with Kokushibo, the Upper Rank Demon #1, we dive into his backstory of four hundred years ago. There, we see him and his his twin brother, Yoriichi, who was born with a special mark on his forehead, and who grew up to develop the several breathing techniques for the Demon Slayer Corps. Kokushibo was immensely jealous of his twin’s exceptional skill with the sword, and he spent most of his life trying to learn and catch up to Yoriichi’s skill. In the present battle, Kokushibo goes against Himejima, who must rely heavily on his use of seeing the Transparent World to fight this powerful demon, as well as Tokito, Genya, and Sanemi.

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Kokushibo's backstory ties several histories together, and it's fun to see the tapestry Gotouge has been weaving become a beautiful picture all together. This volume is another one adding to the extensive body count from this final fight, and I have to ask if this frontal assault was worth the heavy casualties. But if there was ever a series that disrespected and argued against plot armor, this is it! Humans fighting against supernaturally stronger beings should arguably have more casualties, and this story honors that power dynamic in a way other battle shōnen do not.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Reviews of previous volumes in the series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4, vol 5, vol 6, vol 7, vol 8, vol 9, vol 10, vol 11, vol 12, vol 13, vol 14, vol 15, vol 16, vol 17, vol 18, vol 19

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: February 2, 2021​​​
ISBN: 9781974720972​​​ (Paperback)
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Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Demons, Action Adventure, VIZ Media