Why Some Demon Slayer Fans Can't Help But Love Daki

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is surely one of the most popular animes in the world right now. The series has brought in insane viewership numbers since it was first released in 2019 and was even considered by fans to be among the best anime of the decade after just one season, per Funimation. Furthermore, "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train" made movie history in the U.S. by having the most successful opening weekend ever for a non-English film, which was made even more impressive by the fact that it was released during a pandemic.

While the second season of "Demon Slayer" is shorter than the first, it's still packed with plenty of amazing action sequences and fantastic character moments. The most recent season sees Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Tengen team up to battle two demon siblings who reside together in a single body.

Though Daki and Gyutaro are some of the most sinister villains in "Demon Slayer" so far, it seems that some fans can't help but laugh at Daki from time to time.

On the r/KimetsoNoYaiba subreddit, u/KnYchan2 pointed out that there was quite a distinction between how Daki was introduced in Season 2 and how she began to act when the going got tough. They wrote, "Best character development in history," alongside photos of a stern-looking Daki and one of her sobbing uncontrollably. 

Her transformation is quite a turn. While Daki begins the Entertainment District Arc as an untouchable ice queen responsible for the deaths of dozens of victims, as soon as the Demon Slayer Corps has her on the ropes, she calls on her big brother, Gyutaro, and her entire demeanor changes. "She went from 'Oni-chan' to 'Onii-chan,'" read a heavily up-voted comment. The joke's a bit layered, but "Oni" means demon in Japanese, whereas "Onii-chan" means "big brother." Essentially, the user argued that Daki goes from being a fearless demonic villain to crying out for her brother to save her. 

However, some users were more sympathetic to Daki. "I feel pretty bad [for] her," wrote u/BOSSBABY33. While demons are evil, human-devouring monsters in "Demon Slayer," they often reveal their tragic backstory as they fade away into their death, and Daki was no different. Still, others were less forgiving of her deeds. U/The-dark-lightskin added, "Everyone has a sob story of their own though, it just doesn't make her right ..." Another user chimed in, "Who knows how many people she killed for nothing other than pettiness?" 

For his part, Natsuki Hanae, who voices Tanjiro on "Demon Slayer," was rather intimidated by the actor who voiced Daki (Miyuki Sawashiro) on the show. "... I spent a lot of time analyzing and picturing how Tanjiro and Daki would act during these scenes, so it felt like we were together," Hanae recalled. "I always admired Sawashiro-san, and she's perfect in any role, so I felt a lot of pressure voicing these scenes. So that I don't fall behind her acting," (via Dual Shockers).

Though their dynamic is surely different in real life, you have to wonder how much the pressure influenced Hanae's performance as Tanjiro. Meanwhile, the voice actor behind Nezuko, Akari Kitō, shared Hanae's reverence for Sawashiro but joked, "[Daki] is like a cute brat," (via Anime News Network). 

Although Daki and Gyutaro have been laid to rest on "Demon Slayer," other high-ranking demons will no doubt reveal themselves as new threats to the Demon Slayer Corps in the upcoming third season.