Demons of the Shadow Realm Episode 20 of the first season of the anime is titled “Hunter and the Prey” and episode 21 is titled “Zashiki Warashi and Tomura”, which contains a series of twists and turns and a lot of dynamic dialogue.
“The Prey and the Hunter” continues the action from the previous episode, with Ivan facing off against Yuru, Left, Right, Della and Tangi. I like the way Ivan holds his own in 1vs5 fights after getting a power boost from his demonic sword. Now, don’t get me wrong. Although I was impressed by Ivan’s swordsmanship, I still wanted him dead. In fact, the writers haven’t explored giving Ivan’s character some “grey” to build a redemption arc, and I do think his death is a possibility, whenever that may be. Hopefully soon. ha!
From what I understand, Ivan’s sword makes him some kind of energy vampire. Thorn Zuo lets Ivan absorb her energy. As a result, his speed and attack power will be increased. But the fly in the ointment is that Ivan’s human body is not suitable for absorbing and utilizing large amounts of demonic energy, especially the energy obtained from OP demons like Zuo. Apparently, all the supernatural energy disturbed Ivan’s mind. He described it as feeling like drinking a lot of energy drinks all at once.
Ivan uses one of his swords to deflect Della’s sniper bullet at Yuru, creating a really cool moment. Ivan remains a dangerous threat. However, now that the good guys have theorized how his powers work, I’m excited to see how they’ll fare against Ivan. They have to make sure Ivan can’t absorb any demonic energy to put him at a disadvantage in the next battle.
A major twist in the story is when Asuma finally faces Shingo. I love how Asuma took advantage of the fact that the Wind God and the Thunder God were upset and had the demon Yozakura push Shingo to the ground. As far as Asuma knows, although Shingo is indeed ambitious, someone may have encouraged him to confront the Kagemori clan and kidnap Yu and Asa. But before Asuma can question Shingo about the mysterious entity hiding in the shadows, Ivan arrives and joins Fuijn and Raijin in making quick work of Shingo.
While I’m not a fan of Asma, I do worry for Ivan’s life when he turns my attention to him. Yes, Asma possesses powerful demons, but Ivan operates on a completely different level after absorbing the energy of the left wing. Luckily, Gonzo, Asa, and the others show up when they do. I say this because even though Ivan’s body is failing, I think he would be strong enough to kill Asma if he really wanted to.
Speaking of who might be behind the scenes, we have to know about Nishinomura. No information about them has been shared, but it’s clear that much of the drama experienced by the East Village, the Kagemori Clan, and related factions was orchestrated by them. One of the demonic monsters is a young woman whose demons help clean up corpses, which is a handy and fun addition to the growing cast. The scene where the young woman’s dung beetle-like demon rolls the body into a ball…well done, animation team!
After a few action-packed episodes, “Zashiki Warashi and Tomura” gives our protagonist a chance to breathe. Now it’s time for Yuru and Asa to get some history lessons and have some much needed conversation.
For years, I’ve been looking forward to Yuru confronting the fake Asha, accusing him of lying to him. I know Yuru will forgive fake Asa, but the dialogue still needs to happen, and I think the writers handled it well. Yuru’s conversation with the fake Asha is also important in helping Asha relieve her annoyance and anger towards the fake Asha.
As Yuru tells it, although Danji and Fake Asa (now named Kiri) lied to Yuru, our heroic protagonist needed the pair as a source of hope in his life while growing up in the East Village. Danji is Yuru’s best friend, while Kiri remains Yuru’s “sister” even though they are both demons responsible for playing certain roles while keeping tabs on Yuru. Ultimately, these bonds helped Yuru become the young man he is today.
Speaking of history lessons, we had Danji and Kiri talk about events that happened some 400 years ago and how they found their way to the East Village. It turns out that it was Dera’s father who found Danji and Kiri (in relic form) after their previous owners were killed in the war. Danji and Kiri make a pact with Kyoka (who lost her child), and from there it’s all about how Yamaha Ono gets Kyoka to use Danji and Kiri to keep Yuru in the village. Although Danji and Kiri knew what they were doing was wrong, they didn’t have much choice in the matter.
The conversation between Yuru and Asa allows Asa to share her ideal life. Asha wants to reunite with her parents. She wants to go to school, find a boyfriend, go to Disneyland, etc. and live a normal life. However, due to the reality she finds herself in, this is impossible. But Yuru, being Yuru, wouldn’t allow Asa to give up on her dream.
I love the way he encourages Asha to achieve her dreams. It won’t be easy, but according to Yuru, it’s possible. They just need to find their parents first. This meant seducing and interrogating Ivan.
Yuru helps Asa calm down and tells her not to trust people like Ivan, which reflects how Yuru uses his father’s lessons and Asa’s hope to help him refocus during his battle with Ivan. It’s nice to see siblings helping each other by being in each other’s presence.
I do think Yuru’s theory about their parents somehow contacting Dera’s father and living off the grid holds water. The question is whether they were held as prisoners or were forced into hiding due to certain circumstances.
Three more episodes to go and I’m excited for what’s coming next.
Did you watch it? Demons of the Shadow Realm Are there episodes 20 and 21 of the first season of the anime? What do you think of them?
Let us know.
author: Farid Haq
Farid holds a dual master’s degree in psychology and biotechnology and a master’s degree in molecular genetics. He is the author of several books, including Somerville Missing and Somerville Game Masters. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime, video games, and movies.
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