Listen, it’s cool if you’re into Mitsuri. I mean, anyone in Demon Slayer Corps who is still BREATHING is into her. After all, she’s one of the most powerful hashira, capable of taking on some of the strongest demons in the series. She’s also the hashira most frequently subjected to gratuitous fanservice. Why don’t we get to see Uzui stepping naked out of a hot spring in the Swordsmith Village? That’s what I want to know. Welp. I guess we got we paid for—Demon Slayer is shonen anime marketed to straight boys after all.
But Mitsuri is MORE than just a cool whip sword-user and a vehicle for the author to express his horny desires (Nezuko does that too. Ick). She’s also a FULLY FLESHED OUT CHARACTER, DAMMIT. One with DREAMS and DESIRES and a BOYFRIEND. Even if those dreams and desires are simply to marry a man worthy of her. THAT IS OKAY. WE SHOULD ALL DESIRE TO MARRY MEN WORTHY OF US. EXCEPT FOR THE LESBIANS. AND THOSE OF US WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE. AND EVERYONE WHO IS HAPPY WITH THEIR HOT NONBINARY PARTNER. YOU GET WHAT I MEAN.
Mitsuri Kanroji’s backstory
Mitsuri was born in the Meiji Period along with five other siblings. Even as a child, she showed a positively freaky amount of strength due to the composition of her muscles (we’ll get to that later). Her favorite pastime was lifting rocks over her head and scaring the hell out of her poor parents. She was also able to eat like five times more than the average child. Her mom and dad probably thought she was a demon herself. Mitsuri developed pink and green hair because she ate too much pink sakura mochi as a child, leading her to become a romantic outcast. Yes, people really didn’t want to date this beautiful woman because her hair was pink. No, I don’t buy it either. Mitsuri’s unusual hair and her ungodly strength gave her the reputation of being a freak, and her previous engagement to a male suitor was broken off because of this. To compensate for her UNIQUENESS AND BEAUTY, Mitsuri dyed her hair black and pretended to be weak so she could fit in with all the basic girls in her village. She eventually started dating some scrub from the village. GIRL, NO. HE DOESN’T DESERVE YOU. BE YOURSELF AND DUMP HIS ASS.
Eventually, she did dump his ass, and became a wandering outcast. After a chance encounter with Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Corps, she joined up with the group and eventually became a hashira due to her exceptional strength.
Exceptional strength? Tell me more!
BE PATIENT AND I WILL. The thing about Mitsuri is that she NEEDED to eat her weight in food every day because she has the natural body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. On second thought, Arnold WISHES that he could be on Mitsuri’s level. Mitsuri doesn’t look it, but the girl is YOKED. She is JACKED. She is ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED. Beneath her cutesy appearance is a body with muscles EIGHT TIMES more dense than the average person’s. In order to feed her ridiculous gains, she needs to eat as much as THREE SUMO WRESTLERS.
And that’s not the ONLY thing that’s special about her. Her body is actually EVEN MORE POWERFUL than this. Later on in the series, we discover that due to unresolved fears of rejection, she is actually still SUPPRESSING her strength unconsciously. After Mitsuri deals with her fear, she awakens her Demon Slayer Mark, which allows her heart to pump even faster and circulate blood more quickly, giving her OBSCENE levels of strength.
On top of her strength, Mitsuri is also extremely flexible, and she is—I SAW THAT LOOK. GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GODDAMN GUTTER—and she is able to combine her innate flexibility with her Love Breathing techniques. So what is Love Breathing? Love breathing is a technique that Mitsuri developed after learning Flame Breathing. Mitsuri’s breathing ability allows her to unleash unpredictable, long-range attacks that a person with a normal sword could not hope to perform.
But Mitsuri doesn’t have a normal sword. Her sword is more like a metal WHIP that is attached to a handle. Yes, it is as cool as it sounds. Mitsuri’s unique sword allows her to cut at odd angles and makes her blows difficult to block. Her sword is actually based on an existing weapon from the real world! There is a weapon called an urumi, used by Indian warriors of old, that utilizes flexible and whiplike steel blades to cut opponents. Yes, blades—plural. Unlike Mitsuri’s sword, the urumi has MULTIPLE whip-like swords that branch out of its handle, making this weapon almost as dangerous to the wielder as a double-bladed lightsaber. (Someone didn’t think this through.) Despite its unconventional and dangerous-as-hell design, the urumi was a widely used weapon dating back to the third century. And Mitsuri keeps the tradition alive and well.
So what’s Mitsuri like? Personality-wise?
Adorable. She’s adorable. She’s just a lovely ray of light. Mitsuri is sweet, generous, and kind-hearted. She’s always full of sunshine and compliments for everyone! Except demons. She will kill those dudes on sight, no questions asked. Mitsuri also shares a strong bond with her fellow hashira Obanai, the Snake Hashira, who is kind of cold and creepy and everything that she isn’t. Mitsuri is driven by the desire to find a husband who is stronger than she is; someone who will be able to protect her. Given her ungodly amount of physical strength, I don’t think she’s gonna find her Mr. Right any time soon. But keep your standards high, girl! Know your worth! You are a PRIZE to be won! If he can’t eat as much as six sumo wrestlers and bench press a mountain, swipe left. He isn’t worth it.
(featured image: Ufotable)
