I hope my gif this week loads on your device. It’s huge! HUUUUGE! I usually make sure to keep the size reasonable when I create them but I just really liked this scene visually and I managed to time the gif just right so that it looks like it loops back into itself. Anyways, I really liked the gif I ended up with and I wanted to share it.
Let’s just hope someone out there gets to see it!
You can and definitely should also go and check out Crow’s blog for our complete episode review.
I love depth-of-field effects. You know, like in that first screencap. Have you guys seen Bly Manor? They use a special dual depth effect so that you can have two different depths of field in focus in the same frame. It’s subtle but uncanny and when you notice it, it’s amazing. And of course, it’s used thematically. Focus is often an intentional thing that the director wants to use to create meaning. But in an anime, it has to be added manually. It is absolutely an intentional thing. I love it when effects like that, which don’t normally apply to animation get out into anime. I think it adds a lot of panache to a production.
Not that it’s a surprise that Demon Slayer has a good production. If anything the production value is the greatest selling point of this show. And it sold me!
The wooden hydra I,m less sure about…
I really like the shot of Muichirou’s father’s eyes. Even though it’s a close-up, it still looks like Muichirou doesn’t it! The shape of the eyes, maybe the fringe a bit and the nose somehow make this close-up instantly recognizable despite the fact that the eyes are the wrong colour which is arguably their biggest defining characteristic. I wonder how many shows could do that.
And of course, the colour also instantly recalls Tanjirou. The show has really made it a point not to give this specific eye colour to anyone unrelated to Tanjirou and despite the fact that they haven’t insisted on it, it worked. The second I saw that shot I thought wait, why does Muichirou have Tanjirou’s eyes. That’s a heck of a lot of information to get from a second-long close-up. But it’s possible because Demon Slayer has really established the visual identity of the characters. Good job!
