This is a battle manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from issue 11 of 2016 to issue 24 of 2020, and the author is Koyoharu Gotouge. At first glance, his name makes him seem like a man, but Gotouge is actually a woman.
The TV anime aired from April to September 2019, and the sequel, the "Mugen Train Arc", is scheduled to be released as a movie on October 16, 2020.
The protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, lives peacefully with his family deep in the mountains, but when he returns home from town, he finds a gruesome scene.
His family has been brutally murdered by demons, and Tanjiro descends the mountain with his sister Nezuko, who is barely alive.
However, on the way, Nezuko is transformed into a demon. Tanjiro is saved by Giyu Tomioka, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and sets out on a journey to turn Nezuko back into a human.
The first season of the anime covers up to the middle of volume 7 of the manga, and the movie version "Mugen Train Arc" covers the continuation from that to volume 8.
This time, I would like to introduce the key person in "Mugen Train Arc", the Flame Pillar Rengoku Kyojuro.
One of the nine pillars, Flame Pillar Rengoku Kyojuro
Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Pillar, first appeared when everyone gathered at the Lord's residence after defeating Rui, one of the Twelve Kizuki's Lower Rank Five.
He is 20 years old and has a bright and straightforward personality. He is relatively friendly towards Tanjiro among the Pillars, excluding Tomioka Giyuu and Kocho Shinobu.
His sword skills and mental strength are highly regarded among the Pillars, and when Shinobu recommended Tanjiro for the mission on the Mugen Train, she said she would feel at ease as long as Rengoku was with him.
As the Pillar who controls fire, Shinobu says he may know something about Hinokami Kagura and the Sun Breathing.
Meeting with Kyojuro Rengoku
Tanjiro and his friends follow Rengoku's scent onto the Mugen Train and discover Rengoku on the train. Tanjiro has met him once before, but this is the first time Zenitsu and Inosuke have met.
When Zenitsu sees Rengoku eat more than 10 bento boxes, he thinks he's a flashy glutton (lol). Tanjiro asks about "Hinokami Kagura," but the conversation ends with a simple "I don't know!"... Although Rengoku finishes the conversation in a refreshingly decisive manner, he also shows his caring side by teaching the three the history of Flame Breathing and training them himself.
Breathing History
The basic breathing techniques are Fire, Water, Wind, Rock, and Lightning, and the rest are derivatives, so all of them except for Water Pillar Tomioka, Flame Pillar Rengoku, Rock Pillar Himejima, and Wind Pillar Shinazugawa are derivative breathing techniques.
Personally, I'm curious about where Kanroji's Love Breathing technique is derived from... As we will see later, the basis of the basic breathing is the "Breath of the Sun"!
This is the power of the Pillars!!
Rengoku defeats a demon that appears on the train. Tanjiro and the others panic at the sudden appearance of the demon, but Rengoku uses his Flame Breathing, First Form, "Shiranui", to instantly kill the demon.
Tanjiro and the others thought Rengoku was a strange person, but when they saw his ability to defeat a demon with humans, they started to think highly of him. After this, he calls Rengoku "Big Bro" and adores him for a while.
But Rengoku's serious face is too scary... (lol)
Strong mental strength and fighting instinct
Rengoku falls asleep due to Enmu's technique, and his dream is invaded and his "spiritual core" is about to be destroyed. When the spell is applied, the body and mind are separated and the person cannot move, but Rengoku, who instinctively knew that the destruction of his "spiritual core" meant he was unable to fight, used his strong mental strength to strangle the child in the real world and immobilize him in the dream.
Rengoku Kyojuro's Past
Rengoku, who has become a Pillar, goes to report to his father, but he doesn't pay much attention to him and says, "I don't care."
It's enough to make one upset when they say something like that, but Rengoku thinks of his brother more than himself, saying, "It's a shame that my younger brother only knows the father he has now."
Rengoku vows to walk alongside his brother without being discouraged by anything, and the words his mother told him when he was young serve as his guiding principle in life.
Rengoku was born stronger than most, so he has a responsibility to help those who are weak. He will fulfill that mission without hurting others or lining his own pockets. Rengoku has never forgotten these words from his mother, and is a passionate man who stands for justice.
My father was once a pillar
Rengoku's father is indifferent to everything and lives a decadent life of drinking and sleeping, but he was once a famous swordsman who was a pillar.
When he saw Tanjiro's earrings, he remembered the "Sun Breathing" and started to have a feud with Tanjiro, so something must have happened between him and the "Sun Breathing," but the details of why he quit being a pillar are not explained here.
His younger brother, Senjuro, may tell us when he restores the notes.
Being a Pillar is not just about being strong
Tanjiro and Inosuke join forces and head for Enmu's neck, but he is too busy trying to protect the person in front of him. Then Rengoku appears, awake from Enmu's magic. He quickly grasps the situation, which is hard to believe he was dreaming just a moment ago, and gives precise instructions to Tanjiro.
Rengoku trusts his subordinates, leaves them to do what they need to do, and immediately gets to work on things that only he can do. It's not just about being strong in battle, but also about the quick thinking and the way he gives instructions to his subordinates that makes him a Pillar.
Rengoku Kyojuro Teaches What Breathing Is
Rengoku advises Tanjiro, who was stabbed in the stomach by the driver during the fight with Enmu and is bleeding badly, to improve the accuracy of his breathing. This time, he was able to stop the bleeding by improving the accuracy of his breathing, but Rengoku says that if you master your breathing, you will be able to do many things. Rengoku says that you can definitely become stronger than yesterday, and he must have trained and trained himself to get to this point.
Upper Rank Three Akaza, Assault
While Tanjiro was feeling relieved after defeating Enmu, Akaza, an Upper Rank demon, attacked him. Rengoku instantly cut Akaza's arm with the second form of Flame Breathing, "Rising Flames," to protect Tanjiro.
Rengoku responded to the enemy's attack without even batting an eyebrow. Akaza also highly praised Rengoku's skill.
Rengoku Kyojuro's thoughts on human beings
Rengoku feels disgust towards Akaza as soon as he meets him. Akaza hates the weak and likes the strong, and upon seeing Rengoku's refined fighting spirit, he praises him for being close to the supreme realm.
However, Akaza says that even Rengoku, who has such fighting spirit, cannot enter the supreme realm. He says that this is because Rengoku is a human and will grow old and die.
In contrast, demons never age and quickly recover from injuries, so they can train for hundreds of years and reach the highest level.
However, Rengoku says that the transience of growing old and dying is what is beautiful about humans, and that their finite nature makes them lovable and precious.
Rengoku says that strength is not a word that should only be used to describe the body, and declares that Tanjiro is not weak because he never gives up and does not succumb to foes that are supposedly stronger than him.
In this scene we could see that Rengoku is not only strong, but also has incredibly strong wills.
I will never let anyone die!
Rengoku uses his flame breathing to counter Akaza's destruction technique, but he is not an easy opponent to beat, and even though his own body is in tatters, he is worried about Tanjiro's wounds.
Akaza tells him not to worry about the weak, and he is so right! I think he should just focus on defeating him (lol). Rengoku believes that it is his responsibility to protect his subordinates, and he tries to do so no matter what the situation.
That sense of responsibility is what makes Rengoku so great!
He holds nothing back!! Rengoku Kyojuro uses a series of Flame Breathing forms
Against the formidable Akaza, Rengoku holds back nothing and uses a succession of Flame Breathing forms: First Form "Shiranui", Fourth Form "Swell of Blazing Flames", and Fifth Form "Flame Tiger".
Tanjiro and Inosuke are fascinated by the otherworldly attacks, but they have no effect on Akaza. With Rengoku's flesh covered in scars and scrapes, and Akaza's wounds healing quickly, the outcome was clear.
But still, in order to fulfill his duty and to ensure that no one dies, Rengoku unleashes the secret technique of Flame Breathing.
Flame Breathing Secret Technique: Ninth Form "Purgatory"
A flame breathing secret technique that slashes at the opponent with the force of a scorching flame. This cut off Akaza's left head, arm, shoulder and chest.
Tanjiro and Inosuke were so moved that they couldn't see Rengoku at all.
Even if it means sacrificing their own lives
Rengoku unleashed his secret technique, "Rengoku," and dealt Akaza great damage, but in exchange, his arm was pierced through his solar plexus. Unlike Akaza, whose wounds heal, Rengoku, who was mortally wounded, prepared himself for death.
At that moment, memories of his mother, who died at a young age, came back to him. Remembering his mother's words, "Protect the weak," Rengoku, who is determined to fulfill his duty, does not stop attacking even though his arm is pierced.
As dawn approaches, Akaza tries to escape, but Rengoku does not let Akaza escape. He tries to prevent Akaza from pulling his arm out of his chest, and to defeat him in exchange for his own life.
Rengoku Kyojuro speaks to Tanjiro as death approaches
Tanjiro and the others somehow managed to defeat Akaza, but Rengoku's body was in tatters and he himself realized that he was going to die. Even in that state, Rengoku worries about Tanjiro's wounds. No wonder everyone wants to call him "big brother" (tears)
Rengoku says that there are notes left by the previous Flame Pillars in Rengoku's family home, and that there might be something written in them about "Hinokami Kagura". He also asks him to pass on a message to his younger brother's father.
He tells his younger brother, Senjuro, to "follow your heart and follow the path you believe is right," and to his father, to "take care of yourself." Hearing this, Inosuke struggles to hold back tears...
Rengoku Kyojuro acknowledges Nezuko
When Rengoku saw Nezuko bleeding on the train while protecting humans, he acknowledged Nezuko's existence, saying, "Those who risk their lives to fight demons and protect humans are members of the Demon Slayer Corps, no matter what anyone says."
When he first saw Nezuko, he said he was against it even under the orders of the Lord of the Palace, but he saw it with his own eyes and honestly acknowledged it, which shows how big-hearted he is!
Tanjiro must have been very happy to have Nezuko's existence acknowledged by Rengoku, a pillar.
Entrust to the next generation
No matter how overwhelmed you are by your own weakness and inadequacy, Rengoku tells you to look forward and live with pride. He tells the three to grow more and become pillars that support the Demon Slayer Corps.
With those words, Rengoku asks his mother if he has fulfilled his responsibilities. When his mother says that he did well, Rengoku smiles like a boy, which is hard to believe for a pillar, and takes his last breath.
Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Pillar, who became a shield for his juniors, believed in them, and entrusted his hopes to the next generation, was a model for the pillars and also a person who had a great influence on Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu.
Rengoku Kyojuro dies
Rengoku's death was immediately communicated to the Lord and the pillars. Since everyone recognized Rengoku's strength, his death was not easily accepted.
However, Lord Oyakata praised Rengoku for fulfilling his duties and not letting any of the 200 passengers die, saying, "You did a great job, you're an amazing boy." Rengoku must be happy in heaven to receive praise from Lord Oyakata, who swore loyalty to him.
Also, Tanjiro and the other three realized their own weaknesses after Rengoku's death and began to work hard to become stronger.
Is it an exaggeration to say he is the main character? ! Who is Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Pillar? Summary
What did you think?
Rengoku Kyojuro is a man of strong character and a pillar of concern for his juniors, which is something you would never imagine from his initial appearance or the way he speaks! I think your impression of Rengoku will change 180 degrees before and after watching "The Mugen Train Arc."
If you had someone like that nearby, you'd want to call him "big brother." Unfortunately, Rengoku died in the "Mugen Train Arc" and we don't see him again, but I'm sure Tanjiro and the others will carry on the hope he entrusted to them.
It will also be interesting to see how Rengoku's Flame Breathing techniques will be animated in the movie!!
