Demon Slayer Gets Stage Adaptation, Stream On Crunchyroll

As of June 21, Crunchyroll now has a way for fans to watch the Demon Slayer stage performance. Called Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Stage, the performance brings the beloved characters to life as a stage play. 

The Demon Slayer play first ran in 2020, with a second part airing in 2021 in Tokyo and for a limited period in Osaka. As of early 2024, there have been four stage play adaptations of the popular manga and anime created.

There is also a more traditional style of stage play of Demon Slayer, known as Noh-Kyōgen, which is a type of play that focuses on song, dance, and comedy. 

The fourth stage play brings the story all the way through Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District arc, putting it just a little behind the anime.

However, on Crunchyroll, only the first part is available. It’s just under two-and-a-half hours in length and covers episodes 1-10 of the anime, and chapters 1-19 of the manga, up to the Asakusa arc. 

Though this version of Demon Slayer is technically live-action, which often gets very bad reviews, the stage production has earned positive reviews.

In part, this is because the stage play isn’t meant to be an exact reproduction of the story, but with real people. Instead, it’s aiming to make the story a musical performance. 

Another reason the Demon Slayer stage adaptation is so popular is because of how much effort was put into the performances. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Stage has received quite a bit of praise due to the musical numbers, visuals, and projections. 

Another reason why the stage play was so impressive was due to the tight choreography, especially for the fight scenes.

According to Anime News Network during an interview with several of the actors, Hiroshi Yazaki, who plays Rengoku in the series of stage plays, says that all actors needed to have experience in martial arts or dance choreography. There were many practice sessions as well, and it was still incredibly challenging to nail the scenes. 

Some of the notable actors in the Demon Slayer play include Ryota Kobayashi as Tanjiro, Akai Takaishi as Nezuko, Keisuke Ueda as Zenitsu, Yugo Sato as Inosuke, and Reo Honda as Giyu. 

While the stage play has pretty positive reviews, not everyone likes it, based on the reviews on Crunchyroll so far. While it was a hit in Japan, global audience members weren’t so sure.

The performance was good, but the Demon Slayer anime earned much of its attention because of its stunning animation. Without this, there’s some worry that the play isn’t good enough to stand on its own. 

Stage plays of popular anime are very common in Japan. Death Note, Ouran High School Host Club, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, and Hunter X Hunter are some examples of anime that have been given stage play adaptations.

However, rarely do these adaptations get released in other countries or even subtitled, so having Demon Slayer’s stage play not only get official subtitles but be easily available on Crunchyroll could signal stage plays soon becoming more available to global fans. 

Not only is Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Stage on Crunchyroll but so is the animated version of Demon Slayer, including the newest Hashira Training arc.