Who wrote Demon Slayer?

Demon Slayer is one of the most popular anime shows and manga in the world. But who is the incredible mangaka behind it?

Tanjiro’s engrossing storyline and the stunning visuals have long established Demon Slayer as one of the new Big Three in modern anime.

First serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine back in February 2016, the Demon Slayer manga was always popular. But its fanbase enjoyed exponential growth since the anime show debuted.

However, not much is known about the author behind it. So, if you’re curious. Here is everything we know about the person who wrote Demon Slayer.

Who wrote Demon Slayer?

Demon Slayer is written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. This is a pen name for the creator, who’s maintained anonymity for years.

Without any known social media and hidden behind an adorable crocodile avatar, everything else we know about the enigmatic artist has been pieced together by clues.

What is Demon Slayer about?

Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer follows the journey of Kamado Tanjiro. Transforming from a happy-go-lucky charcoal seller to a serious young man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, he embarks on a quest to avenge his family following their brutal murder by a demon. With his younger sister Nezuko as the sole survivor, Tanjiro confronts the formidable task of defeating the demon Muzan Kibutsuji and preventing her transformation into a demon before it’s too late.

Who is Koyoharu Gotouge?

Writing under the pen name Koyoharu Gotouge, the manga artist behind Demon Slayer hails from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and is currently 34 years old.

Situated on the mountainous island of Kyushu, which boats a huge population and forms one of Japan’s main industrial centers, the mangaka’s home couldn’t be further from Demon Slayer’s setting – which includes many real-life locations surrounding Tokyo.

The author uses a pen name to maintain anonymity, which is quite common in the manga and anime world. Although they haven’t chosen to reveal their face, instead opting to present themselves with an avatar of an alligator wearing glasses, we do have some hidden clues about their identity.

Koyoharu Gotouge’s career

In 2013, at the 70th Jump Treasure Newcomer Manga Awards, Koyoharu Gotoge’s 45-page one-shot manga, Kagarigari, granted enthusiasts of the medium their initial glimpse into the realm of Demon-Slaying.

Over the subsequent years, Gotoge unfolded a series of one-shot shonen manga, such as Rokkotsu-san and Haeniwa no Zigzag. However, it was in 2016 that the landscape of manga was forever altered when Gotoge began Kimetsu no Yaiba. This groundbreaking series, loosely based on the earlier Kagarigari, burgeoned into the formidable Demon Slayer franchise.

Is Koyoharu Gotouge a woman?

The author has intentionally chosen not to disclose their gender identity, opting for gender-neutral pronouns either as a personal preference or to maintain anonymity. However, this decision hasn’t prevented fans from speculating.

Given the mangaka’s preference for they/them pronouns, many widely acknowledge that they may identify as non-binary. However, in recent years, speculation has arisen among fans that Koyoharu Gotouge is a woman.

Why? Well, this speculation stems from an incident during the 2019 Madfest’s Demon Slayer panel in Perth, Australia, where the anime staff referred to the mangaka as “Kanojo,” a Japanese term meaning “she.” Some fans believe that this confirms another clue about Koyoharu Gotouge’s identity. However, it’s essential to note that gendered pronouns are not commonly used in Japanese. Therefore, the use of “Kanojo” may not mean anything at all.

A further leak from an Weekly Shonen Jump employee also claims that the author is a woman. However, in the absence of an official statement from the mangaka themselves, there is no definitive way to confirm Koyoharu Gotouge’s identity or how they choose to identify.

Koyoharu Gotouge’s inspirations for Demon Slayer

Known for its unique and award-winning art style, Kohei Ohnishi, an editor at WSJ has said that Koyoharu Gotouge’s “serious nature, honesty and strong sense of responsibility” shines through the series pages. Especially as seen in the main protagonist Kamado Tanjiro.

In a long-forgotten interview from 2016, Gotoge also revealed their top 3 manga that inspired Demon Slayer. Which provides further insight into their very private personality.

“There are too many [manga] to count,” said Gotoge, “But if I had to choose the top three, they’d be Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Naruto and Bleach.”

Gotoge also revealed that Bleach’s Gotei 13, which is the military branch of the Soul Society, inspired the mysterious Demon Slayer Corps.

Following in the footsteps of these three Shonen Jump classics, Koyoharu Gotoge’s Kimetsu no Yaiba has become one of the greatest Shonen series ever. And Koyoharu Gotoge has cemented themselves as one of the anime and manga industry’s biggest mysteries.

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