There’s a new Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho trailer out this week, with the anime’s official website pointing out it’s a good chance to check out its official opening theme — Continue by NEE — which plays over the end of this second trailer.
NEE, by the way, was a four-piece Japanese indie band whose singer Qoo (aka Kurama Murakami) died early last year at the age of just 25-years-old. As is often the case in Japan, an often private culture, no cause of death was ever given.
After that tragedy, and understandably so, the remaining band members cancelled all activity, so Continue by NEE is some of the first music we are getting from NEE, now sadly a three-piece band, since then.
2nd Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho trailer
As for the new trailer, we see protagonist Jinta living in an idyllic small village in the Edo period of Japan, while taking care of the people that he loves — shrine maiden Shirayuki who he loves as more than just a protector and friend, and his young sister Suzune.
But, as you might expect when things look too perfect, everything quickly goes wrong as Jinta meets a demon who tells him about the village’s extremely troubling future. A future that quickly arrives, and decimates both the village and Jinta’s life.
A future that, as it turns out, also involves Jinta, as he travels through time for the next 170 years in an effort to avenge the person he lost.
The anime’s website comments on the trailer:
The PV depicts how the fates of Jinta, Suzune, and Shirayuki gradually spiral out of control when a mysterious oni (demon) appears in Kuzuno, speaking of a distant future.
What are the true intentions of the oni approaching Suzune? What are Shirayuki’s true feelings as she confesses to Jinta? And who is the person Jinta holds in his arms as he mutters, “I couldn’t protect a single thing”?
Alongside the lyrics of NEE’s song Continue, keep your eyes on the three of them—Jinta, Suzune, and Shirayuki—as they are swallowed by a fate that is both tender and cruel.
And, man, there are just so many anime heading our way I have been desperately waiting for that it’s beginning to feel like feast not famine for the Spring, 2025 anime season.
But this one has been close to the top of my list since it was announced. How about you?
Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho anime adaptation details
The anime is based on the novel series of the same name written by Motoo Nakanishi and illustrated by Tamaki.
The series has 14 volumes out in Japanese, with eight volumes currently published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, and Volume 9 due out in May.
The American publisher also releases the novels’ manga adaptation.
The Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho anime series is being animated by Yokohama Animation Laboratory (The Witch and the Beast), and directed by Kazuya Aiura (Assassins Pride), with the incredibly prolific Deko Akao (Komi Can’t Communicate) in charge of series composition, and Tarou Ikegami (Legend of Mana -The Teardrop Crystal-) designing the characters.
As you might remember, the fantasy action adventure anime was originally delayed from its intended release of July, 2024 to this year after Yokohama Animation Laboratory began to experience production problems on several of their properties.
Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho is now due to premiere on HIDIVE on March 31st with its first cour, and will have two cours running consecutively.
Can’t wait!
