With its breathtaking visuals, epic battle sequences, engaging storyline, and lovable characters, it's no surprise that Demon Slayer has been crowned as one of the best anime to have graced our screens in recent years. Titles are easily bestowed, though, so let's talk facts. Since its release, Demon Slayer has topped anime watch lists, dethroned long-standing record holder Spirited Away to become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time (and it was also the highest-grossing film of 2020), and took over New York City's Times Square to celebrate the highly anticipated conclusion to the Swordsmith Village arc.
To put it simply, Demon Slayer is a global success. It's a game-changer for the anime industry and a testament to the wonderfully rich and layered story of Demon Slayer. From the very first episode, it's impossible not to become emotionally invested in Tanjiro Kamado's quest to restore his sister's humanity after a deadly attack results in her being turned into a demon.
Now, three seasons in, Tanjiro has grown into a skilled fighter alongside his friends and fellow Demon Slayers, Inosuke and Zenitsu. The latest arc sees Tanjiro and Nezuko journey to Swordsmith Village to obtain a new sword — but, of course, while things seem peaceful at the start, all hell breaks loose when two upper-rank demons attack. Along with Mitsuri Kanroji (the Love Hashira), Muichiro Tokito (the Mist Hashira), and Genya Shinazugawa, Tanjiro engages in an intense battle against the demons where he's forced to make a heartbreaking decision involving Nezuko.
To learn how a masterpiece like Demon Slayer is brought to life, BuzzFeed spoke to the English dub cast — comprised of Zach Aguilar (Tanjiro), Abby Trott (Nezuko), Aleks Le (Zenitsu), and Bryce Papenbrook (Inosuke). From learning about how the cast gets into character to talking about the most impactful scenes they've recorded, here's everything we talked about.
In Demon Slayer, we see the characters experience a multitude of emotions. From the joy Tanjiro receives while training alongside his fellow Demon Slayers to the desperate and raw scream he lets out while beheading Gyutaro, as well as Zenitsu's screams and Inosuke's constant yelling, what's it like recording such expressive and emotional dialogue in the voice recording booth?
Aleks: Since day one of getting this job, I knew what I was in for. Even before my very first session, I had spent hours practicing and figuring out Zenitsu's voice. This may be to a lot of people's surprise, but no matter how crazy I go with Zenitsu's vocal performance, I walk out of the booth pretty much unscathed. Part of that is thanks to the great communication and understanding I have with the recording team over at BangZoom. Plus, after three years of doing it, that level of intensity has pretty much become second nature to me. In some ways, I was very lucky to have such a challenging role to be some of my first real acting work. Working on this project has really taught me so much about myself and expanded my toolset as a voice actor tenfold.
Bryce: Each recording session as Inosuke is definitely a workout. Fortunately, I can maintain his yelling voice for days. Like Inosuke, I've been "training my ass off" for years. My vocal training began when I was teaching martial arts growing up. I would teach multiple classes daily, and constantly yell at my students to motivate them. All that yelling in the gym has really come in handy voicing Inosuke. I also mimic his movements the best I can in front of the microphone. One moment that stands out is during the Entertainment District arc when Inosuke is moving through a small tunnel to find the demon he is chasing. He squirms like a worm, and I did the same wriggling to get that movement in my voice. Inosuke adds insane energy and comedy in some of the darkest moments, and, to me, he is a character that represents the fun I have as a voice actor.
Zach: While I'm in the booth, I usually try to mimic Tanjiro's movements as much as possible without messing up the recording. It's definitely tricky since he's very animated and gives 110% to everything he does. I think that's what makes him so lovable though. I have a lot of fun in the booth, to say the least, haha.
What's been the most unique or interesting direction you've ever received from a director while voicing your character?
Aleks: Despite all the funny scenes that Zenitsu has, it gets pretty serious in the booth when we're tackling his recording. The session gets very precise in terms of pacing and acting. I think that's mostly because I'm so dead focused on trying to get everything right. But the most interesting thing I have heard is from Zach (who voices Tanjiro). He told me that anytime he goes in to record after me, our director tells him, "Aleks was just here. Good lord, bless his soul. It was a battleground." I find it very hilarious, but also heartwarming how much everyone is worried about me after all the intense yelling I have to do (for Zenitsu's lines). It's difficult, but genuinely a lovely time.
Bryce: Steve Staley (the English voice director) and I really have a good time recording on Demon Slayer. I feel like he allows me to really bring out my insane, feral energy for Inosuke. One piece of direction that stands out would be, "Can we get one more with a little less blood in your mouth?" Guess that comes with the territory when you're slaying demons!
Zach: The most interesting direction I've gotten is the first time I performed Tanjiro's "Total Concentration Breathing." The director guided me on how to make an exhale sound like a powerful inhale. The reason is that if I did just an inhale, it would have sounded like I had really bad asthma.
What sort of approach did you take to voicing your character and refining this over each arc?
Abby: We see Nezuko change quite a bit throughout the first few story arcs. While discovering new powers and pushing her abilities to the limit, she also struggles with maintaining control of her demonic side. Throughout the story, however, the common thread is that Nezuko would do anything for her family; we see this when she is taking care of her brothers and sisters as a human, and we see this when she fights by Tanjiro's side as a demon. I would argue that Nezuko is not fearless — she fears for her friends and family's safety. I think this is why she fights. If anything, Nezuko becomes more and more determined and starts to express her opinions a bit more (like her adoration for Mitsuri), and my approach evolves with the character.
Bryce: I discovered two tricks that helped me really hone in on my inner Inosuke and maintain my voice. The first is something I don't usually do before recording: a vocal warm-up. This consists of getting in my car, sitting in traffic, making eye contact with another driver and laughing like Inosuke. The squirming motorists trying to get away from me are icing on the cake to prepping my voice for a day of yelling. The second involves dark, disgusting coffee. I always brew the darkest coffee I can make. The kind that is so bitter it makes you angry. Between each line, I take a sip, and that sets me right in character.
Looking back from the first Demon Slayer arc to now, what's been the most impactful scene you've recorded?
Abby: For me, it has to be Episode 1 when Nezuko first gets turned into a demon. She attacks Tanjiro, and he tries to fend her off with an axe between her fangs, pleading with her to remember who she is. Suddenly, he gets through to her, and she starts to cry. THIS SCENE GETS ME EVERY TIME. It shows how strong their bond truly is and how unique these siblings are.
Aleks: My favorite Zenitsu episode so far has to be Episode 17 when the trio (Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu) embarked on a journey through Mount Natagumo and took on the spider family. We got to see a different side of Zenitsu that we don't get to see often. Watching him be vulnerable and deal with some real human struggles about wanting to belong and protect those you care for was very relatable. His resilience and perseverance under pressure also stood out to me. It was an insightful episode into Zenitsu's backstory — and I'm definitely excited to see more of that in the future.
Bryce: I love how Inosuke has slowly developed a relationship with Monjiro and Monichi, or whatever their names are (Editor's note: This is in reference to a running joke in Demon Slayer where Inosuke struggles to remember Tanjiro's name). But I think the most impactful scene for Inosuke so far was when we see him cry at the end of Mugen Train. It takes a lot for Inosuke to show that kind of emotion, but if he's going to go there, he'll cry harder than everyone else. I tried to give him the ugliest cry I could. It's funny to think this, but I can't wait to find out if there are more ugly tears in his future.
Zach: The most impactful scene I've gotten to record as Tanjiro would be Episode 19 in his fight against Rui. I'll never forget how epic that fight was. We get to see Tanjiro use Hinokami Kagura for the first time and are reminded of how he'll do anything to save Nezuko.
Aleks, I saw that you got to meet Hiro Shimono, the Japanese voice actor for Zenitsu. What was it like meeting your VA counterpart? Did you get any words of wisdom or encouragement that you'll incorporate into your portrayal of Zenitsu?
Aleks: It was incredible! I was visiting Japan for a business trip, and I had no idea I was going to get the chance to see Shimono-san. He surprised me at dinner and was joined by Hanae-san (Tanjiro's Japanese voice actor). We spent the night eating delicious yakiniku, drinking, and talking about anything you could think of. Despite the language barrier, I felt a great connection with Shimono-san. We even watched some of the Zenitsu English clips together and had a blast. I was very happy that I got to tell him how much of an inspiration he was to me and how grateful I was for all of his advice and words of encouragement. We promised each other to learn Japanese/English respectively so that the next time we met up we could communicate more directly without needing so much help from an interpreter. Ultimately, it was an incredible time, and my brain is now filled with even more Zenitsu than ever.
Zach, I saw that you had a similar life-changing moment at the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba to the Swordsmith Village World Tour premiere in LA where you got to meet Tanjiro's voice actor, Natsuki Hanae. What was that experience like?
Zach: Meeting Hanae-san was surreal because I've been a fan of his work for quite a while. He was so kind and genuine! He told me to trust in myself and to portray Tanjiro's emotions in my own way. It was a huge boost of confidence to hear him say that.
Aleks, you've previously talked about your love for Demon Slayer and Zenitsu — and I think the entire world saw your passion on full display when you shared the custom outfit you made for the Swordsmith Village premiere in LA. Can you tell me more about the process of designing your Zenitsu-inspired outfit from scratch?
Aleks: I wanted to do something that paid homage to Demon Slayer's strong ties to Japanese culture. In the show, each character sports a colorful haori with beautiful patterns and designs that are unique to them and their history. I wanted to do something similar but in a more subtle fashion. I chose a black suit so that brighter accents would be able to stand out more without having to take up so much space. I started by putting the kanji for "destroy" on the back of the suit to mirror the black uniforms that each Demon Slayer is given. Then, I researched how lightning and thunder were represented in older Japanese paintings to get inspiration for creating a unique pattern that was reflective of Zenitsu's 'Thunder Breathing' ability. Since it was my first designing and creating an outfit, there was a lot of trial and error when it came to applying those ideas to the actual fabric. Luckily, it all came together, and I was really happy with the result.
Note: Some answers were edited for length and/or clarity.