How Did Nezuko And Zenitsu [Greatm8] First Meet?

Question

I'm rewatching Demon Slayer's Entertainment District arc and suddenly forgot how these two characters initially came across each other's path. Trying to pinpoint the exact early episode or manga chapter for a friend.

Zahira · Answer

I first met Zenitsu when he ran away from a demon and found the box containing Nezuko in it. He was so frightened that he thought Nezuko was another demon. It was a chaotic first encounter, just like Zenitsu. If you like stories with tense first meetings that can eventually develop, you might like ‘Mated To The Enemy Zareth’ too. The story begins with a human woman who is bound by a political pact to a ruthless lycan king. The two are extremely hostile to each other at first, but as external threats start to appear, they are forced to rely on each other and the two start to develop a complex relationship.

Brynn · Answer

This scene still makes me smile. Zenitsu is retold in the ‘greatm8’ version of the ‘Demon Slayer’ story, in a more lighthearted and even goofy manner than usual. Here he is introduced as a barely awake recruit, wandering around from shrine to teahouse. In this version of the first meeting with Tanjiro, it isn’t a dramatic battle scene. Instead it takes place under a low eave on a rainy night. Tanjiro has just arrived, and after opening up a box to check on his sleeping sister, he is almost immediately to fall asleep himself. The scene is lighthearted and comical.

So that’s how Zenitsu introduced himself to Tanjiro in this ‘greatm8’ retelling of the first meeting between the two. He stammers out some form of apology to a sleeping demon as he babbles excitedly about how he’s going to protect this guy, and how Tanjiro is going to be so grateful to him for saving his life. In the end though it’s all just a goofy awkward crush, and he can only apologize as he begins to fall over his knees. Throughout his outburst of honor the smiling Nezuko somehow reaches up to gently pat Zenitsu’s head, sending the little ninja into hysteria. I still smile whenever I remember the scene of that wet night, creaking open the little wooden box to find sleepy-time Neuko and being whisked away by a wild eyed but honorable young half-pint named Zenitsu, in all his sleepless, jangly pride.

Ian · Answer

There's something endearing about the first contact between Tanjiro and his new 'greatm8' in this spin. He opens a box left on a quiet lane after rain, finds a sleepy Nezuko inside the box and, before he knows it, the nervous office worker Zenitsu who's been hanging around on the other side of the street suddenly melts into a puddle of emotions. Hyperbole is expressed via flailing arms and the fear which usually grips him inescapably is redirected to protect this fragile thing.

What I like about this first contact with Nezuko is how she responds to him - not with hatred or aggression, but with a sort of childlike wonder. Her look and her actions are quietly strong, and disarm the frightened character completely. Instead of another fearful person, Zenitsu finds a constant and steady influence in her, despite her strange and sparkless state. And this quiet little character is fascinating in and of himself. The mix of loud hearted Zenitsu and calm, peaceful Nezuko is wonderful and sweet. It's so cool how they can be, and it makes me smile every time I think of this scene.

Aiden · Answer

It’s nice to see their first encounter reworked a bit from the ‘greatm8’ angle. Impulse to assist collides with impulse to flee in this very interesting way. Initially perturbed Zenitsu arrives at the scene in an overwrought state whilst Tanjiro is trundling about with a very mysterious package under his arm. The appearance of Nezuko’s face causes a sudden silence – and something of surprise. And then Zenitsu’ sort of ridiculously endearing rush of over zealously offered assistance.

Instead of playing the first encounter between Zenitsu and Nezuko off as funny, ‘greatm8’ focuses on the little sweet moments. You see the way Nezuko’s eyelids are fluttering, Tanjiro’s little protective stance, and Zenitsu’s hapless attempts to be of assistance. There’s plenty of fear there, but even while his brain is screaming ‘run away’ he comes to the realization that he wants to protect her. This contrast between his fear and his desire to protect her becomes a huge part of his development as a character. The way he stumbles through acts of courage when it comes to Nezuko makes for really sincere moments and sets up for how hilariously awkward and sweet their interactions will be. I really love this.

Grace Baronda · Answer

My dream alternate universe is the one where Zenitsu opens the box and finds a full-grown Nezuko, with eyes wide open and a sharp craving for some human flesh. Such an encounter would have brought that unfortunate confrontation to a swift end, in all probability a somber and serious story. As it was, little, asleep Nezuko managed to awaken a deep-seated urge to protect her undeceased brother, and the unlucky protagonist found himself ideally suited as the series’ comic relief partner. Some stories just have to rely on the good fortune of their characters, and it must have been pure chance for Zenitsu.

Bernard III Gabalfin · Answer

It’s also interesting to compare this to Tanjiro’s first meetings with other characters. The serious encounter with Giyu was a life-or-death one, while the encounter with Inosuke was a violent one. However, with Nezuko, the encounter is pure slapstick. So, it makes their relationship a bit unique. It lets the audience know that whatever bond is formed between Zenitsu and Nezuko, it won’t be some typical shonen rivalry or partnership. Instead, it will be something even stranger and funnier. The rest of the series more or less sticks to this tonal benchmark, sometimes going back to the tragedy of Tanjiro’s family, while at other times being absurd such as when Zenitsu professes his love at first sight. Whatever the case, it all works because each moment is true to the character experiencing it. Zenitsu is a man of extreme emotions, after all. Thus, the first encounter between him and a main character would necessarily be an extreme emotional swing.

Sandy Powers · Answer

This scene showcases ‘Demon Slayer’ at its most absurd. It comes on the back of a serious arc that was all about how the characters managed to survive and their resultant grief. Thus this scene acts as a gateway scene to the rest of the series and tells us that the tone will shift very quickly and often to a comedic one, and then straight back to scenes of great tragedy. That this boy is in love with a boxed up demon is quite okay with me and I know that the rest of the tonal shifts are going to be just as strange. And, in this scene, it works so well for this series and this message that it will make you cry but it will also make you laugh at the Yellow Haired Boy’s proposal to asleep little child demon.

Monique Terrebonne · Answer

I imagine Nezuko opening her eyes in her little box to find herself being carried by her brother, in a safe place. The box opens up. It is light out. But because it is shaded it is fine for her. A strange face with blonde hair and red eyes looks into the box of Nezuko. The man looks frightened, then shocked, and then he looks goofy. He begins to ramble on about how he wants to marry her. She’s too tired to even care about whatever it is that he is saying. When she finally wakes up from her nap later, she’ll probably think back to that first impression that this loud man made upon her and think ‘Oh, yes. That’s the guy who proposed to me while I was asleep. He seems rather intense.’ And so she treats him with mild annoyance or complete indifference. He has done nothing but reinforce her first impression of him.

Bec Ky · Answer

That scene really highlights the voice actor of Zenitsu. His voice cracks with fear and then suddenly shifts to lovesick desire. You can basically feel his brain changing in that instant, and that’s not a slow progression. Rather, it’s a hard cut from one extreme to another, and that whiplash is really the comedic highlight of the scene rather than the animation itself. In order to bring that to life in a voice act, it’s a big challenge, but Zenitsu does it well. It’s loud and weird, and because of that, it somehow becomes charming. This is why it’s one of the more memorable scenes from the anime, I suppose.

Hana Angela Young · Answer

What I find most amusing is his audacity. Not only does he think she’s cute, but before he can even develop feelings for her he’s married her and they have children. He’s grown old with her, too. He’s managed to fit the entire life of a relationship into the span of time it takes her to open her eyes. It’s funny because it’s so complete and overpowering in its over-the-top-ness that it’s sort of cute. We first meet our heroine in the final act of Zenitsu’s delusional world. They meet for the first time as he’s staring at her sleeping form, planning out the rest of their lives together. The two of them are going to grow old together, and it’s going to be great. It’s very Zenitsu.

How Did Nezuko And Zenitsu [Greatm8] First Meet?

10 Answers

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