Entertainment

Hulu’s 24-Episode Fantasy Anime Is the Perfect ‘Demon Slayer’ Replacement

Nairavoice · Oct 25, 2026 · 5 min read

If Demon Slayer has left you looking for another historical fantasy with demons, swordplay, and emotional stakes, there is a 24-episode anime worth discovering. Unlike the spectacle-driven battles of its better-known counterpart, this 2025 series builds its mystery across generations, turning one warrior’s duty into a meditation on grief and time. And with the complete season listed on Hulu in the U.S., it makes for an intriguing next watch.

It’s a shame, too, because Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō is exactly the kind of series people would normally click on out of curiosity and then keep going because the mood is so strong. It might seem like another period-based demon-hunting anime set against a familiar feudal backdrop, but to write it off as a simple genre sibling to Ufotable’s darling would be a disservice to its layered storytelling and thematic maturity. Where Demon Slayer dazzles with kinetic swordplay and heartfelt characters, Moto’o Nakanishi’s story plays the long game, stretching the tale across multiple eras and rooting its drama in silence, memory, and the toll of duty.

In ‘Sword of the Demon Hunter,’ a Lone Warrior Hunts a Demon in Feudal Japan

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    Image via Sentai Filmworks</figure>

Adapted from the long-running light novel series by Nakanishi and manga artist Yu Satomi, Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō anime premiered on March 31, 2025, with an extended first episode, offering Demon Slayer fans a different kind of demon-hunting saga. It’s a contemplative journey across time, distinctly exploring fate and honor.

Set initially during Japan’s Edo period, the anime centers on the secluded mountain village of Kadono, where Jinta (Taku Yashiro), an orphan raised by the local shrine maiden, lives. Jinta was taken in and raised with a clear purpose: to defend the shrine and its spiritual balance. Alongside him is Suzune (Reina Ueda), a mysterious girl bearing a crimson demon’s eye and a connection to supernatural forces beyond her control. The peace of Kadono is disturbed when Jinta is forced to confront a feral demon in the nearby forest. The demon warns him of the arrival of a far greater evil: a Demon God that will emerge not in the present, but in the distant future.

From that moment forward, the story transforms into something darker, an epic myth. As Jinta’s life becomes intertwined with a centuries-spanning prophecy, he is granted an unnatural longevity, living through the Meiji, Taisho, Showa, and Heisei eras—watching the world modernize and unravel while carrying out his endless duty as a demon hunter. He becomes a man out of time, unable to age, unable to rest, clinging to his identity as protector even as his purpose becomes harder to define.

What unfolds is a layered, intergenerational story. Each time introduces new conflicts, evolving forms of demonic threats, and shifts in culture that test Jinta’s morality and worldview. Through these arcs, the anime examines how myth adapts to modernity and how ancient curses bleed into the present. This narrative sprawl is part of what gives Kijin Gentōshō its unique allure. The series is deeply invested in the consequences of its characters’ choices, leaning away from just spectacle.

Jinta is not a heroic figure; he’s a vessel of sorrow, someone whose duty isolates him even as it defines his purpose. His relationships, particularly with his adoptive sister Suzune and the shrine maiden Shirayuki (Saori Hayami), are shaped by silence. Demon Slayer fans will recognize echoes of Tanjiro and Nezuko’s bond, though here the emotional stakes feel more reflective than reactive.

‘Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō’ Is a Slow-Burning Psychological Fantasy

Image via Sentai Filmworks

Image via HI-DIVE

Image via Sentai Filmworks

Image via HI-DIVE

Image via Sentai Filmworks

While Demon Slayer is often praised for giving demons tragic backstories and exploring the blurred lines between good and evil, Kijin Gentōshō dives even deeper into ambiguity. The demons Jinta faces are not always the villains, and those who claim to protect humanity are not always righteous. Even Suzune, seemingly innocent and childlike, carries a cursed demon eye that connects her to a lineage of destruction she cannot escape. Her presence destabilizes any notion of clear-cut morality, casting doubt on her future and the very nature of power in their mythic world.

Visually, the anime’s emotional pull is matched by the studio’s painterly animation style. Yokohama Animation Laboratory brings this world to life with elegance and atmosphere. The series’ aesthetic reflects the themes of timelessness, isolation, and the lingering presence of spirits. Sword of the Demon Hunter‘s roots lie in its source material. Author Moto’ō Nakanishi utilizes the passage of time as a plot device, revealing how Jinta’s burden evolves with each generation. Each era adds a fresh layer to the story. When we reach the modern day, the sense of unease only grows stronger. The demons Jinta once battled in the shadows now begin to manifest in existential ways.

What makes Kijin Gentōshō even more intriguing is that, while it features swordplay, curses, and supernatural drama, these are never the central attraction. The show prioritizes what comes after the fight: the loneliness of living a life bound by prophecy. The first extended episode, “Demons and Humans”, sets this tone clearly, taking its time to establish atmosphere, character depth, and a creeping sense of unease. Across its 24 episodes, Kijin Gentōshō unravels like a slow-burning mystery built on ever-deepening lore. For fans of historical fantasy and character-driven anime, Sword of the Demon Hunter is a rare gem, blending tragedy and haunting adventures across time.

Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō is available to stream on Hulu and HIDIVE in the U.S.