After passing the last selection week, applicants for the Demon Hunter Corps are measured for uniforms, can choose the ore for their swords, and receive a very valuable companion – a volatile who will serve as a messenger and inform them of their upcoming missions.
However, if you line up these birds, there is one obvious exception among the rows of shiny raven feathers: Chuntaro the sparrowwhich acts as Messenger bird for Agatsuma Zenitsu. But why does Zenitsu get a sparrow as a companion? The answer lies in ancient Japanese folklore.
The use of the messenger crow is good known in Japanese mythology. According to a certain legend A three-legged raven was sent from heaven to the hero Jimmu by the goddess Amaterasu. The three legs represent the attributes of the gods: wisdom, friendliness and courage. This crow – the Yatagarasu – flew to Jimmu and instructed him where to go in the battle from which he emerged victorious.
In Demon Slayer makes use of messenger ravens to guide members of the Demon Hunter Corps where to fight Homage to Yatagarasu. The crow in general is also intended as a protective symbol (not to mention its exceptional sense of direction).
The sparrow, unlike the crow, has a less promising heritage, but that’s exactly why Zenitsu and Chuntaro are a perfect match, as Zenitsu doesn’t initially represent the crow, but it has the potential. He’s introduced as a character who needed saving, so he’s not necessarily wise. However, he is a kind person, and he proves it by protecting Nezuko from Inosuke Hashibara when the two first meet.
Despite this, he often hides behind those weaker than himself, making lengthy speeches about the danger they face. He’s definitely not brave. A Japanese folk tale called “The Story of the Cut-Tongue Sparrow“shows why the sparrow was chosen as a suitable partner for Zenitsu as it matures.
In the story there is an old woodcutter and his greedy wife. One day, the woodcutter finds an injured sparrow and feeds it rice, much to his wife’s dismay (and very fitting considering how Zenitsu feeds Chuntaro). On a day when the man is not there, the sparrow eats starch if the woman does not feed him, like that she cuts off his tongue and throws him out of the house.
When the husband returns, he immediately goes in search of the sparrow and discovers a whole nest and reunites it with the one he saved. The sparrows offer the woodcutter two chests, one big and one small. Humbled and aware of his physical limitations, the lumberjack takes the little box home, only to find it full of treasure.
His wife immediately rushes off to look for the sparrows and takes the big box. I look forward to going home while walking, opens the chest and discovers that it is full of snakes and other horrorscausing her to flinch and fall off a cliff.
While the story has several morals, the most relevant is for Zenitsu is the treasure chest. Unconfident in his abilities, Zenitsu metaphorically chooses the small chest for himself. Though he has only mastered one form of Thunder Breath, his technique is powerful enough to defeat demons strong enough.
She is also, as mentioned, kind – a trait that manifests as her confidence grows and is particularly evident in her standing up for children and asking the demon Daki to apologize for hurting a little girl Has.
In another way, Zenitsu could be seen as the little chest itself – something in which no one but his teacher saw the potential, but in which he found a treasure. The sparrow itself is also a symbol of community, kindness, and happiness, and Chuntaro’s willingness to remain a loyal companion might be just what Zenitsu needs to remind him that he now has support on his journey.
While watching a demon hunter being tormented by a little sparrow certainly adds lightness to a series that can get pretty dark, Zenitsu and Chuntaro are paired for more than comic effect. Chuntaro is a symbol of what Zenitsu believes he is and what he can becomeand that promises great things for the serial coward.
Finally we leave you this creepy female Gyutaro Demon Slayer 2 cosplay and remind you that you can watch Demon Slayer 2 episodes on Crunchyroll.
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