This Genre-Defining Historical Fantasy Anime Just Became Harder to Watch

In the U.S., Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō is no longer on Crunchyroll and is now essentially a HIDIVE-only paywall (per JustWatch), which means viewers who aren’t already subscribed face a trial or another monthly fee before they can start Episode 1.

That shift is unfortunate for a show widely praised as one of the best fantasy anime of the past year, since it’s exactly the kind of series many would click on out of curiosity and then keep watching for its atmosphere and mood. Adapted from the long-running light novel series by Moto'o Nakanishi and manga artist Yu Satomi, the anime premiered in March this year and unfolds as a contemplative journey across time.

It begins in an Edo-period mountain village where Jinta, raised to defend the local shrine, and Suzune, a mysterious girl with a cursed crimson demon eye, confront a prophecy about a Demon God that will appear in the distant future.

United States

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