Hi!! I want to say I really love your analysis, and I was curious about your interpretation of one: it’s very obvious that Tanjirou affected Genya’s character deeply, but I’ve never seen someone go into how deeply he affected his character, from breaking Genya’s arm to being one of Genya’s closest friend. So on an analytical level, how do you Tanjirou played his role in Genya’s life? And do you think Tanjirou and Genya are supposed to mirror Masachika and Sanemi?
You're so so kind! Thank you so much! I do these analyses for fun so it's always so inspiring to see that people like them! And I suppose this is the part where I admit I am a bit biased here: Genya and Tanjirou's dynamic is one of my favorites in the show!
So, to start, let's go back to the very first meeting.
Tanjirou's very first impression of Genya, even before he punches Kanata, is that he is one of five (four that he can see) survivors out of potentially dozens who went in. He is dirty, demanding, and angry and willing to hit a child to get what he wants.
Tanjirou does what he thinks is best at the moment to intervene; he grabs Genya's arm and warns him in very plain words that if he does not let go he will break Genya's arm. Genya does not take his threat at face value and challenges him to do it, leading to, surprise! A broken arm.
What's interesting is, though clearly pissed, Genya does back down. Tanjirou's violence achieves its short-term goal. As for the effect it has on Genya. Well, the next time he sees Genya is at the end of the season.
My boy is feeling petty, going out of his way to bump Tanjirou in the hallway. This scene is mostly a nice bit of setting up the foreshadowing for Genya's ability with his new build and scent. Though I would like to pay special attention to Tanjirou noticing Genya's scent as I do have a theory there.
Now we get a better look into how Genya feels about Tanjirou in SSV proper, starting with the bath scene.
I'd just like to say, I don't blame Genya one bit for dunking Tanjirou in the bath. First, this boy breaks your arm and then he comes acting all buddy-buddy, yelling your personal business, and stripping naked in front of you? Calling you by your first name like your friends? Genya already wants nothing to do with Tanjirou and he definitely doesn't want to answer any of his questions, much less have him naked and in his personal space.
Genya is actually fairly tolerant of Tanjirou all things considered. It's implied Tanjirou broke into his room with a bowl of rice crackers, sat there, and told him the entire Kotetsu story from start to finish before Genya yelled at him to go away. At which point Genya points out that they can't be friends because Tanjirou broke his arm, showing Genya has no desire to interact with someone he views as just a source of pain.
When Tanjirou tells Genya it was his own fault, he, interestingly, doesn't deny it, implying that Genya does agree that he deserved it. So, Genya knows he brought that upon himself but he still doesn't want to be around Tanjirou, likely because he has a history with people that react with violence.
Instead of denying that he deserved it, he protests Tanjirou using his first name. Tanjirou tries once again to entice Genya into being his friend with rice crackers at which point Genya has had enough and tells him to get lost. This is when Tanjirou notices his teeth and the conversation shifts.
I do find Genya's avoidance here to be fascinating because, in my opinion, it's more evidence that he's ashamed of his ability. He tries to tell Tanjirou he's imagining things, but of course, Tanjirou being the little weirdo he is, has the tooth. He hits Genya's threshold of tolerance and gets kicked out.
The very next scene we have Tanjirou saying this: "You like him, too, Nezuko? ... I'd like to get closer to Genya."
Which brings me to my question. Why does Tanjirou like Genya?
He says it himself when he asks "I wonder why Genya's so mad all the time?" Genya is very angry, especially around Tanjirou and their first impression wasn't exactly a good one.
This brings me back to that theory I mentioned with Genya's scent. Now, this is pure speculation and headcanon, but, we know that kindness and gentleness can be heard and smelled in the demon slayer universe.
What if, the reason Tanjirou gets attached to Genya so quickly is because he can smell his underlying gentle nature?
At the end of the day, this is just a theory I had, it's never explicitly stated why Tanjirou takes such a deep interest in Genya.
We see Genya next in the heat of battle when he saves Tanjirou from being electrocuted and shoots the heads off of Sekido and Karaku. We have Genya having his moment with Aizetsu and then the next time we see him...
Tanjirou notes that he does look like a demon but never once does he outright call Genya a demon, even feeling secure enough to turn his back on him to go help Nezuko. This is most likely due to his scent once again. Genya probably doesn't smell exactly like a demon so Tanjirou can at least tell he's still human even if he looks "like that."
We have the infamous choking scene that shows the first shift in how Genya views Tanjirou. When Tanjirou supports Genya's goal of becoming a Hashira unconditionally. Genya thinks it's a ruse at first, but can't resist the genuine innocence in Tanjirou's eyes.
And then he follows through. Genya points out he has to be the one to behead the upper rank to get the Hashira position, so despite it being much easier for Tanjirou to just find the demon directly, he decides to give Genya the chance to do it instead and relays where to find the demon. He redirects everyone to help to support Genya in cutting off the fifth demon's head.
He saves Genya again the moment before his head is about to be caved in, telling him not to give in and promising that he'll protect him. When Genya sees Aizetsu coming for Tanjirou, it's in that moment where he accepts his role in the fight.
He's the one that's better suited to doing the protecting while Tanjirou goes on the offensive. This is the moment when Genya really accepts that Tanjirou wants only the best and that it's up to him to put his feelings aside for the greater good as well. From that point on, Genya becomes a much more cooperative player on the battlefield, actively warning and protecting Tanjirou whenever he gets the chance.
From helping save Mitsuri to directly prying the demon's arms off of Tanjirou's head. He actively looks to Tanjirou for direction. He tries to get down the cliff and help Nezuko during the sun-conquering scene.
And then of course, we have this moment of acceptance, where, despite Tanjirou having everything Genya could ever want, (family, power, etc) he's still happy for him.
And then we have another pivotal moment for Genya; the confrontation with Sanemi. By this point, Tanjirou is fully rooting for Genya, even putting aside his dislike of Sanemi in wanting to see the brothers reconcile. When things get violent, Tanjirou dives between them, saving Genya.
He not only asserts that Sanemi has no right to interfere in Genya's life if he won't even claim him as his brother but has this to say about Genya: "Without Genya, we couldn't have defeated that upper rank!"
It's then that Genya's eyes widen with a realization: That to Tanjirou, he's worth something. Not just inherently as a person, but as a comrade.
The next time we see Genya is at the stone estate when Tanjirou is trying to push the boulder. Right away, you can tell this interaction is almost a 180 from the interactions Genya had with Tanjirou during the beginning of SSV.
Right away we hear that Tanjirou has been trying to get in contact with Genya after the incident (possibly adding Genya to his long list of pen pals?) and Genya explains he's been on lockdown (it's called being grounded, baby).
One of the first things Genya does is apologize and thank Tanjirou (which Tanjirou bashfully brushes off. He really doesn't get thanked for his actions enough). From there they have... a normal conversation. Genya lightly teases Himejima by making fun of him saying "namu namu" and his teaching being bad, he offers to lend Tanjirou one of his mirrors and teaches Tanjirou how to use repetitive motion. It goes from sunset to twilight, implying they sat there and talked for at least an hour.
For their goodbyes, Genya warns Tanjirou not to overdo it and then says that Tanjirou isn't the kind of guy to listen anyway, meaning he's already sussed Tanjirou out. I find his concern here to be sweet, as it shows that he really does regard Tanjirou as his friend at this point.
Genya even offers to help Tanjirou cook! While they're cooking, Genya asks what gets Tanjirou worked up and his almost immediate concern when Tanjirou looks even a little sad is so sweet to see. After which he expresses that if anyone can do it, he thinks Tanjirou can, showing he has an honest belief in his abilities.
After Tanjirou moves his boulder, he shares another meal with Genya (and Inosuke) where Tanjirou reassures Genya that Shinobu is likely concerned about his health, Tanjirou also takes his side in the little scuffle between Genya and Inosuke. This scene is important because it's where in canon he reveals that Sanemi had never hated Genya.
In the light novels we see that helping the brothers reconcile has fully become one of Tanjirou's main goals by this line: "Now Tanjirou was further away than ever from mediating a reconciliation between Genya and his brother."
Finally, we reach the Infinity Castle arc. Where Genya takes direct inspiration from Tanjirou to keep on fighting.
He thinks of Tanjirou, and looks to him for inspiration when he can't force himself to move, and it is in that moment, when he remembers how Tanjirou considered him a genuinely valuable ally, that he finds it.
When the crow delivers the news of Muichirou and Genya's deaths, Tanjirou weeps. He is one of the people seen pushing Tanjirou up when he becomes a demon and is one of the people he sees going to the afterlife.
Tanjirou played an incredibly crucial part to Genya's character arc, but Genya was also important to Tanjirou as well.
Tanjirou is Genya's first genuine friend and the first person to believe in Genya's capabilities as an equal. He humanizes Genya and helps bring back his gentle nature.
As for whether Genya and Tanjirou are meant to be a parallel to Sanemi and Masachika, in many ways, yes.
Masachika also served as Sanemi's first friend and was the one to humanize him. He saw Sanemi as a valuable ally back when he was just "some stupid kid" hunting demons without a Nichirin sword.
All in all, I absolutely adore the dynamic between Genya and Tanjirou, to the point where I will admit I do ship the two to an extent. However, I value their platonic bond just as much<3
Thank you so much for the ask again!
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