BOOK REVIEW | Bringing Color to the World of "Demon Slayer"
Coloring books are no longer just for the children to enjoy. In the last ten years, the popularity of adult coloring books has skyrocketed, as many people way past their time in elementary school still find joy in such a hobby. Naturally, many forms of entertainment geared towards an older audience have crafted their own coloring books. This leads me to Demon Slayer: The Official Coloring Book, which is curated by original manga author Koyoharu Gotouge.
The collection of over seventy pictures are pulled from both the original Demon Slayer manga and promotional items. They range from the most action-packed scenes from the manga to even the more quieter moments. As such, the more complex a scene is, the more difficult it is to try. Fortunately, Gotouge herself gives her fans some tips right in the introduction, as even she has some trouble with coloring from time-to-time.
One question a person may ask is, why a coloring book? Isn’t the manga already in black-and-white? Couldn’t we just color in our volumes? Well, you could, but thanks to the size of the drawings in the coloring book, the task of bringing the brightness to Tanjiro and Nezuko’s world is a little bit easier. (Plus, I’m very certain most of you would try your damndest not to ruin any copy of Demon Slayer you own with your attempt to color it in!)
From a drawing perspective, these pictures from Demon Slayer are the right kind for a coloring experience. There are plenty of starting and finishing points for one to measure the amount of color they can put into one’s clothing, sword, and scenery. Plus, many fan favorite characters are on display for people to give their own colorful twists of certain attire and the like. Whether you want to make Inosuke’s boar head purple or give Zenitsu a color that doesn’t match his personality, it’s all up to you!
These drawings are also simple enough for younger fans of Demon Slayer to get in on the fun. The color spaces aren’t at all complicated, giving kids less of a hassle to keep things within the lines. But even if they want to go hog-wild with the coloring, one needn’t stop them from enjoying themselves. After all, why spoil the fun by being picky with the way someone joyfully colors?
Demon Slayer: The Official Coloring Book is a terrific way to let kids and adults get creative with their favorite characters. The drawings are easy enough for even the biggest novice not to mess up. However, even if someone were to not follow the rules of coloring, ruining their fun would be a lot worse! I mean, do you think Inosuke would color within the lines? Are you going to tell him do it properly? I didn’t think so.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by David Olsen of VIZ Media. In stores April 5!
