Are Tanjiro’s Earrings Controversial In Demon Slayer? Why So?

Divesh Solanki
August 20, 2022

Here’s why Tanjiro’s earrings for Demon Slayer sparked controversy and had to be altered for some Asian nations. Demon Slayer is one of the most well-liked anime and manga series currently available, but when it initially aired, a small controversy arose because of the style of the banner-type earrings. The second season of the programme, named the Entertainment District Arc, follows Tanjiro and his team as they go on their next assignment in the notorious neighbourhood that serves as the show’s subtitle in Japan during the Taisho era, where Demon Slayer is set. The adored protagonist still wears the earrings, but not without carrying the burden of the controversy around them.

Modified hanafuda cards that have been handed down through Tanjiro’s family serve as his earrings. The earrings are worn by Tanjuro, Tanjiro’s father, in episode 19 of season 1, “Hinokami.” Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the creator of the Breathing Styles, also wore them. Given that he was childless, it is likely that he donated the earrings to Tanjuro, who then passed them on to Tanjiro. The earrings are inspired by the classic floral designs of Japanese hanafuda playing cards (hanafuda is Japanese for “flower cards”).

However, some have questioned if Tanjiro’s earrings in the Demon Slayer anime resemble something else, such as the Rising Sun, a symbol used by Japan during World War II. As a result, their design was altered in some nations and controversy ensued. Japan joined the Axis during World War II and subjugated other Asian nations like China and the Koreas. Because it conjures up images of the tragic events and war atrocities performed by the Imperial Japanese military, the sign is still divisive in many Asian nations. That ultimately resulted in the designers of Tanjiro’s contentious earrings changing their appearance.

Tanjiro’s hanafuda earrings actually include a symbol resembling the sun because it is the emblem of the Sun Breathing Style fighters, carrying on their lineage. As a result, many characters have recognised Tanjiro’s earrings, including Rengoku’s father Shinjuro, who refers to Tanjiro in the manga as “a practitioner of Sun Breathing.” They are also recognised by Muzan on Tanjiro, when he commands his soldiers to kill the “demon slayer who wears hanafuda earrings” in Season 1 Episode 8 of “The Smell of Enchanting Blood.” In a flashback, it is revealed that Yoriichi, a demon slayer who wore the identical earrings, had come close to defeating Muzan.

Finally, in reaction to the uproar, the anime’s creators changed the earrings’ design for some Asian nations. Among these nations are China and South Korea, whose streaming networks offer an alternative version: instead of a red circle standing above four blue horizontal lines, the circle emits red sunrays. The mountain at the base doesn’t change. The variant design is also on official products in these nations. Despite the unanticipated negative feedback from viewers, Tanjiro’s earrings from Demon Slayer continue to be a potent and inspiring image in the anime’s world.