A chat with the Demon Slayer voice actors about the Switch game

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is an all-new arena brawler from Sega and CyberConnect2, based on the wildly popular Demon Slayer manga and anime. The series has seen its popularity soar since the airing of the anime in 2019, and even more so following the release of its dub starting at the end of 2020, resulting in worldwide gross sales exceeding $9.5 billion USD — more than the Jurassic Park series, if you can believe it. The game initially released on Xbox One, Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5, and Steam back in October last year, and has finally gotten a release on the Switch.

The Hinokami Chronicles follows the story of the anime, up to and including the Mugen Train arc – no spoilers for those still watching the Entertainment District Arc, thankfully – with a full-featured Adventure Mode told through the eyes of series protagonist and eponymous Demon Slayer Tanjiro Kamado. It also features a versus mode, allowing you to step into the shoes of 24 different fighters from the series, online and locally, with the Switch version of the game also giving a bunch of bonuses including character unlocks, character costumes, and a healthy stack of in-game currency.

Perhaps the best part of all about the whole package is that the anime’s voice actors have returned in full to voice the characters in Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles. Two of those voice actors – Zach Aguilar, voice of protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, and Abby Trott, voice of fan-favourite character (and younger sister of Tanjiro) Nezuko Kamado – were kind enough to answer a few questions for us. Enjoy!

It’s always incredibly exciting to see a game like Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles have English dialogue included as an option, especially with a full returning cast. What was your initial reaction to being brought on for the game?

Zach Aguilar: I grew up as a gamer, so I especially love doing video game work. Being able to voice as Tanjiro not only for the anime but for Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is amazing! I remember playing similar games as a kid, so it’s really come full circle for me.

A strong point of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is an abundance of original voice recorded specifically for the game. Could you tell us about your experience revisiting Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in video game form?

Zach: I enjoyed being able to look at past scenes in a different light. Often when we’re recording for anime, it’s fast-paced and we don’t always get a chance to really soak in the scene. I was armed with more knowledge this time, so trying to revisit and change up my performance a little was a great opportunity.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is an emotionally challenging series to experience, even as a fan! Are there any scenes in the game that you found particularly challenging as a performer?

Zach: Out of all of Tanjiro’s scenes, I find his scenes with his family the most difficult on an emotional level. It’s what I can relate to the most, despite being an only child. My family is important to me, so the crushing feelings that happen in these scenes hit home to think about.

As emotional as the series can be, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles can become incredibly funny. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles makes sure to include all the unique humour that fans enjoy. Are there any comedy scenes in the game you found particularly enjoyable?

Zach: There’s this one meme of Tanjiro’s face in a disgusted look, I really love it. We recorded that scene where he makes that face again in the game, and it’s just great. He’s looking down at Zenitsu with this absolutely hilarious grimace. Amazing.

Abby, could you tell us about the unique challenge of playing a character like Nezuko who largely expresses her emotions through simple grunts instead of speech?

Abby Trott: When voicing Nezuko, I try to think about what she would be saying if she was using words to communicate. The intention is still there, even if the words aren’t used!

Finally, could you tell us what you enjoyed the most about voice acting on the game?

Abby: Recording the Kimetsu Academy Nezuko was super fun – instead of her classic bamboo, Nezuko has a baguette in her mouth, and the team got a kick out of all the munching noises Nezuko made. We couldn’t stop laughing at some of the attacking noises!

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is available now for the Nintendo Switch, and you can score yourself a great deal with our mini bargain roundup below.

• Nintendo Switch eShop – $99.95 – Link
• Big W – $79 – Link
• JB Hi-Fi – $89 – Link
• The Gamesmen – $89.95 – Link
• Amazon.com.au – $89 – Link (affiliate)

This interview would not have been possible without the fantastic work of Patrick O’Loghlen (also known as Seibaa on twitter), who was the brains behind all of these questions and many more that unfortunately were not able to make the cut.

If you liked this interview and want to see more of their work, please follow them on twitter at @SeibaaHomu, or check out their personal blog by clicking on this big link here.

Non binary writer putting 4 years of journalistic studies at uni into freelance writing about anime and games. Will not stop until at least one Yakuza game is on the Switch.