8Bit/Digi

A Look at the Hit Series From the Main Cast

Following its debut in 2016, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has grown to become one of the highest-grossing franchises selling media. The manga has become one of the top-selling series while the movie has become the highest-grossing anime film of all time. This growth has been made possible thanks to its massive fan base.

Thus; it made sense to bring the main cast to Fan Expo San Francisco.

Total Concentration Breathing! The Demon Slayer Voice Actors Q&A took place in Theater #2 from 2pm to 2:45pm. The panel featured Zach Aguilar (the voice of Tanjiro Kamado) and Abby Trott (the voice of Nezuko Kamado) answering questions asked by the fans. The topics range from favorite moments to their career highlights.  

The Demon Slayer Voice Actors Q&A

During the panel, fans got the chance to ask Zach Aguilar and Abby Trott any question they liked. Some wanted to know more about behind the scenes, others wanted to know more about their careers. Here is a breakdown of some of the memorable questions and answers from the panel: 

The Role of Inosuke Hashibira

Several questions that were asked during the panel would result in becoming a story about working with Bryce Papenbrook and his performance as Inosuke Hashibira. While working with the actor has been positive, the same could not be said about the character itself.

Both Aguilar and Trott are glad they don’t have to voice Inosuke as the performance is taxing on the vocal cords (with all the shouting). Aguilar also mentioned that after working with Papenbrook for some time that Inosuke’s personality gets (in his words) “burn in your brain”. Most notably when going to sleep only to subconsciously be awakened by the shouting of “FIGHT ME!!!”.

Their Least Favorite Demon

When asked about their least favorite demon, both of them agreed that it was Akaza. This is mostly due to his killing Kyojuro Rengoku at the end of Mugen Train. This was also a moment both of them were heartbroken by the scene overall. Aguilar knew it was coming but was still not prepared for it. Trott first saw the moment when watching the movie for the first time and was heartbroken by the moment. 

Auditioning for the Roles

Prior to being casted as Tanjiro, Aguilar was somewhat familiar with the manga. So he auditioned for the role of Tanjiro along with several other characters including Zenitsu Agatsuma. Trott only auditioned for the role of Nezuko and got it along with several other minor roles.

Favorite Part of the Role

When asked about what they liked about the roles, each one had something to share. 

Trott wanted to establish Nezuko as a character in the limited moment she had before becoming a demon. At the same time, it also allows her to be creative when voicing the character after transforming into a demon. While the role of Nezuko has its limitations, she also enjoys playing Chuntaro. Especially when it has to put Zenitsu in his place 

Aguilar really enjoys playing a multilayered character who has endured so much. Most notably how Tanjiro doesn’t allow himself to be consumed by rage but instead has empathy. Finally, he noted how enjoys playing a character with siblings due to being an only child.

Final Thoughts

Total Concentration Breathing! The Demon Slayer Voice Actors Q&A was one of the many panels that looked into a work of pop-culture from the perspective of the performers. There were many such events organized during the Fan Expo SF weekend.

This special report is part of 8Bit/Digi‘s coverage of Fan Expo SF 2022. If you attended the event or comic con, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: Fan Expo provided 8Bit/Digi with press passes for the weekend.