Hanafuda earrings: Can you remember Muzan’s frightened reaction when he first time faced Tanjiro? He instructed two of his men to kill the youngster wearing Hanafuda earrings right away. That is reckless behavior from someone who professes to be the “sorcerer supreme” of all demons. We feel something remarkable about the earring as Muzan Kibutsuji is terrified of it.
Fans instantly speculated that the Hanafuda earrings were the cause Tanjiro’s family was murdered in the first place. You do not have to remain in the dark any longer; we have compiled all you need to know about those enigmatic earrings.
About Demon Slayer – Sneak Peek
Tanjiro Hanafuda Earrings: Koyoharu Gotoge wrote and drew “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” a Japanese manga series. Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump started publishing in February 2016, and there are already 19 compiled tankbon volumes available.
Kimetsu no Yaiba is set in a world populated with demons and demon slayers, and it chronicles the lives of two brothers, Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado, after a demon murders their community. Their struggle does not stop there, as Nezuko’s life is saved in exchange for her living as a demon.
Tanjiro, as the older brother, swears to safeguard and heal his little sister. The plot follows the friendship between this brother-sister duo, or better yet, demon slayer and demon duo, as they face odd against an arch adversary and civilization.
Is There Any Meaning of Hanafuda Earrings?
Because the earrings were handed down to Tanjiro by his father, it is possible that they are merely a family heirloom that needs to be passed down to their offspring. However, as we all know, Tanjiro’s father is a “Breath of Sun” practitioner, which leads you to believe that this earring has a deeper purpose. So why did he offer it to Tanjiro in the first place?
Hanafuda denotes “flower cards,” according to a dictionary definition. The earrings may be comparable to a talisman just by gazing at them with their design.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, in addition to Tanjiro, wore the very same earrings. This ties up with Tanjiro’s father being a Breath of the Sun practitioner, implying that the earrings must be about that. The manga also revealed a link between Tanjiro and Tsugikuni’s clan, which adds to the significance of the earrings.
Another noteworthy feature is that not everybody in the clan is allowed to wear the same earrings. Nezuko does not have one on. The earrings are also not worn by Yoriichu Tsugikuni’s elder brother. Combining these findings with the previous findings may deduce that the earrings are exclusively available to Breath of Sun users.
There was also a flashback in which Tanjiro’s father persuades Tanjiro to hand over the earrings and the “Hinokami Kagura Dance,” implying that the strength must be passed down to the next user of the “Breath of Sun.”
The Origin of the Hanafuda Earring
Tanjiro’s Hanafuda earrings are legacies from his family. They have been in the clan from 1467 to 1615. Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the father of all breathing methods, wore these in the past. He was the first to demonstrate the legendary “Breath of Sun” breathing method, which gave rise to all other breathing techniques we see today.
Yoriichi and Sumiyoshi seem to be distant cousins of Tanjiro. Yoriichi occasionally visits him and his family. Sumiyoshi’s wife requested that the Breath of Sun be performed on his final visit, and the demon slayer agreed. Sumiyoshi observed it and learned the motions. Yoriichi handed Sumiyoshi the earrings as a farewell present.
It is vital to understand that Yoriichi’s sole choice was to turn to Sumiyoshi and his clan. Tanjiro’s ancestors held him in great esteem since he had saved his life. Despite his accomplishments, Yoriichi saw himself as useless due to the disasters in his life and how he failed to avoid them. Sumiyoshi was heartbroken to see his buddy die, and he hoped for his successors to know about Yoriichi and continue on his heritage since Yoriichi had no descendants.
Sumiyoshi wanted to continue Yoriichi’s heritage by handing earrings and the “Breath of the Sun” to his children and grandchildren. Hinokami Kagura was the name given to the Sun’s Breath technique at the time.
Regrettably, the anime only tells the story of Japan’s eras. As a result, we have no idea when Sumiyoshi acquired the earrings.
The Earrings’ Design
The earrings resemble talismans made of paper. It features a red circle at the top with multiple lines going in various directions from the circle, forming a floral shape. A big grey semi-circle appears underneath these lines. The earrings also resemble the Sun, with beams radiating from it, but closer inspection reveals that the possibilities are more like a flower.
It is worth noting that the earrings in the Chinese version of the anime have been changed owing to their resemblance to the rising sun flag, which has bad associations and is unanimously connected with Japanese imperialism.
In The Real World As Well, The Hanafuda Earrings Caused A Stir
The design of Tanjiro’s Hanafuda earrings looks like Japanese playing cards. Hanafuda cards, like their American counterparts, have various purposes and have been used for generations. Many of the cards have flowery drawings, and the name “hanafuda” means “flower cards.” While Tanjiro’s hanafuda earrings seem to be designed to look like flowers, some believed they appeared like something more controversial.
The earrings’ shape, as per critics, replicates a Rising Sun, a symbol utilized by Japan in the time of World War II when it occupied other Asian nations. Many Asian nations are still divided over the emblem, which serves as a reminder of the Japanese army’s war atrocities. The creators of “Demon Slayer” adjusted the appearance of earrings for streaming services in countries like Mainland China and South Korea in reaction to the backlash over the Hanafuda earrings. As per Kotaku, the redesigned earrings have four horizontal lines instead of the original’s many stripes that replicate sunrays.
Although Tanjiro’s earrings drew more criticism than expected from spectators, they still have a lot of importance for the Kamado clan and Sun Breath Users.
They Are Readily Recognizable Power Emblems
The Hanafuda earrings are a powerful sign of Sun Breathing Style warriors, and they can be found in both the manga and anime “Demon Slayer.” Kyojuro Shinjuro, Kyojuro Rengoku’s father, recognizes them right away in the manga and refers to Tanjiro as a “practitioner of Sun Breathing.”
Muzan Kibutsuji also recognizes the hanafuda earrings right away. Tanjiro and Kibutsuji meet for the first time in Episode 7. Kibutsuji is clearly irritated by their meeting, and in the following episode, “The Smell of Enchanting Blood,” he ordered two of his followers, saying, “There’s a demon-slayer who wears hanafuda earrings. I want you to bring me his head.”
Another flashback shows a younger Kibutsuji being overwhelmed by a demon slayer bearing the same earrings. They seem to be a glaring reminder of a period when Kibutsuji was on the verge of defeat, and he wishes to get rid of every trace of that painful event.
What Made Muzan Afraid Of Tanjiro?
Yoriichi did not only give away his earrings, as you may have imagined. He demonstrated Sun breathing to Sumiyoshi, and the technique was so magnificent that it was handed down in the form of dance.
So, what makes Sun breathing so unique? It is the primary breathing style from which other types such as Wind, Water, Thunder, Flame, and Stone are produced, comparable to how all types of energy are linked to the Sun in some manner.
It is worthwhile to mention that the Sun breathing technique outperforms all of its descendants. You can understand how powerful it is based on the fact that Yoriichi almost murdered Muzan the very first time they faced.
The fuzzy drawings of a mysterious demon slayer, whom Muzan scares, should be familiar to every manga reader. As you may have predicted, that is none other than the Yoriichi himself. Muzan was unable to heal from his injuries during their iconic fight. Thus he had no choice but to consciously destroy his body so that a little portion of it could survive.
Muzan regarded him as a permanent emblem of terror, though he had escaped death by inches. He tried all he could to prevent Yoriichi’s divine characteristics from being handed on to future generations.
Mark of Tanjiro’s Demon Slayer
When Tanjiro escaped unharmed from the Kamado clan assault, Muzan’s nightmare became a reality. Tanjiro’s head is marked with the Demon Slayer symbol, which grants him superhuman strength and agility. Moreover, he is concerned with more aspects than just the Hanafuda earings.
These scars are seen on the skin of the most skilled Demon slayers and are customized to the user’s breathing technique. The origin of these markings is unknown; however, we do understand that they were initially reported on Yoriichi Tsugikuni in the Sengoku Era.
Great abilities come at a cost, and the Demon Slayer emblem is no exception. The marked ones are affected by its negative consequences, and the majority of them die prematurely. These cursed markings gradually faded away, except for the reappearance of Tanjiro after a long time.
It can not be coincident that both Yoriichi and Tanjiru carried the Demon Slayer markings and were Sun Breathing users. Even Tanjiro’s father had a scar on his head that was similar to Tanjiro’s. This entire piece of evidence points out that being Demon Slayer is one of the requirements for achieving Sun breathing.
