Advertisement
When it comes to the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the manga and anime industry, there has been a good shift in the past couple of decades. From concealed mentions to open depictions, the anime industry has been quite pivotal in shaping the narrative of the LGBTQIA+ community in fiction and media. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the most popular manga and anime series from the last five years. The stunning narrative style, the brilliant visual palette, and a gripping storyline have helped the story amass a loyal fan following not just in Japan but all over the globe. This manga and anime series features a character in a supporting role who brings a whole new perspective to its narration. The character is none other than Suma, first of the three wives of Tengen Uzui, the flamboyant Sound Hashira. This polyamorous marriage was arranged according to the shinobi tradition.
Suma, who is a trained kuniochi, is a supporting character in the overall arc of the Demon Slayer series. Suma first appears in Chapter 70 of the manga and makes her anime debut in Season 2, Episode 8 during the widely praised Entertainment District Arc. She, along with Tengen’s other two wives, Makio and Hinatsuru, were originally sent undercover into Yoshiwara’s red-light district to investigate mysterious disappearances linked to demon activity. It her disappearance that leads Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke along with Tengen to confront Upper Rank demons Daki and Gyutaro.
However, her character is important to the story and also shines through each time she is on screen. She is a 19-year-old woman who is trained in stealth and espionage. She is dramatic, loyal, and quite funny at times, which makes her a favourite character in the story. She shares a strong bond with Tengen and is quite affectionate with his other two wives as well.
Advertisement
Suma is spunky, prone to panic over her bouts of under confidence about her skills, but when push comes to shove, she goes onto to prove that she is reliable, loyal and a fierce fighter.
However, her skills and likeable personality are not the only things that make Suma special. According to Ranker volume two of the manga’s official fan handbook, Suma is a character who “can come to like both men and women.” While this does not explicitly mention that she is indeed bisexual or has had partners from both genders, it can be said that she is someone whose sexual identity is relatively fluid. This orientation of hers is also not something that changes the course of her action in the story. It has been kept as more of her description than her personality in the story.
As per Fandom, fans have a strong canonical theory that Suma is indeed a bisexual character, despite the seemingly weak description. There is a touch of vagueness to this claim as the official Japanese edition was often misunderstood or softly translated, thus taking away the essence of the character.
For more such stories, check out TV updates!
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News
Advertisement
