Summary

• Tanjiro's earrings in Demon Slayer sparked controversy due to their resemblance to the Rising Sun symbol used by Imperial Japan during World War II, which evokes traumatic memories in many Asian countries.
• The design of the earrings serves as a connection to Yoriichi Tsugikuni and the Sun Breathing Style, making Tanjiro the successor, and puts him on the radar of the villain Muzan.
• The producers of Demon Slayer made a small design adjustment to the earrings for select Asian countries, demonstrating their willingness to adapt and eliminating unintended subtext, ultimately enhancing the popularity of the anime.

Demon Slayer is incredibly popular in part due to how wholesome its hero Tanjiro is, which is why some fans might be surprised to learn about the controversy surrounding his earrings. Demon Slayer ranks among the most popular anime and manga series currently out, but when it first premiered, a minor controversy occurred thanks to the design of the protagonist's banner-style earrings.

Tanjiro’s earrings are modified hanafuda cards that have been passed down in his family. In Demon Slayer season 1, episode 19, “Hinokami,” Tanjiro’s father Tanjuro wears the earrings. They were also worn by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the originator of the Breathing Styles. Since he did not have children, it can be assumed that he gave the earrings to Tanjuro, who subsequently handed them down to Tanjiro. The earrings pay homage to Japanese hanafuda playing cards, traditionally floral in design (“hanafuda” means “flower cards”).

Tanjiro's Earrings Resembled An Imperial Japanese Design

However, the controversy surrounding Tanjiro's earrings arose because the design also resembles a Rising Sun, the symbol Japan used in World War II. During the global conflict, Japan became an Axis power that colonized other Asian countries, such as China and the Koreas. The symbol remains controversial in many Asian countries because it evokes memories of the traumatic events and war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese military. That ultimately led to the producers altering the design of Tanjiro's controversial earrings.

The actual reason that Tanjiro's hanafuda earrings bear a symbol that resembles the sun is that it's the symbol of the Sun Breathing Style and keeps its legacy alive. As such, Tanjiro's earrings have been recognized by several characters, including Rengoku’s father Shinjuro, who calls Tanjiro “a practitioner of Sun Breathing” in the manga. Muzan also recognizes them on Tanjiro, and in Demon Slayer season 1, episode 8, “The Smell of Enchanting Blood,” he orders his followers to kill the "demon slayer who wears hanafuda earrings." That much is explained in a flashback that a demon slayer with the same earrings – Yoriichi – had nearly defeated Muzan.

Why Tanjiro's Earrings are Important in Demon Slayer

Tanjiro's earrings provide him with a direct connection to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the original creator of Demon Slayer's breathing styles. Since Tanjiro is the only person besides Yoriichi who uses Sun Breathing, it gives Tanjiro a claim to being Yoriichi's successor. This is important because Yoriichi came so close to defeating Muzan that it has left the villain with a terror of anything that reminds him of the original Demon Slayer. While Tanjiro has no way of knowing this, these earrings immediately put him on Muzan's radar. Their sun theme is also relevant as the sun is Muzan's greatest weakness and the one he is most desperate to overcome.

Why Demon Slayer Was Right To Alter Tanjiro's Earrings

Ultimately, the producers of the anime altered the earrings’ design for certain Asian countries in response to the controversy. Among these countries are China and South Korea, whose streaming platforms feature an alternate version: instead of red sunrays emitting from a red circle, the circle stands above four blue horizontal lines. The mountain towards the bottom, however, remains the same. Official merchandise in these countries also features an alternate design. Despite the backlash from viewers, the earrings passed down to Demon Slayer's Tanjiro remain a symbol of power and hope within the anime's world.

The controversy surrounding Tanjiro's earrings in Demon Slayer is a good example of how creators should respond when such concerns arise. Changing the design of Tanjiro's hanafuda earrings was a small adjustment to make that helped eliminate harmful (and unintentional) subtext from the anime in select countries. Instead of alienating viewers in China, Korea, and elsewhere, Demon Slayer has instead been able to thrive on the back of its willingness to adapt, demonstrating that this minor alteration was absolutely the right decision. In the end, Tanjiro is an effective protagonist regardless of the specific design of his earrings, and making a slight alteration to accommodate certain viewers has only made him and Demon Slayer more popular.