In Demon Slayer, for Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro, it was love at first sight when he came across Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira. The two share a dynamic that is incredibly admirable and equally cute in the series. However, in a world that is infested with demons and other evil beings, love is not easy for the demon slayers. It often comes at the price of tragedy, and that’s what had happened with Obanai and Mitsuri.
The ObaMitsu ship is immensely popular within the Demon Slayer fandom, with fans writing or drawing them in canon-compliant scenarios where the two couldn’t have been imagined due to their untimely death. However, despite Obanai and Mitsuri meeting their end defeating Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, they do get reincarnated later on. But do they end up together in that timeline?
“Love’s not Time’s fool”: The love story of Demon Slayer‘s Obanai and Mitsuri transcends time in a Shakespearian fashion
Obanai used to not like any women due to his family background, then he met Mitsuri who's so light and positive that for the first time ever, she found a female so beautiful 🥹 pic.twitter.com/txZ77g0mcM
— ָ࣪ 𓏲˖ mavis 𑁍 ࣪˖ (@yourhappyfairy) April 30, 2023
As mentioned above, when Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro saw Mitsuri Kanroji for the first time in Demon Slayer, he fell hard for her. Interestingly enough, the Demon Slayer series banks on their love story through the perspective of Obanai majorly. Although their time together is not explored or not shown in the manga much, it has been implied that they shared a deep connection and had a good friendship even as colleagues at Demon Slayer Corps.
To the Serpent Hashira, Mitsuri was the strongest woman he had ever come across. He was fiercely protective of her, defending her honor and developing disdain for demons or people who called her dumb, foolish, or an airhead. Moreover, he even showed jealousy when Tanjiro Kamado had said how the Love Hashira had let him stay at her estate, following which Obanai made sure to increase the intensity of the protagonist’s already arduous training.
Obamitsu will always hold a special place in my heart 🥺❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Se431zS0Zc
See AlsoObanai Iguro - Relationships— Nagoritxu99⛓️ (@NagoreFuente) April 28, 2023
Tragedy struck the star-crossed lovers during the Infinity Castle arc when they both met their ends in an emotional farewell. During this arc in Demon Slayer, he and Mitsuri had shown fantastic compatibility on the battlefield, but the Love Hashira was defeated too soon. As a tensed and worried Obanai instructed a nearby demon slayer to look after Mitsuri, the latter cried and asked him to not get killed. At this point, Obanai, who up until now had not shown his complete face, undoes his bandages, revealing his disfigured mouth in a display of transparency of his emotions. Although he rushed to the battlefield, before that, he had an internal monolog about the aspirations and expectations he held for the next life he would have with the Love Hashira. He promised himself that he would defeat Muzan first and then die, continuing:
“I pray my impure blood is somehow cleansed. I want to be reborn into a peaceful world without demons. And then next time, I can tell you I love you.”
This briefly brings to mind Shakespeare’s Sonnet 123, where the speaker talks about time having an indelible power over everyone in the world, but he asserts that time won’t be enough to change his love for his beloved. A similar sentiment is seen in this comment by Obanai, who not only assures himself but also the readers of his intense love for Mitsuri that would remain unchanged despite the ravages time brings upon them.
love obanai’s simple black and white outfit vs mitsuri’s detailed pretty pink outfit pic.twitter.com/M2qauqYQ3c
— 💕zoey!! (@lovebreathings) January 27, 2022
Yet, it was not Muzan who suffered the fall from Obanai. After meeting his defeat, the gravely injured Serpent Hashira hugged Mitsuri, who was unable to hug him back properly as she was missing two arms due to Muzan. However, she said that she was not in pain even though she felt she was going to die soon. Obanai echoed her sentiments, after which Mitsuri started crying about how she didn’t want him to die.
This scene often strikes an emotional chord within the manga readers as the two Hashiras confess their love for each other. With the two recalling their past days that they had spent in each other’s company, Obanai said how he liked that Mitsuri found joy in the smallest of things and made everyone feel included and human. He also stat how her laughter sounded like the ringing of the bells to him, adding that her amiability, cheerfulness, and kindness has been the source of inspiration and strength for their peers.
“The kindness inside you was infinite, so you’ve healed many people’s hearts. Hold your head high. I won’t let anyone complain about you.”
DEMON SLAYER MANGA SPOILERS
When they say they love you but this is what Obanai and Mitsuri said to each other as they died together 💔 pic.twitter.com/VuFrupjFVt
— said she likes crazy girls (@tomuraui) April 23, 2023
When Obanai mentioned that he was proud of her and her achievements, the Love Hashira started sobbing even fiercely. To let him know that she reciprocated his feelings, Mitsuri confessed that she loved him and that the meals they shared together will always be cherishing to her because he looked at her with a gentle gaze. The moment reached its climax in chapter 220 when the duo made promises of rebirth and life that they would want to happen to them in the future. Mitsuri said:
“If we ever get reborn, if we’re born again as human beings, will you make me your wife?”
To this, Obanai replied with:
“Of course. If you say you’re fine with someone like me, then I will definitely make you happy.”
And these are the final words they uttered before they succumb to their injuries.
Mitsuri and Obanai got married and run a restaurant together in the future 🥺🥺🥺!!!!!#KNY205 pic.twitter.com/C3Ino2vh8B
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) May 17, 2020
Although the love story of the two Hashiras ended here, Mitsuri and Obanai do get reincarnated as they had hoped in their parting confession to each other. In chapter 205, which is the epilog to Demon Slayer, the two are seen as normal human beings in a modern setting. Interestingly, and to the assurance of fans who shipped them, the two former Hashiras end up marrying each other and run a restaurant together. Moreover, in the volume extras, it is revealed that Mitsuri and Obanai have five children together.
Thus, the star-crossed lovers of Demon Slayers who had lost their all in the previous life proved that their love was strong enough to defeat time, just like how Shakespeare had asserted inSonnet 116 that “Love’s not Time’s fool” because it did not care about time as much as a servant do while serving a king.
