Demon Slayer: The Entertainment District Arc of Kimetsu No Yaiba features Tengen Uzui, the Sound Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Tengen is a Demon Slayer who is tall, well-built, and has a personality that stands out. He often brags to Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu about how good he is and how flashy he is.
He has even said that he is the God of Festivals while making fun of the new people who joined.
Tengen Uzui is a ninja who comes from a long line of ninjas.
He hated his Shinobi clan because they were so evil that they made their kids fight against their own siblings.
The last of his eight brothers who was still alive got the same cruel rules.
Because of this, he and his three wives, Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru, had to leave their clan and village for good.
Tengen has three wives, but why?
Does Tengen practice polygamy in Demon Slayer?
In the end of episode 12 of season 2, Tanjiro said that the Uzui family is polygamous, which means that they have more than one wife at the same time.
When a family member turns 15, the head of the family picks three wives for him based on how well they get along.
At first, Suma was the only one who went to see Tengen before Hinatsuru and Makio. Tengen thinks that all of his wives are great Kunoichis, and he has a lot of respect for all of them.
Before sending his wives to the Yoshiwara District to be his eyes, he told them to put their own lives first. Both his well-being and that of the people of Yoshiwara were to come after theirs.
Polygamy has been going on since the Hein Era, and it didn’t stop during the Edo Era either, even though big wars and other problems made everyone’s lives hard, including the Shinobis.
At that time, the idea of polygamy wasn’t just to have more wives, but also to have more warriors in the family so they could deal with the harsh world.
Later, in the Taisho Era, which is when the anime takes place, it was no longer important to keep up the tradition, but the Uzui Clan still does.
Tengen had to follow the clan’s rules because he cared about his family.
Tengen thinks that his wives are the toughest Kunoichi warriors, and fans have seen more of their bravery and strength in recent episodes of Demon Slayer.
Although it is depicted in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba with as much grace as a shonen anime can achieve, the polyamorous relationship is far from a faultless representation.
Despite their skimpy attire, it makes an effort to treat the women with respect and presents their relationship with Tengen as one of complete equality and fulfillment.
Their three-way union has moments when it almost feels wholesome and cute.
As the fighters that they are, Tengen sees his wives as, and as a shinobi, he should be the best judge of all.
Problematic Representation of Tengen Uzui’s Wives in Demon Slayer
There are dangers in introducing a polygamous relationship into a modern anime. All of the spouses are kunoichi (female ninjas), yet they are all portrayed in obscene ways and in costumes that undercut any potential physical prowess.
Due to the fact that Tengen is still in command and that it suggests a power dynamic that favors men, some would even argue that it is an insult to contemporary feminism.
Of course, since shonen anime is largely aimed at young minds, the way Tengen’s wives are treated might be detrimental.
