Is Koyoharu Gotouge a woman? Identity of Demon Slayer manga's creator, explored 

With Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer premiering its third season, the hype around it is back. As fans have started focusing on the anime and the franchise again, many have started questioning the series creator's decision over some character designs, leading them to question the mangaka's gender.

Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer follows Kamado Tanjiro's journey as a demon slayer after he witnessed his massacred family. With only his sister Nezuko alive and transformed into a demon, Tanjiro strives towards becoming stronger to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji and get his sister back to normal.

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Has Koyoharu Gotouge's gender been revealed?

Koyoharu Gotouge's avatar as seen in Demon Slayer (Image via Shueisha)

It is well-known to fans that Koyoharu Gotouge is a pen name that Demon Slayer's mangaka has kept for themselves to maintain their anonymity. In addition, the author has made it pretty evident that they do not want to be referred to with gendered pronouns, which is why their gender is anonymous to the public.

Thus, fans have often been curious about their gender and have tried to learn the same. However, it is widely accepted that the mangaka might identify as non-binary, which is why they prefer they/them pronouns.

Mitsuri Kanroji as seen in Demon Slayer season 3 (Image via Ufotable)

However, a wide section of fans does believe that Koyokaru Gotouge is a woman because of a mishap that seemed to have happened during the 2019 Madfest's Demon Slayer panel in Perth, Australia.

After the release of Demon Slayer season 1, the anime's director - Haruo Sotozaki, animation director and character designer - Akira Matsushima, and producer - Yuuma Takahashi were invited as part of Demon Slayer's panel at Madfest 2019.

Demon Slayer illustration by Akira Matsushima (Image via Ufotable)

During the session, as per a transcript made available online, the anime staff referred to the mangaka as "Kanojo" (彼女), which is "She" in Japanese. As per the manuscript, the translator at the event did try to use they/them pronouns for the mangaka themselves, however, they happened to mistakenly translate "Kanojo" as "She." This is what has caused most fans of the mangaka to believe that they are a woman.

That being said, no official statement has been revealed either by the mangaka, Shueisha, or Ufotable that states that Koyoharu Gotouge is a woman. Thus, until and unless they reveal the same to the public, it has been assumed that they identify themselves as non-binary.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train's Akaza illustration by Akira Matsushima (Image via Ufotable)

Nevertheless, fans often discuss the same online with other fans of the series. However, not everyone is fond of the same as they wish to respect the mangaka's wishes and do not see why others would want to know if Koyoharu Gotouge is a man or a woman.

Many people believe that fans want to know the mangaka's gender to base their judgments about them as per so and thus, fans could spread hate for the mangaka if they play their cards right. However, many fans are simply curious about the mangaka and want to know more about them.

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Final thoughts

Apart from the translation mishap that sparked the discussion about Gotouge's gender identity, fans have also associated the writing style of Demon Slayer with them being a female. The characters, both male and female, received proper development and were balanced on the power scale, unlike many other Shonen series. The main character Tanjiro has a pleasant and maternal demeanour, which further makes fans believe the mangaka is female.

However, it is to be noted that there has not been any official confirmation about Koyoharu Gotouge's gender. The mangaka wishes to keep their anonymity and fans must understand and respect their decision. A fan attending the Anime Expo posted an audio clip where producer Takahashi stated that Gotouge doesn't like being referred to with feminine pronouns.

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