ZenNezu

"I will protect you, Nezuko-chan."

- Zenitsu to Nezuko before falling asleep.

ZenNezu is the het ship between Zenitsu Agatsuma and Nezuko Kamado from the Demon Slayer fandom.

Canon
Before seeing her but knowing already that she was a demon, Zenitsu protected Nezuko from Inosuke because Tanjiro said that she was important to him.

When Zenitsu sees her for the first time and discovers that she's a cute girl, he quickly gets mad at Tanjiro because he thinks that Nezuko is actually his girlfriend instead of his sister. Later, when the misunderstanding is clarified, it is shown that Zenitsu quickly fell in love with Nezuko and tries to catch her attention by running after her or giving her flowers. He's shown to be deeply fond of her even on a short period of time, since on the Natagumo Mountain he refers to Nezuko as "the person he wants to protect" and she's his main motivation to run into the forest, claiming that Tanjiro is a moron for bringing a girl into the danger.

While he fights with his kasugaigarasu Ukogi (Chuntaro) he mentions that Nezuko is cuter than her. In the manga, on the Butterfly Estate, Zenitsu is shown talking with Nezuko when she's inside her box and showing her Shinobu Kocho's goldfish.

In the anime, Zenitsu asks Tanjiro if Nezuko would not be safer at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters than travelling with them.

Zenitsu protects Nezuko by his own initiative for the second time on the Demon Train Incident.

Differences between anime and manga
There are some differences between the anime and manga that may affect people’s opinion about the ship, particularly regarding Zenitsu’s ways.

Wisteria house: In the manga, Zenitsu just nods and bows down to Nezuko. In the anime, Zenitsu chases her across the room.

Butterfly state: In the manga, Zenitsu talks to Nezuko while she is in the box and he shows her Shinobu’s goldfish. In the anime, Zenitsu asks a Kakushi girl to go for a walk with him. In that part of the manga, he just said he would go outside and play. Kimetsu Academy: In the manga, Zenitsu says that Nezuko is so cute chewing her bread and that she looks like the protagonist of a Shoujo manga because she is so beautiful. In the anime, Zenitsu drools over Nezuko, Makomo and Shinobu.

Fanon
This ship is one of the most well-known inside the fandom because of Zenitsu's clear attraction toward Nezuko. A lot of people ships them and wants Nezuko to reciprocate his feelings once she becomes a human again. However, on the other hand, some fans dislike it because of Zenitsu's tendency to like a woman based solely on appearance or the fact she's a girl.

In the fandom, they are portrayed a similar way as in the canon-verse. Usually with Nezuko finally returning Zenitsu's affections. Zenitsu is also notably more gentlemanly and has a more mature attitude towards her, leaving behind his playboyish ways (liking every woman he sees) and ultimately decides to settle with Nezuko.

Fandom
FAN ART
 * Zenitsu/Nezuko tag on Pixiv

FAN FICTION
 * Zenitsu/Nezuko tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Zenitsu/Nezuko tag on FanFiction.Net

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