After narrowly saving Tanjiro and Nezuko from an encounter with the terrifying demon leader Muzan Kibutsuji, a doctor named Lady Tamayo takes them back to her house to rest. She’s actually a demon as well, but one who is dedicated to suppressing the murderous instincts of her kind. She explains to Tanjiro her plan to turn Nezuko back into a human and he listens intently, but his little sister is busy being adorably bored in the background.

She slides along the tatami floor on her back, kicks her legs absentmindedly in the air, and rolls around listlessly. Contrasted with the emotional scene going on in front of her, it’s hilarious to watch. But when Tanjiro holds out his hand to stroke her face, she grabs onto it and nuzzles it to show her gratitude for his efforts to help her. How heartwarming is that?

During the two years that Tanjiro was training under the swordsman Urokodaki, Nezuko was mysteriously comatose and wouldn’t wake up. She was clearly still alive, but Tanjiro couldn’t help but wonder if his sister would ever open her eyes again. Then, when he returns from the Final Selection fight as a newly christened demon slayer, he sees Nezuko kick the door down and stare at him blankly. Even though he’s broken and battered from the battle, he stumbles toward her and cries in her arms when she runs to meet him. It’s a beautiful reunion, and one that makes Nezuko even more endearing than she already was.

Before he had the specially designed box to carry around Nezuko during the day, Tanjiro improvised by making a wicker basket for her. She couldn’t quite fit at her normal size (as demonstrated when she slid into it headfirst and her legs dangled out), but Tanjiro encouraged her to get smaller so she could sit comfortably. His sing-songy voice and gentle patting made it seem like he was trying to train a pet, and just like a small animal, Nezuko eventually snuggled her way inside the basket and smiled up at Tanjiro with pride. We wish we had our own basket imouto to carry around!

It turns out that Nezuko’s size-changing power can be useful in survival situations as well! When she’s being chased by the demon slayer Kanao (who doesn’t know her, so thinks of her as a dangerous demon to be cut down), Nezuko shrinks to avoid a sword slash and runs away through the forest in the form of a tiny child. She’s surprisingly nimble, even with her kimono hanging over her outstretched arms and dragging along the ground.

Kanao is puzzled by Nezuko’s tactic of running away instead of attacking, but stays in hot pursuit until a messenger crow informs the demon slayers that Tanjiro and Nezuko are to be captured, not killed. To top off this overwhelmingly cute scene, Kanao kneels down to the exhausted demon and asks her if she’s Nezuko, just like how you might talk to a lost child. It seems like Kanao has a gentle side after all!

Nezuko has been the recipient of many head pats throughout the series (mostly from Tanjiro), but she gets a chance to give some of her own after the battle with Susamaru and Yahaba at Lady Tamayo’s house. Urokodaki put her under a spell to recognize all humans as her family, and she seems to have internalized it enough to love humans of her own free will. She even recognizes the demons Tamayo and Yushiro as her family, hugging Tamayo like a child would hug their mother and patting Yushiro on the head like a little brother. Yushiro tries to push her hand away out of annoyance, but she keeps trying to pat him anyway. Just accept her love, Yushiro – her head pats must be heavenly!