Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc

Muzan, We Come for You!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba S4 Ep 8 Review

There have been a lot of horrifying villains in anime over the years. One Piece is filled with so many detestable scumbags that I can’t keep track. Madara Uchiha was an evil mastermind whose mere name getting thrown around was enough to start a war. And Frieza is so brimming with black air force energy that its become his strongest form to date! However, another name deserves to be added to the list of baddest anime villains. The monster in the dark seeking immortality, the being who stole Michael Jackson’s whole flow. The mortal enemy of the entire Demon Slayer Corps, Muzan Kibutsuji!

Demon Slayer hasn’t been around as many other big names in Shonen, but there are reasons why it’s considered one of the all-time greatest. And a big part of that is because of how much of a menace Muzan is. The penultimate episode for Demon Slayer’s fourth season airs, and the big thing everyone’s talking about is that two-minute-long scene of him arriving at Ubuyashiki Mansion, looking like the Devil himself. And the hour-long season finale only serves to hype him up even further. As Muzan tries to cut the head off the Demon Slayer Corps, he finds himself at the center of an elaborate trap. What he does in response marks the start to the endgame to this ancient war between humans and demons.

Kagaya Stares Down the Devil Himself

As lighthearted as Season Four of Demon Slayer is, there’s an unspoken sense of dread. Everyone knows the final battle against Muzan is coming, but the Corps doesn’t know when or where he’ll strike from. The Hashira Training Camp was meant to help prepare for the final battle, but even that may already be too late. After years of searching, Muzan has found the Ubuyashiki Mansion, the de facto HQ for the Demon Slayer Corps. And he shows up in the middle of the night, ready to kill the man leading the corps…only to find it’s pointless. Kagaya Ubuyashiki isn’t just on death’s door. He’s a talking corpse that should’ve died months ago. The only reason he’s still alive is because of his pure, unadulterated hatred for Muzan.

As Kagaya reveals to the Demon King, the Ubuyashiki family is distantly related to Muzan. Because their bloodline produced the first demon, they’ve been cursed to die young until they kill him. Thus, when Muzan comes to kill Kagaya, the man isn’t afraid of him. He already knows he’s going to die anyway, with his wife and two of his kids to follow at Muzan’s hands. Rather than fear death like Muzan, Kagaya mocks his distant relative for how pathetic he is and how the world will be a better place once he’s gone!

See you in Hell, Muzan!

I loved this scene. Don’t ask me why, but seeing someone stare down a monster that could easily kill them and choose to definitely flip them off is so awesome. However, it’s what Kagaya does in his final moments that is so badass that it takes even Muzan aback: he blows up the mansion and everyone in it. The anime does a great job of increasing our emotional responses by having the explosion play out in slow motion.

Plenty of fictional characters have used the “taking you with me” card before, but the context here sets Kagaya apart. He didn’t just blow himself up; he blew up his wife and two of his children. And while it doesn’t say it outright, the story clarifies that they all knew this would happen. However, instead of running or panicking, they all chose to remain calm and accept it. They understood that Muzan is such a threat to humankind that they have to pull out the contemporary equivalent of a nuclear bomb.  And they do it to make sure that the Demon Slayer Corps can end Muzan here and now.

The entire sequence of events is masterfully animated, with Ufotable pulling out all the stops. And that’s only the beginning. Seeing Muzan slowly regenerate from that is both grotesque and fascinating to look at. And though he’s still alive, it really got to him. He didn’t think Kagaya would have the guts to do that. But that was just the first part of the trap that Kagaya laid.

Wrath of the Hashira

The next part sees Tamayo, one of the few demons not under his control, trap him in place with her blood demon art. Then, she injects him with a sample of the fruits of her labor: she’s finally made a drug that can turn demons back into humans. In other words, the means to turn Nezuko back to normal now exists. I didnt read the manga, so I don’t know if Tanjiro’s sister took the drug yet, but I’m willing to bet that she did. Not only does that mean that one of Tanjiro’s biggest goals is about to be completed, but the minute she becomes human again, Muzan will lose his means of conquering sunlight.

And the bad news just keeps coming for Muzan.  The Hashira and Tanjiro, having been made aware Kagaya was in danger, were already in the process of rushing to the Ubuyashiki Mansion. They arrived just in time to see it go up in flames. Now they’re…I actually can’t think of a word to best describe how angry they are.

One would think that the combined might of 8 Hashira, a demon, and a boy on par with a Hashira, would be enough to pin Muzan down. However, that is when Muzan brings out his own trump card. He not only teleports himself to the safety of the Infinity Castle, but pulls in the entire Demon Slayer Corps. Every. Last. One. No matter where they are, they fall into the Infinity Castle. And we get yet another amazingly animated shot in an episode that’s already packed to the brim with them. I could feel myself getting goosebumps as my heart began to race. I started grinning like Inosuke because I knew what was about to happen. The final battle between the demons and humans was about to begin!!

And the best part? Ufotable is treating the final battle with the reverence its going to deserve. Rather than give Demon Slayer another season, they’re turning the Infinity Castle Arc (and presumably the one after it) into a movie trilogy!

Infinity Castle Needs to Break the Box Office!

To date, there is no news about when the trilogy will come out, but when it does, I am hoping that they dont just make it a limited-run event. I want to see it compete with other movies and remain in theaters as long as possible. And you can bet that I will get in line to see each on opening night!

Demon Slayer has always managed to go hardcore regarding the season finales, but this one might be the best. The animation, the story, everything is flawless! This is why Demon Slayer is one of the GOATS! I am looking forward to seeing the Infinity Castle trilogy, and I hope we can get them to break box office records!

Muzan, your days are numbered!

I Give “The Hashira Unite” a 5/5

Training’s Almost Over. Muzan is on the Move

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 7 Review

So, the Hashira Training Arc is already ending, and it’s happening soon. I knew that this arc was going to be short, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this short. That being said, even without reading the manga in advance, I already knew that this whole arc was going to be the calm before the storm. I just didn’t expect the storm to roll in so quickly.

Gyomei’s Backstory is SO SAD!

Tanjiro and his friends continue their training under Gyomei, and thankfully, Tanjiro and Inosuke have made some progress. Both of them are now able to move the boulder, though the effort almost causes Tanjiro to pass out from dehydration. Thankfully, Gyomei is there to give him water to drink, so he doesn’t die of thirst. And in the process, Gyomei opens up about his past…and it is so sad!

Gyomei was born blind, meaning that the lack of irises wasn’t just an artistic choice. Yet that didn’t stop him from living the humble life of a priest and taking care of a group of orphans. They didn’t have much, but they were still happy together. However, one night, one of them stayed outside after dark, and ran into a demon. To save himself, he sold out everyone else, leading to the demon slaughtering all but Gyomei and one other child. Then he snapped and somehow managed to beat them to death with his bare hands, an act that deeply ashamed him.

It gets worse. When the authorities showed up, they mistook the little girl’s words to mean Gyomei killed everyone and arrested him. It was only thanks to Kagaya, the head of the Demon Slayers, that he escaped execution.

…Sweet mercy, that is a sad story. No wonder the man is always seen crying like that. He’s haunted by his failure to save most of his adoptive family and for lashing out like he did. He was in the right to do so since it was self-defense, but even so, the act of killing someone is not something one should take lightly. So, when Gyomei chooses to praise Tanjiro for saving the villagers in the Swordsmith Village, he means it. He doesn’t Tanjiro to make the same mistake he did.

Too Late, Demon Slayers. The Shadows Have Arrive

And with that, Tanjiro finishes his training with Gyomei and heads to the next Hashira…is what I would say! However, the forces of darkness are already converging on the Demon Slayer Corps!

Throughout the season, Muzan and his army of demons have been laying low. That’s because Muzan is using one of the Upper Ranks powers to help locate Nezuko and the head of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And as Sanemi manages to catch one of those demonic eye monsters, he realizes something horrible: they’ve already been found out.

Sure enough, the final moments of the episode are dedicated entirely to Muzan showing up at the Ubuyashiki Mansion and confronting Kagaya. And much like all the important moments in Demon Slayer, the animation is knocked into high gear. The way the air seems to freeze as Muzan comes strolling in wearing his white suit and hat is bone-chilling to look at. It’s as if the devil himself has descended upon the Earth; and given who Muzan is, that’s pretty much accurate!

The next episode is going to be the final one of the season, and from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be an hour long. Given how it’s setting us up for the final battle, it needs to cover as much as possible. Because once that’s done, there’s no turning back. No more funny moments, no more wholesome stuff. Just a fight to the finish with the fate of all Japan at stake. Make some popcorn. This is going to be epic.

I Give “Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima” a 4/5

Gyomei’s Training Makes Everything Before Look Weak in Comparison

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 6 Review

This Hashira Training Arc may have little action, but does it show how hard the Demon Slayers are working themselves! Even though he breezed through the earlier portions, the last episode of Demon Slayer saw Tanjiro starting to really exert himself. Mitsuri’s flexibility training made men scream. Obanai hated Tanjiro’s guts for being friends with Mitsuri. And Sanemi? Tanjiro got banned from training with him for standing up for Genya! However, all of that pales in comparison to the training under the strongest Hashira, Gyomei Himejima (the one who’s always crying.)

Can we go back to Mitsuri or Obanai? They weren’t trying to kill him!

This is Brutal!!

So, having made it to Gyomei’s training course, Tanjiro and Zenitsu realize two things. Firstly, its very simplistic, consisting of strength training exercises. Secondly, and this is the most important, they’re all brutal beyond belief!

Standing under a freezing waterfall until they pass out! Lifting gigantic logs over their heads!And pushing a massive boulder hundreds of feet! And they have to do that every day until they pass out!

The whole experience is so brutal that several of Tanjiro’s fellow trainees call it quits and bail. You could call them cowards, but knowing your limits is important. Yet Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu persist in it, with Tanjiro working the hardest, and unlocking a very important power: his Demon Slayer Mark.

Tanjiro is Unlocking His Shonen Transformation

Tanjiro has unlocked his Mark before when under extreme circumstances, but he’s never been able to control it. He doesn’t know how he activates it, but realizes that if he learns that trigger, it could be make all the difference. And thanks to some advice from Genya and Gyomei’s brutal training, Tanjiro starts to know what makes it work for him. The memories of his murdered family. The last words given to him by Rengoku. By remembering how he felt, Tanjiro starts to gain better control over his Mark. The episode ends before showing us the full extent of the results, but Tanjiro is on the right track.

Muzan is on the Move

And not a moment too soon, as Muzan is moving from amidst the shadows.

This season has seen a massive absence of the Demons that the Slayer Corps must fight, and for a good reason. Muzan is marshaling his dark army for the final battle. However, there’s more to it than that. He’s looking for two people: Nezuko and Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And he’s using one of his Upper Four, Namiko, to do so.

I had to watch a video on YouTube explaining this, but Namiko might be the most important of Muzan’s remaining minions. Firstly, she can create those little eye-monsters that he’s using to scout the location of the Corps to find Nezuko and Ubuyashiki. Secondly, those videos revealed that she’s the source of the Infinity Castle that he uses as his headquarters. So, taking her out will be an essential part of this final battle.

As I was watching this episode, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Tanjiro. I knew that the Hashira Training Camp would be brutal, but Demon Slayer has a way of making it even worse than we can imagine. Or that’s just me. Either way, the episode’s ending shows that Tanjro’s training under the strongest Demon Slayer (physically) is not done. Judging by the title to the next episode, I’m hoping to learn more about Gyomei’s past. Specifically, why is he always crying? It’s out there, even for the Hashira’s!

I Give “The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps” a 4/5

Now the Real Training Begins, Tanjiro!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 5 Review

Citizens of the internet, I have been a fool. Since Tanjiro has done so well with Hashira boot camp until now, I thought he could handle the rest of it. Little did I know that he only handled the easiest parts of the whole thing. From here on out, he’s going through the meat grinder of three Hashiras.

I loved watching this, but I still feel bad for the poor guy.

Mitsuri Proves Ballet Isn’t Girly.

When I was a little boy growing up, I never understood the concept of guys doing ballet. I dont think I thought less of guys who did, but I just didn’t understand why they would do it, or wear the outfit required. Now that I’m an adult, I see that ballet is a physically intense dance that requires great physical strength, flexibilty, and stamina.

Why mention all of this? Because Mitsuri’s training is all about ballet. And increasing flexibility. It’s painful!

Obanai Iguro Needs to Chill!

Thats nothing compared to his next teacher, Obanai Iguro, though. He hates Tanjiro right from the start, mainly because hes in love with Mitsuri and is livid at how friendly she is with him. Though, he’s not any better with any of the other trainees. The man ties them posts for annoying him, then makes Tanjiro fight him while trying to avoid hitting them.

The point is pretty obvious: Obanai wants to make sure the Slayers do not hesitate to strike, or the demons will kill her. That being said, seeing him treat the trainees like punching bags is demoralizing. However, it does lead to yet another interesting duel between Tanjiro and a Hashira.

The duels in Demon Slayer are some of my favorite parts of the anime, and for good reason. That animation is so incredible!

In the end, Tanjiro passes, but Obanai still hates him. However, the last Hashira is worse than all the others: its Sanemi! AKA, the Hashira who stabbed Nezuko and tried to tempt her with his blood! And he still hates Tanjiro.

Sanemi is Too Harsh on Everyone!

Now working with Zenitsu and Genya, Tanjiro spends the whole time-fighting Sanemi in brawl after the brawl. That alone is brutal, but its for the sake of training. However tbings take a tjrn for the worse when Tanjiro learns something: Sanemi is Genya’s older brother, and he makes it clear he doesn’t want Genya in the Corps.

As the older brother to Nezuko and his late siblings, Tanjiro can’t understand why Sanemi can be so cruel to Genya. When things escalate to an outright fight, Tanjiro starts defending Genya. Even if he can’t use breathing styles, his eating demons meant that they won in the swordsmith village.

No dice. Not only does Sanemi not lighten up, but Tanjiro gets banned from training with him.

If I had to guess, though, I think Sanemi has a good reason for being mean to his brother. He knows how being a Demon Slayer means a very short life, even with their skills. Since Genya can’t use breathing techniques, the likelihood of him surviving is even lower. The only issue I have is that he should come out and say it.

Tanjiro is In for Even Worse!

Either way, Tanjiro and Zenitsu head to their next Hashira camp with Gyomei. And it looks like its going to be even harder than all of them!

I dont know how much longer the Hashira Training Arc will be, but I’m really hoping that the season doesn’t end in the middle of the coming final battle. That would be so lame! In addition, I’m enjoying getting to see these light-hearted moments!

I Give “I Even Ate Demons” a 4.5/5

Tokito Needs to Lighten Up for Everyone’s Sake

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 4 Review

Now that Tanjiro is healed, he’s participating in the Hashira Training bootcamp. And apparently, that also means he’s helping the other trainees deal with their own issues. First, he got Giyu to join the camp, and then he gave the slayers under Tengen the fire they needed to get through their training. Now, he’s on to Tokito, and he’s not holding back on any of them! When Tanjiro becomes concerned, it falls to get Tokito to lighten up, or else none of the trainees will make it.

Tanjiro Helps Tokito Lighten Up

Ever since he regained his memories, Tokito has changed for the better. Whenever he talks to Tanjiro, Tokito is always smiling and showing real emotion. It’s clear that their shared experience fighting in the swordsmith village has changed Tokito for the better…to an extent.

As Tanjiro witnesses first-hand, while Tokito gets along well with him, he’s as cold and harsh as ever to everyone else. As a result, while he passed Tanjjro in five days, everyone else has to stay behind. And they’ve been training under him for two weeks.

Given how they’re fighting demons in what will be the final war, it’s expected for Tokito to be so harsh. He has to make sure they’re able to survive the final battle, so he can’t afford to go easy on them. However, he’s so blunt that its demoralizing everyone. And, once again, Tanjiro has to help.

His solution: paper airplanes.

Team-Building is Important for Morale

I never took Tokito as someone who was into paper airplanes, but its a pretty fun hobby. There are even actual competitions for paper airplane making and flying. And Tanjiro challenges Tokito to a contest to see who can fly the furthest. If he wins, Tokito has to be nicer to everyone.

He gets his butt kicked! But while he lost the battle, Tanjiro wins the war.

The sight of everyone laughing and making paper airplanes and throwing them into the air together is pretty inspiring. Its like a metaphor for how the Demon Slayer Corps can go further working together than they can alone. Or a symbol of the hope that they carry for all of Japan. Either way, Tanjiro breaks the ice between Tokito and everyone, and thus, he can go on his merry way.

I’m really enjoying this training arc. Its giving us plenty of chances to enjoy time with all the Slayers. Additionally, the anime even went out of its way to add a new scene to the story in the form of a three-way duel between Obanai, Sanemi, and Tokito. And it’s awesome!

It’s moments like this that remind us why Demon Slayer has proven so popular. The animation is art in motion, and I love it. I wish that more anime could pull off what Demon Slayer manages to do! If we get more scenes like this, then I don’t mind waiting another season for the final battle. This stuff makes it worth it.

That, and now I wanna make my own paper airplane.

I Give “To Bring a Smile to One’s Face” a 3.5/5

The Demon Slayers are About to Have a Training Arc

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-To the Hashira Training Review

In 2023, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba released a new movie to drum up hype for the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc. It wasn’t so much a new story, though, as it was a compilation. It mainly covered the end of the Entertainment District Arc, which had some award-worthy animation, before segueing into the first episode of the upcoming arc. Having missed out on that, I resolved to avoid making the same mistake this time. So I got tickets for the opening night of the following compilation film, To the Hashira Training. And, even though it meant having to rewatch the finale to the Swordsmith Village Arc, it was still worth seeing. 

The Calm Before the Storm

If you last saw it a while ago or never read my review, the first half of the compilation film is a good refresher. Tanjiro slew Hantengu of the Upper-Rank Four, and, in a tearjerker of a miracle, Nezuko gained the ability to survive in the sun. The bad news? Before he died, Hantengu told Muzan about Nezuko, making her his top priority. If he devours her, he’ll become immune to the sun, making him nigh-unstoppable. The final battle is upon them, and everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps knows it. 

The preview the film gives us of the first episode of season four starts with the Hashiras Sanemi (the scarred guy who stabbed Nezuko) and Obanai (the one with the snake) going on a mission to rescue a woman from Demons. What ends up happening is they get a glimpse of Muzan’s stronghold before getting thrown out. 

For those who hoped the season four opener would have some fantastic action, the opening is as good as it gets. The rest of the episode, as will the entire arc, is merely the calm before the storm. The remaining Hashira point this out when they convene at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, saying how Demon attacks have gone down. They know Muzan’s readying his forces to capture Nezuko, making a full-scale war inevitable. And with Rengoku dead and Tengen forced to retire, they’re short on manpower. 

To highlight the sense of urgency even further, the leader of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya, is dying. The sickness that’s rotting his flesh and rendered him blind has progressed to the point where he’s bedridden. This means it’s up to the Hashira to prepare for the final battle. And, since this is a Shonen anime, there’s only one solution: an anime training arc. 

Time to Train!

The Hashira (except for Giyu) decide they need to train not just themselves but the entire Demon Slayer Corps. So, they gathered all the lower-ranked members and organized a massive boot camp to toughen them up. The end goal is to get the lower-ranked members closer to their level, giving them a better chance of winning the war that’s to come. And while we only see the start of things, it looks like it will be brutal. 

The program has another purpose, though. With Tokito and Mitsuri getting the same marks as Tanjiro, which gives him superpowers, the other Hashira wants to do the same. It may be the deciding factor in the final battle. However, all they know is that they can only come out when under extreme conditions that could kill them, and they come in contact with someone who already has the Mark. There’s more to it, though. Manga readers will know it, but the anime doesn’t state to increase the tension. From the looks of things, though, the Mark has some serious downsides. 

The Hashira Training Arc is Coming!

Serious topics aside, the episode has plenty of funny moments to lighten the mood. The funniest, by far, revolves around Nezuko’s attempts to relearn how to talk. When Zenitsu returns and sees her walking in the sunlight, he gets lovestruck and asks her to marry him. Until that is, she calls him Inosuke. The latter insisted Nezuko get to know her name, much to Zenitsu’s annoyance. And my amusement.

The episode/film ends with Tanjiro preparing to join the training. More importantly, though, Ms. Tamayo, who’s been working on a cure for Demons, gets summoned by Kagaya to collaborate with one of the Hashira—progress at last.

How long will the anime’s fourth season be last? It may only cover the Hashira Training Arc, making it shorter than previous seasons. And, as much as I want to get to the final battle, splitting it up would make the pacing easier. Either way, I’m going to enjoy this.

I Give “To the Hashira Training” a 4/5