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.
First Look of The Wind Hashira and Serpent Hashira from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba "Hashira Training Arc".
The anime scheduled for Spring 2024 and the first episode will be a one-hour special!
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.
RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Terrifying Monsters in Anime
Halloween is the time of year where people embrace the macabre and monstrous, and anime is filled with some of the biggest monsters in all of fiction. From demons pulled straight from myths and legends worldwide to conventional monsters like vampires and zombies, anime has them all. In the spirit of Halloween, it seems appropriate to talk about the monsters of anime that will give everyday people nightmares.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime, and here are my picks for some of the most terrifying monsters to be found in anime.
Titans, Attack on Titan Franchise
Woe to those who see one of the Titans approaching them, for they are almost always harbingers of death. Created when a certain group of people are injected with their spinal fluids, Titans are hulking, near-mindless monsters. Their only goal in existence is to find one of the nine people with the power to shift in and out of Titan form and devour them so they can regain human form. Thus, they chase down any human they see in the hopes of eating them. In the Attack on Titan universe, the number of deaths they’ve caused is enough to kill the world’s population three times over.
What makes the Titans so horrifying is that, unlike many fictional monsters, they usually appear distinctly human. Seeing a group of giant, naked, grotesque caricatures of human beings running towards is the stuff of nightmares. Is it any wonder people in Attack on Titan are so afraid of them?
Demons, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
While Demons are not a new thing in works of anime, the Demons in Demon Slayer are unlike anything fans have seen before. Craving human blood, vulnerable to the sun, and capable of turning more humans into them, they have more in common with vampires than that of classical Demons. However, that doesn’t really matter, though, considering that they’re still horrifying.
What makes the Demons in Demon Slayer even more dangerous is the many and varied powers they can possess, ranging from super-strength to being able to rewrite the world around them on a whim. Worst of all, their progenitor, Muzan, is so monstrous that he’s compared to a force of nature. Is it any wonder why the Demon Slayer Corps is constantly struggling to wipe them out?
The one positive trait about them is that they’re not entirely devoid of humanity, as proven by Nezuko.
Devils, Chainsaw Man
Imagine a world where the thing that you’re afraid of, the very concept of it, could take physical form and threaten you. That’s the kind of world that serves as the setting for Chainsaw Man. In this alternate version of Earth, Devils are real, and they are the phsyical manifestations of the things that mankind fears. And the more humans fear them, the stronger they become. No matter how silly or absurd it may be, if someone is afraid of it, there’s likely a Devil for it.
What makes the Devils of Chainsaw Man truly horrifying is that there are things that almost every living thing is genetically programmed to be afraid of. Falling from great heights, darkness, and even death itself are things that all life instinctively fears. Imagine how powerful their Devils are. No wonder why the only people who choose to become Devil Hunters have a few screws loose.
Shinigami, Death Note
Death is already a scary concept by itself, but what if there were extra-dimensional beings capable of killing you with a pen and a notebook. If that sounds terrifying, then the Shinigami of Death Note are the stuff of nightmares. Grotesque in appearance and residing in an alternate plane of reality, the Shinigami have only one purpose in life: to end the lives of others. To that end, they use the power of their Death Notes to end the lives of humans living on Earth and use them to extend their own lifespans.
The scariest part about the Shinigami, besides their appearance, is their almost universal apathy regarding humanity. At worst, they view humans as sources of food for themselves; at best, they’re sources of entertainment. Even Ryuk, the one who gave Light Yagami the Death Note that let him become Kira, abandons Light when he finally gets cornered. They don’t care about mankind, and they never will.
Cursed Spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, feeling too many negative emotions isn’t just bad for your mental health; it can lead to the creation of supernatural monsters. Cursed Spirits are beings that manifest from the collective cursed energy that leaks out of humans whenever they’re feeling negative emotions. Much like the Devils in Chainsaw Man, they’re the embodiments of mankind’s fears and anxities, and thus can take many forms that range from the simple to the truly demonic.
While they can be scary-looking, most Cursed Spirits are capable of being dealt with by the Jujutsu Sorceror’s that protect society from the shadows. That is, however, except for Sukuna, the King of Curses. The amount of black air force energy he has in him is so powerful that he managed to persist a thousand years after he died. The only hope the Jujutsu Sorceror’s had of finally being rid of him was by gathering all his cursed energy into his host, Yuji Itadori, and then finally killing him. As of now, that still has yet to work out.
So, does everyone agree with my picks. I am well aware that there are plenty of monsters in anime that are just as terrifying as the examples I came up with. However, if I tried to mention them all, we’d be here all night. Feel free to let us know any other scary monsters in anime that you think should be on this list.
Anime that Make for Perfect Binge Sessions for Halloween
Every year for Halloween, it’s a tradition of mine to watch at least one Halloween special or scary movie every night in the month of October. While I haven’t always met this self-mandated quota, the process has led me to broaden my horizons into the horror genre, which is something that I normally want nothing to do with. As it turns out, the world of anime is filled to the brim with plenty of scary shows, movies, and OVA’s meant to have people sleeping with one eye open. In addition to serving as inspiration for amazing costumes, horror anime can also serve as ideal binging material to get one into the spirit of the holiday.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime blog, and in honor of Halloween, I’m sharing some of my top picks for anime to binge for All Hallow’s Eve. Some of these I’ve even managed to cover on the blog, so if they interest you, then go check out my reviews for shows like Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer.
Hellsing Ultimate & Hellsing Ultimate : Abridged
You can rarely talk about the horror genre without mentioning vampires, and anime has them for days. While some of them depict vampires as waifu’s and husbandos, there are those that play them straight, with the Hellsing franchise standing near the very top. The series follows the exploits of Alucard, the strongest vampire in the world, as he serves the Hellsing Organization in their mission to protect Britain from supernatural threats. On its own, Hellsing Ultimate is a violent, bloody, and dark story where main characters can drop like flies.
Then, we have Hellsing Ultimate: Abridged by TeamFourStar, which is even better than the official series. The once stoic and perfectionist Alucard is now a goofy, bloodthirsty, over-the-top wearer of black air forces voiced by the talented Takahata101. TeamFourStar balances the genuine horror of facing an army of Nazi vampires with their own brand of humor, and the result is a masterpiece. Compare the moment when Alucard returns to London in the official release with what TeamFourStar does and tell me which doesn’t get you more hyped up.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is among the most famous anime in the world, and for good reason; it gave us some of the most terrifying monsters the world has ever seen. When it first came out, Attack on Titan looked to be a post-apocalyptic horror anime telling the story of mankind’s desperate fight for survival against an anime that didn’t just want them dead but to eat them. However, as time went on, the series expanded its ideas of what can be considered horror. From the realization that the enemy they had fought for so long had an unsettling connection to them to looking at the psychological toll war can have on everyone, Attack on Titan painted a bleak picture of mankind. And fans have eaten it up.
At the time that this is being published, fans are eagerly awaiting for the series finale to air on Crunchyroll on November 5th, 2023. Given the hype surrounding the ending to the manga, fans are going to be discussing what happens in Attack on Titan for years to come. Fear the Titans.
Chainsaw Man
It may be a newcomer in the world of Shonen anime, but Chainsaw Man has already garnered a massive following. Set in an alternate 1990s Japan, Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, a teenage boy who hunts down Devils for a living. After his Yakuza handlers betray and kill him, Denji’s reborn as the titular Chainsaw Man, capable of cutting up anyone dumb enough to fight him into bloody, bloody chunks. Instead of being motivated to help others or do good, Denji wants to live a good life. That, and to get a girlfriend. The man has his priorities straight.
The first season of the anime might not have fully capitalized on the over-the-top violence fans were expecting. However, there’s no denying that Chainsaw Man is a good Shonen-Horror anime. The main antagonists of the series are the physical manifestations of everything that mankind fears. And once the violence gets started in earnest, no one will be safe from dying horrifically. This is one of the darkest of the new wave of Shonen hits, and it’s likely to be one that people will talk about for years.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yet another example of the recent trend of dark Shonen anime, Jujutsu Kaisen operates on a similar premise to Chainsaw Man. In a Japan where sorceror’s secretly battle against monsters called Cursed Spirits, Yuji Itadori’s a seemingly ordinary kid. Until, that is, the day he becomes the unwitting host for the most dangerous Cursed Spirit in history. Thus, he’s forced to become a Jujutsu Sorceror and gather the other fragments of said Cursed Spirit in the hopes that when he dies, he can take this threat with him to his grave.
JuJutsu Kaisen is part of the next generation of Shonen anime, and it has already garnered a massive following. The premise of people fighting against the supernatural embodiment of negative feelings is an interesting take on the usual Shonen formula, but it doesn’t make it any less awesome. In addition to the horror factor, the show’s also gotten a lot of praise for its sense of humor. From Yuji’s Dub VA creating that iconic shout-out to Mega Thee Stallion to Gojo being a full-on rizz god, Jujustu Kaisen is super entertaining to watch. Don’t let the humor fool you, though. It knows when to get dark and serious.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
When Demon Slayer cooks, the whole world eats well. Set in Meji-era Japan, Demon Slayer follows the story of Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who’s entire family is slaughtered by the Demon, Muzan, and his sister, Nezuko, turned into a Demon herself. Against almost everyone’s objections, Tanjiro refuses to let Nezuko die, vowing to kill Muzan and return his sister to human form. Thus, he embarks on the life of a Demon Slayer.
Demon Slayer has become legendary for how amazing the animation is, but it also stands up well in the horror genre. The members of the Demon Slayer Corps are constantly forced to fight against Demons that range from normal in appearance to outright abominations, and are usually considered the underdogs doing it. What really makes Demon Slayer great, though, is what the story represents on a thematic level. If Demons represent the worst of humanity, then the Demon Slayer Corps indomitable will against overwhelming odds represents its best. That alone is worth giving it a shot.
High School of the Dead
Zombie Apocalypse’s can be as commonplace in anime as they are in western media, but few are as notorious as the unfinished High School of the Dead. When a zombie pandemic strikes without warning around the world and society collapses, a group of largely high school students bands together to do their best to survive. At the same time, though, they’re dealing with a threat just as dangerous: their own hormones and how that can affect their relationships.
I will be blunt about this: if you’re looking for something that’s thought-provoking and deep, then Hight School of the Dead is not for you. It’s an anime that focuses almost as much time on the fanservice from the beautiful girls as it does on the sheer blood and gore and trying to be edgy. However, it also knows what it is and makes no attempts to hide that from the viewers. If you’re looking for a show filled Evil Dead levels of ridiculous violence, then this might be worth your time.
Or…you can watch this instead.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
A show that came out this year, Zom 100 is essentially the anti-High School of the Dead. Like HOTD, the world falls victim to a zombie apocalypse that leaves everyone struggling to survive. Whereas HOTD seems cynical and jaded about the whole thing, the main characters of Zom 100 treat it like the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Considering how miserable they were in their lives before it happened, though, they all agree that this is much better.
I’ve already talked about this show extensively in my reviews of each episode, so I won’t explain much of why I think it’s binge-worthy for Halloween here. However, I must warn you that the first season is currently on hiatus due to production issues. If anything, you should still watch it and show the studios that we want it to continue!
Soul Eater
Lastly, we have the supernatural dark fantasy, Soul Eater. Set in a world filled with witches and other supernatural entities, Soul Eater follows the exploits of three teams from the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a school headed by Death himself to protect the world from evil. To do this, some groups of people can transform themselves into living weapons capable of being wielded by their partners called Meisters. If they grow strong enough, they can become a weapon capable of being wielded by Death.
Soul Eater is, for all intents and purposes, what would happen if Tim Burton were to create his own anime. In fact, Tim Burton is often cited as a major source of inspiration for the gothic style and tone of Soul Eater, with critics and fans making positive comparisons to his works like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Given that film’s status as a classic Halloween/Christmas film, it’s only fitting that this anime be watched around Halloween. Not to mention there is a Soul Eater AMV that runs to a cover of “This is Halloween” on YouTube.
Anime Villains that Can Induce Nightmare Fuel in Fans
There can be no good without evil, and that means that a great hero needs a great villain. Batman has the Joker, Cloud has Sephiroth, Spider-Man has the Green Goblin. The best heroes have the best villains, and the best villains can be as popular as the heroes. However, no matter how much people may like them (or like to hate them), that doesn’t change the fact that they’re evil. If people were to somehow encounter them in real life, they’ll generally have three choices.
Run for your life and pray that they don’t come after you.
Bow down to them and pray that they spare.
Make peace with your impending death.
Since Halloween is about scaring ourselves, here are some of the villains in Shonen anime that are the stuff of nightmares. Villain’s that, if encountered by someone unprepared, should be run away from as fast as you can.
DIO, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
There’s hatred, and then there’s the concentrated malice that is known as DIO. As the overarching antagonist of most of Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, DIO is one of the most vile beings to ever walk upon God’s green earth. Which is ironic because his name means “God” in Italian!
Despite starting out as nothing more than an extremelycruel bully to Jonathan Joestar, Dio graduated from that and humanity when he used an ancient mask to become an immortal vampire. After that, Dio slaughtered his way through Victorian England before the OG JoJo took him down, sacrificing his own life in the process. Unfortunately for the world, it didn’t stick.
DIO (now all caps) returned a hundred years with JoJo’s body and a Stand power that let him stop time, and even then, he wasn’t satisfied. Had JoJo’s descendant, Jotaro Kujo, not slain him, he would’ve eventually evolved his Stand into one that could rewrite reality itself. The worst part, though, is that even in death, DIO remained a threat thanks to his followers, one of whom would find a way to end and restart the universe.
DIO is like Dracula on steroids. He’s brilliant, has almost no regard for humanity, and worst of all, incredibly charismatic. Even if someone manages to resist his charisma, it won’t matter since he can implant a parasite in their brains and force them to serve him. Anyone unlucky enough to cross his path should run, lest he devours you mind, body, and soul.
Frieza, Dragon Ball Franchise
There are a lot of villains in the Dragon Ball franchise that would terrify even the bravest people. However, even when stacked against beings like Cell, Majin Buu, and Goku Black, Frieza stands as the biggest villain in Dragon Ball for good reason. Series mangaka Akira Toriyama based him off his own worst nightmares fused with real estate speculators that, at the time of his creation, were raking in dough at countless other’s expense. As a result, unlike most villains in the franchise, Frieza has an unthreatening appearance and eloquent way of speaking one might expect from Hannibal Lecter, which only makes him all the more terrifying.
While he was eventually surpassed by stronger villains like Cell and Majin Buu, Frieza remained the most popular villain in the franchise. That popularity would eventually see him not only come back from the dead (twice), but gave him a power-up that put him back on top. At the time of this writing, Frieza’s gotten to the point where he’s stronger than Goku and Vegeta. The only reason they’re still alive is because he let them live just to prove a point. Unless you’re a Super Saiyan or a god of destruction, then Frieza is the last person that you want to anger. He will not kill you but your entire species in the process.
Also, he’s got his own heavy-metal theme song.
Akainu, One Piece
There are plenty of villains and monsters in One Piece that make ordinary people tremble in fear, but few of them can get away with their actions by being one of the “good guys.” That’s different for Navy Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, AKA Akainu (“Red Dog.”) Akainu is everything wrong with the Marines personified. If you step out of line with his extreme views on justice, he will not hesitate to kill you. And with his Magma Magma Fruit powers letting him turn his body into magma, there’s little anyone can do to stop him.
Many of the actions that Akainu has committed over the course of the series would, in a fairer world, likely constitute as war crimes. From blowing up a refugee ship on the off-chance a singlefugitive would be on board to killing his own men for getting in his way or losing their nerve, this is someone that shouldn’t be put in charge of anything. For fans of One Piece, though, his biggest crime was murdering Luffy’s brother, Ace, right before him. This monster needs to be stopped, and many fans would love to see Luffy beat him into the ground before the series ends.
No, really. Luffy needs to beat him to a pulp and avenge his brother’s death.
Muzan Kibutsuji, Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba
He may look like Michael Jackson, but Muzan is a complete and utter monster. The centuries old progenitor of all Demons, Muzan is less of a person and more of a plague upon the world. Born a sickly human a thousand years ago, he took an incomplete medicine to survive, only to have it turn him into the first Demon. Since then, he has plagued Japan from the shadows, spawning countless Demons. His ultimate goal is to attain true immortality and conquer the light of the sun.
Even with his weakness to sunlight, Muzan is a terrifying, nigh-immortal foe. With a healing factor that rivals the likes of Cell or Majin Buu and an insatiable will to live, Muzan is the stuff of nightmares. Not even his fellow Demons are safe from him, as he’ll kill them for no reason. Any unlucky soul who finds themselves facing him shouldn’t even bother running. Just pray to God to let you into Heaven when you die.
WARNING: This Final Entry Provides MAJOR SPOILERS for Chainsaw Man. Anime-only fans and those who haven’t read the manga, stop reading!
Makima, Chainsaw Man
This blog’s review for the 9th episode of the Chainsaw Man anime called Makima a dangerous and, indeed, scary person. That had been written with little knowledge about what happens in the manga. That assessment turned out to be accurate to the extreme. Makima isn’t just a dangerous woman. She’s a menace!
While the anime has dropped hints that Makima isn’t a normal person, the manga eventually reveals that she’s actually the Control Devil. AKA, the embodiment of humanity’s fear of control, oppression, and the loss of free will. As such, her ability to control those she sees beneath her is so broken it puts Lelouch Vi Britannia’s Geass to shame. She’s a manipulative, cruel, and sociopathic villain whose idea of a perfect world is one without Devils and everyone under her heels. In other words, she’s the stuff of nightmares.
The worst part is the fact that she’s almost impossible to kill. Any damage done to her gets sent to some random person instead. With nigh-immortality and the ability to manipulate almost anyone she meets, she’s an enemy to everyone who loves free will. It doesn’t matter if she’s called a waifu; she’s a monster.
Everyone remembers Sakura Haruno from Naruto, for better or worse. She started as Sasuke’s number-one fangirl and didn’t do much. Then Sasuke ran away and she dedicated herself to getting stronger, which she did, gaining superhuman strength. However, nothing could save her from the menace of poor character writing. Even someone who thinks she’s overhated like me understands that she was underutilized. Thankfully, we live in a world where there’s an improved version of Sakura in anime. Her name is Mitsuri Kanroji, AKA the Love Hashira, AKA Sakura 2.0.
Mitsuri Kanroji is such a Badass
After she swoops in to save Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, the disrespectful demon calls Mitsuri Kanroji a shameless tramp, angering her and the fandom to no end. However, she proves she’s anything but as she proceeds to demonstrate the power of her Love Breathing style. It lets her cancel out other people’s attacks, making it extremely powerful. Unfortunately, she makes the mistake of going directly for Zohakuten’s head, unaware it’s not his real body. Thankfully, the counterattack that follows doesn’t kill her.
It turns out, despite her small size, Mitsuri’s muscles are denser than a normal human’s. As a result, she survives that initial attack long enough for the others to save her.
It’s at this moment, though, where we learn about her backstory, and how it makes her better than Sakura.
Those People Don’t Know what they’re Talking About
As we see in Mitsurri’s memories, she’s always been this incredibly strong. When she was a baby, she could lift a pickling stone that even adults would have trouble carrying! As a kid, she could out-eat sumo wrestlers and beat them in arm wrestling contests! Instead of giving her a happy life, though, Mitsuri’s abilities brought her hardship. The man she was interviewing for marriage dumped her for this, plus her pink hair color!
After that happened, Mitsuri felt ashamed of who she was and started hiding it from the world. She wanted to find love and fit in with others, but all this did was make her miserable. All this led her to join the Demon Slayer Corps to help people, find love, and be herself. And it worked!
This is how you write a better version of Sakura Haruno. Sakura’s initial motivations were shallow, self-centered, and continued to be a big part of her throughout Naruto. While she got better, she never lived up to her full potential. In contrast, Mitsuri’s motivations, while similar, come off as more genuine. She wants to love people, and for people to love her for who she is, something many can relate to. It’s what makes her a better version of Sakura.
Hantengu’s Done Running
Thanks to the efforts of Mitsuri, Zohakuten’s distracted long enough for Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko to chase after Hantengu’s main body. The coward continues to flee, but despite his best efforts, the Demon Slayers aren’t going to let him escape. The Demon’s crocodile tears deserve no sympathy from anyone; he’s done.
There’s one problem, though: as Nezuko goes to make the final blow, it becomes apparent that dawn’s almost upon them. If that happens, Nezuko could die! They need to finish this soon for her sake!
Next week, we’re getting the finale to the Swordsmith Village arc, which is a shame, since I thought there would be two more episodes. Given what has happened, though, I think that it’s ending at an appropriate time. At least it doesn’t drag things out like many other Shonen anime tend to do!
Ladies, gentlemen, and those who identify as neither, the Demon Slayers scored a significant win! Against all odds, Tokito the Mist Hashira managed to put an end to the terrible artist known as Gyokko. Muzan’s Demon Army has suffered a devastating loss for the second time in a short period. How did this happen, though? Find out now in the new episode of Demon Slayer!
Tokito Channels Inner Spider-Man to Waste Gyokko
What’s one of the reasons why Spider-Man’s so effective as a crime fighter? There’s the powers, the indomitable will, and his genius-level intellect, to be sure. However, another reason he’s so effective is his penchant for quips, jokes, and general mocking of his opponents in a fight. He does this because he knows it angers them; when they get angry, they’re more likely to make a mistake. Tokito uses a subdued version of this strategy in this episode to significant effect.
Having freed himself from Gyokko’s death trap with help from Kotetsu and remembering his past in full, the Mist Hashira goes to town on the Upper Four Demon. Not only does he continuously dodge Gyokko’s attacks, but he proceeds to troll him the entire time. One minute, he won’t say anything to make the Demon mad, and the next, he’ll be insulting him for reeking like fish. The best part is that this tactic works to a tee. Gyokko transforms into this fish-lamia hybrid to get even more robust, but Tokito no-sells it like it’s nothing. By the halfway point, the deranged, Demonic artist has met his end by beheading. Another one of Muzan’s best assets has died in a short amount of time!
Tokito for the Win!
This entire portion of the episode triumphs Tokito’s character growth. We’ve seen his backstory and how he had to claw his way out of Hell to end the threat of the Demons. Now, he’s not only making good on that, but thanks to Tanjiro reaching his wounded heart, he’s able to become the badass he was meant to be. In addition, we get to see the sadistic monster Gyokko die. He’ll have to make his sick, perverted form of art in Hell now.
The most emotional part of the episode came when it was revealed that Kotetsu survived. Just as important, though, is what enabled the boy to survive his injuries: the tsuba, or sword mount, that belonged to the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. That man went out like a legend, and everyone who knew him missed him. Tokito starts crying as he remembers his late comrade. Given his previously emotionless state, this act feels all the more impactful.
It’s Time for Mitsuri Kanroji to Shine
Meanwhile, the fight against Hantengu’s Hatred Demon could be better for Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya. Even though they’re giving it their all, the Hatred Demon keeps overwhelming them. Now Tanjiro’s eardrums are shattered, his left foot gets crushed, and he’s a sitting duck.
It’s moments like this, though, when the cavalry comes in to help save the day. In this case, said cavalry comes from the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji. Fresh from defending the Swordsmith Village, Kanroji is the extra firepower the Demon Slayers will need to destroy Hantengu once and for all. That woman’s started to grow on me in the short timeframe of this season, so I’m looking forward to seeing her go all out.
We are nearing the end of the Swordsmith Village Arc at this point. While there have been plenty of incredible moments, the anime has yet to live up to the sheer destructive power demonstrated at the end of the Entertainment District Arc. z
Given how there are still a few episodes left, though, we should not have much longer to wait. It should be pointed out that by now, the Demons should consider retreating. They’ve lost this fight; they don’t know it.
They say when you’re about to die, your life starts flashing before your eyes. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s always a good plot device in fiction. Besides serving as a means to remind people of key moments in a character’s life, it also helps explain more about how they ended up the way they are now. In this case, we get to see the life of Muichiro Tokito and learn what made him into the Hashira he is now. The obtuse, potentially thoughtless Hashira we’ve come to know.
This Was My Life…and it Sucked!
Even though he managed to free himself from the water pot thanks to Kotetsu, Muichiro’s in no better shape. Those needles Gyokko and the fish Demons hit him with were poison. As a result, he’s still on the verge of passing out right as the low-level grunt Demons swarm around him.
And this is the moment where Muichiro remembers all of his traumatic past. It soon becomes apparent why his mind chose to suppress the memories, though.
When he was younger, he was the son of a kind and compassionate woodcutter, and he took a lot after his father. However, tragedy struck their family when his mother died from an illness brought on by overworking herself. In addition, his father died trying to find herbs that could’ve helped her. He lost both his parents in one day, leaving him an orphan and alone.
Alone, that is, except for this twin brother.
Yuichiro and Muichiro Needed Therapy!
In essence, Yuichiro, in order to cope with the loss of his parents, shut himself off from the world and not caring about anyone else, thinking that it would keep himself and his brother alive. That’s why even though the wife of the head of the Demon Slayer Corps came to recruit them since they were descendants of one of their members, he kept turning her away. However, that proved to be a massive mistake when a Demon came to kill them both.
In what can only be described as a fit of primal rage brought on by the urge to survive, Muichiro somehow managed to kill the Demon. The episode leaves the details a mystery, with not even the future Hashira knowing. What is known, though, is that Yuichiro didn’t survive the attack. In his final moments, the boy prayed to the heavens for forgiveness for his misguided attempts to protect his brother, something Muichiro witnessed.
No wonder Muichiro developed amnesia! He might have gone insane had this not happened.
Awakening a New Power and Wasting Gyokko
As painful as his past was, remembering it did help Muichiro in the long run. As a result of this near-death experience trigger his dormant memories, the Hashira unlocks a new level of power. His face gains markings similar to the ones displayed by Tanjiro in his fights against Demons. Without going into spoiler-territory, it’s safe to say that these marks are the Demon Slayer equivalent to the Super Saiyan. Once he gains them, Muichiro wastes all the fish Demons to save Kotetsu, then turns his attention to the distracted Gyokko.
What follows is the beginning of a fight that, once again, shows off Demon Slayer’s greatest asset: it’s animation. The animation becomes smoother, crisper, and breath-taking to look at. That’s the anime’s way of showing that the stakes are higher than normal, and that we’re going to see things get destroyed, as Gyokko soon learns.
The fight’s between the Mist Hashira and the psychotic artist Gyokko isn’t over yet, but I can already see the writing on the wall: Muichiro’s going to win.
This was another great episode of Demon Slayer, but I do have one complaint: the meaning of the episode’s title. It’s referring to how the Kanji for ‘Mu’ in Muichiro can have two meanings, according to his late brother: incompetence…and infinite or infinity. However, that loses a little meaning in translation to Western Audiences. Chalk that up to cultural differences, I suppose.
I Give “The ‘Mu’ in Muichiro” a 4/5
Also, this is a quick reminder that the dub for this season of Demon Slayer is now airing on Crunchyroll. If you’ve been waiting to watch it dubbed, then now’s the time to start!
I’ve seen my fair share of Shonen stories over the years, and I’ve come to notice a number of familiar tropes in them. Among my favorite of these tropes has to be the importance of one’s will to succeed. Think about it; how many shonen protagonists have we seen get beaten to the point where they shouldn’t be able to stand, let alone fight…yet do exactly that? Some call it corny or ridiculous; I call it a testament to the will of the human spirit. It’s why the good guys win in the end, and its why the Demons can never win no matter how many Demon Slayers they kill. Case in point, Tanjiro and the other Demon Slayers utilize their incredible willpower to turn the tide on the Demons once more in this episode!
Tanjiro Ain’t Buying That “Awful Villian” Garbage
So, right as Tanjiro’s about to decaptitate the diminutive Hantengu, he finds his sword’s unable to penetrate his skin. Then, to make matters worse, Sekido, the Demon representing Hantengu’s rage, takes matters into his own hands. He absorbs several of the other Emotion Demon’s into himself to create a new Demon, Zohakuten, Hantengu’s hatred. And Zohakuten is a piece of work.
The main thing about Zohakuten is the fact that he is a spiteful and foul-mouthed creature, calling the Demon Slayers awful villains for picking on the “weak and defenseless” Hantengu, who he tries to protect. The Demon then doubles down on the awful villains talk when Tanjiro admits that Hantengu’s never killed anyone that he knows or loves.
Tanjiro, though, is having none of it. He knows that the Demon’s have no right to claim the moral high ground when the vast majority of them slaughter Humans without a second thought. What Hantengu and Gyokko have done in the short amount of time they’ve been in the village is proof that they’re the villains, and they’re going down.
Gyokko Angered Over Haganezuka Being Better Than Him
Meanwhile, back at the shed, Tokito’s attempts to escape from his watery prison continue to be for naught. He’s close to drowning, and he knows it. Gyokko knows it well enough that he turns his back on the Hashira in lieu of seeing what’s inside the shed. There, in the shed, is Haganezuka, who remains hard at work fixing the sword that Tanjiro recovered from the mechanical doll. And Haganezuka is not letting anything distract him, not even the Demon that could easily kill him.
Since Gyokko considers himself a talented artist, he’s incredibly vain and full of himself. So, when faced with a Human that’s willing to ignore him in favor of his craft, Gyokko loses it. He keeps trying to make Haganezuka break his concentration by attacking him, yelling at him, and breaking his mask so everyone can see his face. Yet, Haganezuka’s will and dedication to his work is so strong, nothing can make him budge. And that just makes the Demon even angrier, making him blow his chance to kill everyone.
That proves to be a costly mistake. As Tokito begins to suffocate, Kotetsu demonstrates his own willpower. The young swordsmith willingly allows another Demon inflict a potentially fatal wound on him, just so he can breathe air into the Hashira’s prison. That kid’s willing to die to save Tokito so he can save everyone. As a result, Tokito manages to slice through the water jar to freedom.
The Demons Lack the Will to Win
This episode encapsulates why the Demons are destined to eventually lose to Humanity: they lack the will to do so. Save for the handful I mentioned, every Demon we’ve seen has been selfish and only cared about themselves. When faced with the prospect of death, they’ll run and abandon each other.
Now, contrast this with the members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Even when faced with certain death, they’re willing to keep fighting to ensure that one of them can come out on top. They’re willing to sacrifice their lives to ensure no one else can be hurt by Muzan. That’s how powerful the Human will can be, and it’s why they keep winning over the vastly more powerful Demons.
Overall, this episode was a good one. It reminds viewers of why Demon Slayer can stand amongst the greats of the Shonen genre. Like Naruto, JoJo, and One Piece before it, the heroes demonstrate a will to fight in spite of impossible odds. And, in accordance with Shonen rules, that can determine who the victor is.
So, after the end of the last episode of Demon Slayer, I took the initiative and looked up what the deal was with Genya. I remembered reading how he has this power to absorb a Demon’s strength by eating them, but that’s all I could remember about him. After consulting the Demon Slayer Wikia and an anime channel on YouTuber, though, I found there’s more to Genya than meets the eye. Even though he’s a hot-headed and abrasive guy in the vein of Bakugo, he’s got a very tragic past. As in, it could give what happened to Sasuke a run for his money.
No wonder he wants to be a Demon Slayer so badly.
So Close to Victory, but Not Quite.
Last week, it looked like Tanjiro and Genya managed to end the split Demons of Hatengu of the Upper Four. All of their heads were separated from their bodies and everything. However, despite this…the Demons don’t die. Their injuries only slow them down, but they’re ready to make Demon Slayer heads roll once they heal.
This is a regular occurrence in Demon Slayer. Right when the Demon Slayers look like they’ve got things in the bag, the Demons pull an ace out of their sleeves. Tanjiro realizes that the main Demon, Hatengu, isn’t dead in this case. Instead of fully splitting into four Demons, Hatengu broke them off his body while he ran and hid. As a result, Hatengu’s body is the size of a mouse and beyond durable. The sword breaks when Genya tries to hit him with his shotgun and sword! How does that make any sense?
Now, Genya’s lost his sword, and one of the emotion Demons is about to run his skull through with their staff. That makes it the perfect time for a flashback!
The Sad Story of Sanemi and Genya Shinazugawa
I don’t know if it was already explained, but the flashback reveals Genya’s the younger brother of the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa. AKA the man who stabbed Nezuko in her box before trying (and failing) to goad her into attacking him. The fact that they’re brothers make so much sense, but what happened to them explains why Sanemi was so biased against Nezuko.
Sanemi and Genya’s childhood was fairly horrible. Their father was an abusive deadbeat who died via stabbing on the streets. Their tiny Mother had to care for them and their five brothers and sisters. Since they were the oldest of the two, they had to look out for their Mom and siblings.
Then, one cruel night while their Mom was out, a monster broke into their home and killed all but Genya and Sanemi. Sanemi forced the monster outside while Genya ran to find a doctor, unable to accept his siblings were dead. Then, as the sun rose, he saw something that made his blood run cold. His brother, Sanemi, stood over their Mother’s bloodied, dead body. Sanemi killed their own Mom! It wasn’t until later that Genya realized that their Mom had been turned into a Demon and killed her own family, forcing Sanemi to kill her in self-defense. Thus, Genya feels like the worst brother ever.
Genya Needs to Open up His Heart to Become a Hashira
I cannot lie: what happened to Genya and Sanemi is messed up. It might be up there with what happened in Sasuke and Itachi’s backstories; it’s that bad! Like Sasuke, Genya blamed his brother for what happened, only to realize that his brother had no choice. It was that or let himself die and, more importantly, let his brother die. In other words, Genya feels like the worst brother ever and thinks Sanemi hates him for it. That’s why he wants to become a Hashira despite being unable to use Breathing techniques. He has to rely on his ability to eat the flesh of Demons and gain their strength. However, determination alone does make someone great. Naruto proves it, Luffy proves it, and Tanjiro proves it. Genya must learn to open his heart again if he wants to succeed.
Genya’s intentions are good, but due to the absolute hell he went through as a kid, he’s closed himself off and become abrasive to everyone. His powers, while cool, can only take him so far. Now compare that to Tanjiro. Despite losing almost his entire family and his sister becoming a Demon, he remains cheerful and friendly. That equates to him making powerful friends and thus overcoming great obstacles, a hallmark of the Shonen genre.
Now, Tanjiro’s kindness even gets through to Genya. Despite wanting to secure the win against an Upper Four, he realizes he can’t do it, but Tanjiro can. So, he lets himself get skewered while allowing Tanjiro find and end Hatengu. It’s the start of good character development.
Once again, Demon Slayer slays with another awesome episode. It might be my preference, but I’ve always been fond of expository flashbacks, so this episode got points. Meanwhile, we still have depraved Demon artist Gyokko holding one Hashira hostage and another defending the Swordsmith Village. If we’re lucky, this arc will end with a fight as cool as the one that leveled the Entertainment District!
I Give “Aren’t You Going to Become a Hashira?” a 4/5
How did the Demons find the Swordsmith Village in the first place? That’s what I’m asking myself as I watched the new episode of Demon Slayer. The fact that it’s under attack by two members of the Upper Four, though, is just as concerning. However, for all their power, the Demons have themselves a tough time against the likes of Tanjiro, Nezuko, and their allies. What follows is a rather interesting series of battles that sees all the Demon Slayers get a chance to show off their skills. And that includes Nezuko!
Muichiro Does Have a Heart, After All
Despite having a personality akin to sandpaper at first, the last episode proved that underneath all that, Muichiro’s a decent person. He wound up taking Tanjiro’s words about kindness to others to heart. As a result, he saves Kotesu from the fish Demon. What’s more, despite wanting to prioritize the safety of the village over a single person, he agrees to help Kotetsu save Hotaru and his comrade.
So, Muichiro’s not a bad person. However, this episode also revealed something interesting: he has amnesia. He doesn’t remember much about his past, so the head of the Demon Slayer Corps has been telling him to talk to others. Sometimes, minor moments can trigger a person’s memories. Thus, he jumps back into the fight to save Hotaru, AKA the guy fixing the sword that Tanjiro’s going to need to win.
Speaking of which…
Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya vs. the Quadruplet Demons
I’ve seen a number of Demons with bizarre powers in this series, but I wasn’t expecting one that could split into more Demons like Hantengu can. As a result of this ability, now the three are facing off against four Demons, each representing a different emotion of Hantengu: Urogi, Sekido, Karaku, and Aizetsu. At first glance, they all appear to be tougher than them, but that’s usually the case with Demons. Yet thanks to some good old-fashioned swordsmanship and inegunity, Tanjiro still manages to come out on top. Thanks to his wits, Tanjiro discovers that there’s a limit to how many times the Demons can split themselves. In addition, despite being separated from his sister and Genya, he uses Urogi to quickly reunite with his comrades. This is why Tanjiro’s one of the best the Demon Slayer Corps has to offer.
Nezuko, meanwhile, starts struggling against her opponent. On paper, she should be fine, but the more she uses her Demon powers, the greater the risk she has of succumbing to them. Thankfully, Genya manages to cover for her well enough, despite taking a beating himself.
I don’t know that much about Genya, but his fighting style’s unlike any Demon Slayer we’ve seen thus far. He doesn’t use breathing techniques, he uses a shotgun, and he can heal from bad injuries. He’s an interesting character, to be sure. I hope we learn more about him as the arc progresses.
The War has Come to the Swordsmith Village
It doesn’t matter how you slice it, the war against the Demons has come to the Swordsmith Village. Worse, since it’s location is a secret even from the Demon Slayers, there’s no surefire way to get people there in time to help. It’s fortunate that the Love Hashira, Misturi, happens to be nearby and rushes to help. Beyond that, the villagers and the Demon Slayers there are on their own.
I don’t know the full details of what happens, but I do know that something very important happens at the very end of this arc. As such, I’m going to be paying close attention to what happens. Given how this is Demon Slayer, we’re bound to get some jaw-dropping action in the coming episodes. It will be worth it!
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