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

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

Just Make Tanjiro a Hasira Already!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 3 Review

Now that Tanjiro is healed, it’s time for him to commence his anime training arc! To prepare for the final battle against Muzan, the Demon Slayer forces everyone to endure training from the Hashira. The reason boils down to the idea of the chain only being as strong as its weakest link. Having the Hashira get stronger won’t mean anything if the rest of the group can’t fight worth a darn. However, it’s not until Tanjiro joins the training under Tengen Uzui that we see how far the Corps needs to go. That shows just how strong Tanjiro is compared to the regular Slayers.

Can they promote Tanjiro to Hashira already?

Tanjiro Aces Boot Camp

In the real world, many elite special forces are known for their skill and prowess on the battlefield. There’s a good reason for that: they have to be the best to survive, which means they have to train their bodies until they collapse from exhaustion. And the training camp the Demon Slayer Corps is going through is like that, but on steroids. When the audience catches up with the Slayers working under Uzui, they are pushed to their physical and mental limits. It’s like Hell for all of them.

Then Tanjiro arrives.

The series has made it no secret that Tanjiro is stronger than most Demon Slayers despite only being a rookie. Seeing how he outpaces all of them in Uzui’s boot camp demonstrates how big the gap is between him and the others.

It’s actually funny to see how much better Tanjiro is compared to most of the Corps. Whereas the others are winded, out of breath, and barely able to complete their exercises, Tanjiro is the opposite. He barely breaks a sweat and does everything with a big grin. That’s how far ahead he is of the rank-and-file. But it gets to the point where the other trainees feel disheartened by the gap in strength.

Strength Through Unity

I’ve never undergone a training camp like the one the Hashira are running, but even I know they’re not working everyone like this to be cruel. Any good military instructor knows that soldiers need to be tough to survive on the battlefield. And since they’re fighting actual Demons, the Demon Slayer Corps can’t afford to rely on a small handful of elites to win. They need everyone to work together to bring down Muzan.

Lucky for the trainees, they have inspiration in the form of Tanjiro. In a late-night training session with Uzui, Tanjiro shows everyone how strong he has to be to fight a Demon. And seeing him hold his own against a former Hashira lights a fire in everyone that refuses to go out.

The rank-and-file of the Demon Slayer Corps may never reach the same level as the Hashira and Tanjiro, but that’s not the point. They know they won’t reach that level, but they realize they don’t care. They can still support the Hashira and ensure that they’re ready for the final battle.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and thanks to Tanjiro, that link has gotten a little sturdier. His task done, Tanjiro moves onto the next part of his training with the Mist Hashira.

I don’t know how long this season of Demon Slayer will be, but I’m actually hoping that we don’t rush toward the final battle. The final battle against Muzan is going to need to take up an entire season on its own, its so big. So I don’t really care if we have to wait until next season to see Tanjiro wreck Muzan. This training will make it worth it.

I Give “Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training!!” a 4/5

The Demon Slayers are About to Have a Training Arc

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , ,

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