Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Finally, you have come to me. And now you are standing in front of me, Muzan Kibutsuji. The demon that my family, the demon slayer corps has been pursuing for a thousand years.” – Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Well, this has to be the most anticipated episode in Demon Slayer series history, especially after that spooky, dramatic long walk of slow demonic deliberation by Muzan Kibutsuji towards Demon Corps leader Kagaya Ubuyashiki in Hashira Training Arc Episode 7. Some fans online have been comparing the walk to the slow-motion scenes from sappy Indian serials, but c’mon, Muzan deserved the long-drawn theatrical entry. And just in case some hasty viewers missed watching the sequence, as it was shown post-credits, fans get to see his ominous walk towards Ubuyashiki’s quarters once again.
Titled “Hashiras, Assemble!”, episode 8 of Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc, like the last edition, is longer, lasting 40 minutes (including credits), and marks the season finale. Just before the episode was out, Crunchyroll unveiled the official trailer for “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” movie. Ufotable will be releasing a movie trilogy which will mark an end to the anime series, an adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga series.
Throughout the series, Muzan appears in various forms of his choosing, but for this fateful meeting, he is dressed in a dapper white suit with a black vest and cape, giving him the appearance of a vampire of royal lineage. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who is already on the brink of death, bedridden and wrapped in bandages, greets Muzan with a calmness and composure that Muzan himself likens to that of the Buddha.
“He appears to be a man in his mid to late twenties. However, his eyes are a deep plum color, and his pupils are elongated like a cat,” Amane describes Muzan for Ubuyashiki, as he cannot see him clearly through the bandages. In a surprise turn of events, Muzan doesn’t immediately move to annihilate the Ubuyashiki family, giving the Demon Slayer Corps’ leader enough time to say whatever is on his mind. This includes reminding Muzan that they belong to the same bloodline, another reason the demon is keen on wiping out the Ubuyashiki family – to erase any trace of his links to humans and mortality.
Honestly, I was expecting the exchange between the two men to be a little more tense, but their interaction lacks punch, a lot of which also has to do with the sparse screentime Ubuyashiki gets throughout the anime. Even though he is a cherished leader, deeply respected by everybody in the corps, he has been more of a shadowy ghost through the series. Some flashback scenes dedicated to him in the earlier episodes would’ve made this season finale hit harder.
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About 15 minutes of this episode of Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc focuses on Muzan’s encounter with Ubuyashiki. The rest, as the title suggests, focuses on the Hashiras rushing to assemble at the mansion. Gyomei Himejima, Obanai Iguro, Shinobu Kochō, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Mitsuri Kanroji, Muichiro Tokito, Giyu Tomioka, and of course Tanjiro Kamado – they all arrive at their leader’s residence, although almost nobody is mentally prepared to see Muzan Kibutsuji in flesh and blood. Oh, and there’s lots and lots of blood in this edition, including some twisted blood demon art on display. Ufotable animators go all out with the action, colors, movements, to serve a riveting climax.
Swiftly paced, the second half of the Hashira Arc finale gets over in a blink, ending with a hilariously dark cliffhanger, which was cleverly foreshadowed in the earlier episodes. Viewers get some solid legwork for the anime’s final chapters, which bolsters Muzan’s image as a nearly invincible enemy. I wasn’t even expecting this season to have any serious developments and thought the creators might just limit the Hashira Arc to Tanjiro and friends training hard under their seniors. So, for those who had similar expectations, episode eight will prove to be solidly entertaining. Actually, it is pretty epic even otherwise! Given the brutally long face-offs between the slayers and upper ranks in arcs like “Mugen Train”, and “Entertainment District”, the final trilogy is going to one hell of a showdown in the grand infinity castle.
You can stream the series on Netflix, CrunchyRoll and JioCinema.
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