Ashley Suvarna (Instagram | Twitter)
I remember calling Season 3 of Demon Slayer the weakest season yet. I almost passed on that title to Season 4. Almost.
So let’s talk about the latest season, called the Hashira Training Arc. The term is pretty self-explanatory. Ever since the events in the Swordsmith Village, demon sightings have reduced to practically zero. It’s almost as if they have disappeared off the face of the earth. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the terminally ill leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, is quite convinced that things are about to escalate. Nezuko Kamado has become the first demon to withstand the sun, a feat the Demon King Muzan himself has been trying to achieve for hundreds of years without success. No doubt Muzan will come for her, and since she’s under Ubuyashiki’s protection, for him as well. There’s only one way to prepare for the coming storm – retrain the entire Corps. Ubuyashiki believes this could help the rank-and-file swordsmen get stronger, and with luck, maybe allow the Hashira to awaken their Slayer marks.
Also Read: Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc Review
The chapter begins with Iguro and Sanemi, two of the Hashira, chasing down a demon and getting their first peek at the Infinity Castle, a warped dimension that also serves as Muzan’s lair. Puzzled, they head back to HQ, where the decision to kickstart the training exercise is made. Now most of the entire season is basically Tanjiro making his way from one Hashira to another, completing his training regimen under each one before moving on to the next. Every Hashira has something specific to teach, even the retired Tengen Uzui who, despite losing an arm and an eye, volunteers to help out.
But this isn’t the kind of gripping, story driven training Tanjiro endured in Season One under his former mentor Urokodaki. We have reached the ‘calm before the storm’ point in the story of Demon Slayer, the final familiarisation of all the characters before the endgame begins. This season is all about getting a glimpse into the lives of each Hashira, their moods, personalities, origin stories, sprinkled with some training, some friendly sparring, a little reminiscing, and a whole basketful of humour thrown in for good measure.
To be fair, it’s nothing unexpected. Except for the first season, every arc/movie in Demon Slayer has begun with some humour and light entertainment for about a third of the story before things get a little serious. Except in this one, it’s most of the season. Perhaps that’s why the fandom didn’t seem quite happy this time. I, personally, didn’t have that problem, although I did have a few concerns. The pacing was good but nothing great, however, the storytelling did not seem lazy at any point. To keep things going, there’s also a parallel plotline going on, where Muzan Jackson and his lead guitarist Nakime are trying to locate the hidden Ubuyashiki Mansion by using hundreds of demon eyes to spy on every single Corps member patrolling the streets and villages. It had a somewhat filler-y feel to it, but all in all, if you keep aside your typical Demon Slayer expectations for the moment, there are plenty of enjoyable moments and story expositions going on to keep you interested.
There are two things that tie really well into the events of the first season. The first is Sabito, the deceased friend of Giyu the Water Hashira, who, coincidentally, also happens to be the ghost kid Tanjiro fought all the way back on Mt Sagiri. The second.. well, we will come to that in a moment. So Giyu Tomioka’s history is probably the most poignant of the lot, more so because it explains his serious, nonchalant attitude throughout the entire story. Just like the other Hashira, a lot of fans also mistook his behaviour as pacifism bordering on arrogance, but turns out it was a classic case of survivor’s guilt. Come to think of it, every Hashira has some issues they’re dealing with. Maybe the objective of this arc was to make them look less like powerful, godly beings and more human. Even Tengen, who feels terrible inside for leaving the Corps, hides it all behind his boisterous charm.
So now you’ve breezed through most of the Hashira Training arc. You’re probably thinking ‘ugh, filler season’, looking at the time left, waiting for episode seven to end so you can go back to killing zombies on your PS. That, my friends, is exactly when shit hits the proverbial fan.
Muzan has found his way to Ubuyashiki, and the penultimate episode of this arc ends with the Demon King sauntering into the mansion like a MET Gala attendee, dressed in an ensemble that would make even Don Corleone smack his lips. A moment that immediately says, ‘playtime’s over’. But it’s the last one, episode eight, that skyrockets the entire season’s rating by several notches. It completely makes up for any complaint, any dissatisfaction you may have had earlier. Turns out, Ubuyashiki had already planned for Muzan’s arrival, even planted several surprises in store. And for the first time since we were introduced to the immensely powerful demon king, we see him confused, overwhelmed, driven back and pushed to the brink. When Tamayo tells him that the Blood Demon Art used to hold him in place belonged to a man he turned in Asakusa, the word rang a bell. Asakusa? Asakusa? Where have I heard that name before? It didn’t hit me until very late that this was the same market town where Tanjiro and Muzan had come face to face for the first time, the place where he’d used his blood to turn a passerby into a demon as a distraction. I realised that it had all come full circle. The innocent man had probably survived under the care of Tamayo and developed an ability worthy of an Upper Moon, the same ability that Tamayo used to immobilise him right now.
This is probably a metaphor for how Muzan has a recurring tendency to lay the seeds of his own destruction. He foolishly killed the doctor who cured him of his illness, the man who knew where to find the blue spider lily. And deprived himself of the chance to be a daywalker. His attack on Tanjiro’s family was what led the young boy to become a demon slayer, the boy who also happened to be the only living person capable of using the long-forgotten Sun Breathing style. He tricked the dying Tamayo into becoming a demon and devouring her own family, and she went on to survive for hundreds of years and create the cure that would rob him of his former demonic strength.
But Ubuyashiki wasn’t the only one with a plan. Pinned down and about to get attacked on all sides, Muzan finally plays his last card, dragging the Hashira, the Tanjiro trio, and all the other Corps members into his Infinity Castle, which is now infested with scores of demons eagerly waiting to tear them all apart. As all of them freefall into the depths of its strange geometry, the screen fades to black.
This has to be one of the best cliffhanger endings in this history of cliffhanger endings. It sets up the next Demon Slayer arc perfectly. In fact, I tried and I could not think of any better way to end the season. Everything about the last episode is breathtaking, from its first frame to its last, from the visuals to the camerawork to the heart-thumping score. Ufotable seems to have learned from their previous mistakes with 3D asset integration, because this time, they did a perfect job of it throughout the entire season. But I’m frankly surprised by how much content they were able to cram into that one episode. It is a spectacle that must be seen to be believed. And if this is the standard for what’s about to come next, I cannot wait to hit the cinema hall.
In conclusion, the Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc turned out to be a pretty solid season that redeemed all its shortcomings in the end and met my expectations. Perhaps even surpassed it. But here’s the biggest takeaway. The jokes, the lighthearted fun, I believe that phase is over. From here on, it’s about to be a mad dance of blood, death, and destruction. This is all-out war.
Like a popular MCU character once said, “We’re in the endgame now.”
You can stream Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc on Netflix, JioCinema and Crunchyroll.
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