REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba- Entertainment District Arc,’ Episode 4 — “Tonight”

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc Episode 4 sees Tanjiro close in on the demon that has been preying upon the entertainment district. But even as he closes in, the others continue to follow their leads toward their query. Who will find the demon first? And will they be able to survive the confrontation when they do?

This week’s episode opens with a heartwarming moment between Miss Koinatsu and two of her young charges. This exchange brings the episode in with a bit of light-heartedness, which helps contrast it from the darker tones that the last episode closed on. Its playful energy gets the story moving nicely and provides a smooth transition into the heart of Entertainment District Arc Episode 4‘s story. From here we see Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Uzui meeting up to learn how each’s investigation is going. Tanjiro is disturbed to learn that Zenitsu has not been seen recently. Suspecting that he has run afoul of their prey, Tanjiro and Inosuke decide to team up when night falls to finish their hunt while there may yet be time to save their comrade. The back half of the episode sees nightfall as the demon slayers begin to make their moves. The tones for this part of the episode take a darker turn as one of the team finds themself far closer to their prey than they expected.

Where this episode ends its search for the demon is a pleasant surprise for me. Having struggled through some drawn-out Shonen story arcs lately, I was happy to see this storyline not following suit, but rather moving along at a good clip since both the situation and the antagonist have already been so skillfully realized.

While overall, Entertainment District Arc Episode 4 delivers a solid story it isn’t without its faults. There are moments during the demon slayer’s meeting that devolve into outright obnoxiousness which hampered my enjoyment of the planning session. Aside from this momentary struggle, however, the show brought manages to bring an impressive array of elements and tones throughout its run time that it brings together smoothly and harmoniously. My only other complaint with this episode is a personal one. The continued absence of Nezumo. While the situations contained within this story make her continued reclusion in her box sensible, I wish my favorite character in the series could get a little bit of screen time.

While all of the gorgeous visual elements that have helped make Demon Slayer a fan favorite are present in this story, I find myself continuously drawn back to its opening. While this series is best known for the brilliant visual design of its combat, the softness the art can impart in the opening sequence leads the moment to a subtle grace and beauty that caught me completely by surprise.

So, when all is said and done, baring a brief stumble, Entertainment District Arc Episode 4 manages to bring another fantastic entry to the latest unfolding story arc, as well as sets up the next episode for some great moments.

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc Episode 4 is streaming now on Funimation and Crunchyroll.