REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc,’ – Episode 1

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a mammoth of entertainment. Beginning with Koyoharu Gotoge’s manga and then adapted into a series and movie by ufotable, the series is in its third season with the start of the Swordsmith Village Arc. Helmed by director Haruo Sotozaki, the Demon Slayer Season 3 premiere goes deeper into the Infinity Castle, catches up with the viewer in the journey so far, and sets the stage for what’s to come.

Picking up immediately where the last Arc ended, Tanjiro’s journey leads him to the Swordsmith Village, where he reunites with two Hashira, members of the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest-ranking swordsmen: Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji. With the shadows of demons lurking near, a new battle begins for Tanjiro and his comrades. As the demon slayer crew recovers from their injuries after the fight with Daki and Gyutaro, the Upper Six demons are closing ranks in Infinity Castle.

Assembled to plan their next steps, the introduction of Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 1 immediately lets the audience know the danger that the Upper Six pose by showcasing their absurdity, their violence, and their blood lust. Given that the events of the Entertainment District Arc marked the first time that one of their own has been killed in a century, there is intrigue swirling among the demons as well as a need to take revenge. With this heightened sense of disgrace, audiences see just how much more intimidating the rest of the Upper Six Demons are, including one mysterious one with familiar earrings.

Visually, Demon Slayer Season 3 is astounding. Expertly bringing to life the Infinity Castle, the opening use of light and movement (while slightly vertigo-inducing) is a feat that only the animators at ufotable could pull off. The opening movement through the Infinity Castle leaves the audience both disoriented and endears enough danger to keep you locked in—even if you find yourself getting slightly queasy.

Like MAPPA executed with Chainsaw Man last season, the camerawork that weaves the viewer through the castle and takes you up close to each of the Upper Six is an expert, showcasing Akira Matsushima’s work on character design. The way ufotable brings the viewer through each layer, turning us and pulling our focus, is on par with the live-action camerawork we see. It grips you while using the environment to tell a story, and the movement of the scene pushes you towards anxiety. Add in the phenomenal score, particularly as the biwa folds the Infinity Castle in on itself, and this is a sequence for anime history.

Additionally, the episode’s finale perfectly ushers the audience into a new mystery and new location. While the specifics of this and the reveals involved are better left watched, the beginning and the ending of the Demon Slayer Season 3 premiere are unbelievably strong in their storytelling and art that even a weird break in between doesn’t unsettle them too much.

That said, the middle of the Demon Slayer Season 3 is its weakest part. Like many new arcs, Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 1 brings with it a recap of where the journey has been. Half of Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 1 is breathtaking, but the other half throws comedic wrenches into an otherwise foreboding launch into the Swordsmith Village Arc. But, in a way, that’s always been a part of the series’ charm and its pitfalls. Balancing is where the series struggles, but the particular retelling of events makes the tone stick out like a sore thumb because of the emotional weight the end of Demon Slayer Season 2 carried.

That’s all Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 1 does; it keeps you engaged and slowly builds an encroaching danger. It’s foundational, but it’s gorgeous.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc is streaming on Crunchyroll with Season 4 coming in 2024.