REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc,’ – Episode 2

Tanjiro has finally made his way to the secret Swordsmith Village, and Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 2 continues his quest for a new sword.

After stumbling on Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito arguing with a young villager named Kotetsu, Tanjiro confronts the pair. Both Tanjiro and Muichiro are after a secret weapon said to be in the Swordsmith Village when they cross paths. It is clear from Muichiro’s treatment of Tanjiro that, despite defeating the Upper Six demon, he does not see him as a legitimate equal. He is incredibly condescending to Tanjiro and feels like talking to him is a complete waste of time. I love the way they show how Tanjiro is constantly having to prove himself, that no matter what he does it will never be good enough for some. He so desperately wants to be a successful Demon Slayer and save his sister, but finds it hard to find peers in that world.

Despite that treatment, Tanjiro immediately shows his character in the way he supports Kotetsu. He sees Kotetsu struggling with his mechanical doll, Yoriichi Type Zero. Yoriichi Type Zero has been in Kotetsu’s family for generations, they created it based on the legendary Demon Slayer Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It has six arms that are used to mimic Yoriichi’s legendary combat and both Muichiro and Tanjiro use it to train. Muichiro makes quick work of it while Tanjiro struggles, again showing the gulf between Tanjiro and the Hashira.

Through this, we get to see Tanjiro undergo some brutal training with the Yoriichi Type Zero. Kotetsu acts as his guide, but he is clearly unequipped to do so. It’s here we get the expected comedic moments of Demon Slayer, which do work mostly well here. Tanjiro is beating himself into the ground while Kotetsu is refusing to give him food and water, and both have several over-the-top reactions that thankfully avoid feeling too obnoxious.

Unfortunately, though, the comedy tried quite hard to overshadow the importance of this training exercise for Tanjiro. While he does end up learning an important new technique used to fight stronger and faster enemies, it doesn’t quite have the weight that it could have if there wasn’t such an attempt at trying to be funny. It’s not that comedic moments don’t have their place in Demon Slayer, but at times they can take away from the more important moments and make them feel insignificant. I wouldn’t say the comedy here was a complete turnoff, but I would have liked it to take the moment a bit more seriously throughout. There is a really important physical reward for Tanjiro at the end of all of this training too, but the importance of it almost feels like an afterthought.

That doesn’t mean Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 2 isn’t a good episode. There are plenty of great traits on display that fans have come to expect. Tanjiro gets to show his more caring side while also pushing through insurmountable odds in order to succeed in his mission to save his sister. It’s always inspiring to see him leap over these hurdles. He also serves a vital role in supporting those who are often looked down upon, which is my favorite character trait of his. I just hope the series can find a better balance of comedy with more serious moments before things start to feel tiresome.

Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 2 is streaming on Crunchyroll with new episodes every Sunday.