REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc’ — Episode 1

The long-awaited return of Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is finally upon us as the Hashira Training Arc gets underway with Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1, “To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji.” Tanjiro Kamado (Natsuki Hanae) and his sister Nezuko Kamado (Akari Kitou) have helped defeat two Upper Rank demons and unveiled new powers, but all of this is leading to a massive confrontation with Muzan Kibutsuji.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1 starts with the Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro and Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa leading a raid on a demon-infested castle. They have a few members of the Demon Slayer Corps with them and the opening scenes are full of suspense. The group is on the lookout for a missing woman and the demons who captured her.

Suspense gives way to action in a relatively short amount of time. Last season struggled with pacing, so it was refreshing to see high-intensity action right from the start. The animators at ufotable know what they are doing when it comes to animating fight sequences and deliver greatly here. Seeing the Serpent and Wind Hashira slicing and dicing through hordes of demons is beautiful and exhilarating.

This opening sequence serves two purposes. The first is to highlight how powerful the Hashira are. How, no matter how many demons they face, their immense power can make quick work of them. But it also serves to show that their strength will not be enough. The demons are up to something, and Muzan Kibutsuji is cunning and difficult to pin down. Seeing as this is the Hashira Training Arc, there is plenty of work to be done if they want to be able to take the demons down.

In fact, right after these fights, Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1 gives viewers a verbal explanation of what is about to happen. Nezuko has conquered the sun, which leads Muzan Kibutsuji to want to capture her. All of the Hashira are gathering together to plan their next steps in the war. The whole scene is pretty on the nose, but it does a good job of clearly explaining to viewers what the situation is. This refresher on the stakes is good for viewers who might have forgotten how things ended up after the last season.

The issue with all of this exposition is that it starts to run on. Watching the Hashira meet to discuss everything that is going on is interesting, but it leads to some more awkward pacing issues. Especially when the situation is dire and there should be a sense of urgency. This episode is setting up the rest of the season, so it does make sense to spend the first episode talking through what is going to happen. The problem is that it takes quite a long time to get to the point.

The Hashira are planning a new training regimen to prepare to face Muzan Kibutsuji. They don’t know what his plans are, but they need to be prepared. It is important to see the process here and how they are going about it, so even if it starts to drag on a bit. It is a hard balance to find, but it does land well more often than it fails.

Of course, it also does not help that the bulk of the episode keeps whipping back and forth between serious discussion and attempts at humor. Characters are seen discussing important plot points only to then dive into an over-the-top outburst. Or, in the case of the eternally annoying Zenitsu Agatsuma, an obsessive rant about how attracted he is to Nezuko and he is unable to prevent himself from having another uncontrollable outburst.

These moments are a staple of Demon Slayer but they often take away from the seriousness of the series. What the Hashira are planning to do and how Tanjiro fits into all of it is important, so is explaining what has happened to them. But when all of that is broken into by awkward attempts at comedy it can detract from the overall experience.

Despite its flaws, Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1 is a massively important episode. It does a great job of setting the expectations for the rest of the season and brings everyone up to speed on all of the major players and their circumstances. It helps that the end of the episode ends in a way that brings some massive changes to the future of the series and the lives of Tanjiro and Nezuko.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1 is a decent season premiere that struggles with pacing but ultimately finds a good landing spot. There is a lot that needs to be explained, so hopefully the action picks up from here now that the stage is set.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll with new episodes every Sunday.