REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc’ — Episode 4

Now that his training with the Hashira is underway, Tanjiro sets off to train with the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito. Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 4, “To Bring a Smile to One’s Face,” sees the two reunite as the Demon Slayer Corps continues its preparation to take on Muzan Kibutsuji.

Tokito is a swordmaster, so much of Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 4 revolves around him and his swordsmanship. The opening training sequence is a session between him and the Demon Slayer Corps members who are training under him. It is full of the typical smooth, flowing action the series is known for, even with low stakes.

What is cool about this moment is that it gives Tokito a chance to teach an important lesson. He tells the trainees that they need to keep moving even if someone around them goes down. The last episode was full of encouragement for the lesser-known ordinary soldiers in the corps, and this is another chance to see that.

Despite the bit of encouragement, the actual training is incredibly intense. The Corps members are driven to the point of collapse and ask Tanjiro if he can help lessen the intensity. Tanjiro tells them that the person feeling the intensity the most is actually Tokito. He is training them all on his own and never gets a moment to rest physically or emotionally.

Tanjiro isn’t kidding either; Tokito is pushing himself as hard as possible for himself and the Corps members. After a day full of training, he leaves at night to train with some other Hashira. Unlike his training during the day, which doesn’t challenge him, this takes all of his strength. The nighttime training sequence is visually stunning, even if it is brief. If this arc is going to take its time with the training story, it would have been nice to see more of ufotable’s excellent animation skills.

To liven things up and convey a sense of urgency, Tokito asks his trainees to train with real swords instead of wooden swords. Facing off against a swordmaster is frightening for the trainees. They are shown shaking in their boots at the thought of fighting someone who has mock-killed them countless times already. The tension and emotion in just this one fleeting scene drive home how dangerous the upcoming battle is going to be.

While that scene does help break up the more mundane training sessions of Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 4, it also amplifies a problem with the arc as a whole. Tanjiro is just hopping between the different Hashira to show flashbacks and reunions before he gets a little bit stronger and then moves on to repeat the process. The episodes are absolutely well-crafted, but the repetition gets stale quite quickly when there is a big bad villain out there just waiting to be fought.

The pacing in Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 4 also takes a hit when Tanjiro decides to challenge Tokito to a paper airplane throwing contest. The tonal whiplash from intense training to a comedic childish contest is jarring. Sure, Tanjiro uses it to try to get Tokito to be nicer to the other trainees, but it feels so out of place. It turns into a larger bonding exercise between all of the trainees, but considering how high the stakes are supposed to be this season, it was just more unnecessary padding.

Tanjiro and Tokito finally sit down to talk about Muzan Kibutsuji and the threat he poses to Nezuko, but not until the very end. It’s a reminder of why Tanjiro is going through all of this and why the Hashira, in general, are training, but it also reminds viewers that the major threat has been relegated to the background. It would be nice to see more about Muzan Kibutsuji and his demons in situations other than just characters talking about them.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 4 spends a lot of time looking pretty without moving the narrative much as pacing issues resurface. Tanjiro’s quest is supposed to be important, but it is hard to feel that way when so many detours drag on longer than necessary.

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