REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc’ — Episode 6

Tanjiro Kamado’s training continues as he and the Hashira prepare to face off against Muzan Kibutsuji. Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6, “The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps,” has Tanjiro training with the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima.

It is clear from the beginning that Gyomei is not like the rest of the Hashira. He is more reserved than the rest, exuding a calm patience. But he also wears his heart on his sleeve and is often seen crying throughout Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6. Where he really stands out, however, is in the brutality of his training.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 follows the same pattern as the other episodes this season. Tanjiro shows up to train with a Hashira and then has to inspire the regular Demon Slayer Corps members who are struggling. He then he finally completes the training before moving on. The only difference is the type of training he undergoes.

The first training exercise requires Tanjiro to stand beneath a powerful and freezing waterfall. There are several sequences of him undergoing this training where we also get to see Inosuke and Zenitsu. His two friends and allies have barely appeared in the season, so this is the first time we get extended moments with them.

There is a message about how keeping calm and focused can help a Demon Slayer endure even the most strenuous of challenges, but it gets lost amidst a bevy of attempted humor. Zenitsu in particular has always been used as comedic relief, usually by overreacting and just generally being childish in the middle of what are supposed to be serious moments. It is really jarring here because this is supposed to be one of Tanjiro’s toughest challenges as he prepares for the ultimate fight but most of the time is spent with him and Zenitsu and their outrageous reactions to the training.

The second part of the training, lifting a massive pile of logs, is almost entirely skipped over. There are only a few moments of on-screen time before Tanjiro quickly conquers it and moves on to the next thing. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but why take the time to introduce seemingly impossible challenges only to skip one of them almost immediately? It just felt out of place and meaningless, just filler to pad the episode time before getting to the better parts.

It is not until the third training challenge, pushing a giant boulder, that we get to see some character development. Tanjiro is trying as hard as he can but can’t seem to figure out how to move the boulder. Gyomei is shown at one point moving it with ease while repeating a certain mantra, but Tanjiro does not get the hint. It is not until Genya arrives and tells Tanjiro about repetitive motion.

Tanjiro has to learn to focus and get his body in rhythm which unlocks something new. He is finally starting to learn how to control it when the mark on his forehead activates. He has been trying to figure out how to control this for a while since it will be crucial to helping defeat Muzan Kibutsuji, and we finally get to see some changes here. The issue is that it took so long to get to this point. It felt more like relief than excitement once it finally got there.

While most of Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 is repetitive, there is one thing that sticks out. We finally get to see and hear from Muzan Kibutsuji himself. This season has spent so much time talking about him without showing him that it is easy to forget that he actually exists. When he does show up, we get to see that he and his Upper Rank demons have been spying on the Demon Slayer Corps in order to find out where Nezuko is. It is nice to know they are not hiding for no reason and that they are carefully planning their next steps by trying to find out where the demon who conquered the sun is being hidden.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 is also visually exciting. The opening shot of the freezing river is breathtaking, and ufotable knows how to deliver stunning cinematics. Seeing the sweat glisten on Tanjiro’s brow or the ground shift beneath his feet as he struggles showcases the attention to detail from ufotable. Even the smallest moments are given thought and attention to how they look, helping make it worth the time to watch.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 is more of the same with a slight but important variation towards the end that makes it worth it. Hopefully this is a sign of better things to come as the Hashira Training Arc starts to wrap up.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes every Sunday.