While on Spring Break, my friend and I finally got to watch the “new” Demon Slayer movie in theaters. I quote “new” because the majority of the movie is the last episode of the Swordsmith Village Arc, previously released in the middle of 2023. I remember that summer while the last few episodes were not yet released, my friend and I binged the whole series from beginning to end as I never watched it before. Safe to say that Demon Slayer is one of the best anime’s out there, and I highly recommend watching it!
Recap
Aside from content from the last episode of the previous season, it introduced us to the first episode of the new season, Hashira Training Arc, coming later this summer. Spoilers ahead!
Again, we witness the defeat of the demon, Hantengu (Upper-Rank Four of the Twelve Kizuki), and Nezuko Kamado (Tanjiro’s turned-demon sister) surviving the sun in the last episode of the Swordsmith Village Arc. Tanjiro Kamado has used up all his energy in the battle and leaves the village severely injured.
The movie then transitions into the first episode of the not-yet-released Hashira Training Arc. After a season without Tanjiro’s friends, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira, they return from their own missions and catch up with Tanjiro. Then, we see a meeting with all the remaining Hashira’s. They talk about training every member of the Demon Slayer Corp rather than selecting one each so that the Corp will have stronger members. This is important for defending themselves against the demon king, Muzan, who will rage war against the Corp. After learning that Nezuko survived the sun, Muzan is 100% determined to kill her and gain her newfound powers, as she is the first demon in existence to survive the sun.
Near the end, we see our favorite retired Hashira, Tengen Uzui, in charge of basic training for the Demon Slayer Corp members. Obviously, this “basic” training was difficult for the regular members, but necessary to pass the training of each of the Hashira members. Everyone starts gearing up for the intense, ruthless training they will experience to strengthen their swordsmanship and defeat Muzan and his demon army.
My thoughts…
The overall story of Demon Slayer is one of the best I’ve ever watched. We see the beautiful relationship between siblings grow even stronger after the loss of their entire family. Tanjiro’s pure personality is one of the main reasons he’s my favorite character, as there is no ounce of hatred in his soul regardless of what he experienced. The addition of his friends adds comedy to a world where demons exist, and I’m constantly laughing at the jokes! I’d rate this anime a ∞/10, and once you watch it, I’m sure you’d agree. Check it out on Hulu, Netflix, FUNimation, and Netflix!