Back for a third film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training, or simply Demon Slayer — To the Hashira Training, has given fans another opportunity to see the end of the third season on the big screen before they can jump into the fourth season. As the previous compilation film, which adapted the Swordsmith Village arc, it incorporated scenes straight from the last episode of the third season, and then it led into the hour-long first episode of the fourth season.
The fourth season will be titled the Hashira Trainingarc, much like this film’s title. The premise of the fourth season picks up following the events in the Swordsmith Village arc, where the biggest discovery was that Nezuko “conquered” the sun—meaning she is a demon who can walk during the day. Also, the Upper Fifth and Fourth Upper Ranks were eliminated. Now, the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, his friends and the whole Demon Slayer Corps have to undergo some serious training.
All of this is happening as the big bad demon king Michael Jackson…I mean Muzan Kibutsuji and the three remaining Kizuki members– Akaza, Doma, and Kokushibo—start their search for Nezuko. The hour-long first episode begins following the Serpent Hashira (Obanai Iguro) and Wind Hashira (Sanemi Shinazugawa), along with two potential Hinoes (mid-level Demon Slayers). They could defend themselves a little against the demon grunts, so they must have had some skills.
“Demon Slayer — To the Hashira Training is perfect for fans who do not have the urge to wait a couple more months for the next season to begin.”
The four of them track a demon abducting a nearby village woman, only to find out the nearby abandoned castle has a nest of demon grunts. This is the first time both of these Hashiras can show off their skills—sweeping the floor with their blood. Surprisingly, this is also the first time a Hashira has got close to infiltrating the base of the Twelve Kizuki.
The remainder of the episode set up some intricate storylines to be explored throughout the season, leading up to the supposed upcoming final arc after this one. This is definitely the calm season before the storm at the end. I really enjoyed how everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps has a different part to play in taking down Muzan and the remaining demon generals. Also, it was cool that one of the ultimate decisions was to call up the retired Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui to help build up the physical stamina of everyone in the Corps.
There were a lot of questions left by the end of the hour-long episode but leaves lots of anticipation. The wildness of some of the characters added some much-needed levity to the situation. The Demon Slayer Corps is so close to vanquishing all of the demons! The epic score and soundtrack held up its end, re-using some themes and the vocals from past intro credits.
The animation held up to its fullest. Ufotable has solidified itself as being one of the sharpest and crispest art styles, which has set this series apart from other popular anime shows like Jujutsu Kaisenor Spy x Family. I am always fascinated by the amount of colours that pop in each character’s special attacks.
While the debate is always up in the air to call this type of content a feature film, it is really cool to see anime TV episodes scaled up to the big screen—in IMAX, too! This film was a lot tighter than the last one, and felt like it offered more substance and hype for the upcoming season.
Demon Slayer — To the Hashira Training is perfect for fans who do not have the urge to wait a couple more months for the next season to begin. The fourth season is slated to have an April 2024 release window. In the wise words of the late Flame Hashira, “set you heart ablaze” and check out this film to scratch that Demon Slayer itch.
