When Demon Slayer first debuted in 2019, no one anticipated the level of enthusiasm with which fans would embrace it. Thanks to its unstoppable rise in popularity, the Demon Slayer manga became one of the biggest bestsellers of all time, selling over 150 million copies worldwide by February 2021. After three seasons and several companion movies, Ufotable’s Demon Slayer is finally close to the finish line.
The anime's veritable villain, Muzan Kibutsuji, has his eyes set on Tanjiro's sister, Nezuko. But the Demon Slayer Corps and the Hashira must find a way to defeat the upper demons, as all hands get on deck for the coming final fight. Hot off the heels of an electrifying encounter with demons in the Swordsmith Village, Demon Slayer Season 4 wastes no time in adapting the Hashira Training Arc to the delight of fans waiting with bated breath. Episode 1, "To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji," is just the prologue to the things to come. The extensive training that the young Demon Slayers undertake are simply the tip of the iceberg.
After the Love Hashira and the Mist Hashira manifest a similar mark as Tanjiro's scar while fighting alongside him, certain information comes to light that sets the main plot into motion. It was almost like the characters were waiting for the go-ahead. And once the ball gets rolling, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 begins the training in earnest.
Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 Takes Its Foot off the Gas & Slows Down
The Latest Episode Starts Strong but Meanders Into Too Much Exposition
Being the first episode in a year, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 gives its fans exactly what they want, namely a sleek action scene in the opening act and an extended runtime. However, not everything sticks the landing. Not even halfway through its runtime, it was frustratingly clear that the episode wanted to use its extra screen time to tie up loose ends from the previous season over anything else. There were leftover mysteries at hand that the audience had to roll with. Season 4's pilot episode addressed these before fully investing itself in the latest Demon Slayer arc.
The story begins in medias res, as the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, and the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, enter the enemy's lair with booming confidence. However, they discover that something more sinister is at play. This is the first time that the Corps actually got this close to the demon hideout, which makes this opening hook all the more worthwhile. This was also where the episode dropped off in terms of its intensity, especially after a swashbuckling start worthy of the show's modus operandi. Although the runtime is partly to blame for these dragged out scenes, the episode's insistence on adapting two manga chapters in their entirety hampers its momentum.
The story hopped between a recovering Tanjiro enjoying some downtime and the Hashiras convening to decide the future of the Corps. This created a tonally jarring dichotomy of silly banter and grim seriousness. On one hand, the audience get a chuckle out of Inosuke barging in through the window, or Zenitsu finding out that Nezuko can talk. Conversely, Muzan's looming shadow and the mystery of the mark keep the tale centered on the bigger picture. Unfortunately, the sluggishness in which the Hashira scenes pan out lulls the episode to a meandering slog.
What Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 sorely lacks is a plot. The episode is mostly an exposition dump that spends way too much time explaining things rather than letting the events take their turn or speak for themselves. To be fair, everything that the characters talk about adds to the world's lore while also explaining the aftermath of last season's devastation in the Swordsmith Village. But it came to a point where it felt as if the characters talked more than doing literally anything else in this episode.
In a way, the exposition acts as the building blocks for Season 4's goals, especially regarding the Hashira training. Although none of the main characters participate in the training yet, there is a rumbling feeling of great montages and power-ups to come. There is also a distinct feeling that this season will focus on the preparation for the big fight instead of going for spectacular fights themselves, straying a bit from previous seasons' more action-packed and exciting approach. This will, unsurprisingly, split the Demon Slayer fandom in half.
Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 Focuses on the Hashira
The Episode Delves Into the Dynamics of the Hashira but Sidelines Everyone Else
Despite outshining the show's leads in terms of power and skill, the Hashira were always supporting players. From Giyu Tomioka setting Tanjiro on the path to becoming a Demon Slayer to Rengoku's death inspiring him to go all out, each Hashira left their mark on Tanjiro's story -- even those who got off on the wrong foot with him. But now with Tanjiro's injuries sidelining him for the time being, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 made the Hashira carry the burden of storytelling.
The opening act placed Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa in the limelight, pitting their arrogance and brazen behavior against their skills with the blade. This was also a classic case of showing and not telling, as the two Hashira showed a glimmer of friendship in their relationship that no doubt stemmed from them going on missions together.
Although a seemingly unremarkable affair, the Hashira meeting in the story is the best way of learning the group's different personalities. The Hashira may hold the highest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps, but their interpersonal relationships were never the best. There are stoic fighters who butt heads with their headstrong colleagues, as the airheads provide comic relief to stop the situation from becoming tense.
The audience witnesses this first-hand when Giyu left the meeting and Sanemi confronted him with his usual brashness. Before it turns into an all-out altercation, the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, stepped in, showing that even the Hashira have someone to keep them in line. It is not a nuanced trait in any way, as the episode openly addresses the Water Hashira's anti-social behavior as a problem, and leaves it for Tanjiro to solve. While their role in the episode ends here, the Hashira are undoubtedly the best parts of Episode 1 by far.
In sharp contrast, Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu's bromance is the most wholesome part of the episode and sets an example for the rest. On the outside, they may exaggerate their animosity toward one another, but it comes from a place of healthy competition. Whether it was the boar-headed and thickheaded Inosuke breaking windows to show off his skills or Zenitsu beaming with joy after someone thanked him, each of them gravitated toward Tanjiro not to gloat, but because they loved him unconditionally. It's no wonder that their scenes are the heart and soul of Demon Slayer.
Right now, the Hashira have no unity. For the coming battles, they need to learn how to set aside their differences and band together as a team. They may be strong individually, but their strength will count for nothing if they fight the demons alone. Similarly, their younger subordinates need to learn from their demon-killing experience.
Ufotable’s Animation Elevates Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1
Ufotable’s Animation and Soundtrack Pick up the Season Pilot’s Slack
For this episode, Ufotable's otherwise talented and stellar animation staff don't get many opportunities to show off their skills, given how uneventful most of Season 4's pilot was. But when they do, they go overboard with the panning shots and the CGI effects. They didn't hold anything back when it came to giving Demon Slayer's action scenes the frenetic energy it is known for.
The key animation made the characters' movements dynamic, even when they were performing simple tasks such as expressing themselves to others in a meeting. The animation worked in tandem with the music to suck the viewer right into the world of Demon Slayer. The bold outlines and vibrant colors created an amazing visual experience, much like the soundtrack by Go Shiina and Yuki Kajiura, who created an enthralling ambiance for the episode to thrive in.
Funnily enough, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1's story began in the second half of the companion film, Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training, which hit theaters earlier this year. Viewing it as the pilot for the Hashira Training Arc gives a different perspective to the story, as the episode's ending feels gravely ominous. Still, there is fun to be had in the lighthearted moments, which is where the episode truly shines.
Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 1 has fun action, comedy, and even serious drama. While these elements are great on their own, the episode fails to properly juggle them. These ingredients can only bring long-term success to Demon Slayer's fourth season if the following episodes can find the right balance going forward.
Demon Slayer Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
