Hashira Training Arc Review: Short and Sweet
Article at a glance:
- The anime expands on the Hashira Training arc, providing deeper backstories and character development for several Hashira, enhancing their roles before the final arc.
- Ufotable’s renowned animation quality shines, with impressive depictions of Hashira vs. Hashira scenes and evocative OSTs enhancing key moments.
- While the plot is thin due to its preparatory nature for the final battle, the character-driven episodes and engaging training sequences make the arc highly enjoyable, culminating in an overall rating of 8/10.
I have to say that this arc in the anime feels a lot more complete than it was in the manga. In the manga, it was like just 8 chapters or so. That’s barely 3 or 4 episodes worth of content in an anime adaptation. But the anime expanded the Hashira Training arc significantly compared to the manga and as a result, we know a lot of the “new” characters better than before and I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting.
The purpose of this arc in the manga was to get us familiarized with a whole bunch of characters before the final arc along with the training. And I think the anime manages to nail that aspect better. So welcome to another one of my reviews! Today we will be talking about Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc. Let’s get started.
Plot
Not much to say here. The only significant plot progression we saw was in this week’s episode. I think next week’s episode will also have some important stuff but that’s about it. This arc is literally about the preparation for the impending final battle. So, of course, it is a little thin in terms of the plot. Still, it did give us the backstories of multiple characters, and most of them were pretty well done. Again, everything that happened in this arc will only matter after you have watched the final arc.
So while not bad, there was very little need for huge story beats in this arc since it is mostly character-driven.
Characters
Every episode of this arc takes us to a different Hashira and we see the different types of training they provide. This approach not only allows us to learn more about the characters we are not familiar with, but it also shows us new sides of characters we already know. For example, with Tokito, we have already seen his character develop in the previous arc. So the show now focuses on showing how differently he treats Tanjiro now compared to others.
Iguro being obsessed with Mitsuri was probably the funniest part of this arc. Sanemi and Genya’s complex relationship is also explored a bit, of course, more to come from the brothers in the final arc. But my favorite dedicated episode has to be Giyuu’s episode. As an introvert, I find Giyuu very relatable so I am slightly biased but it felt really nice seeing him finally overcome his survivor’s guilt and truly accept the position of being a Hashira. Lastly, Tokomokazu Sugit did an amazing job voicing Gyoumei. That’s all I’ll say about him.
Animations and Soundtracks
I don’t think at this point I need to tell you just how good Ufotable is. You know that Demon Slayer has always had amazing animations. And even in a simple arc like this, they managed to showcase their animations in all sorts of ways. The few Hashira vs. Hashira we got to see were all amazing. I wish we got more of those. And again, the opening and ending themes are fun.
I won’t spoil it but in the latest episode, there is a certain scene towards the ending. And the OST used in that scene was chilling and menacing. Especially if you know the lyrics to it. That whole scene was just amazing.
Summing Up
Here are my final review scores for Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc:
- Plot – 7/10
- Characters – 8/10
- Animations – 8/10
- Soundtracks – 9/10
- Enjoyment – 9/10
- Overall – 8/10
That is all for now. Those were my thoughts and opinions on the Hashira Training arc. Let me know yours in the comments and I will take my leave here. See ya!
Also, check out my thoughts on Wind Breaker here!
