Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc Review
Key takeaways from Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc – Review:
- The Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc follows a predictable pattern, which may make it feel a bit stale compared to previous arcs. However, it does offer some interesting lore drops and missed opportunities for further world-building.
- Character development is lacking for some of the main characters like Kanroji, Nezuko, and Tanjiro in this arc. Muichiro’s development is appreciated but could have been executed better. Genya’s character gets a notable glow-up and becomes more relevant.
- The animation and soundtracks by UFOTable continue to impress, with the setting of the village and the Mist Breathing techniques standing out. Despite its flaws, the season still provides an enjoyable and memorable experience for viewers.
People on the internet either love Demon Slayer or they love hating it. Why is there no middle ground these days? Why can’t you like somethingΒ whileΒ accepting its shortcomings? I think everyone pretty much knew what to expect from the Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc and yet I see so many people hating on it, it is insane.
This review may not appeal to the hardcore Demon Slayer but understand this, I love the series. Acknowledging the flaws of a series does notΒ mean that I did not enjoy watching it. The show is still amazing and UFOTable has really been giving it their all.
So welcome back to another one of my reviews. Today we will be taking a look at Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc. This will be another long review and there will beΒ spoilers aheadΒ for this season. With that said, let’s get started.
Plot
The plot pattern is very similar to the previous two arcs, the only difference is the setting and the fact that there are two Hashira/Upper Moon members now instead of just one. Tanjiro goes to X location, meets with Y Hashira and then they’re attacked by Z Upper moon member. This is basically the pattern the series has been following for the last 3 arcs. It worked in the Entertainment District arc. But it feels a little stale in this arc. Fortunately, the next two arcs don’t follow this pattern though.
This arc had some cool lore drops though. And I really do appreciate that. Tamjiro starts having these dreams about one of his ancestors meeting the originator of the breathing styles, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. And then, of course, we also see the training doll made in his image in this arc. I wish they explored Yoriichi in this arc a little more. As this is a good place to include his flashback. Later on, when we actually get his full story, it feels a little out of place.
All in all, it was pretty much what I expected. This arc really fell into the predictable trajectory for me. I liked the bits and pieces of lore we got. The plot was notΒ bad,Β it just became a bit predictable as the previous arcs also had a similar pattern. I also think it was a missed opportunity as they could’ve added a lot more world-building in this arc.
Characters
Muichiro
As much as I like Muichiro, I really hoped he’d get better character development. He did get a good amount of character development, don’t get me wrong but it could’ve been executed in a smoother fashion. This is just my opinion but Muichiro is nowhere as charismatic as Tengen or Rengoku. I get it, that is not the point of his character but you really miss someone like that in this arc. His backstory though, as abrupt as it was, the backstories in Demon Slayer really do make you feel for the character.
Kanroji, Nezuko and Tanjiro
Kanroji, Tanjiro, and Nezuko were just thereΒ for the most part. No character development for them in this arc. Heck, you don’t even see Kanroji much outside of certain scenes. I am sure she will have a whole backstory thing in the remaining two episodes too but I wish she had more screen time as her relationship with Nezuko was really a breath of fresh air and I would have liked to see it grow more. I am sure her backstory will be a compelling one too. Demon Slayer really does nail the backstories.
Aside from that, I am fine with getting no character development for Tanjiro rightΒ now. As he had his moments in the previous arc and will continue to do so in the future as well.
The Demons and Genya
Genya got a really big glow-up this season. I don’t think most people expected to see him in Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc. I think what they did with his character was pretty cool. It’s nice to see a character we met so early on in the story become relevant at this point.
Unfortunately, neither of the demons this around are interesting. Gyuutaro, Akaza, Douma, and Kokushibo make me feel intimidated. You instantly know that these guys are bad news. But, Hantengu and Gyokko make me feel nothing. Their characterization is just not compelling enough.
Animations and Soundtracks
Do I even need to say anything here? UFOTable strikes back hard in the Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc. The setting of the village is really good. It is not as impressive as the Entertainment District but it looks like what it is supposed to be. The setting around the village with all those mountain and bamboo forests makes up for the lack of glow. The destruction left behind after the fights is a sight to behold in its own right. And the techniques look amazing as always with the Mist Breathing in particular stealing the show this time.
The soundtracks are amazing as always too. You really do feel the Taisho-era vibe in the soundtracks. That mixed with some electro for added effects really make them stick. Japanese music sounds really good with some electro. Listen to the Raiden shogun theme from Genshin Impact if you want another example. UFOTable is the GOAT, man; no two ways about it.
Conclusion
Here are my final scores for the Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc:
- Plot – 6/10
- Characters – 7/10
- Animations – 10/10
- Soundtracks – 9/10
- Enjoyment – 10/10
- Micheal Jackson – 10/10
- Overall – 8/10
So as you can see, despite all of its shortcomings, this season is really a blast to watch. And that is kind of what Demon Slayer is in a nutshell. Despite all of its shortcomings, the series always delivers a memorable and enjoyable experience and there is nothing wrong with that. Let me know what you think in the comments. With that said, I will take my leave here. See ya!
Check out my review for Oshi no Ko right here. It is a similarly detailed review. Sometimes I just like to go off like this lol.
