Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen

Demon Slayer Season 4 (not really a season) Review

As much as I appreciate the fantastic animation brought by studio Ufotable, It’s a real pity that I cannot disregard how lacklustre the writing is in Demon Slayer. The main reason I say this is how it uses the exact shonen formula EVERY SINGLE TIME without utilising it in a meaningful manner for the characters to actually learn and develop.

Considering the mediocrity of the last season that involved one of the biggest a-pulls I’ve ever seen (sister becomes immune to the sun), it’s only getting worse from here.

Season 4 focuses on the training arc which ... does not serve any external purpose but only to defeat the main antagonist of the series. This is where the MC and other members of his team train alongside the Hashiras. To be honest, it seems strange how these characters are training with them now but not before. How did they defeat the other strong demons in the past without being at least trained by a couple of them? Also, do you expect me to believe that their hard work in just a couple of days would overcome the rest of the Upper Moons? The demons they faced in the last arc were way stronger than the previous ones (this is referring to Season 2), yet they appeared as ridiculous fodders because yet again plot armour and emotional backstory must come in.

The power system is simple yet non-cooperative with what goes on in the fights. According to the Omake chapter which were in the manga, it stipulates that it takes AT LEAST 3 Hashiras to conquer an Upper Moon. Are you expecting me to believe that the main cast are already at that level? THAT WAS EASY! Moreover, could someone please explain to me exactly why on earth do we need to have a backstory for every character in the middle of the fight. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

Whilst I can side with the philosophy of making us understand why their distinctive personality is the way they are, it seems unnecessary considering the timeframe that it is in and what the main purpose of the arc is. For example, In Episode 2 it dedicates a whole emotional filler fest for one of the Hashiras. Imagine this right, you are still upset that one of your friends who trained the MC whilst being a ghost in the first season (yes I know its ridiculous) saved you and was better than you in childhood. Come on now, you have achieved the level of Hashiras yet you don't feel capable of your title at this stage is unbelievable. Forget the past and move on from that, your main goal is to cooperate and face off the rest of the Upper Moons. Additionally, you are supposed to represent as one of the strongest slayers in the series and set an example for the MC and other slayers yet you want us to feel emotional LMAO.

A lot of the characters, whilst the animation support how strong they are visually, come out as cardboard copies of every Shonen character you could imagine. Their personality is so mundane and does not change at all since the first season. Where is the character development in this series? Not a single character really learned a thing or two in the previous arcs. Their power ups that happen across the show are laughable considering the fact that we never see them use it whilst they are ‘supposedly’ training.

Another let-down is the music, I couldn't even care about listening to it as I always skipped it because of how boring it was. It does not even fit the theme of Demon Slayer at all. There is no passion, no effort and no rhythm to it at all. The best music came from the earlier seasons and it's sad to see how they dropped the ball again not only the writing department but in the music one as well.

This whole season should have been made into OVA series instead of it being called Season 4, due to the fact there is no real story progression and parts of this season could have been utilised at a much earlier time.

The downfall of this series starts from here and even though I will be watching the other seasons after this one, It doesn't change how awful the writing is delivered in this show. At least the fights and animation is something to look forward to and be hyped up about I guess.

What a Shame :(

A lot of people are probably gonna shit on this season and I understand why since it is and is gonna be much slower and less action heavy, but really this season is necessary for the last season to reach the heights it should. This season takes care of everything we need for the last season to be epic. It trains up all the characters so they can handle what will come. It gives us a better understanding of and emotional connection to many different characters so we will care while they fight and struggle. And it gives us time to relax and prepare ourselves ... for the battle we will no doubt face. This season is setup theirs no way around that. But people need to realize setup can still be enjoyable and is necessary and important. The art style is great as always and it’s fun to be with these characters again.

🟢2024---New Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba...but it's shitty.

The third season was not very interesting and I didn't think it would get even worse, the whole season was devoted to boring and unnecessary things that no one asked for, because it's hard for me to imagine that anyone is really interested in, for example, Tengen's wives and would like to see more interactions with them or who would like to see the training of randoms that we will never see in our lives again, in general these trainings are so stupid and pointless, as if the training that is supposed to prepare you for ... the final battle is sit-ups and running xDD so we will watch this shit only to see in the next one season, the sudden increase in the characters' power could be justified.

The slice of life elements in Demon Slayer are downright bad, let's face it, everyone watches it for the fight non-stop, with demons who, after being evil to the core throughout the entire arc, get tearful flashbacks at the last minute, no one cares about episodes that rely on stupid comedy where everyone is screaming.

Well... that's it, I just wanted to add my share of hatred to this season.

1/10 for wasting my time and making stretched fillers in the season xD

Demon Slayer's Hashira Training Arc has been one of the more controversial arcs in the franchise, not because of sensitive content or uncharacteristics elements. No, it's in fact, a training arc. Literally as it says, this 8-episode arc is about training and something you'd probably would be fed up with after just three episodes, let alone 8. While shounen adaptations often have episodes with training, those only span short episodes or even segments. It's uncommon that an entire season is dedicated on training. Suit up because there will be a whole lot of training in the fourth season.

Hashira Training Arc didn't start out in such ... a predictable style however. From the opening minutes of the first episode, we witness the Hashira doing what they do best: exterminate demons. It leads with Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa and Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro doing work and protecting the public. What started as a trailblazing chase ends in a bizarre twist when we see a labyrinth of walls and demons literally spawn out of nowhere. It's a confusing segment that needs more explanation but this season won't have those answers. Flashforward to rest of the episode and we open our eyes to the reality of this arc: Hashira Training.

As it says, this is essentially a training arc meaning that everything you see is related, connected to, or associated with training. It's an extended preparation for our main characters to take on the Upper Moon Demons and Muzan himself. Up to this point, it's established that the highest ranking demons are eons above the average generic demons and even the lower ranks. In order to reach the same level, this arc has the cast training in blood, sweat, and tears. The season also explores some of the background storytelling and motivations among the Hashira members, noticably Giyu and Tengen. Each episode also pits Tanjiro, Zenitsu, among others to train in different styles. The season aims for a diverse range of training sessions but let's be honest here, the storytelling all sells the same product. Once you've seen one or two of these episodes, it feels like you've seen them all.

Nonetheless, this is an important arc to prepare the cast physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, this season will be a big disappointment if you're seeking for action. Compared to all the previous seasons and even movies, this has the least amount of fighting sequences and direct conflicts. You really should not expect a training arc to have battles on the frontlines. Instead, we got character connections and how some can relate to others based on their past and present experiences. Muzan and his Upper Demons are also plotting behind the scenes as we see glimpses of their characters. There's no doubt this season is preparing for the Hashira to take them on in th their eventual conflict, like events destined to happen.

We would be lying to ourselves if we said ufotable didn't do a stellar job. Once again stepping up to the plate to deliver an animation extravaganza, they set the bar this season with quality. Character designs, settings, and emotions are protrayed at the highest quality, similar to previous season. Even if you find this arc itself monotonous to follow, it contains jawbreaking animation and groundbreaking chereography. It truly is a visual feast of the season.

Controversy is a word that will be bought up when fans describe this season. It contains 8 episodes but all of it is set up to prepare our cast for their inveitable battles. Even with an extended 1-hour season finale, let me just say that this serve as a prep season. The real meal is up to fans to feast on later.

AWFUL, JUST AWFUL!!

That's the most I can say about this DISGUSTING season. Demon Slayer was already a decent at best series, shining only cause of the beautifully animated fight scenes, with bad writing, a stupid cast of characters and repeated typical battle shonen tropes, but this is season is even worse, cause we don't even get the action.

And what's left, if not the action?! Absolutely nothing, that's the answer. To make matters worse, Ufotable decided to make this 8 chapters long arc longer in the anime version by making it 8 freaking episodes, adding boring unnecessary stuff....

4th episode is the reason I decided to review ... this piece of fiction in the first place, who the hell decided that forcefully putting a paper plane contest between a Hashira and his trainees was a good idea?! Episode 4 has the be the worst anime episode I watch in a long loooong time, I felt nauseated after finishing it....

Ufotable really made a mess with this season, the only decent parts were the beginning of first episode and the past of Tomioka, everything else should be put in the trash can...

Score: 5/10

"Tanjiro, you're moving on? Congratulations, bye!"
"Tanjiro, you're moving on? Congratulations, bye!"
"Tanjiro, you're moving on? Congratulations, bye!"

If you asked me to remember anything from what I've watched of this season so far, this sentence would be it. All that can be remembered is Tanjiro takes a training instructed by a Hashira, easily---or with little difficulty--completes the training, and moves on to the next Hashira training all while he is congratulated by his peers for being so spectacular and skilled. Hashira training to Tanjiro feels no different than telling a musical prodigy to play happy birthday; there were few moments where he struggled, but those struggles were ... overcome in a matter of a few fleeting thoughts or memories in a total of like, three days? (the latter which was randomly told to the audience in a random subtitle, somewhere). This concept of Tanjiro being very capable makes the entire arc predictable; I have not found myself wondering whether he will be able to complete the training once, unlike when he and practically the entire cast were against upper moon six.

On a different note, the trainees that are supposed to be improving, do not. Or at least, it doesn't seem like it. The Hashira's seem to attack them aimlessly without offering any advice or genuine help; for example, in Obanai's training, the trainees are tied to banisters to pressure Tanjiro to quickly attempt to strike Obanai through the gaps without hurting them. It reaaaally felt that Tanjiro was getting protagonist treatment, because it's hard to imagine the other trainees being used for one person's gain rather than trying to improve themselves? Also, don't really know how running laps and doing sit-ups helps to defeat the most powerful beings known to mankind ... I think the demon slayers already know how to do this ...

The pacing is slow; I could hear myself sigh at every sentence longer than five words, and had trouble keeping my hands still to prevent myself from putting the thing in 2x speed. The only notable thing is Giyuu's backstory. Otherwise due to the near no character development for anyone you can skip the entire season and it would not change the Demon Slayer experience for you whatsoever.

The animation, although---spectacular, as always. No complaints there.

Overall, the show is a bit enjoyable, but the slow pacing, predictable plot, and few emotional moments with the exception of one that are hard to connect to make it okay. For whatever it's worth play it in the background when you're getting ready. I'm hoping this picks up speed soon.

The training arc in Demon Slayer is a significant letdown that disrupts the otherwise captivating flow of the series. Despite the show's usual standard of top-notch animation and gripping fight scenes, this arc is plagued by painfully slow pacing and a repetitive narrative structure. The focus on rigorous training routines of fodder nonames feels monotonous that drag on without contributing substantially to the characters' growth or the story's momentum. Viewers are left slogging through episodes that lack the urgency.

One of the major disappointments of the current arc is its failure to advance the emotional arcs of the main characters. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, who have ... previously been shown as dynamic and evolving characters, seem to stagnate during this period. The emotional depth is notably absent. The interactions between the protagonists and their mentors or fellow trainees are surface-level at best, lacking the profound connections or insightful dialogues that could have made this training period more engaging. Instead, the arc feels like a checkbox exercise in showing the characters preparing for future battles.

Moreover, the training arc suffers from a lack of meaningful conflict or tension. Unlike other arcs where the stakes are palpably high, this segment is largely devoid of the thrilling confrontations and perilous scenarios that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The challenges faced by the characters during their training are predictable and uninspiring, offering little in the way of dramatic tension or narrative drive. This lull in the storyline makes it difficult to stay engaged, as the episodes feel more like filler than a crucial part of the story.

Overall, this season is a disappointing deviation from the compelling storytelling and intense action that Demon Slayer is known for.

TL:DR: Watch it only if you like flashy colors, but even this season lacks them.
+1 point for the crow's voice actor, who seems like a much more menacing character than any villain in this kids' show.

This new Demon Slayer season is 8 episodes of straight filler since the writing is actually terrible.

Going into this season I thought that the training arc would be used to deepen the story and help develop characters on top of the characters training for the final battle. However, actually developing the characters and deepening the story would take too much effort, so instead Ufotable gave us an 8 episode training montage.

So far, besides Tomioka’s backstory, we have gained nothing from this season. Currently, you can literally skip this season and wait for the next and you won’t have missed a thing.

Also why do ... we need to watch people train for 8 damn episodes? If this season was gonna have no character or plot development and be just straight training then it shoulda been like 3 episodes.

Overall I think this season shows that Ufotable and their animation for fight scenes are literally carrying the terrible writing of this show.

Score: 3/10

As a manga reader, I know this season will be 90% chore and 10% EPICNESS. And damn was I right, but that 10% literally got me in tears of joy and HYPE. It's a season long set-up before the non-stop battle of the finale.
This is a watch guide for people who want only the meat:
EP 1 Intro to training arc = Good to know to get an overview of the season
EP 2-6 The training montage, the same old DS humor, the trauma dump of Hashiras = Skippable (It was better in the manga where you can control the pacing)
EP 7 Where things get ... boiling. You'll want to witness this ep just for Zenitsu, but the last 5 minutes was amazing too.
EP 8 THE PEAK = Just holy sh*t! I know Demon Slayer animation always goes hard, but even the snow flake in this ep got me gaping. The details of the setting, the way it portrayed the character's motivation, & the brief fight scene.
What got me super emotional was the dialogue showdown. Demon Slayer is a story about generation after generation passing on the baton to accomplish one greater goal. This makes it old-fashion and maybe even corny, but you can't deny that it's epic. I think it goes beyond winning with the power of friendship to making your live on hopes & dreams in other people. The fight not only looks good, but the weight of it never feels hollow.
This season is not the best. I wish they include a few more chapters in to make up for the looooong set up. Still, I can't wait for the final arc. Wish they didn't release it in 3 seperate movies, but 1 full season and maybe final movie instead though.😅

This new season of Demonslayer really goes against the format of the previous seasons where there's a demon antagonist who's quite obvious from the very start of the season. There are a few demons seen throughout the past few episodes.
So far, each episode has been very interesting. The second episode has been my favourite so far. The tone of this season so far has been lighter hearted which is a good deviation from the action and intensity which is why many people may consider this season as a filler season. However, it's still quite entertaining and the differing sides of some of the characters make ... them seen more relatable making the show very gripping.

One really good episode does not make a below average season suddenly really good.

This season was a training arc where nothing really happened. There some funny moments here and there and character exposition but it really felt like Naruto filler. All of these episodes but the last one are almost parallel to the filler stretches of Shippuden that were pretty forgettable. That’s fine when there’s going to be an entire canon arc of action in between these filler stretches of a weekly anime. But this season is only 8 episodes and almost all of them are like this and one episode feels like it ... pushes the story forward. It’s kind of an insult to the viewer when their time feels wasted. I saw people saying this could have been a special and that for sure can be case. I think people would like this part of the story way more instead of padding for the final episode.

I don’t think the anime has fallen off or anything but this was disappointing.

So far this season has been a let down for a multitude of reasons, and given that it's apparently only eight episodes long, writing a review after 6 episodes seems valid.

The production value is as good as we've come to expect, but the story is so severely lacking and, at times, completely nonsensical that it just can't be called good. To keep it as vague as possible and avoid spoilers, I'll merely state that the training part of this training arc mostly just boils down to needless cruelty against the trainees with little to no guidance half the time, as well as all the nameless ... bystanders commenting on how amazing the Hashira are and/or Tanjiro is. It gets old fast and really overstays its welcome.

It is entirely possible that the final two episodes are good, and maybe the final episode is longer, like the final episode of the previous season, but so much of this season has simply been consistently below average enough that it basically doesn't matter if those two episodes end up becoming god's gift to mankind, this season simply isn't salvageable anymore. Hopefully, the next season will be better.

4/10.

This was not good, Demon Slayer already has a terrible problem with character writing, the one redeeming quality is the amazing action, and this season has basically none of that besides the very last episode (which is episode 8).

All the episodes not counting the last are the same: Tanjiro goes to a Hashira to "train", every single one of the fodder hashira's look at him in awe for how good he is, Tanjiro doesn't learn anything, leaves for the next hashira. This is probably one of the worst training arcs I have ever seen in anime, it might as well have been filler, Tanjiro doesnt ... learn anything from this training, its useless.

And for those who say episodes like this can build characters up, very little of that is actually done during this arc, the pacing is terrible and the time is very poorly used.

Honestly you can just watch the first and last episodes and very little is lost, you're going to save yourself a lot of annoying "banter", specially the scenes with Zenitsu.

The last episode is the only praise I can really give this season, it has great action and high stakes, even if the outcome is pretty obvious.

Season 4 of Demon Slayer strays from the typical formula we are used to seeing from the show by now. This season lacks a majority of the action and suspense that we have come to expect. Despite this unusual structure, the show provides yet another interesting experience for the viewer. This season prepares us for the final act of the story by allowing the audience to get better acquainted with its characters, and it executes this masterfully.

Throughout the first 7 episodes of this season, Tanjiro spends time training with all of the 8 living Hashira (Including a retired Tengen Uzui). Each encounter is an ... entertaining experience. We learn more about these characters, and get to enjoy their personalities on full display. The training isn't particularly difficult for our MC, but this is to be expected, as his skills have been honed through multiple encounters with powerful enemies. This arc is much less about the training itself, and more about experiencing the array of characters that are important to the show. I personally found great enjoyment in these episodes, as I was excited to learn more about some of the Hashira who haven't had much screentime to this point in the show.

Though the majority of this season is different from the usual show, it is similar in that it still ends with a big and exciting action sequence. The final episode, which was 40 minutes long, seemed to go by at light speed. Everything that this show has been setting up is coming together for a climactic finish. Episode 8 leaves the viewer begging for more. This slower, less action packed season has perhaps the most exhilarating finale of the entire show to this point. I myself am certainly looking forward to seeing what comes next for this story.

I thoroughly disagree with the people who claim that Demon Slayer is a show carried by its animation. Its plot, while simple at times, is effective and entertaining. Some characters do not have a lot of depth, but they are almost always enjoyable on screen. Demon Slayer is a masterclass of shonen anime, and this season is no exception to its greatness. The Hashira Training Arc falls just short of some of the show's other seasons, but still sticks the landing beautifully.

Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc was known as the “calm before the storm arc” where all the demon slayers were trained in the mindset to defeat the demon king.

Only a few people know why this season and the previous season (Swordsmith Village Arc) was lower quality than the prior seasons. This reason is simple and obvious. Ufotable wasn’t used to make multiple anime adaptations in the same time period. Therefore since they accepted to make Genshin Impact adaptation, the Director of Demon Slayer had to either say goodbye to half of his staff (animators) or they had to cut down on Demon Slayer production ... schedule. Either option was a hit back in the expense of Demon Slayer which resulted lower quality.

The only way that they could have remedied this situation if they would’ve delayed the release. They chose to do less animation and less detail and that’s what happening.

I can also understand that people doesn’t like Zenitsu’s crazy personality, for their satisfaction we are not going to see more crazy screaming. We’re also not going to see smiling Muichiro and all these lovely moments were made as happy memories for the viewers. We all got this warming and friendly vibes in which we had a chance to know more about all the hashiras before things get serious.

Everyone knew the story isn’t that extraordinary or complicated to understand and follow, but still somehow people are getting mad in 2024 that “demon slayer has no story”. Now they are crying for action, because they only watching Demon Slayer for the action.

In conclusion, this is a training arc. Ufotable doing multiple anime at a time, and those who really enjoy Demon Slayer (with all its flaws) hopes that people who now let out their hatred, can found themselves enjoy the final with us. For whatever reason they are still watching it six years in. I believe we all watching it for entertainment, even if you hate it or love it.

I know that this wasn’t on par with season two, but still Demon Slayer is a gem in the shounen genre. That will receive love for its little details and distaste for its greater mistakes. Either way, all viewers are just wants to see the best cinematic action ever created in the history of anime.. as expected to be.

The reputation of this stirring adventure is now in the hands of Ufotable’s team and they better not drop the pen before sun rises.

Final Score 6/10

(This is a balance review to the overwhelmingly numerous negative reviews - rants)

Thank you for reading! See you all in the theaters!

NEW SEASON! LET'S GOOO!!!!!!
First of all, the animation slays as usual (wth is slays TT) anyway i really like it, good quality as usual well done to everyone involved.
The opening theme i also really enjoy listening to.
Okay hold on why the hate and what do people mean by they don't like this season if you're not enjoying what you're watching.....oh, shit i went off script (You're allowed to have your opinions i know blah blah)
Okay but that aside i'm really enjoying this season, it's nice that they're showing us the prep and everyone trying to hype themselves up for this life-threatening battle and all that ... instead of them just popping out battle ready we get to see them train and get stronger physically and mentally (i'm just yapping so this review is long enough to publish)

Anyway what i'm just saying is it's a really good season and i'm enjoying it don't skip it! (i'll return to write my final thoughts once the season ends)

It's typical DS, just another season, what to say more about it...

Still amazing music, still amazing art and animations, still easy yet fancy story and fights. Final episode just rocks and is definitely giving high hopes for final 3 movies.

It's true that this season is more about dialogues and fun and some character development rather than permanent fights like in previous seasons and movies. But personally I really liked it. It just carry over the easy story it develops and makes here some proper character development also with some deeper introduction of some characters we will meet in future 3 movies. It's understandable not everybody ... is happy about it but obviously majority of people is satisfied with the outcome.

But because it's just 1 slower season taking its time and care, doesn't mean it's a bad season. As far as I see, majority of DS community liked this season and we are just dealing again with some vocal minority trying to shit on this season just because they didn't like it, so that automatically has to mean nobody can like it and everybody who liked it has to be spammed with laugh emoji or such. Do as you please, it really doesn't change the reality, which must be frustrating for some of those individuals :)

Season is finished, waiting for a grand finale. It's safe to say that if you are a DS fan and you know the flow of the show, you will most likely like it. Slow pace and more easy story in majority of this season doesn't have to be the right cup of tea for everybody but the stories around Hashiras and entire training is more than enjoyable. If you don't like slowly paced shows/seasons, you can also just try the first episode and then skip to the last one, as much as it was a nice season, it's also safe to say you won't miss much if you'll skip 6 episodes. Take it based on your taste, enjoy it and don't spread childish hate, there just depends on you how much you will or won't enjoy it, nothing more.

Just finished watching the last ep, and i kid you not i an literally shaking. Everything was so beautiful and ethereal. Every single detail,the story line, literally just everything has left me in awe, i am actually speechless how i can't properly express my feelings here at the moment. Ended up crying because it really touched my heart, this is what you call an anime which just leaves you speechless & shaking. I feel so alive rn. If you need to suggest a beginner an anime, this has to be the one. It literally gives you a new perspective, it's seriously so interesting to get ... to know more about the characters & what motivates them to move forward to fight for their lives after feeling like they have no reason to live anymore. I am so attatched to this, i am surely going to be heartbroken as if my marriage with the loml got called off the moment this anime ends, really going to miss all the characters so much. Truly very excited to see what happens next.

I'm not gonna lie and say that this is the best thing ever and everyone hating on it is a complete moron. I can't deny this is going to be the weakest season of Demon Slayer. But it is 100% necessary. This season is pure set up for the one after, which, provided ufotable doesn't do a Mappa AOT with "final season part ____" (from the future, yes, yes they did) or anything stupid like that, should be the final. And as someone who read the manga, will be worthy of hype people give it. And to get there, this season is necessary.

And plus, it's ... not like this season is complete dogshit or anything. Weaker and slow paced, maybe, but not completely trash. It's just nice to spend time with the characters, especially given the breakneck pace the story has for its last part. Plus this season does give insight to some of them, mainly the three hashira yet to have their own big fights. Also helps the animation isn't any worse. Obviously not super flashy but far more clean and fluid than it needs to be for simple training.

So overall, I'm not claiming this to be absolutely amazing and haters are wrong, honestly their points to hold water. But this is a necessity to go into the climax of the story. And yeah it might be slower, at least ufotable is trying to make it enjoyable (also it's 8 episodes, just push through those real quick and it's done anyway). The TL;DR here is that I don't recommend it because it's good (though not like it's totally terrible either) but because it is a necessity

Honestly its literally just a training arc. No real plot happens until the last episode as it just sets up for the next season. I know why the author wrote the arc this way but it still felt like we waited for nothing; this entire arc was made just to hype up the next season for the show/next arc. If you are reading this in the future, where this series is completed, then I would watch the first episode and the last 2 episodes of this season and then move on to the next season. No plot happens in between, not even new "moves" or ... breathing techniques are shown its just a season of power scaling the characters so people can't complain that they didn't "train" for what happens next season. Overall I would say this season felt more like a slice of life anime than Demon Slayer.