The fourth season of Demon Slayer is right around the corner. And by now, fans know that ufotable has made it a tradition to release a “compilation” movie featuring the recap of the previous season’s finale and a preview of the new season’s prologue. The streak continues with the upcoming fourth season, but did ufotable manage to pull off a successful treat for fans, or is it, well, just another cash grab?
Fortunately, being a fan of Nezuko-chan, I couldn’t miss attending the film’s release in my city, and I’m here to share my two cents on the new Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training Arc movie. Read on to find out if it’s truly worth watching on the big screens, or is it wiser to spend your money on a Crunchyroll subscription instead?
Note: This is a spoiler-free review of the Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training Arc movie. So, do not worry about spoilers and read thoroughly before deciding whether to see this movie in theaters. We have also broken down our review into two sections based on the movie for your better understanding.
Tedious Recap of Season 3’s Epic Finale
Ufotable’s tradition of unleashing the hype for the upcoming season continues with the release of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training movie. Same as its predecessor’s, this movie showcases a recap of the events that unfolded in the first two seasons and the climax of Season 3. We get to relive the fierce and soul-stirring finale of the “Swordsmith Village” arc.
Since most of us have already watched the finale, there is nothing much to say except that they have chopped down the opening and ending songs of the finale in this movie. Well, it is something they failed to do so in the previous movie and after receiving backlash from the fans, they decided to do it right this time around.
While the Season 3 finale brought us a huge revelation, it was a little underwhelming in comparison to Season 2. However, watching it alongside other fans surely made it a joyous experience. Next, the moment we were all waiting for came, and we saw the Hashiras meet up and discuss how they need to subdue the growing power of Muzan’s moons.
Blazing Kick-off to the Gruesome Training That Awaits Us
After a tedious recap of the Season 3 finale, this is where the real fun begins. The premiere episode of the Hashira Training arc kick-started in a James Bond-esque prologue featuring two Hashiras.
Once again, Ufotable unleashed their animation prowess throughout the episode particularly when showcasing the true powers of the Hashiras. I then recalled that this opening sequence never really happened in the manga, and it was Ufotable all the way making us remember why they are the best in the business right now.
Right after a riveting set piece featuring the Hashiras, the movie slammed the brakes to slow down the pace and adapted the first three chapters of To the Hashira Training arc (leaving out a lengthy Tanjiro-Giyu conversation that we expect to be featured in upcoming episodes).
Furthermore, we get to see all of the mighty Hashiras of Demon Slayer again under one roof, which is more than enough to get hyped for a fan like me. Now that Nezuko has finally conquered the sun, it’s high time for the Demon Slayer Corps to begin preparing for the final showdown against Muzan.
Thus, the movie primarily focuses on all the Hashiras laying the cornerstone for the training of the Demon Slayer Corps as Kagaya Ubuyashiki wanted. This is to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark of the Hashira and to prepare their cadets for the one-last clash with Muzan Kibutsuji and his demons.
Thus, the Ubuyashiki Family briefly emphasized the aforementioned mark. As the title of the movie indicates, we also learn the training plans for each Hashira is elucidated to us. Whilst this was going on, we also got to see our favorite trio who were recuperating at Shinobu’s place, which was the ultra fun side of this movie.
Final Verdict: Should You Take a Trip to the Cineplex?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training movie is a captivating prelude to the epic showdown that is bound to happen sooner. Ignoring the previous seasons’ recap, this film did a great job of sowing the seeds for the rest of the enthralling anime-only opening sequence followed by the showcasing of an elaboration of the Hashira’s plans to strike against Muzan’s empire.
As we are aware that the series is about to hit the roof, the premiere offers much-needed comic relief with our favorite characters. That is why we are calling it the calm before the storm.
Although it was extremely fun enough to watch the prologue (episode 1) of Season 4, the movie falls short in the final moments as it is heavily missing a secret sauce — the antagonists. We never get to see Muzan and the Upper Moon’s preparations to capture Nezuko. But, I’m sure that the studio is saving those moments for Season 4 anime episodes.
However, one can’t easily overlook the fact that this movie could have easily adapted the entire Hashira training arc as it is a mini-arc. Even I would’ve preferred that, so we could move on to the Infinity Castle arc. It seems this is also the reason that many fans have decided to opt out of this movie based on last year movie’s experience as evidenced by the half-filled theatre during my visit.
One could argue that today’s a working day, hence, the result, but I can vividly remember it was the same case during the Swordsmith Village movie as well. However, the theatre was flooded with fans at that time.
In my opinion, it’s a missed opportunity by the studio, but it won’t stop the long-time Demon Slayer fans from enjoying this visual spectacle on the big screen. So, it is totally up to you to decide whether you should watch the movie in theatres or at home later this year.
In the meantime, if you have watched the movie, share your thoughts in the comments below.
