With Demon Slayer’s fourth season quickly approaching, I have no doubt that a lot of fans would be ecstatic to see a sneak peek of what’s to come—especially in light of the deeply moving third season conclusion. Thank goodness, Anime News Network was able to attend the Hashira Training Arc red carpet premiere in New York City for this new installment.
Special guests at the event included Demon Slayer producer Yūma Takahashi, as well as Natsuki Hanae, the Japanese voice of Tanjiro Kamado, Hiro Shimono, and Aleks Le, the Japanese and English voices of Zenitsu Agatsuma, respectively. They all made it obvious as they walked the red carpet that they were making the most of their trip to New York by taking in the sights and cuisine. Watching Le get all starry-eyed at getting to take pictures with Hiro Shimono was my favorite part of the evening. However, Yūma Takahashi, Hiro Shimono, and Natsuki Hanae made it clear that they also wanted to make sure that fans could fully enjoy what Demon Slayer has in store for them going forward.
Although there wasn’t much time for questions, I did ask the Japanese attendees what they thought viewers will learn about this movie. They all admitted, after laughing at how afraid they were by my Muzan cosplay, that the animation’s overall presentation and quality had always been amazing. Hanae pointed out that while Demon Slayer is primarily a television series that can be seen on most digital devices, viewers may enjoy the spectacle on display when they watch it on a huge screen.
In the first part of the Hashira Arc “film,” Hanae made her argument clear, since this premiere consisted of merely two longer-than-usual episodes combined. The first half consisted of the first episode of season four, and the second half was the season three finale. I felt more emotions when I rewatched the season four finale in a crowded theater than when I saw it at home by myself. This franchise occasionally still has movie-quality animation, which goes well with seeing a crowded theater.
Nezuko learns that she is immune to sunlight in the Swordsmith Village Arc, which contains one of the more major series finales, albeit it’s certainly not the most important. In addition to evoking strong feelings in the heat of the moment, the way everything is structured and directed serves as a catalyst for one of the franchise’s last storylines. Muzan will now emerge from concealment and use whatever means necessary to capture Nezuko so that he, too, may become a daywalker. The story must first make sure all of its characters are prepared before it can tackle the big villain, which brings us to the eponymous training arc.
It is very evident from Natsuki Hanae, Hiro Shimono, and Yūma Takahashi that the second half moves considerably more slowly than the first. They weren’t joking; the majority of this movie is exposition in the second half. There was some extremely endearing humor, especially in scenes like the first time Zenitsu sees Nezuko outside, and Tanjiro’s interactions with him in the hospital were incredibly funny. However, the majority of the training arc consisted of the primary characters simply chatting away. It wasn’t very interesting, despite the fact that there was a lot of foreshadowing and even some deftly weaved rehash of particular events. If anything, it seems like a lot of great things are promised to happen in the future, but I’m not sure how well the program will deliver on that promise. Often found in shōnen, training arcs can be compelling in certain situations.
It’s probable that the next arc will be primarily set up for Muzan to gather his demons, with little emphasis on training. Some of the current Hashira members are at odds with one another, and some of the older members—like Tengen—return to help with the training. However, I’m not sure if this arc will lead to a clear resolution or if it will only serve as a stand-in until the next significant arc begins. Time will tell.
