Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 Review: Tanjiro Shakes off the Show’s Rusty Start (2024)

In the world of Demon Slayer, clashes between the Demon Slayer Corps and bloodthirsty demons are a regular affair. But ever since the news of Tanjiro Kamado's sister Nezuko being able to walk in the sunlight reached Muzan Kibutsuji's ears, all demons retreated into the dark, leaving a deafening silence behind. The Corps is now using this unexpected pause to reorganize and put their lower-ranked Slayers through the backbreaking Hashira Training Program to get them ready for the imminent war. Thus begins the much-hyped Hashira Training Arc after tons of deliberation, exposition and delays. Here, both rookies and the Hashira themselves are put to the test. And, hopefully, this charged-up atmosphere remains throughout the season.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 finally gets the show on the road and gets to the arc's main point: the training. Tanjiro, who has been recuperating for so long, finally joins the Hashira Training and immediately gets to work, showing the rest of the trainees the way forward. Half of the episode plays this up for comedic effect, while the other half instills inspiration in the rookie Corps members, who never fought and survived an Upper Moon demon like Tanjiro has. The episode is better paced than its predecessors. It also has a positive energy emanating from it. Surprisingly, some of this optimism comes from the stoic Hashira, who can feel the uneasiness of the silence and the coming storm.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 Focuses on the Hashira Training

Tengen Uzui’s Training Is the First Hurdle

After a slow start, Demon Slayer Season 4 is finally back to its regular programming and doing what it does best. Specifically, pushing the characters to their physical and mental limits to get the most out of them. Traditionally, Demon Slayer had a demonic encounter that acted as the episode's or the season's catalyst. Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 tackles this challenge differently by making Tanjiro lead by example rather than combat. The episode opens with the former Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, training a group of young Demon Slayers, putting them through a grueling physical training regimen to help boost their stamina. To his disappointment, none of his pupils showed the mental and physical fortitude to complete his course. Only with the arrival of Tanjiro does the supporting cast of unnamed trainees get the motivation to push ahead.

The training scenes are, naturally, the liveliest portions of this episode. The healthy mix of sword-fighting action and spirited confrontations make the episode better as it progresses. With the training itself being trivial, the episode went out of its way to add some mock battles that immediately improved upon the manga's original plot. There are even additional scenes of Tanjiro talking to Tengen's wives, and their warm exchanges give the episode an emotional touch. However, there are also scenes that have no importance to the story at hand and hamper whatever momentum the story tries to build. The episode occasionally cuts away to the Serpent and Wind Hashira talking about that mysterious castle they discovered in the forest when, suddenly, they prepare to have a duel. But the episode never shows the fight, nor does it go further into the Infinite Castle's mystery, making all this build-up feel weirdly misplaced.

There is not much tension in the episode's plot, except for one scene where two Demon Slayers patrol the nearby town, and one of them decides to prank the other. Although it's a funny moment, the spooky build-up and the dark ambiance almost had audiences believing that a demon was stalking them. Audiences expecting a genuinely tense stand-off or a genuinely clever subversion of expectations will leave disappointed. For the most part, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 is a quiet episode, where the only decibel-breaking noises come from an enthusiastic Tanjiro and a fired-up Tengen yelling at each other. But other than that, this episode made it clear that the anime's newest arc is still in its developmental stages. The episode tried to infuse some suspense and anticipation for what comes next, but refrained from going in too deep at the last moment.

Tanjiro Kamado Proves Himself to Be the Heart of Demon Slayer

Tanjiro Kamado Proves Himself to Be the Heart of Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 shows why Tanjiro is the anime's big, beating heart. Even when it was just a simple training arc with no bigshot villain to take care of, Tanjiro accomplished every task given to him with a bright smile and hope in his eyes, applying the same enthusiasm to everything he does. The episode shows more than it tells, as it throws a wild Tanjiro into a group of young boys who then watch him complete one task after the other with ease. Tanjiro even broke bread with them, despite arguably being one of the most powerful and popular guys around. His actions and skills with the blade instill the one thing missing in them, which is hope. Just like in the previous episode with Giyu Tomioka, Tanjiro put on a persistent face and poured his heart and soul into everything, be it an eating contest or sword fighting with a wooden practice bokken in his hand.

Tanjiro's voice actor, Natsuki Hanae, superbly brings out the character's optimistic outlook on life. It is not his grunts or shouts, but the mellowness of his tone that sets Tanjiro apart from the other men in the anime. This could also be attributed to Tanjiro's innate kindness. With the episode offering something different to the viewers, Hanae's acting also changes with the mood. This is his biggest strength when it comes to voicing the character. Only Tengen seems to be the other person in the room whose voice rings true and loud throughout the episode. This was thanks to how his actor, Katsuyuki Konishi, makes Tengen sound as earnest as possible and with as much vigor as his vocal cords can withstand. Still, there is a sadness in Tengen's voice that the anime's artwork complements and captures all too well.

The rest of the supporting cast includes top-billed actors and newcomers. Everyone does well with the script provided. Most of the trainees are currently unnamed, but their character designs makes them stand out, giving the episode a reliable feeling of continuity and life. Tanjiro's confidence rubs off on these characters, who slowly come to believe in themselves. This is a big step in the right direction for these previously discouraged and scared young boys. Thus, when they go from crying and nagging to giving their all during training, it feels like these boys earned their character arcs and development despite having no name. The most underrated outcome of all this is Tengen regaining his old smiling self -- a subtle and gradual change that happens over the course of the episode.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 Takes a Break From the Anime’s Usual Action

Ufotable Creates a Relaxing Breather Episode Filled With Training and Downtime

The reason the training arc looks so tranquil despite all the sweating and heavy lifting is due to its picturesque setting, which acts as the perfect stage for the story. The scenery around the Demon Slayers Corps Headquarters alone is breathtaking, with forest-covered mountains and little streams of rivers creating quite the laid-back vibe. From the diegetic sounds of birds singing to the watercolor feel of the background, the open-air training exercise brings an appreciated visual change of pace for the normally action-packed anime. The conversation between Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa is set against the backdrop of a peaceful sunset and a shrine, creating a serene scene where it is easy to let the characters contemplate and reflect. When it comes to key art, the bold outlines around the characters makes them pop out from the rest and brings a feeling of manga inking. Ufotable animates the episode well, although there is not much excitement to animate.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 is the start of Tanjiro's new journey, which will avalanche into something bigger in the future. This being a shōnen anime, it's obvious that Tanjiro and his comrades will get back to waging epic wars against the demons sooner rather than later. Audiences will just have to wait a bit more and appreciate these breather episodes for now. Thankfully, the anime has found some rhythm after Season 4 got off to an insipid start. Tanjiro is back where he belongs, inspiring others as war brews on the horizon. While nothing seems dire or tense right now, some pressing questions still need answering. At its worst, this episode teases new mysteries but offers no answers or even a clue. Even so, Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3 is packed with well-timed humor, energetic practice combat, and a blink-and-you'll-miss cryptic scene, thus commencing the Hashira Training Arc in earnest.

Demon Slayer Season 4 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 3

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

8

10

Release Date

January 22, 2021

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Pros

• The Hashira Training gets its due focus.
• The pacing of the episode mimics the enthusiasm of its protagonist.
• Light fight scene, but big on spectacle.
• Even minor characters have a say in the tale.

Cons

• Obanai and Sanemi's scene goes nowhere.
• The sense of suspense needs some work.