After inspiring much boredom among the fans through the slowpoke approach of one Hashira training session per episode, the fourth season of Demon Slayer finally picks up pace as Tanjiro goes sparring with three Hashiras within a single episode. There is nothing extraordinary or unexpected going on narrative-wise; action scenes have been limited, and viewers are getting somewhat acquainted with the Hashiras. Surprisingly enough, a change of pace might have felt like a welcome move in the context of the past few episodes; instead, the fifth episode has a certain rushed feel to it. Overall, it has the vibe of a filler episode, which barely affects the overarching story, but the end tease makes it seem the upcoming episode might be a step up at long last.
Previously, Tanjiro trained with Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and was able to get him to open up towards the novice trainees of the Demon Slayer Corps. Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa and Serpent Hashira Iguro Obanai had learned about Tanjiro’s progress, and both of them had seemingly made up their minds to test Tanjiro’s mettle in the harshest ways possible. On the other hand, Muzan Kibutsuji’s Kizukis have been watching over the Slayers from the shadows, hinting at an impending disaster in the near future.Â
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Tanjiro’s Training With Love Hashira Kanroji Go?
Kanroji had played a significant role during the last season’s “Swordsmith Arc.” Perhaps that’s why Tanjiro’s training session with the Love Hashira has been cut short to focus on other less explored Hashiras. This segment is mostly a comical, silly presentation of Kanroji’s goofy personality, as she treats Tanjiro to delectable delicacies and makes him and other trainees wear pink leotards while training. To add to the wackiness of this segment, Kanroji put the trainees on reflex and stretch drills, which is actually helpful for a physically demanding role such as being a Demon Slayer, but is presented in a hilarious way. However, Mitsuri Kanroji is a strong Demon Slayer, and we think her training could have added agility or perseverance drills instead of a slightly out of place dose of humor.
How did Iguro Obanai test Tanjiro’s might?
Things get serious in the next session as Serpent Hashira Iguro Obanai awaits Tanjiro’s arrival. It seems he has a soft spot for Love Hashira as well, as Kanroji’s letter addressed to him detailing her training session with Tanjiro absolutely infuriates him. Iguro and Shinazugawa are two Hashiras who don’t like Tanjiro at all, and Kanroji’s message fuels Iguro’s disdain even more.
Iguro presents a unique and somewhat shocking training setting for Tanjiro as he uses novice trainees tied up with beams as obstacles, which Tanjiro needs to evade to swiftly strike the targets hidden within. This is a test of accuracy, agility, and speed, and Tanjiro initially hesitates to strike in fear of hurting the trainees. As Iguro chides him for lacking conviction, Tanjiro starts swinging and carefully watches his strikes while he is at it, and a frustrated Iguro decides to amp up the challenge by challenging Tanjiro to fight him while moving through the ‘trainee barriers’. Tanjiro fails for four consecutive days, until he finally calms his mind and loses the fear of hitting other trainees. Tanjiro focuses on Iguro and makes a mental map of the wilderness battle scene, completely ignoring his surroundings. Finally, this time, Tanjiro not only successfully defends himself but also manages to land a strike on Iguro’s haori attire. With the apparent improvement, Tanjiro’s training with Iguro ends, and he is dismissed.
Was Tanjiro able to complete Wind Hashira’s training?
Lastly, the most physically excruciating Hashira training awaits Tanjiro as he makes his way towards the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa’s quarters. The hot-headed vein-popping Hashira has a history with Tanjiro, as he tried to provoke his sister, Nezuko, to attack him, strongly believing that demons can never let go of their basic instinct of attacking humans. Sanemi’s troubled past—losing his family and siblings at the hands of demons—has led to him harboring deep hatred for the demonkind, and from his perspective, he was right not to trust Nezuko, and by extension, Tanjiro as well.
Before Tanjiro can even reach Sanemi’s quarters, Zenitsu crawls on all fours and tries to escape the rigorous training of the Wind Hashira, hinting at the level of pain Tanjiro has to tolerate at Sanemi’s hands. The training turns out to be pretty simple: Tanjiro and all the other novice Demon Slayers have to round up Sanemi and try to take him down while he unloads a barrage of blows on them. The physically daunting Hashira pummels all the trainees with such ease during every training session until they throw up and pass out, and there is nothing the amateurs can do to stop him. Sanemi is perhaps the second-strongest member of the corps, and even laying a finger on him should be counted as an achievement on the part of the trainees.
However, tensions arise as Tanjiro overhears Sanemi’s younger brother, Genya, who is trying to patch up with his elder and getting berated at every turn. Sanemi belittles Genya for not having a breathing style of his own and asking him to quit the Demon Slayer corps. In the previous season, Genya played a pivotal role by accompanying Tanjiro while battling Hantengu during the “Swordsmith Village Arc,” and Tanjiro had formed a bond with him. Seeing Genya getting schooled by his elder brother, Tanjiro thinks of stepping in but refrains at last. However, as a desperate Genya states that he had to consume demon parts during his battle with Hantengu to survive and enhance his strength while battling demons, Sanemi suddenly gets absolutely ferocious. He tries to poke out Genya’s eyes and cripple him so that he gets thrown out of the corps, and Tanjiro manages to save Genya in the nick of time. The furious Wind Hashira swings hard at Tanjiro, and surprisingly, Tanjiro manages to land a kick on him while dodging his attack. Sanemi starts beating Tanjiro, and the other trainees try to stop him, which leads to all-around chaos, and eventually Tanjiro’s training with Sanemi gets suspended by the higher-ups. Tanjiro laments not being able to help the Shinazugawa brothers patch up, but the wound in their relationship is much too deep for Tanjiro to mend. During his boyhood days, a young Sanemi had to kill their demon-turned mother in order to protect his brother Genya. However, Genya mistakenly considered his elder brother a murderer and realized much too late what Sanemi’s actions and reasons were. By then, the rift between the brothers had clouded their judgment, and in this episode, Sanemi’s attack on Genya was his tough love acting up to get his brother away from the perils of being a Demon Slayer.
As the episode nears its end, Tanjiro and Zenitsu reach their final hurdle, and seeing Inosuke and other trainees sitting in a meditating posture under a waterfall, viewers easily understand that this upcoming training will test the very soul of the Demon Slayers. We hear a calming, deep voice uttering the teachings of Buddha, and the speaker is none other than the impeccably resolute, gentle giant Stone Hashira (Gyomei Himejima), who is meditating with several tons of logs tied to his back while sitting on a burning pyre. With a glimpse of Stone Hashira’s temperament, the episode comes to a close, and we are excited to see how the strongest Hashira trains Tanjiro and co. for an upcoming battle with the demons. With only a handful of episodes left, fans are hankering for cool action sequences, which is the USP of the series, and I have a gut feeling that the next episode might provide fans with what they seek dearly.
