WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer episode 56, "To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji" available to stream on Crunchyroll.

When it comes to anticipation of new seasons of hit anime, few are as anticipated as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. A massive hit whose popularity exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, each new season has been more anticipated than the last one. This season is no different, as it marks the beginning of the Hashira Training Arc.

While each new season promises bigger and more elaborate action sequences than the previous one, viewers may want to temper their expectations a bit here (despite this being a double-sized premiere).

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Previously On Demon Slayer...

The previous season finale ended with Tanjiro saving the Swordsmith Village from a gang of demons. During this confrontation, it is discovered that Nezuko is immune to the sunlight, and thus she no longer needs to be kept in the box during the day. What's more, she is learning to speak a little more and has fully been embraced as a member of the Demon Slayer Corp. Armed with a new sword, it is decided by the Demon Slayer Corp that now is the best chance they have to defeat Muzan once and for all, but they will need to be more properly trained in order to do so.

The Setup

Unknown to the Demon Slayer Corps (though they have suspicions) is that Muzan is now fully aware of Nezukos power. Having lived generations in the shadows, his last major obstacle to being undefeatable is to be immune to the sun. Now that he is aware of Nezukos immunity, he makes it his mission to devour her and become the strongest demon in the world. The time is now racing for the Demon Slayer Corps to become strong enough to defeat Muzan when the inevitable attack arrives.

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Training Begins

The first episode of the show is titled To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji. And while that title may suggest a major showdown with the series' primary antagonist, the reality is that it is more of a promise for something that will (hopefully) come to pass sometime next season. This isn't to say that the episode doesn't start off with some intrigue though, as we begin the story with Wind Hasira Sanemi and Serpent Hashiro Obanai (two members of the Demon Slayer Corp) investigating what appears to be an abandoned castle. Once inside, though, they discover that the castle is infested with many of Muzan's demons, and an epic battle breaks out. When the battle is over, a woman who may have important information regarding the demons is discovered, and they must decide what to do with her.

Over at the Demon Slayer Corp headquarters, Shinobu is having a conversation with the other demon slayers as Tanjiro recovers. They acknowledge that while Nezuki is a good asset to the Corp, she will become a target for Muzan. It is decided that further training will be needed for the new recruits to prepare themselves for the upcoming battle better. Even though several Upper Rank demons have been killed, the costs were high, and Shinobu is unsure if they will survive a full-scale attack. For now, preparations must begin if they are to withstand Muzan's upcoming attack.

Later on, with Tanjiro having recovered, it is time for the training to begin. Before you get too excited though, just know that they are going over the basics: running, climbing, and basic sparring. There are no new attacks learned or anything major. Viewers are basically watching the characters go through boot camp in the second half of this double-episode premiere.

Why Does This Look Familiar...?

For those who are thinking "This all seems familiar", it is. If you are one of the fans who went out to see Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training in theaters, then (minus a new animated shot here and there) you have seen this already. For viewers who did see the movie, you won't get a true new episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba for one more week. This is the trade-off with these compilation movies: you have to wait a bit longer to get to the new stuff.

In Conclusion

Despite a pretty cool action scene at the beginning of the episode (a sequence that was NOT in the manga, we should point out), the season premiere of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a very slow setup. What's more, people who saw the movie a few months ago know that this isn't going to be the only one. Chances are the opening was added to spruce up an episode that largely would just be a bunch of the characters sitting around and talking about something that is going to happen. Look, we're not going to say this doesn't have its place, but office meetings are that exciting in the real world; they aren't much better in a fantasy world either.

All that being said, despite the slower-than-usual pacing, the episode still does a good job of building anticipation for what is to come. The question that must be asked is how much building will we get? By necessity, the Hashira Training Arc was the slowest arc in the manga. While this is by design, one has to wonder how this will play out in anime form (especially if the rumored filler episodes come to fruition in an attempt to extend the life of the anime). This isn't a bad way to begin the season, per se, it is an underwhelming one though, and fans may need to be prepared that the next big action sequences may be a ways off.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 can be streamed on Crunchyroll

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

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