Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train made half-a-billion dollars at the box office so I can certainly understand a marketing move to make sure that anything with Demon Slayer in the name should be given the chance to do theatrical events. Regardless of the fact that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training is absolutely a compilation film incorporating footage from the last two episodes of the third season and first episode of the fourth season, the demand is still there, if for no other reference, that my theater was packed to the gills with Demon Slayer fans.
For those that aren’t familiar with Demon Slayer:Kimetsu no Yaiba, the story begins when Tanjiro Kamado, a boy whose family is killed by a demon, joins the Demon Slayer Corps to turn his younger sister Nezuko back into a human after she is transformed into a demon.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training-features “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light” (Episode 11) from the Swordsmith Village Arc. Following the events of Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro Kamado undergoes a rigorous training with the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, in his quest to become a Hashira as the demon king Muzan Kibutsuji and the three remaining Kizuki members– Akaza, Doma, and Kokushibo– start their search for Nezuko and the Ubuyashiki family.
For my money, if you are a die-hard fan that thought that the finale of Swordsmith Village deserved a theatrical run, you should see this if only for the fact that the aforementioned finale is very much breath-taking when seen on a large screen. Between the gory animated effects, high-octane action sequences, and even the few breaks of comic relief, watching episode 11 of Demon Slayer is a treat in theaters. As for the season premiere that sets as a preview for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s upcoming fourth season, I’m not so sure we don’t get mostly a filler episode in an effort to whet our appetites. Outside of the enthralling opening sequence, the rest of the season four premiere didn’t convince me that it needed to be in theaters.
As we continue to follow teenage Tanjiro Kamado, who strives to become a Demon Slayer after his family was slaughtered and his younger sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon, it seems the new compilation film that is directed by Haruo Sotozaki and written by Ufotable staff members is an easy choice to be made for fans of the franchise.