Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc – First Impressions

For the anime that needs no introduction, it managed to impress us once again with its breathtaking opening sequence in the Infinite Castle where all the Upper Moon demons were summoned. The dramatic drum sound, psychedelic effects, and how Akaza and Doma look at the camera right back at you when nobody else is around, it all felt truly demonic. Ufotable just took things to the next level right from the start and set new standards for long-running seasonal series.

~Spoiler Ahead!~

The Infinite Castle and the Upper Moons and Muzan Kibutsuji

We all saw an amazing final battle in the last arc which was full of adrenaline and hype. But here everything is chilled and atmospheric. The way Akaza was free falling through the dimension, with the perfect marriage of 2D and 3D animation—made everything feel out of this world. And there’s also the dynamic lighting, rotating camera, and Akaza’s character animation that brought the whole scene to life. Story-wise, the sequence even hinted at a future location that will be viral in the future. Everything is filled with minute details and artistry, even from an architectural standpoint. Then it all stops with a single note of biwa, then all other demons show up one by one.

If I haven’t mentioned already, Demon Slayer is a musical marvel. When all the demons show up, they all have unique themes that just flow from one to another. Not to mention they also have different animation tricks such as the camera pans as vase demon moves like a snake and the camera is fixated on him, the creepy demon with his pathetic tone (looks like Zenitsu’s perfect opponent), Doma’s malicious entrance when the lights go out, and the swift and overwhelming presence of the number 1 upper moon (who has 6 eyes BTW). Everything just showed the types of characters they all are. When a character speaks and takes over the scene, their musical theme just swooshes in—combining both musical and visual effects to characterize. It’s overdramatic, full of effects and impactful sounds—completely opposite of all the Hashira‘s introduction back in season 1, which was kind of… meh.

Finally, Muzan Kibutsuji‘s appeared in his manly form in the most macho and swag-y way possible. The fact that he’s upside down from the demon’s perspective shows that he’s in a different plane of existence than all the demons that are below him. The chemical drop from his research reflecting all the demons’ heads shows that he is in fact in control of them. But he is not pleased with them as they fail to meet his expectation of doing things in his vibe without batting an eye. Even his notebook and pen he’s taking notes with have more style than anyone in the entire series. Then he takes his leave after giving an order to the Upper Moon 5 and 4, which is also a spectacle to behold.

The Arc and Tanjiro & Nezuko’s development

We go back to Tanjiro after the big fight, into his dream that has something to do with his origin, I think. Maybe he really isn’t a descendant of a Sun Breathing technique user. Later we come to know that he’s been in a coma for 2 months. Zenitsu already is sent to work, and Inosuke recovered too and later goes demon hunting. I’m glad with the approach this arc is taking. Instead of making the typical anime trio hang out together, they are going on their separate path for now. Tanjiro and Nezuko go to the Swordsmith village since his sword wasn’t delivered, hence the title of this arc. There he meets two Hashiras who are many topics of discussion (there’ll be a separate post for them). As usual, Tanjiro managed to win over one of them with his good-natured behavior, Kanroji Mitsuri the Love Hashira. Tokitō Muichirō the Mist Hashira has a lot going with his mind on cloud 9. He and Tanjiro will have to settle a lot of things, especially concerning the mysterious figure standing behind him.

This arc has a lot in for Tanjiro & Nezuko. They have yet to experience being demon slayers and learn about their mysterious origin, what relation their ancestors have with Muzan, and the deal with the Sun Breathing technique. Now that they are in the Swordsmith village where Sun blades are forged, come to think of it, Tanjiro’s sword color changes to black similar to the charcoal he used to sell, instead of crimson color like Haganezuka wanted to see. But he went missing which I’m guessing has to do with the plot. As for Nezuko, she seems to be connected with Tanjiro’s power-ups. When he did the Hinokami Kagura the first time, she unlocked her ability. During the fight against Daki, Tanjiro lost control and so did Nezuko. I wonder what new power both of them will have in this arc, more so after watching the OP that summarized the whole arc in a way.

The New Opening & Ending theme

This arc got new OP & ED themes as usual. The OP song Kizuna no Kiseki (The Miracle of Bonds) features MAN WITH A MISSION x Milet. This show’s bringing all the big guns for the appeal. Seasons 1 & 2 had LiSA, and 3 had Aimer, this time they brought Milet. Maybe there’ll be more popular singers in the future such as Ikuta Lilas, Uru, ReoNa, and so on. The song is a banger BTW accompanying banger visuals. This time there are two singers, probably because of two Hashiras. It showed the titular characters’ abilities a bit and what will go down in this arc. The ED was also pleasing to sit through with the song Koi Kogare (Yearning) featuring the same singers that focused on the two Hashiras.

Conclusion

I honestly can’t wait for this arc to finish because it’s gonna be even more awesome than the last. It’s longer and gonna tackle more story aspects. The only issue is with the translation by the streaming service companies which was a letdown ever since. I wish it was better. I will wait for the Blu-rays because it’s criminal how bad it looks on the streaming sites. Until then, I’ll pretend Kimetsu no Yaiba doesn’t exist.