Summary
Demon Slayer's Hashira training arc is one of the manga's shortest and weakest arcs. The manga didn't give Hashira enough screen time, which ultimately hurt the finale. The anime's original content enhances the Hashira's story, making their fate in the final season more impactful.
Like many fans of Demon slayer, I had mixed feelings when it was announced that the next season would include the Hashira Training arc and that only. Compared to the previous and following seasons, Hashira Training is easily one of the weakest parts of the manga, even if it is an important part of the story. This is also the shortest chapter, consisting of only 8 chapters, the same length as the “rehabilitation training” which was only presented in four episodes in the first season of the anime. I'm worried about how they can stretch this out over an entire season, even if it's an abbreviated one.
On the other hand, if there's any part of Demon Slayer that needs to be expanded upon, it's this one. One of my problems with Demon Slayer, up to this point in the manga, is that there are still some Hashira that are barely introduced; while Tanjiro worked directly with Rengoku, Tengen, Muichiro and Mitsuri and was rescued by Shinobu and Giyu, he never had the opportunity to work side by side with Wind, Serpent and Stone Hashira.
That gives these three a real disadvantage when it comes to getting to know their characters before the final battle, and this opportunity to expand the plot is the perfect opportunity to fix this.
I expected more from Hashira
Hashira generally doesn't get enough screen time
When Hashira was first introduced, it reminds me of the first time I met the Gotei 13 in Bleach. Like the Captains of Bleach, the Hashira are the strongest warriors in their organization and are given leadership roles due to their strength. As such, I expect them to become extremely important to the story, just like the Gotei 13 did. The manga decided to go over them one by one after introducing the entire group, which was completely fine by me, especially after the Mugen Train arc and how well Rengoku was handled, instantly endearing despite despite having very little screen time. .
This will certainly continue in the next few parts, as we get to know Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, and then in Blacksmith Village, Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji love and Hashira Muichiro Tokito mist. However, I was disappointed to discover that the remaining Hashira would not get their own prominent arcs, as the manga instead entered its finale and began the final battle ( very long). In Bleach, the story spreads out and splits its focus just from Ichigo, but Demon Slayer still focuses quite tightly on Tanjiro, eliminating one of the easier ways to give more character to the Hashira.
Since one's emotional investment in the final battle depends heavily on their connection to the Hashira, this to me is a huge mistake. With nearly half of the Hashira not having their own adventures with Tanjiro, it is the final battle that gives readers the reason to care about these characters., which is a risky proposition. What's especially annoying is the existence of this Hashira Training section, which, as its name suggests, should have given more traits to the Hashira, but instead rushed through the training process to catch the beginning of the final battle. If that's the case, why bother training?
The anime helped give Hashira more character
The original content of the Anime constructed Hashira better
So with that in mind, I started to consider that perhaps expanding this into a full season wouldn't be such a bad idea. I was surprised at how well adapted the first episode was and knew immediately that there would definitely be a lot of original anime content (what some might derisively call “filler”) to help make the season This becomes a part. Episode 2 of Hashira Training confirmed this with some new scenes featuring Giyu Tomioka, but it actually starts with volume 3, which is almost completely new content not taken from the manga. What was once just a few panels has now become an entire episode.
While it's certainly good to catch up with Tengen, I'm mostly satisfied with what this means for the rest of the season. Episode 4 also has a lot of new content, with the entire paper plane flying contest seemingly based on an entry in the databook stating that Muichiro has an interest in origami and paper airplanes. It makes sense for him to have this kind of hobby, and even seeing Hashira's hobbies makes him feel much more like a character. With the change he goes through in the Swordsmith Village, this new character type is valuable.
Even the more mysterious Hashira gets a bit of attention; one can't help but notice that Sanemi and Obanai at least appear a little in most episodes, and they're shown both in action and just hanging out, which helps humanize them a bit more. Of course, these two are also the two Hashiras who are the most opposite of Tanjiro, so there's only so much you can do to make them more likable. Volume 5 returns to following the manga more closely and moves through their training relatively quickly. However, with what happened between Sanemi and Tanjiro, there really wasn't much room to expand on that particular part of their training.
Expanding the Hashira training program is the right step
More features would have made the finale better
Anyone who has read the Demon Slayer manga knows that the final battle is an extremely bloody one and many characters will die. For these deaths to matter, the audience needs to be invested in them, and taking this opportunity to understand them better will only help the finale.. Every moment we spend with Hashira before their final battle makes their ultimate fate that much more impactful.
Although the season is not over yet, I feel that Demon slayerThe anime's original content only enhances the story by providing more opportunities to get to know the Hashira as characters. While it may technically be a “supplement,” this new content feels like what a supplement should be: an expansion of what was already there, designed to introduce some certain characters and fix issues related to rushing in the manga.