Demon Slayer season 4, episode 1 review - get ready, y'all.

Ah, yes. Welcome back to the high-octane world of Demon Slayer.

The show's newest arc, the Hashira Training, kicks off with a bang in episode 1, "To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji," and boy, is it a wild ride from start to finish. Now, for those of us who got to catch the To The Hashira Training world tour, this episode is nothing we haven't seen - it's the latter half of the movie where the preparations to fight and defeat Muzan begin.

I highly recommend not reading this until you've watched this newest episode - so here's a gentle SPOILER ALERT WARNING. Read at your own risk.

The episode doesn't waste any time and dives right into a fresh sequence with our lesser-known heroes: my new favorite, aka, Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa, and Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro. These guys haven’t been seen in action much at all up to this point, but this episode gifts us some killer scenes showing just how lethal and badass they can be. Fighting through a hoard of demons, they’re here to remind us why they wear those fancy Hashira uniforms. Pure anime eye-candy.

After the dust settles from the intro’s skirmish, we flip back to the serene Butterfly Manor where Tanjiro and crew are licking their wounds post-Swordsmith Village showdown. Tanjiro’s rocking a new blade (notice Rengoku's hilt and try not to cry), Muichiro and Mitsuru are on the mend, and Miss Nezuko is out and basking in the sunlight without a care in the world. Zenitsu, our favorite sleepy boy, drops in and brings his classic mix of comic relief and melodrama. First, he is visibly surprised by Nezuko’s new sunbathing hobby, and then that gets followed up by a hilarious meltdown - "Welcome home, Inosuke." That was one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in this show, hands down.

The episode cranks up the tension when all seven current Hashira gather. There's a sense of urgency as they realize big bad Muzan is desperate to kidnap sun-proof Nezuko. With the ominous news that Kagaya Ubuyashiki can't lead due to his health, the stakes feel higher than ever. Gyomei steps up as the group's rock, steering the team towards preparation for the looming battle with Muzan.

What’s a shonen anime without a good ol’ training montage? The Hashira discuss mysterious "marks" that boost a Slayer’s power, which Tanjiro, Muichiro (the Mist Hashira), and Mitsuri (the Love Hashira) all have on their bodies. Muichiro, with a cool theory about heartbeats and body temps, speculates at how these marks appear. The discussion ends with a new training regimen led by Gyomei, but Water Hashira Giyu chooses to go solo, as per usual.

The episode wraps with a strategic move - reaching out to Tamayo, the demon physician. She’s roped in to help develop a cure for Nezuko’s demonic traits alongside Shinobu Kocho, which could be a game-changer. This episode sets up what promises to be a season full of learning new tricks, beefing up powers, and, of course, preparing for the ultimate face-off with Muzan. Each scene is like a chess piece moving into place, building tension and anticipation for what’s to come. Will the training pay off? Will Nezuko ever become fully human? So many questions!

Stay tuned for more demon-slaying action next week! Trust me, you don’t want to miss what Demon Slayer has in store - so make sure to tune in to Crunchyroll next Sunday, May 19th to see what happens next.