Demon Slayer season 5 ep 3 recap and review: Tanjiro joins the Hashira training

Another Sunday, another Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Kaiba episode has blessed our Crunchyroll accounts.

The previous episode, "Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka's Pain" left us with Tomioka and Tanjiro facing off in a cold soba noodle eating contest. This week's latest episode, "Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training!!", was like a tasty ramen bowl - filling and satisfying, but I did feel like I had just watched a bit of a filler episode, which left me wondering if we really needed it.

While I'm aware that the episode was actually not a filler, but original material that wasn't even found in the actual Demon Slayer manga, it felt a little too slow.

Let's quit beating around the bush and recap and review this latest episode, shall we? SPOILER WARNING - PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE LATEST EPISODE, "FULLY RECOVERED TANJIRO JOINS THE HASHIRA TRAINING!!"

Tanjiro’s back on his feet and ready to train with the Hashira, which sounds super intense, right? Well, you'd think so, but as I've mentioned, this episode leans heavily into those "filler episode" vibes. You know the ones - they’re fun and all, but you’re left itching for more plot progression.

Tanjiro starts his training under the former Sound Hashira, the flamboyant, handsome, gorgeous, and always-extra Tengen Uzui. Remember Tengen from the Entertainment District Arc? Yep, he's back with his dramatic flair and, of course, his three incredible wives who are more than ready to spill the tea on how he's doing post-battle. Spoiler alert: Not great. He’s missing an eye, an arm, and his Hashira status, but his spirit is as fiery as ever. His hair also looks fantastic down, just sayin', The episode kicks off with Tengen putting the newbie Demon Slayers through their paces. These poor guys are really struggling, but then Tanjiro shows up and just blows everyone out of the water. He’s running up mountains, doing endless squats, basically showing off how much stronger he is compared to everyone else while not showing off - you know, he does the bit where he accidentally motivates the entire training group by just being the best while being extremely humble about it. It’s like watching a pro athlete train with middle schoolers.

But here’s where it gets interesting: despite Tengen’s tough exterior and his loud training methods, there’s a lot of heart here. He’s still wrestling with the aftermath of his last battle, craving the fight but knowing his limitations. His wives tell Tanjiro how Tengen can’t sleep and is constantly on edge, showing a softer side to our flashy Hashira, but don't let that fool you for one second. The highlight of the episode is a mock battle in the woods towards the end, where Tengen, playing the role of a demon, challenges the trainees. Tanjiro steps up to protect his fellow Demon Slayers, rallying them to stand their ground. It’s a cool moment showing Tanjiro’s leadership and Tengen’s undying love for the fight, even if it’s just pretend.

Meanwhile, outside the training grounds, Giyu Tomioka, the WAter Hashira decides to join the training after the soba noodle eating contest, and we get a sneaky peek at the demons plotting their next move. The tension is building, even if this episode was more about the training montage than anything else.

In a nutshell, "Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training!!" gives us some nice character moments and a deeper look at Tengen’s struggles. It might have filler vibes, but it’s still a good time and sets the stage for more epic battles to come.

Don't forget to tune into Crunchyroll next Sunday, June 2nd, for the next episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Kaiba.