Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko Hen – Episode 01 Review

OP Sequence

OP: 「夢幻」 (Mugen) by Hyde and My First Story

「鬼舞辻無惨を倒すために」 (Kibutsuji Muzan o Taosu Tame ni)
To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji

At long last, the latest chapter of Kimetsu no Yaiba has arrived with the Hashira Geiko Hen arc. But while this looks to be standard training arc, appearances can be deceiving as this gives a good solid preamble before the final battle between the Hashira and Muzan commences.

EVERYONE ACTS TOUGH UNTIL THE SENTIMENTAL MUSIC FROM TADAIMA, OKAERI PLAYS

It’s gotten a bit harder to justify the length of the first episode premiere with Kimetsu no Yaiba. For this particular season, it feels odd because there isn’t any material or hyped up sequence that would justify the runtime beyond its first scene. I’m happy for more material, but this could’ve easily been split up into two episodes without it being the end of the world.

That’s not to say the episode itself was lacking since this first episode gets us better acquainted with the Hashira that you might not have been as familiar with. The beginning fight sequence was actually a decent way to learn about the snake boy Iguro and monk Himejima since they haven’t gotten as much spotlight in the past arcs.

Speaking of Himejima, this first episode was an informative way of learning about how he his and how he communicates with his peers. He takes it upon himself to organize the training since he has a good grasp of how safe things are for the time being before they come for Nezuko. Through this, he not only gets the idea to encourage older Hashira to help train them but also tries to get everyone on the same page with honing techniques from each Hashira.

He also acts as the glue that keeps everyone together considering how tensions are high with Giyu’s lack of interest in their training and the knowledge of their flame marks. Giyu has his own reasons for removing himself from the Hashiras’ presence, but the flame marks being both a sign of power and a shortened lifespan makes the consequences of their training even more dire. Even if they survive Muzan, they might not expect to live so long, so many of the Hashira have to accept that they are forced to trade their lives for the power to vanquish demons.

HONK! HONK!

Honestly, one of the big reasons why I’m cool with covering the remaining parts of Kimetsu no Yaiba is because it has a ton of heart, and its downtime is where you see much of its charm. Tanjiro is a pretty underrated shounen protagonist given how easily he lets his guard down when he’s relaxed, and when he isn’t screaming at demons, he’s a kind soul to a fault and gets himself into trouble by being eager to cheer even the grumpiest slayer up.

The expressive chibi designs do so much heavy work in giving the characters personality, and Tanjiro is no exception since his innocent dorky side is not only endearing but amplified by the cutesy artwork. It emphasizes Tanjiro’s goofy and impulsive side, but also allows him to show a sweet side that is quick to make even Zenitsu swoon.

I know it’s corny, but I actually enjoy the comedy being a little silly. As the show starts delving into the fragile mortality of being a demon slayer, it adds levity for there to be some stupid characters. It wasn’t the best at the end of Mugen Train because of how strong Rengoku’s last moments were, but for a training arc, it would be a bummer if the show didn’t honk its clown nose during the story’s cooldown arc.

There’s little gags that are hard not to giggle at like the irony of Nezuko not getting Inosuke’s name after all the times Inosuke failed to remember Tanjiro’s name. Zenitsu is ass, but I’m so used to Hiro Shimono’s voice from other anime that his frantic screeching doesn’t really bother me anymore. Baka Test made such a strong impression back in the day that he’s the one actor who gets a pass from me to play dudes who sound like bike horns.

There isn’t much can I say to convince people who love or hate Kimetsu no Yaiba to get onboard this late in the game, but the training arc sounds like a good way of getting more familiarized with the Hashira and seeing how their personalities clash with one another as they prep up for the big fight. It’s also interesting because they leave the first episode off on the knowledge that Kagaya is personally requesting Tamayo and Yushiro to collaborate with Shinobu to defeat Muzan. Knowing how much of their dilemma was keeping their presence under wraps, especially from Muzan or the demon slayers, it’ll be neat to watch how they contribute to their big strategy.

 

ED Sequence