Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 1

The Five Upper Demons

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 1 is finally here. Some of you may have seen this episode before the official air date because there was a “movie” that included it. I didn’t watch that movie, so this is all new to me.

Overall, I thought this was a good episode with a lot of new information. For example, right at the start, we learned that Muzan Kibutsuji and the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. are related. That would make Muzan Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s ancestor. They might not be directly related, though.

We also met all 5 of the remaining Upper Demons. Five is Gyokko, who lives in a pot. Four is Hantengu, who’s afraid of everything. Three is Akaza, who we already know from the Mugen Train Arc. Two is Douma, who’s an obvious reference to Ashiya Douman. And One is Kokushibou, who looks very familiar.

When we first saw Kokushibou, I assumed he was an ancestor of Tanjirou. Specifically, I assumed he was the Fire Breathing user we’ve seen in flashbacks. But, more information we get later in the episode appears to disprove this theory.

Well, sort of. He’s definitely related to that person. And, it’s still technically possible that he does use the Fire Breathing Technique. But, there are some things that don’t quite add up. For starters, the Fire Breathing Technique doesn’t belong to Tanjirou’s family. His father adopted it from a swordsman he knew.

So, it’s this swordsman who’s the one related to Kokushibou. It’s also this swordsman whom Muzan previously hinted is the only one on par with himself. Or, at least someone in his family. And from what we see at the end of the episode, it looks like this swordsman might still be alive.

Splitting Up the Crew

While the first part of the episode revolving around the demons was cool, the second part was less cool. I know the scene with Tanjirou in the hospital was important for the story. We had to establish that time has passed and his injuries have healed since the last battle.

But, that doesn’t mean I had to enjoy it. Though, I’ll admit I chuckled a bit when Inosuke was on the ceiling.

Anyway, there’s not too much to discuss when it comes to this part of the episode. However, there was one thing established here that makes me hopeful for this season. We established that the Tanjirou, Inosuke, and Zenitsu trio has split up.

Of course, I don’t expect this split to be permanent. Inosuke and Zenitsu are definitely going to come back into the fold. But, I’m hoping that they stay away for the majority of this arc.

We don’t know where Inosuke went other than “on a mission.” For Zenitsu, we have a bit more information. He’s on a mission somewhere cold with a bunch of other members of the Demon Slayer Corps. So, I’m kind of expecting them to appear at the end of the arc.

Also, we have quite a few other characters who are going to be taking their places. Specifically, we know two Hashira are going to be featured in this arc. These are the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji and the Mist Hashira Muichirou Tokitou.

In addition to those two, we have Genya Shinazugawa, a Demon Slayer in Tanjirou’s year. He’s somehow related to the Wind Hashira. Though, he hasn’t said how and the Wind Hashira claims he doesn’t have a younger brother. Do they not get along? Or, is there going to be some kind of twist?

Finding Love in Swordsmith Village

This season of Demon Slayer should be the best season so far. Why? Because it features Mitsuri Kanroji as one of the major characters. Sure, Rengoku and Uzui were cool. But, Mitsuri is a girl and therefore better.

We also got a fair bit of Tomioka and Shinobu content in the first season. But, since that was the first season, it doesn’t feel like they got arcs of their own. At least not like Rengoku and Uzui did. Like, did Tomioka or Shinobu actually get a story and development?

Back to Mitsuri, the fact that she’s the Love Hashira finally makes sense. It’s because love was her entire reason for becoming a Demon Slayer. And no, it’s not that she was in love with another Demon Slayer or that demons killed her loved one. She’s looking for love.

According to Mitsuri, girls love guys who are stronger than them. This is because girls want to be protected. So, Mitsuri thought that the strongest men must be Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. But, it’s not like anyone can just run into one of the Hashira.

For that reason, Mitsuri decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps and rise to the rank of Hashira herself. That way, she’ll be able to rub shoulders with the other Hashira and find the man of her dreams. But, there’s one problem I see with Mitsuri’s master plan.

If Mitsuri is a Hashira, there aren’t many men stronger than her. So, that’s going to limit her potential suitors. I have a feeling she didn’t think this all the way through, though. Based on what we’ve seen of her character, she’s the airhead type who likes to eat a lot. Can Tanjirou become the man she’s looking for?

Conclusion

What do you think of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 1? Do you think Tanjirou is actually somehow related to Kokushibo? Are you glad it looks like Inosuke and Zenitsu won’t be around for this arc? And do you think Mitsuri will find the man of her dreams? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 2 is available now.