DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA – TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING

TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING is the latest animated movie in the popular DEMON SLAYER franchise, which is developed from a Japanese television series and comic book. The Japanese movie tells a violent story that takes place in Japan from 1912 to 1926. It’s actually a combination of the last episode of the third season and the premiere episode of the fourth season. Because of that, the movie’s first part is exciting, but the second part is rather slow.

The story in TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING is a good versus evil tale where the specialized Demon Slaying Corps take on the evil upper demons who serve the Demon Lord Muzan. Demons in this fantasy world are not the demons from the Bible, but rather creatures that are a combination of a vampire and the cosmic monsters of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Each demon was at one point in time human before being transformed by Lord Muzan. All the demons have a variety of different powers, yet all of them get burned by the sun. The Demon Slayer Corp fights the demons, using weapons made from a special steel that has absorbed some of the sun’s power. They must kill each demon by beheading it. Each demon slayer uses a “Breathing style,” which then gets animated as elemental or physical properties. Their powers may defy physics but don’t include any actual use of magic.

The basic story in TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING follows the main hero of the franchise, a teenage boy named Tanjiro who’s joined the Demon Slayer Corps with the intent of saving his sister, Nezuko, who’s been turned into a demon but isn’t a cannibal like the other demons. At the beginning of the movie, Tanjiro, Nezuko and their friend, Genya, are at the tail end of their battle with an “Upper Moon” demon named Hatengu. An Upper Moon demon is one of the five most powerful demons who work directly for the evil Lord Muzan. Hatengu has the ability to make clones of himself that represent a different emotion. Each clone has a different Japanese character on his tongue, and each clone has a different power. Tanjiro and company are rushing to kill Hatengu’s main body, called “Fear.” While they do that, Mitsuri, a high-ranking Demon Slayer Corps member, holds off the Hatengu clone called “Hate.”

During their pursuit, Tanjiro manages to get the upper hand on Hantengu but gets his sword stuck in the demon’s neck. Hatengu then forces himself, Tanjiro and Nezuko off a cliff. At this point, Tanjiro, desperately injured, has a new sword thrown at him. He takes the blade but can’t catch up to Hatengu because his leg is injured, and the sun is coming up.

Tanjiro finds himself having to choose between protecting his sister or saving the citizens of Swordsmith village. When he can’t decide, Nezuko pushes him so he can stop Hatengu. Tanjiro manages to slay the demon and finds out his sister can now survive in the sun. Before Hatengu perishes, he sees his human life where it’s revealed he was a cowering human who blamed everything on anything that wasn’t himself. After saving Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro returns home to recover and await the repair of his new sword.

Shortly afterwards, in a different part of Japan, Sanemi and Obanai, two demon slayers who’ve achieved Hashira, the highest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps, chase after a demon who kidnaps women. They end up in a one-sided battle against many hundreds of demons, slaying them easily. During their battle, the pair get a glimpse of Lord Muzan’s stronghold, The Infinity Castle. When the two Hashira demon slayers return, they have a meeting with the other Hashira demon slayers and the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps. They discover a Hashira mark appears when a human pushes himself past his limits with the sole desire of slaying a demon and protecting something or someone that’s precious to him. Once a slayer unlocks this mark, others can unlock it in tandem with that slayer. The Master reveals that the first demon slayer to use this was in fact Tanjiro.

The Hashira officers realize that the marks are the best way for them to defeat Lord Muzan and the other demons. They are told, however, that those who unlock the mark die within 10 years. The Hashira all agree that they need to train themselves and the rest of the Demon Slayer corps, to prepare against Muzan, especially now that a demon, Tanjiro’s sister, has conquered the sun.

TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING is extremely violent, with some occult, magical aspects to it. However, the story has a strong sense of moral right and wrongs, evil is depicted as evil, and good is depicted as good. However, there are some false pagan views and theology here, including the idea reincarnation. The biggest concerns of the movie is the lopsided story and the level of violence. With as heavy as the violence is it is not suitable for children and even is concerning for adults. As for the lopsided story, the movie takes place at the end of season of the TV series while simultaneously introducing the next season. TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING is meant to be a continuation of another episode, and if viewers have not seen the episode, then the story may seem quite a bit off to viewers. Especially since the first two-thirds of the movie depict the end of the third season of the TV series, and the rest of the movie depicts the beginning of the fourth season.

DEMON SLAYER – TO THE HASHURA TRAINING has a strong mixed worldview where strong moral elements are mixed with some pagan, occult content. For example, characters discuss their “spiritual core,” take on magical powers with a magical mark, and mention reincarnation. Also, the villains all use magic and are portrayed as cannibalistic vampires. In addition, one villain is based on a mythological, legendary creature in Japan called a tengu, which is a kind of spirit or demi-god. Despite all that, the movie’s main story and premise is good working together to overcome evil, with some physics-defying sword fighting. Also, Tanjiro, the young hero, fights for justice and to protect his family. As a result, love and family are major themes in TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING.

MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution because of the violence and mythological, occult content in DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA: TO THE HASHIRA TRAINING.