Demon Slayer’s second season, and the “Entertainment District Arc,” has officially kicked off with an episode double the usual run-time. Despite all that extra time, however, this first episode is a much slower-paced one that does a lot of exposition and groundwork for what’s to come.
Things start off right at the end of the Mugen Train Arc, as the party mourns the death of Rengoku, the Flame Hashira. In fact, the whole first half of the episode feels like a way to wrap up Rengoku’s arc and properly send the character off. Hoping to fulfill his last wishes, Tanjiro makes his way to Rengoku’s house, where he meets the Hashira’s younger brother and father.
This scene, just like in the manga, provides an interesting dynamic against the overwhelming personality of Rengoku. His father is a languishing and bitter old warrior, who insists his son was nothing short of worthless. Rengoku’s brother, on the other hand, looked up to him as a hero and role model, and it’s clear he’s heartbroken. The anime has done a phenomenal job of making Rengoku’s death even more emotional than the source material, and the scenes with his family only help drive that point home even more. Tanjiro is also still wracked with guilt over not being to save the Hashira, constantly berating himself for not being stronger.
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With that in mind, the main trio sets about training to make sure they can prevent anyone else from dying. The second half of the episode focuses on this training, then properly introduces the Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, a self-described “Flashy Man.” Tengen, just like Rengoku, has a strong personality, but he’s almost the opposite. Tengen is hilariously overconfident and almost crude at times. He already has a hilarious dynamic with Tanjiro and the others and it’ll be interesting to see how that continues to play out.
Something interesting in this first episode is that Ufotable has put even more of an emphasis on making character’s facial expressions and emotion absurdly over the top. There are some genuinely funny parts in this episode, and they’re only made even stronger by the disfigured faces characters sport. The highlight of the episode is absolutely when the swordsmith Haganezuka confronts Tanjiro for losing his sword, with murderous results.
The Entertainment District Arc is when the Demon Slayer manga really hits its stride, and even though this first episode is mostly exposition, it still maintains the same spirit that made the first season special. While the anime doesn’t seem to be deviating from the manga too much yet, there’s one thing I’m very interested to see pan out. Akaza, the final villain from Mugen Train, seems to be getting more screen-time here than in the source material, as the anime shows a bit of his reaction and emotion to events. Akaza is a fantastic character, and if the anime wants to give him a bigger role to play, I’m incredibly excited to see how that could pan out.
The humor keeps Episode 1 from feeling like a slog, but there are also some interesting tidbits and hints for the future as well. Demon Slayer’s return isn’t as bombastic as the debut episode of Season 1, but it’s a good time nonetheless.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: The critic watched the episode on Funimation for ComingSoon’s Demon Slayer Season 2 Episode 1 – Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui review.
