Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc: Episode 1 Recap And Review
Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc is up and running!
The most hyped anime of the year is finally here, and it started with a bang. Since the Demon Slayer season 3 trailer and Demon Slayer season 3 release date was revealed, fans have eagerly awaited its premiere on 9th April 2023.
Now that the first episode is out, there are many talking points, so let us proceed with the Season 3 Episode 1 Recap & Review of Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc.
The recap does not include any spoilers from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga and only aims to analyze details that may hint towards future developments in the season.
The episode is titled “Someone s’ Dreams.” It opens with a Kakushi member named Gotou walking through the rebel of the Entertainment District and searching for any surviving Demon Slayer core members.
In the aftermath of the battle with the upper rank 6, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Tengen suffered grave injuries. After being rescued by the Kakushi, the three young demon Slayers drifted off into a coma as they recovered at the butterfly mansion.
MUZAN IS UPSET
Meanwhile, Akaza (upper rank 3) was summoned to an alternate Dimension that housed Muzan Kibutsuji’s, Infinity Castle. The meaning was intended to notify the remaining five Upper-Rank demons that one of their comrades had been slain by the Demon Slayer core.
This meeting was also their first in 113 years and was the last time in over a century that an Upper Ranked demon had been defeated.
Muzan scolds the remaining members and reminds them of their primary tasks, which are to eliminate the Ubuyashiki family and two to obtain the Blue Spider Lily.
It was apparent that the upper-ranked demons were not a close-knit group, as Akaza displayed quite a bit of animosity against his senior Doma (Upper-Rank Two).
He even breaks his jaw by swiping half of his head off, to which Kokushibo (Upper Rank 1) reprimands Akaza for undermining the hierarchy and reminds him of the option of a duel to improve his station.
Gyokko (Upper Rank 5) appears and mentions a move on that he had some evidence that could prove helpful to their mission, although he did not explicitly state what the nature of it.
After a bit of playful banter, Gyokko and Hantengu (Upper Rank 4) are sent to an undisclosed location while Domo is denied permission to go along and returns to his home, where he is tasked with evaluating his next set of disciples.
MYSTERY SWORDSMAN
We are brought to what seems to be a flashback of Tanjiro s’ father thanking a nameless swordsman wearing hanafuda earrings for saving his family’s life.
As his wife rests after giving birth to a baby Tanjiro, he offers to carry on the nameless swordsman family name since he had no heirs.
Despite the kind gesture, the Swordsman declines, and states that he is not unique and has failed at many things in his life.
TANJIRO TRAVELS TO SWORDSMITH VILLAGE
Tanjiro awakens from his coma as the memory blurs while Kanao rushes to his side.
After a brief conversation, they realized that Inosuke had been clinging to the ceiling the entire time. In fact, in the post-credit scene, we learn that Inosuke had been there for a whole night and day as he attempted to wake up Tanjiro from his coma.
When Tanjirou can maintain his consciousness, he immediately begins his rehabilitation training and realizes that Mr. Hotaru Haganezuka is incredibly angry with him.
He had sent him several letters stating that he would never forgive him for damaging yet another blade.
With the permission of the master, Tanjiro is granted passage to the Swordsmith Village, an incredibly complicated journey designed to keep the location unknown to any visitors.
Arriving at the village, he meets with the chief, who reveals that Hotaru Haganezuka has disappeared and that this Behaviour is not unusual.
They reassure Tanjiro that if Mr. Haganezuka failed to forge him a sword by the time he was fully healed, then he would be assigned a new swordsmith.
This disappearance is likely tied directly to Gyokko s’ plan, as it was mentioned earlier in the episode that he may have already been captured.
LOVE HASHIRA AND AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE APPEARS
In order to confirm the whereabouts of the secret weapon, it is allegedly hidden here in the village. Tanjiro accepts the chief s’ offer to bathe in the rejuvenating waters of the hot spring.
He encounters the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji who mentions that a rude man in the hot springs has completely ignored her.
It is revealed that this man is none other than Genya Shinazugawa, the incredibly unruly boy that passed the final selection along with Tanjiro, Kano, and Zenitsu.
After all this time, he had grown incredibly muscular but still lacked the social skills to converse normally with a fellow Demon Slayer.
In fact, he was found pulling out his teeth and tossing them aside in some strange act of masochism.
Genya left almost immediately after Tanjiro attempted to greet him, leaving him alone with Nezuko.
After a relaxing bath, Tanjiro and Kanroji had dinner together, wherein they spoke of Genya.
They mentioned how the elder brother never mentioned he had a younger sibling, and they must be on bad terms. Also, he never accepted their villagers’ meals during his stay and must have brought his food.
Tanjiro decided he would bring him some rice balls and headed towards his room along the way.
Mitsuri Kanroji reveals her purpose for joining the Demon Slayer core was to find the man she would be spending her life with.
When they arrive at Genya s’ room but he has already departed. They prepare to return to their rooms as a female informs Mitsuri Kanroji that the adjustments to her sword are nearly completed and that she can return home.
But before Mitsuri Kanroji leaves, she informs Tanjiro that a secret weapon is hidden in the village that could make its wielder even stronger and urges him to find it.
WHO IS THE MYSTERY SWORDSMAN?
The following day Tanjiro sets off on a mini adventure to the woods with Nezuko to see if he can locate the secret weapon.
He catches sight of Muichiro the Mist Hashira demanding a key from a young boy.
The boy is accompanied by what seems to be a guard with fiery red hair and hanafuda earrings, a man undeniably like the nameless swordsman that he saw in his dreams.
The boy refuses to give Muichiro the key and mentions how his ancestor made it.
As Tanjiro realizes he recognized the swordsman from his dreams, the episode draws closer.
POSSIBLE THEORIES AND DETAILS YOU MISSED
It is likely that Muichiro is also aware of the rumored secret weapon and is attempting to obtain it for himself to prevent it from being stolen by the upper-ranked demons.
Also, despite the similarities between Kokushibo (Upper Rank 1) demon and the man in the hanafuda earrings, they cannot be the same person because they were fully exposed to daylight.
The end credits show the swordsman tirelessly hammering away at molten ore, shaping him into a blade capable of slaying demons.
It cuts back to a flashback where a younger Muichiro is carrying lumber in tears, alluding to the possible revelation of his origin story this season.
The next scene shows him as a Hashira battling an unknown swordsman, resulting in his sword being broken in half. This is possibly the man with the hanafuda earrings.
We also see a scene with a woman in pink kimono bidding someone farewell, and this might very well be Mitsuri Kanroji saying goodbye to her first love.
We might learn more about her past and origin as well we then see her scrutinizing every detail of her sword after its latest adjustments.
Nezuko is seen in her final form and will likely appear this season if she is pushed past her limits to care for her loved ones.
Gyokko is seen throwing magical orbs at Muichiro, which hints towards their inevitable battle.
We cut to a scene where Hantengu has seemingly manifested Golems using Earth’s abilities and sends them toward Mitsuri Kanroji.
Tanjiro was seen performing Rengoku s’ signature technique as we see the Master’s Hand clinch indicating his worsening condition.
The next scene shows Tanjiro, the two Hashira, Genya and Mr. Haganezuka, and an unknown villager with white hair.
This scene does not include Nezuko, which seems to hint towards her disappearance or kidnapping at the hands of the upper-ranked demons.
The camera pans across the grassy field and eventually focuses on Nezuko s’ bamboo muzzle, which has been discarded with its user nowhere to be found, further reinforcing suspicions that she may be forcefully separated from her brother Tanjiro.
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CONCLUSION
It is only the first episode, but Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc will be thrilling.
