Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc episode 1 review: The series begins in a fun yet bizarre manner

3/5

Story:

After a traumatic experience, Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu and Nezuko re-meet Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui under suspicious circumstances. They prepare to go to Entertainment District in order to find the demons.

Review:

Old wounds reopen as the third series of Demon Slayer, Demon Slayer: Entertainment Arc commences. Yes, it begins from where the second season ended - with the Mugen train. Never before have we seen Inosuke, Tanjiro and Zenitsu upset together. Mugen train managed to do that, even leaving us teary-eyed. Beginning exactly from there was a rather smart move.

Soon, we are introduced to a mysterious little boy and instantly know what it means. Tanjiro, who subconsciously took on a threat in Mugen train, has to face the consequences of that now. The thought of the boy who has trained and grown up as one of the most powerful in the Demon Slayers Corps fighting Akaza, a demon ranking in the top three, is thrilling in itself.

The episode has a big revelation about who Tanjiro really is. It comes as a huge surprise and the scene is executed well too. Soon, however, the episode becomes a drag because it delves into unwanted and unnecessary scenes for too long. The scene with Senjuro Renguko and Tanjiro also tends to get on the emotional side thanks to the music, which doesn't help enhance the viewing experience. One moment between though, was necessary because it was a moment of faith. However, if the scene had been directed towards that itself, it would probably have been more powerful.

Haganezuka, the sword maker, is hilarious as always. Inosuke is his crazy self too but only mildly. The episode mainly introduces Tengen Uzui, another Hashira user from the Demon Slayer Corps. Right from his entry to Tanjiro misinterpreting everything, the scene is hilarious and bizarre to its core. Tengen's pervert behaviour, however, is disappointing. Him mishandling girls is a huge no-no for the other people in the scene and the viewers.

The real excitement, however, comes at the end of the episode when we know what Entertainment District really is. The episode has a post-credit scene which tells us a little more about Tengen's character. You could skip that part since the series is likely to explore the same. However, if you have a strong taste for Japanese music, do watch the end credits.

Verdict:

While many Demon Slayer fans are mourning after Mugen train, Entertainment Arc could come as a relief. The first episode is a little bizarre for the taste. Tengen's character, a ninja, is not close to Khojuro's. However, Tanjiro's journey also makes up for a huge part in the episode so you could look out for that. The episode is quite a neutral one since it has both hilarious and bizarre moments in one.