Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3 Review

Quick Summary of Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3

In Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc episode 3, “A Sword from Over 300 Years Ago,” Tanjirou really, really wants to claim the 300 year old sword. Kotetsu really, really wants him to take it. But Tanjirou, being Tanjirou, doesn’t feel like it would be appropriate. Finally, Kotetsu convinced him to just draw the sword to look at it. Tanjirou was in no way prepared for what he saw. Neither was Kotetsu! What did they see? Why did they react so strongly. And why is Hotaru Haganezuka so buff all of a sudden?

Collaborating with Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime!

 Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime and I are collaborating to review Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc this season! 

Hi, Irina! How are you doing? Any thoughts before we kick off the review?

I’m a little tired but otherwise I’m good.

You know, I did enjoy last season of Demon Slayer, but I thought it needed a bit more building. You know, character/world/plot building. When I think back on that season, it sort of feels like just one big long fight. I know that’s a bit of a stable of action shonen but I missed the quiet moments of earlier seasons. I hope we get a chance to see that again this season. Cough…

Review of Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3

Things Got Dark Fast!

Talk about getting dark fast! The first part of the episode was mostly fun and games. It started with the comedy around Tanjirou, Kotetsu, and Haganezuka around the sword. It ended with Muichirou Tokitou, Tanjirou, and Nezuko having a conversation that seemed enlightening to Muichirou. But then it all went to hell. Pretty much literally. Gyokko and Hantengu somehow found the village! 

Well, I guess we know what mission Muzan them on in episode 1! 

The episode started with a piece where Kotetsu tried to convince Tanjirou that he should claim the sword. Tanjirou clearly wanted it, but his sense of proprietary wouldn’t let him claim it. Kotetsu practically tricked him into unsheathing it, and I thought the shtick worked for me. 

Tanjirou really, really wanted the sword. And Kotetsu wanted him to have it, too! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

When they drew the sword, they were both bitterly disappointed. The sword was all rusty! In hindsight, maybe I should have expected it. The sword’s 300 years old, after all! But I felt a bit disappointed, too.

What did you think, Irina?

It makes sense. It’s a really old sword. I like the idea. It’s a bit like a rusted Excalibur. I mean, that’s pretty much exactly what it is.

This said, I’m making a lot of assumptions here. Sure, the sword was presented in a very epic way but that doesn’t mean it’s actually anything special. Maybe they just needed a metal stick for structural purposes and this being the sword village and all, a sword was just the first thing they found lying around.

You know?

You know, I’d love for that to be a development! Throw us off the scent, so to speak.

Buff Hotaru Haganezuka in Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3

The comedy extended to a piece where a profoundly buff Hotaru Haganezuka showed up and said “I’ll take it from here” (03:43). They all argued until Kozo Kanamori showed up and demonstrated that Hotaru Haganezuka was susceptible to tickling. Turned out Haganezuka just wanted to polish the sword and he was actually dedicated to keeping Tanjirou alive. He’d been in the wilderness to train. And now he was apply a “polishing art of his is so brutal, some people have even died,” as Tanjirou called it later.

We got a scene where Tanjirou tried to bond with Genya, which didn’t go well. Then we got a scene where Muichirou woke Tanjirou up by pinching his nose shut. Apparently, Tanjirou didn’t respond quickly enough.

I thought it was funny that when Muichirou accused Tanjirou of being wide open, Tanjirou responded that no, he would have sensed ill intent. That seemed to mollify the Hashira, because he said (11:57), “Well, not that I’d pinch someone’s nose with animosity.”

Gotta say – the more I see of this Hashira, the more I like him. 

Irina, what were your thoughts about this scene?

Tanjirou’s words seemed to resonate with Muichirou. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

The one with Muichirou or the one with Genya? 

I thought they were both fine really but the one with Genya seemed to be more important. At least I get the feeling that the season is leading us towards a friendship between Tanjirou and Genya, that’s why they separated him from Zenitsu and Inosuke. I could be wrong.

The Most Unlucky Swordsmith

Things got dark after this. A swordsmith coming back from the bath noticed a vase on the steps. When he tried to move it (it being a tripping hazard), Gyokko consumed him, then spit him out. Pretty gruesome. Before I could even consider the ramifications, we saw that Hantengu was there, too!

By now, I’d gotten my wits about me. The transition from comfortable vacation in the swordsmith village to battlefield was wonderfully dramatic. It took me completely by surprise. By this point, though, I wondered: if these demons could find the village, wouldn’t they just lay waste? 

“We must kill them all!” Hantengu said in a frightened voice. They’re here to do exactly what I feared: deprive the Demon Slayers of their weapons. 

What did you think of this development, Irina?

Ok, so this is what I was alluding to. Of course the action is leading us towards a confrontation between the upper six and the Hashira. More specifically those around Tanjirou because he’s the protagonist. There’s nothing surprising here and it would be silly to pretend that the plot could have gone any other way. And I’m ok with it.

Well, that was fast! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Now, in my opinion Hantengu was one of the more intriguing demons we met in the first episode. This sniveling seemingly weak mess of a demon in the upper six? Obviously there was going to be more than meets the eye. But what? The potential for creating an interesting demon with some really remarkable abilities is all right here, and I am looking forward to it but…

As soon as I saw him on that roof, all I could think of was: already? Do we already have to start with the drawn out battle sequence? We’re just at episode 3! Can’t we have at least one more episode of trying to figure out the mystery of the sword or something. I’m already a little tired of fighting and there’s a full season ahead!

It’s Nice to Breath Once in a While

NOW, they may have paced this better than last time and we will in fact have the chance to do something other than fight but I’m not sure how. After all, this demon should be VERY difficult to take down. More than the last one and all 3 protagonists, Nezulko and a Hashira were all fighting him. So unless there is an interruption or I don’t know, Muzan decides to take him out for some reason, this is bound to be a looong fight. And then there’s another upper six in the village. 

I’m cautiously optimistic but a little exhausted as well.

Hantengu went for Tanjirou, Muichirou, and Nezuko first. They were barely aware of the demon before it opened the door and started crawling in. That told the Hashira all he needed to know. He impressed me by immediately attacking – with “Mist Breathing… Fourth Form… Shifting Flow Slash.” Started out with some big guns!

But the demon was too fast for him. Tanjirou attacked with “Hinokami Kagura… Sunflower Thrust!” It wasn’t enough, either. The demon evaded him. Nezuko landed a patented Nezuko Kick. Muichirou followed up by slicing off the demon’s head.

Muichirou did not waste any time. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

That’s good, right? Nope. Tanjirou knew better, and he warned the Hashira to not let his guard down. But it was too late. Hantengu was now Hantengu and Karaku.

I was impressed – Tanjirou and Muichirou tried to slice off both heads at the same time. But they were too late. One of the demons tried to blow all three of them away. Nezuko managed to hold onto the building and Tanjirou. But Muichirou ended up flying a kilometer at least.

That left Tanjirou and Nezuko alone to fight two Upper Ranks. They didn’t stand a chance, of course. Within seconds, Hantengu had them paralyzed with an electrical attack. That’s when Genya showed up with what looked like a shotgun. Seems like it shot Nichirin sword metal because he cut one demon’s head completely off; the other, mostly off.

That’s when Tanjirou noticed something pretty bad for our heroes: there were now four demons to contend with.

The Demonic Equivalent of a Hydra in Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3

Irina, what were you thinking at this point?

I like his power a lot. He seems to be splitting off parts of his personality. Based on everything I know from Demon Slayer so far, I’m pretty sure this is going to be a physical battle but I think it could have been a very interesting psychological altercation. Like if you can get the part of the personality that is split off to act against itself, it might resorb into the main body. 

This demon is going to be a real problem. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

You know, if you make the Joy guy sad or the angry guy calm down they just poof back into non splittered versions until he’s back into his fairly harmless whole. 

That’s a funny fight mechanic and could have made for an interesting story but it would have left us wondering how he ever became and upper six in the first place. 

Are they all men? Or maybe at that point demons don’t have genders…

One of the four demons could fly, and it grabbed Tanjirou and flew off. Tanjirou just had time to see one of the three remaining demons impale Genya. The flying demon hit Tanjiro with some kind of sonic attack, which he partially blocked with one of his techniques. He managed to cut off the demon’s clas that held him. He also dealt with the fall. But when he landed, he could barely move.

That’s when the demon landed on him and readied another sonic attack. Looks bad for Tanjirou, doesn’t it? But we won’t know until next week, because the scene cut to Muichirou. Dude was running as fast as he could to rejoin the battle.

Muichirou Prioritizes Who He Will Protect

As he ran, he saw Kotetsu trying to fight off a lesser demon. He’s just a kid, and a swordsmith at that. He had no technique. The Hashira would tell he wouldn’t last. But Muichirou reasoned his primary responsibility was to protect the village chief and the top swordsmiths. 

I have to say: I would not want to be in the military. Military officers have to make decisions like that. I wouldn’t last very long, because I get what Muichirou said. He was technically right. But morally? Morality and combat just don’t mix.

Kotetsu gets points for bravery. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

He was prepared to pass by until he remembered his conversation with Tanjirou. He had said that helping others comes back around to help you. You might say that even the nearly emotionless Hashira fell victim to the Tanjirou Effect (™). He changed course and sliced off the demon’s arm as it tried to eat little Kotetsu. 

“You’re in my way, so just run,” the Hashira said (21:25).

What did you think of the latest victim of the Tanjirou Effect, Irina?

I thought it was cute. I like how simple Muichirou is. Actually, now that I think about it, all the Hashira’s are on the simple side. They are all a bunch of well meaning himbos and bimbos. And that’s hilarious to me. I really enjoy that subversion. 

Uzui is the most insightful as far as I know and he is open about being a vain pretty boy who gets by on his looks and the care of the ladies who love him. 

And I already said how much I love Kanroji’s brand of girly innocence. I wish Demon Slayer would lean into that sort of absurdism a bit more. It’s refreshing. 

I hadn’t considered the characters from that perspective before. I like it!

Closing Thoughts about Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3

Things got very dark very fast. What started as a two demon infestation is now a five demon infestation. Hantengu alone has neutralized Muichirou, Tanjirou, and Nezuko. We haven’t even seen where Gyokko went! I’m hoping that we get to see Mitsuri in action next week.

Irina, did I miss anything important? Is there anything you’d like to add?

I doubt you missed anything important! 

I am curious to learn more about Genya’s brother. We hear about him so much but I don’t know the first thing about what happened. I also like the fact that Genya fights with a gun. It’s a schtick but I always enjoy people who know to bring a gun to a knife fight. You know what I always say, if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin!

Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc – Episode 3 discussion
• AngryAnimeBitches Anime Blog: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Katanakaji no Sato-hen Episode 3
• RABUJOI: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc – 03 – What Goes Around Comes Around

This Collaboration (I Drink and Watch Anime and Crow’s World of Anime!)

• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 1: Someone’s Dream
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 2: Yoriichi Type Zero
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 3: A Sword from Over 300 Years Ago
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 4: Thank You, Tokito
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 5: Bright Red Sword
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 6: Aren’t You Going to Become a Hashira?
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 7: Awful Villain
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 8: The Mu in Muichirou
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 9: Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 10: Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji
• Demon Slayer – Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 11: A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light