Overview: After escaping Gyokko’s (Brent Mukai) trap, Muichiro (Griffin Burns) recovers his memory, rediscovering the harsh path that led him to becoming the Hashira he is today.
Our Take: Sifting through the mist of Muichiro’s memories (low hanging fruit, I know, or should I say, vapor) enunciates on what spawned his cold demeanor. Muichiro’s peaceful life is upended when both his parents die with his dad trying to save his ailing wife. The only problem is because of how minimal of a role both parents play, their presence is emotionally lacking. With that said, their passing explores the spiritual differences between Muichiro and Yuichiro.
Grief is a long and arduous process with various ways of acceptance. There’s no better example of the various ways grieving manifests than through the boys’ clashing philosophies. Muichiro serves as the optimistic counterpart to Yuichiro’s cynicism and cruelty. It’s engrossing how prone Muichiro is to kind, selflessness with Yuichiro adamantly against it, due to the pain it caused. Muichiro’s memory suppression of his brother, Yuichiro, is a powerful display of how one can interpret and progress with tragedy. The same also goes for the harsher personality traits he subconsciously inherited as a way to deal with his trauma.
At the end of the day, no matter how they differ, their sibling bond is a heartfelt through line that truly solidifies their relationship. A demon attack shows Yuichiro’s true colors for an emotionally gripping final moment. The admiration and love Yuichiro has for Muichiro, being everything he isn’t, is an inspirational backdrop for the Mist Hashira’s stellar comeback against Gyokko. Visually, Ufotable stuns with a gorgeous sequence and intense motions to boot for a strong closer.