English Dub Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc “The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Tanjiro and Zenitsu head to Himejima’s training site deep in the mountains and reunite with Inosuke and Murata.  Tanjiro first starts the training by being hit by a waterfall but struggles with the coldness and weight of the water.

Our Take:
We’ve reached the last stage of the Hashira Training. This means we’re nearing the end of this surprisingly short final season, at least until the upcoming “Infinity Castle” film trilogy arrives.  However, this one happens to be more interactive and back-breaking than the others.  Gyomei Himejima’s training has Tanjiro and the others strengthening their lower bodies by standing beneath the waterfall, lifting logs, and pushing a boulder.  They’re excellent sources of exercise, but since this is the Hashira Training we’re talking about, everyone’s bound to get exhausted immediately after the first second.
This also proves to be Tanjiro’s greatest challenge this season, as if the other sources of training aren’t challenging enough.  While he’s able to survive the waterfall and log lifting, Tanjiro struggles to move the massive boulder.  Fortunately, Genya advises Tanjiro that Gyomei possesses a secret to move this heavy stone: Repetitive Action.  This technique allowed Tanjiro to focus on his strongest memories to increase his concentration and strength, with his thoughts being his family and Kyojuro’s message before his demise.  It’s enough for Tanjiro to complete his final Hashira Training, but what matters is whether his newfound strength would protect his sister from Muzan.
“The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps” offers a surprising improvement over the previous episode, mainly due to its plot progression.  Amid the training, the creepy eyes that belonged to the Biwa Demon Nakime are one step closer to finding Nezuko’s location, meaning things will finally be heating up in the final two episodes.  Additionally, it features one of the more amusing moments from Zenitsu during his training montage with Tanjiro.  But, as usual, his constant screaming and extremely timid personality will heavily depend on people’s tolerance toward him.  After about four seasons, Zenitsu’s screaming can get a bit tiring, but he still delivers some chuckles regardless, so I’m not going to complain.