Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training is a 104-minute "movie" which includes Episode 11 from the previous season (Swordsmith Village Arc). That last episode showcases the climax of the battle between Tanjiro (voiced by Natsuki Hanae/Zach Aguilar) and the Upper Four, not to mention Nezuko's (Akari Kito/Abby Trott) triumphant victory over the sun. The new story arc starts right after the episode. As everyone is recuperating from their injuries, there are stirrings in the demon world. The Hashira know that since Nezuko has conquered the sun, she now has a target on her back. Can everyone keep her safe? How is she able to do something that no other demon has been able to do?
To the Hashira Training is filled with action, heartbreak, laughter, and a lot of power-up yelling (typical to the shonen genre). After such a dramatic ending to the last season, the beginning of this season tries to offset that by adding some much-needed levity. Because this movie includes the action-packed last episode, it does a good job with that specific balancing act. It also does a wonderful job at creating a few worsening dilemmas for this upcoming story arc. Not to mention, fan-favorite characters are brought back to bring smiles to everyone's faces.
The issue is that all of the action has already been seen by fans. At 104 minutes, only 34 of those minutes is comprised of new content. While the last episode aired eight months prior to this movie, a simple synopsis would have sufficed. In fact, at the release of the movie, the last episode is still available for viewing on most anime-streaming services.
As for the new content? Most anime fans will note that the first episodes of a lot of series are mostly fluff as they recap the last season, remind viewers why they love and care for these characters, and happily pull fans back into the story universe. Watching a fluff episode in the theaters can be… a little underwhelming.
This is similar to what they did in the last movie (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village), and it seems to be moving away from what made the "Mugen Train" movie so successful. Mugen Train was filled with new content, was action-packed, and full of lore which satiated the appetites of long-time fans and piqued the interest of anime-watchers new to the series. In comparison, this movie is disappointing.
That being said, the artwork and graphics are great; the colors are vibrant, the linework sharp, and the movement smooth. Fans can appreciate the particular style known from the series on the big screen. The bulging veins are much more bulbous when they throb in high definition. All of the voice actors do an amazing job. The power-up screaming is more potent and robust when it fills the entire space of a theater and can be heard (albeit muffled) through the rest of the cinema complex.
But should fans watch this in the theater? The "To the Hashira Training" season will air only months after the movie is released. As such, the new content isn't enhanced by the theater experience. Fans who will enjoy this movie (this term is used loosely as this is not a full feature-length undertaking) in the theater are ones who loved the last episode and would like to see it again amidst the smell of popcorn, the sensation of sticky floors under their feet, and with other Demon Slayer fans who may or may not have dressed up for the occasion.