Demon Slayer: Gathering
Demon Slayer constantly pulls you into their world of choreographed fights, epic music, characters, and emotional scenes and this episode plays to the series strengths. I think this episode has the best fight scenes and art work so far in the series, maybe even better than Mugen Train as well.
The story continues and we are getting near the climax of the Entertainment District arc as the showdown between Slayers and Demons begins to get heated. This episode, like many others develops the character of Tengen Uzui, who I once believed would be annoying, but he proved that not only was a great character and warrior, but an amazing person who cares about those around him, and deeply loves his three wives. I'm not sure, but I think he also said something along the lines of not being able to live up to Rengoku, which is a punch to the heart, Demon Slayer has that way of doing things in episodes. making you want the fights but hitting you with emotional gut punches to bring you back down.
Episode 8 has Gyutaro talking down to Tengen as he shows signs of jealousy towards his opponent. We also get a short backstory, a little glimpse at Tengens past, that he indeed was a shinobi, and as people in his clan were killed at an alarming rate, to where the shinobi would be barely around, he was pushed to the brink along with his brother by their father. It doesn't go into what happened after, it just shows that Tengen isn't like his brother or father and rather defend the innocent and help the world by fighting the evil that plagues it, hence his joining the Demon Slayers.
The Battles in this episode is just amazing, the animation is top notch, and the music keeps up with it all bringing us into the action and back out when the scene needs us to take a break.
I love the fact that Tengen is actually enjoying his newfound teammates and how happy he was that while he was verbally sparing with Gyutaro, Zenitsu and Inosuke appeared from the window followed by a injured Tanjiro who jumped in front of Tengen in a defensive position. You know how much he loves flashy entrances! Tanjiro is a beast, he just got done fighting Daki who is still alive and well, injured and barely fifty percent, yet here he is doing what ever it takes to take down these Demons!
The Battles are fierce as Zenitsu and Inosuke take to the roof to take on Daki who is powered up a little more than before, as Tengen and Tanjiro take on Gyutaro downstairs, with Tengen holding on barely as he was poisoned in the last episode by Gyutaro's blood sickles, which Tengen simply replies "Im good, lets do this!" Well, he didn't say that exactly, but he was flaunting the fact that poisons don't work on shinobi, yet, it seemed to somewhat, which made Tanjiro feel like he needed to defend the Hashira against Gyutaro's attacks, which were ridiculously fast, faster than Tanjiro anticipated, but thats what you get for fighting a high ranking demon.
The episode was amazing and truly one of the best they've done so far and for that I bow down and rank this episode a 4.8 and amazing enough it wasn't even the final battle of this arc!
Gathering also ends on a cliffhanger which shows Tanjiro's blade about to cut Gyutaro's neck with his sword! Why do we have to wait a week to find out what happens!? Damn you Funimation! This is a must watch episode, especially the battle scenes, absolutely gorgeous!
#DemonSlayer #Tanjiro #Tengen #Funimation #Inosuke #Zenitsu #EntertainmentArc #Hashira #Anime #DemonSlayerGathering