The highs of the previous episode became very fleeting by the end, as Gyutaro takes down Uzui off-screen and then punctures Inosuke through the chest. When Zenitsu pushes Tanjiro off the roof, Tanjiro melts down in absolute apologetic despair.

Tanjiro’s Resolve

With the help of a psychic kind of dream from Nezuko, Tanjiro wakes back up to realize that this fight isn’t over. Nezuko notes that “them struggling and being poor growing up without their father isn’t, essentially where their happiness is derived from.” This is a very crucial scene that contrasts Tanjiro and Gyutaro’s character development, mentioned later on.

As he wakes up, he sees the town literally on fire and the big bad bully pops right in front of him.

Gyutaro continues to terrorize Tanjiro and breaks his fingers.. Tanjiro gets up and tries to runaway with Nezuko.

This episode does a good job of flipping the terror and despair right back onto Tanjiro as he snaps out of the Nezuko dream. How dire is Tanjiro’s situation? Uzui is down and out, Inosuke is bleeding out and Zenitsu is trapped under the rubble. Daki is just chilling on the roof as Gyutaro is breaking Taniro’s fingers and kicking the crap out of him for fun.

If there was one word that summarizes this part of the series, it is bleak. Gyutaro is literally just playing with his food at this point. In typical bad guy fashion, this is the least efficient way to defeat the protagonists..

Different ways to protect your family

Earlier in the season, we got to understand the dynamic contrast of the characters portrayed perspectives of Uzui and Gyutaro as “the talented and blessed” versus “the unlucky and unfortunate.” Now, we get to see the contrast between Tanjiro and Gyutaro in the relation to, “this is how you should protect your little sister.” Gyutaro uses envy and lack of power as a reason to commit atrocities back on society, as him and his sister were dealt a brutal hand in society. Tanjiro, using the dream of Nezuko earlier in the episode, accepts that “being poor and unfortunate” isn’t a reason to commit atrocities on society. Being poor and unfortunate is not where he will derive his happiness from.

Turning the Tables

Tanjiro with his back against the wall, he comes up with a brilliant plan that we’ve seen many other characters do in other animes. He distracts Gyutaro with throwing futile rubble as he sneaks in a wisteria kunai, piercing his leg. The first scene that popped into my head was when Kurama did this in “Yu Yu Hakusho’s Dark Tournament arc.”

Tanjiro literally uses his ‘head’ to headbutt Gyutaro, staggering him because of the wisteria poison. Then, he uses this moment to try to behead him.

As Daki is flustered, that Gyutaro is in such a predicament, she makes an attack at Tanjiro. In this moment everyone knew our yellow hair sleeping hero isn’t dead just yet. There is no way seeing Zenitsu being trapped under a little bit of rubble that made you think this was anything dire compared to what he experienced through with his former Hashira, ‘Ji-chan’s’ training.

While, Zenitsu is trying to cut off Daki’s head, Tanjiro struggles as Gyutaro recovers from the poison to almost give him a deadly blow. In the start of one of the most badass sequences and comebacks in anime history, the one arm Hashira is making sure his epilogue is the most epic in Demon Slayer history… at least up to this point. Hehe.

How the one arm Hashira, Tengen Uzui, captured all of our hearts!

If our ending moment is near, we all want to go out on top. Uzui is showing us with his charismatic leadership and actions why he is hands down the best character of this whole arc.

Uzui busts out his ‘Fumen’ technique to deflect Gyutaro’s “Blood Demon Art.” Let’s try to understand how epic this ability is. He can predict your attacks like rhythm to a song? How in-character.

The screenshot below doesn’t do the show any justice! I have watched this part over and over as it hits you with crawling, chilling goosebumps each time. Simply, 派手だ!

Tanjiro realizing Uzui isn’t going to outlast Gyutaro, he waits for the right moment to make the attempt to behead Gyutaro, only to get pierced up the jaw.

With Uzui’s last hoorah moment, he helps lead Tanjiro attempt to behead Gyutaro’s head.

Inosuke makes his return!

Looking back to the earlier episode where he bent his body and burrowed underground, he tells the audience that he also has the ability to move his internal organs AND is poison resistant because of growing up in the mountains!

It’s FINALLY OVER..! Or is it?

At this moment, you probably thought it was over. The good guys win. Yet, there was something still off.. Honestly, if it did end right here, people would be raving about how good this whole arc was. This is a testament to how good the writing and how good they ended the cliff hangers are. How many times can you execute how perfectly each phase of an episode begins, transitions into and ends?! “Demon Slayer” was able to do this 2 episodes in a row to perfection; as the episode ends with a dying poisoned Tanjiro and a bloodied, battered and distraught Uzui yelling at him that, “it isn’t over yet!”

The episode ends with this lovely dystopian scene, as Gyutaro looks like he self-destructs or even worse, is still alive! The music, the quick flip of feeling like the good guys win, into this behemoth of a 180 is just short of incredible. This arc certainly exemplifies flashiness!

The Best Scene Goes To…

Zenitsu again! There is no other better character than Zenitsu, to use for epic entries through animation and CGI! It comes at the perfect time to transition out of that despair-like feeling. With Tanjiro turning the tables on Gyutaro, Zenitsu blasts himself out of the rubble—introducing a new improved version of his 1st form: “Thunderclap and Flash: God Speed!” It’s important to note, that he can only use this move 2 times; one to get out of the rubble and one to use to try to cut Daki’s head.

I decided not to give the best scene entrance to Uzui because Zenitsu’s scene happens first. It was absolutely an epic reappearance, but the 2nd time something similar happens doesn’t hit the same as the first.

Last Thoughts

These past few episodes have been nothing short of beyond amazing. Executing every moment to perfection; from the character development of Gyutaro during the first half of episode, to transitioning to the 2nd half of the episode where the tables have turned in the good guy’s favor. Two times in a row, “Demon Slayer” has ended the episode on such a downer of a cliffhanger and the episode was perfect because of it.

Anime Vs Manga

This episode covers parts of chapter 92 – 94. Another 5/5, 10/10, 100 out of 100 adaptation of the manga. I thoroughly enjoyed the manga and reliving those moments in the anime was Zenitsu, rokuren 6 fold!