#kny rewatch

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode (in 2025!)

--Tamayo sure made that decision quick to go join the Corp. I love that it is so clear how much she and Shinobu do not want to work together. I wish, wish, wish I could have seen Tamayo meeting Ubuyashiki, as well as first meeting Shinobu. --The animation in the glass pane as Tamayo looks up at the moon?? love it.

--Giyuu really do just be sitting there in an empty room. Buddy, that ain't meditating, that be ruminating.

--I am so grateful for all my years of Japanese study so that I can soak in all the meaning of Aoi using such stiff keigo (polite speech) with Tanjiro (and for that matter, any active Corp swordsman). She truly sees herself as far beneath them, and in her dealings with Tanjiro, it is like she purposefully keeps things strictly professional. It is so revealing how diplomatically she addresses that, at least if she were the one who someone were trying to cheer up, she would prefer to be left alone. That is why she has kept this professional distance all along, isn't it? Somebody telling her "it's okay you weren't as brave as all those swordsmen who wound up fighting to the death anyway" would only make her feel worse, after all. I wonder about her decision to keep wearing the Corp uniform despite the adequacy she feels in it?

--Giyuu would tell her she deserves to wear it, wouldn't he? Luck or not, she likely did more to ensure her own survival on Mt. Fujikasane than he did. (Now I crave an AU in Shinobu dealt with Aoi's post-Final Selection fear not by allowing her to freeload (as Aoi might interpret it) at the Butterfly Mansion and avoid missions, but instead by creating a situation in which Giyuu is pressured to take Aoi in and train her--Water Breath users, after all!).

--Despite that Tanjiro killed the Hand Demon, whom Sabito could not, Tanjiro does not think of that at all. He instead thinks of how Sabito "saved" him back on Mt. Sagiri, and how in the course of the Final Selection, Tanjiro could not manage to save anyone like Sabito could, for Tanjiro could barely save himself. Their outcomes happened to be different, but Tanjiro sees the gulf between their potential and inherent ability so plainly.

--Tanjiro has made the switch from "Tomioka-san" to "Giyuu-san." Get FRIENDED, loser.

--The way the scene is framed so that you can't see Giyuu's face when he declares that the Water Hashira position is vacant

--GIYUU IS SO ANNOYED WITH TANJIRO, HAHAHAHAH. He's not only annoying for barging in when Giyuu is busy ruminating, but for trying to insist on some easy simple solution to a situation he doesn't understand (even though the way better solution to all of this would have just been for Tanjiro to use that battle sense and nose to become the Water Hashira, duh). But also, he is sitting so close. As Tanjiro keeps bugging him, like at dinner, he is still sitting SO FREAKING CLOSE and poor Giyuu just wants to eat. He just wants to bathe. He can barely sleep knowing that Tanjiro is curled up on his front door step, maybe Giyuu look like the bad guy for leaving this poor injured kid out there like that. How the hell is he supposed to explain that the kid is choosing to do that, when Giyuu can't explain anything else in the first place?

--And then he knows he must. So he does. Plain and simple. And Tanjiro gets it. And it hurts.

--And then he accidentally adds to Giyuu's pain. OH SNAP. Soba time.

--In the previous arc, we saw the drama of Muichiro instantaneously regaining memories of precious things people have said and entrusted to him, and how this brought him not only back from the brink of death, but pushed him over the edge to attain a mark. What happened here on the bridge was essentially the same thing for Giyuu--but in a more peaceful way. Though he did not have his mind as clouded as Muichiro, trying to find his way back to those memories would have drowned him in sadness, but now, all at once, all these years later, he can embrace the words Sabito said to him, and embrace the promise he made to Sabito that he would carry on Tsutako's will in the world. He has attained that power again, and in a way, reattaining that memory right after he said "Sabito might have, but I won't" is his first step on his path to being able to achieve a mark.

--and then "Let's have a soba-eating contest."

--wut???

--Was this kid always this weird???? I mean, okay, I guess if he insists, I will eat soba with him and let him be satisfied in making me join the training this way, though I really did just already make up my mind to do that because I am, in fact, the Water Hashira

--As he ate soba, I wonder if Giyuu found himself wondering if Tanjiro ever did weird stuff like this around Urokodaki, thereby second-handedly embarrassing Giyuu for having spoken so highly of him

--Stepping back a bit, I love the underlying creepiness of Tanjiro cheerfully looking down the alley and declaring, "nope, no demons here!" Kiddo, there is a reason for that.

--Also little Giyuu with light in his eyes, I will always miss him

--Jumping ahead, the eye-twitch is so becoming on Shinobu. She should sport that more often.

--My gosssssshhhhhhh I wiiiiiiiiiish we could have SEEN Kanao at all these Hashira trainings. The opening implies that she was with the boys and ran laps around them at Uzui's training. But where are the girls?????? They exist!!! We know they exist! If Kanao hasn't gotten out of this, they ain't either!! But like, seriously, what was Sanemi gonna do when she showed up? Hit her??? Hell to the nah'.

--Still, for as much of a battle queen as Kanao soon becomes after this, she is still strengthening that heart-to-voice connection, and it is hard to do that after so many years of leaving the connection broken. (And unfortunately for Shinobu, it is only because of Kanao's progress that there is any way for them to defeat Douma.) Still, going back to the previous episode, I love that Shinobu judges Kanao's battle prowess so strongly that she will entrust Nezuko to her in the event of, say, Kibutsuji Muzan himself showing up at the Butterfly Mansion (not that this would have been likely to end in Kanao's favor, but Shinobu knew she could at least leave Kanao in charge in case of other high-level demons--maybe even a swarm of them--showing up)

--So yeah, she will totally entrust the defeat of Upper Moon Two to her, even Shinobu, a Hashira, knows she cannot do it herself

--HOW EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING

--This ending theme, man

--That distinctly Muichiro-like silhouette is mean. But the second one looks more like the Heian-period doctor. And the pair of silhoettes after that still have us pretty firmly back in time by several centuries.

--Fly, crow, fly! Fly for the sunlight!

--Love these subdued stills of all these important moments in Corp history that have led them to this time, and how the one of Tanjiro has motion, with his tears flowing and then him standing to face this horrific reality--and that focus on the "metsu" on his sword to tie together all of these scattered scenes of all these people throughout the last thousand years who have been so whole-heartedly dedicated to defeating Muzan once and for all

--All these symbolic spots of red being dramatically destroyed as Muzan passes by, this the most chuunibyou ending song ever and it is great

--Daaaaaang, this means Muzan has been doing his dramatic walk since episode two

[weebannihilator]

Zenitsu was literally actually dying and Tanjiro was his last thought

[avocodas]

✨سيفٌ أسودٌ لامع✨

[sattosugu]

KNY Rewatch 

Cruelty 

[mayoiayasep]

god i cannot start crying now the show just started

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode (in 2025!)

--The Wind & Snake Hashira are such meanies, even they do it out of concern for their fellow Corp members who nonetheless have worked very hard to become very capable swordsmen. They’ve seen too many other hardworking swordsmen be just barely not capable enough.

--But these boys did their best and deserve some credit! Look at those moments when they save each other!

--I still wonder why the demon bothered tying up his victim. Also, I hope her rescuers did not forget to get her down from the roof later.

--THIS WHOLE CHANBARA SCENE MY GOSH. And like, putting it in a castle. THEY SO FREAKING KNOW THEIR AUDIENCE. The way Sanemi just cha-chas real smooth as he follows the demon and tells him off, and then that head grab before the slice, and the totally unnecessary rain of blood later. The dramatic zoom up from below into Iguro’s eyes. The way we get a brief Snake Breath effect right as Iguro jumps up and catches the victim.

--And then when Sanemi is befuddled by the whole Infinity Fortress things his reaction is just: sit.

--Love and am puzzled by the stone sign leading the way to the Butterfly Mansion. Is that sign, followed by all those Jizo statues to pray for the safety of children and travelers, intended only for Corp members? Or, like, do they normal people stop by? Milkman just passing by the Butterfly Mansion on his normal rounds or something, nothin’ special to see here.

--At last Ufotable has made it good and clear: Shinobu has three goldfish. Are they all named Fugu? Maybe one is Saba? Maybe one is… Buri???

--Still love the added touch of Nezuko enjoying the sun but being distressed when SHINOBU SAYS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN

--To be so thoroughly entrusted with the safety of that which Muzan wants most, KANAO IS SO FREAKING STRONG and Shinobu good and well knows it.

--The swordsmith village was carting out naginatas and I love this fact. They might just be for the villagers to use, but… maaaaaybe there are Corp swordsmen using them? Give the short people naginata!!

--I have always loved the awkward squeaky fiddle BGM.

--Gotou has the best delivery of all the short lines.

--Tanjiro is really so chill with his place in the Corp that he totally almost assumed his connection with Tamayo is No Big Deal

--No, Tanjiro, she is still scared stiff at the thought of being brought before the Corp who has always held every intention of killing her for what she is and what she deserves

--The Hashira are all so sad not to see Daddy Kagaya

--I love how the birds are so obvious about who gave Amane a report about The Mark

--Everything about Mitsuri in this scene is lovable, but three things to mention here” the way her hands move when he tries to think of how to describe the Mark, her little triangle mouth when listening to Mui-kun, and her “GRYRARAA” when startled by Himejima clapping his hand. That sound lives in my head rent-free.

--Okay but speaking of Himejima, when Amane is telling everybody about the mark and they are shocked that such a thing could exist, she very, very quickly makes a slight mention of "some may already know of it through hearsay" right before Sanemi is like, "I haven't heard of it, why haven't we been told about this?" and Amane explaining why, there was a bright cut to Himejima on "some already know of it." Himejima-san, have you heard something of the mark, even if not all the details???? I wonder even if Kagaya (or one of his very small children) made reference at some point of, "wow, Himejima, you are so strong, you might even attain this feat that has not been actualized since the Sengoku period? Oh wait, nevermind, you didn't hear that, I didn't say anything."

--I love love love that Amane and the children could look so dumbfounded

--Also love and find it curious that at least Mui-kun (and probably Mitsuri too) got treated at the Butterfly Mansion instead of, say, anywhere remotely a little more convenient.

--I snorted laughing at Giyuu backhandedly call Sanemi “simple”

--“We must warn you before you start trying to attain the Mark that you will die early if you attain it.” “Hey, let’s train EVERYONE.” I mean, not that Himejima expects anyone besides the Hashira to get it, but a lower-ranked member like Tanjiro did get it first.

--Love the movement of the beads when Himejima jari-jaris them and that they fly off his hands when he claps

--Zenitsu has come so far in his confidence as a Corp member as well as how accepted he is by other people. He does believe they about him, which is something he always wanted, even if he inflates it a bit to suit his own wishes. But really, good for him!! He is secure feeling loved and appreciated now! I see the beginnings of “Legend of Zenitsu” already forming in his head, but good for him, really and truly!!

--Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho are so diplomatic. Also, eyecatch of the chapter cover with Sumi force-feeding Genya, yaaaaay!

--Sure, Aoi wouldn’t exactly say she’s lonely when Zenitsu isn’t there, BUT WHAT ABOUT INOSUKE?????

--This is still the funniest first thing Nezuko ever could have said to Zenitsu

--I sometimes say “Imofuke” because it’s so fun

--HAGANEZUKA-SAAAAAAN you’ve worked so, so, so, so, so, so hard COMPLETELY REDOING a sword polishing process that puts your life on the line even when you AREN’T horrifically injured and TANJIRO DOES NOT SEEM TO APPRECIATE THIS since he even thought it’d be just fine to go interrupt

--TANJIRO DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS TO THE SWORD TO USE IT IN THAT EARLY STATE OF POLISHINGGGGGG

--I still love the whole “Metsu” thing

--BUT I’M JUST AS ANGRY AS HAGANEZUKA IS

--Yay broken window dance! Yay “no idea” pose! Inosuke, you are such a king. And I still melt because we got Shinobu scolding him in the Taisho Secrets. She’s basically saying the same things Tanjiro said to him from day one; you can’t just let yourself get injured like it’s nothing, you have to think of the future and take care of yourself. And it gets through to him now. <3 HOWA HOWAAAAAA

--How are Zenitsu’s teeth not broken? How is Matsuemon’s beak not broken?

--I hope Himejima saved those face-down Corp members. Or he just cried. Somebody saved them, right??

--Would love to deep dive into Amane more. The fact that she cries when Kagaya thanks her in this scene, is it because it shows the end is near? Or has she gone all these years never having been thanked? Possibly, both.

--Still love the baritone crow

--Still love “Mugen” even if I do find the beginning of it kind of cheesy and unintentionally funny with everybody smashing behind the logo. I have that screenshot (as well as the others like it) on a mat with a compilation of Hashira art, and this image got cropped a bit, so it really is just Giyuu's head sticking in there. Trying so hard to be included. That's what you get for waiting until the last second to include yourself, Giyuu-san.

--But also, all the swords falling behind Muzan? A GREAT TOUCHHHH

--And then in the extended ending theme for this episode, first all of all, SWORDS

--SWORDS SWORDS SWORDS SWORDS SWORDS

--But also, hey, that’s Shinobu’s theme! And Uzui’s! And Giyuu’s! And a nod to the Swordsmith Village theme! Love the whole mashup.

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode (in 2025!)

--Ah yes, the episode that forever changed the way that I will look at paper airplanes, dang it. I'm not crying, you're crying.

--I was just saying that Ufotable filler is hit and miss and they have a problem of being too heavy-handed and they go and punch me in the eye. It was enough just to poke me in the eye with the canon detail of paper airplanes, Ufotable, my eye was already watering

--Like, yeah, they were heavy-handed, but at least they did it in a way that was b e a u t i f u l and such a signature moment with all those airplanes sailing off in the peaceful, bright sky aaaaauuuuggggghhhh ENJOY THE TASTE OF SUNLIGHT WHILE YOU CAN, CHILDREN, YOUR BONES WILL NEVER TASTE IT AGAIN SOON

--the fact that like... the main mob boy we focus on for this episode looks so much like one of the Corp members in the manga who was on the front line against Muzan in that first attack, I am going to be distinctly disappointed if Ufotable does not animate him there. Because then he'll have fought and fallen as valiantly as Muichiro, in the same fortress, at roughly the same time

--which is why it was so important to hear both that boy admit that he sees how hard Muichiro works and that he knows he comes back early in the morning covered in training bruises because that is the level of commitment necessary to be of Hashira caliber

--AND Muichiro stately, plainly, to everyone present, that he does not want them to die, he really is like this out of wanting the best for them, from the bottom of his heart

--BUT ALSO LIKE the coolness with which Muichiro is like, "welp, let's do it with real blades then" is just chilling because nobody can tell right away than he is doing this with the best of intentions and is not so cold-hearted as to actually follow-through and cause real harm, what weight and tension, I love it

--(also, that sound design in the dojo and the energy and real force in those hits, daaang, makes me miss practicing martial arts)

--and just--seeing him have these peaceful moments--WITH ALL THESE NEW FRIENDS--just sittin' around and making paper airplanes together, even offering pointers to the other boys as they construct theirs, it just goes to show how Muichiro was born to be happy, just like all these other swordsmen were

--and like, their complaints throughout the episode are valid, they are all doing their best, and this is why they accept it when Tanjiro is playing Muichiro's advocate at first

--but--get this------

--I THINK HAVING TANJIRO AT THE HEART OF THIS PAPER AIRPLANE SCENE KIND OF RUINS IT

--I mean, yeah, there is obviously favoritism for Tanjiro, and the reason the other guys ask Tanjiro to say something is because, obviously, the guy who fought alongside Hashira and survived two Upper Moons has ages more sway than they do. It makes sense that it took Tanjiro's involvement to break the sort of gridlock that existed between Muichiro in his strictness and the guys in their respect for Muichiro but weariness in dealing with him. And Tanjiro, over the course of this season is having a "aw, all the Hashira are actually really nice, Giyuu-san even let me win that soba-eating contest" arc (which, let's face it, this is Tanjiro, he does not need that kind of arc), so this follows up on that. And it is also very funny to see him try to pull the same thing on Muichiro that he pulled on Giyuu, with the very same face. But also, don't get ahead of yourself, Tanjiro!!! They are still Hashira and you are still not close to their rank!!

--But also

--Muichiro was already making an emotional breakthrough on his own in how he responded to mob-boy breaking down with the real sword. Or maybe not so much of an emotional breakthrough as a social one--there was already a bond between him and the listening Corp members being formed in that moment. The bond was cemented when the boy had the courage to speak up and ask to take Muichiro on too in an innocent (and likely doomed anyway) battle of paper airplanes.

--It would have a meant a bit more if Tanjiro wasn't practically orchestrating that interaction just by nature of being Tanjiro. (But it is very funny to see Ginko bully Tanjiro in this scene.)

--Also, because I'm feeling annoyed with how Tanjiro's character is getting stretched as doughy as his face for the sake of giving the main character more to do, I will say here that I do not think Ufotable and Hanae Natsuki pull off the "ahaha" nervous/awkward laughter for Tanjiro very well. It both looks and sounds very stilted. It bugs me every time I hear and see it when Tanjiro responds to Mitsuri's reaction to Nezuko in the final episode of the previous arc, and it bugs me again here. And it is disappointing because I love, love, love, love just about every other expression and sound they have Tanjiro make. If I were the director, I would have given them instructions to make Tanjiro react to the awkwardness not with nervous laughter, but with a sound more like when he is dreaming in Mugen Train and realized he called his basket of charcoal "Nezuko." That would sound like a more Tanjiro-like reaction to me, and these feels like a symptom of Ufotable filler writing.

--So what would I have done with this episode to supply both Tanjiro and Muichiro interaction, as well as to let Muichiro's interactions with the Corp members be more organic? First off, I would keep all the one-on-one Muichiro and Tanjiro had (IIII LOOOOOOVE THE PAPER AIRPLANE AGAINST THE SWORD MOMENT not because it is necessary or doing much for the plot but simply because it is cool--and the way that Muichiro so enjoys teaching Tanjiro as he spars, SO GOOD), but I would have Tanjiro do a repeat of what he did for Muichiro in the previous arc--say some innocuous words to Muichiro that wind up stirring up something in Muichiro. Like Tanjiro gets his permission to go, but he feels bad for the other guys, and as he is politely leaving he says something about how hard everyone is working, but like, I dunno, they have strengths that Muichiro may not be acknowledging, and that they acknowledge more about Muichiro's strength than just what makes him good at slaying demons or something. And maaaaaybe the mob-boy overhears this and sees yet another side of Muichiro and then decides to challenge Muichiro to a paper airplane contest himself.

--Okay but that last talk Muichiro and Tanjiro have about the danger to Nezuko and the upcoming battle is really unnecessary, though it does follow up the more impactful moment Iguro had saying they were in the calm before the storm as his hand was shaking. BUT WHAT GETS ME MORE IS THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME TANJIRO WILL EVER TALK TO MUICHIRO AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

--Okay so anyway Hashira interactions, yeah, happy to take what we can get, even though Sanemi's character writing is a little... forced, since Ufotable is trying so hard to give us another side of him without stealing from later character-building moments he'll have

--And my gosh, the irony in Muichiro telling the Corp members that he doesn't want them to die when this is exactly how Iguro feels about him

--This Hashira battle does serve the plot to show how they are actually improving their own abilities in this time (since the daytime training sure ain't challenging them enough), but yeah, it is mostly flashy fun

--I LOVE THAT SANEMI TELLS GINKO TO SHUT UP

--I LOVE THAT MATSUEMON AND GINKO ARE AT IT IN THIS EPISODE TOO. You two are gonna be lovebirds later, despite how hard it is to believe right now. No other ship in their series can top their enemies-to-lovers progression.

--Okay so I love the paper airplane stuff (however forced Tanjiro's involvement felt)

--but

--obviously what I love most about the filler Ufotable added is THE FACT THAT KANAMORI NOWS PERMANENTLY HANGS OUT WITH MUICHIRO and like got a whole worship built there lickedly-split once Oyakata-sama said the word

--since this is intended to be a permanent set-up (however short-lived that will turn out to be... and Kagaya probably knew that with how close the final battle was drawing), I cannot imagine Kanamori left his beloved wife En back in the village. En has to be around there somewhere. En has to be making nutritious food for her hardworking, fire-working husband and that growing boy.

--And it would be great if Muichiro is freaked out by how flexible her neck is

--The fact that MUICHIRO JUST HANGS AROUND IN THE FORGE to make his paper airplanes too, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

--I love Muichiro and Kanamori interactions, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode (in 2025!)

--Jumping ahead to a later episode, but apparently Genya got in trouble with Himejima for this episode's incident because Himejima told him not to approach Sanemi. Did Himejima know there would be some danger?

--So anyway, pancakes! Mitsuri's Western-style abode--which has room for beekeeping, as well as a whole dojo/dance hall--is humongous. I would like to think she lives with her family, but since all her flashbacks were in a Japanese-style home, I have to wonder if she was like, "look what I bought with my Hashira salary!!! I can fill it with cats!!!!" or if her whole family moved in?

--Did Iguro ever take part in her training? Did she ever dress up in an apron front of him and offer him pancakes (which he sadly might have refused to due to a sensitive stomach)? Did other Corp members get to enjoy this treatment? Or was it only Tanjiro??? Surely she must have tried to offer it to Genya too, for she knows Genya and fought alongside him. Now imagine. Genya. Just. Sitting there. Face burning red. Unable to do anything. No appetite for the stack of pancakes right in front of him.

--This poor kid was so happy and honored to be touched by an angel like Mitsuri, only to see hell. Poor kid wasn't even being a pervert about it, they did not deserve that.

--DID IGURO GET TO DO THIS TRAINING OR NOT!?!?

--And Inosuke, for that matter.

--Hanae Natsuki has great screams. This whole arc must have been a challenge for him, since it was not Tanjiro at his most emotional, most serious, or even at his most silly-due-to-being-earnest. This was Tanjiro being a goofball, doughy freak for most of this season, who was of course really pushing it with how friendly he can be with the Hashira. OF COURSE it would tick Iguro off.

--Iguro's letter-reading scene is so good. I love the pacing. I love the background music. I love the uncontained rage.

--Tanjiro should have been tied up while other guys got a shot at training, but otherwise I like how straightfoward and organic his interactions with other Corp members were here. (Is that you, Takeuchi-kun??)

--The scene when Tanjiro focuses just on battle with Iguro is very cool (and frankly, most of the coolness of this 8-episode arc was just Ufotable showing off their stage combat choreography). Still, very cool to know how much this interaction will help them sync in battle again Muzan not long after this.

--Speaking of organic interactions with other Corp members, I love that later on when Zenitsu says "pretend you're unconscious!" all the other guys follow suit. But as for Zenitsu's other skills, I would love to see Zenitsu use his gecko wall-crawling skills to get around the Infinity Fortress, just to freak Nakime out a bit.

--Also, love how Zenitsu was legit scared for Tanjiro's life when he angered Sanemi

--And that even in the midst of Zenitsu just rolling with things and helping rescue Genya, he's being nice when he says he feels bad for Genya having that monster of a brother. Seeing as Zenitsu has also punched Corp members who spoke ill of Kaigaku, though, I'll bet Zenitsu couldn't even be mad about it.

--Okay but speaking of people with legit reason to be mad, Tanjiro was being his most thoroughly annoying self in the second half of this this episode, from the "Long time no see, I look forward to training under you!" after how much this guy mortified Sanemi in front of Kagaya, and then having the lip to mockingly say "I don't accept you either! 'Cause you stabbed Nezuko" (who, mind you, is still a demon, and Sanemi's violence against demons has been justified 99.9999% of the time), and then this whole SPEECH OF JUSTICE when he doesn't even know the half of anything going on in Sanemi's head and it would just be stupid to explain to him that he was doing this to try to save Genya's life, especially with this whole SPEECH OF JUSTICE coming right after Sanemi has just been made sick to his stomach with the most shocking thing he ever could have heard about his remaining baby brother doing

--but

--Tanjiro already knows from Sanemi's scent that Sanemi cares