Episode eight of Demon Slayer‘s Entertainment District Arc quite simply has some of the finest animation Ufotable has ever produced. I don’t use the term “jaw-dropping” lightly when I say some of the scenes in this episode were unbelievable; Uzui trading blows with Gyutaro as ash and rubble drift around them, Tanjiro deflecting blood scythes, and the camera panning wildly as Inosuke dodges and bends around Daki’s attacks.
The last half of “Gathering” makes a strong case for the greatest fight scene in Demon Slayer so far, and one of the best fight scenes of the last few years, even. Before diving into the explosive action, the first half of the episode spends a brief moment providing some exposition and a little more context on Uzui as a character.
One of the more interesting aspects that the anime adds over the manga, is showing the lasting impact that Rengoku had on the rest of the Demon Slayer corps. It gives a much deeper meaning to Rengoku’s death than the manga and helps provide even more emotional weight to the scenes playing out. Despite that aspect, the first half of the episode feels like it’s retreading a lot of the ground the last couple did, especially in the back-and-forth between Uzui and Gyutaro.
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I would have liked to see this episode delve more into the backstory of Daki and Gyutaro, which is still coming at some point. I also wish we could just get a full exposition dump on Uzui and his wives, instead of seeing little bits and pieces strung together. I don’t want to harp on the first half of the episode too much, as it’s admittedly not too bad, it just feels very slow and sluggish once you’ve watched that second half.
The rhythm and flow of these combat scenes show that Ufotable is at the very top of its game right now, and I can scarcely fathom what the forthcoming scenes are going to look like. This episode cements, once again, that the series can take its source material and amp it up into something truly special. At this point, I can’t imagine the second season of Demon Slayer not taking home a few awards when the end of the year comes around.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
