Demon Slayer: Why the Hashira Training arc should have been a movie, explained

Demon Slayer fans and members of the animanga community are excited for the year 2024 owing to some of the most anticipated anime releases. The Hashira Training arc is the next installment of the anime series that fans will get to watch. It has been confirmed that the story arc would be in a series format as opposed to a film.

However, whether or not the Hashira Training arc of Demon Slayer is in the right format, is up for debate. There are plenty of reasons why fans believe that this story arc would have been perfect in a film format.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer. Furthermore, the article could contain spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga chapters.

Disclaimer: This article is written on the assumption that the anime will accurately adapt the manga without any filler episodes and may be based on the writer's opinions.

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Demon Slayer: Understanding why the Hashira Training arc is better suited for a movie format

One of the biggest reasons why fans believe this arc would benefit from a movie format is the arc’s length. The arc doesn’t have much action since there are only a total of eight chapters.

In these eight chapters, character interactions are some of the most interesting moments. There is no villain that demon hunters must defeat since it primarily deals with them training to achieve the Demon Slayer Marks. This was proposed by Muichiro Tokito and other Hashiras when they were summoned for a Pillar meeting.

Given that there are only 8 chapters that need to be adapted, the animation studio doesn’t require 12 episodes, or an entire cour to complete this. Another advantage of having the Demon Slayer Hashira Training arc in a movie format is continuity. Instead of having a few episodes released weekly, a movie will cover the entire arc in a span of one and a half hours, roughly equivalent to the length of 5-6 episodes.

A still from the Infinity Castle arc of the manga series featuring the main antagonist (Image via Shueisha/Koyoharu Gotouge)

The movie format would also be the perfect way to set up the next story arc of the Demon Slayer series. Those who have read the manga are aware of the fact that Hashira Training arc acts as a transition point, marking an all-out war between the demons and the Demon Slayer Corps.

Official poster of the Mugen Train film (Image via Ufotable)

The production team will not have to wonder whether or not the movie format would work with fans. The reason for this is that the Mugen Train arc was in a movie format. The production team will have a reference point and it will give them an idea of the areas to improve and whether or not they need to change the manga’s pacing while adapting it. The Mugen Train arc had just 13 chapters and the anime series decided to adapt it into a film.

If the Demon Slayer series gave fans a hint about the Infinity Castle arc, it would make sense for the arc to be adapted as episodes of a season. They could do what Jujutsu Kaisen did in the second season, dedicating a few episodes to one story arc and the rest of the season to a larger and more important story arc. However, there is no information regarding the adaptation of the Infinity Castle arc. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense for the Hashira Training arc to be a standalone season.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.