Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc episode 4 recap and review: Don’t insult Tanjiro’s family!

Yesterday, after not having received the new episode last week, fans were blessed with episode 4 of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc and it’s safe to say that this episode was definitely worth the wait as it finally reveals just how the nightmares of bliss, brought on by the lower-rank demon Enmu, are broken.

In addition to this, Tanjiro proves time and time again that his physical strength along with his mental prowess is truly a threat to the demon king Muzan, but before he amazed us with his power, Tanjiro encounters the four kids recruited by Enmu.

This episode certainly set the standard for the rest of what’s to come, so if you missed it, there’s no need to worry! A Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc episode 4 recap and review is right here.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc episode 4 recap

Episode 4 begins with Tanjiro’s late father urging his son to take up his sword and do what must be done: sever the tie between his real self and his dreamworld self by taking his life.

As if this task didn’t already ask too much from this young demon slayer, Tanjiro also had the added pressures of, preventing the deaths of the individuals on the Mugen Train in time but also interrupting the plans of the young child currently residing in his spiritual core. However, it proved that this young boy didn’t pose a danger to Tanjiro after all.

In the previous episode, the young boy was taken aback by how pure Tanjiro’s spiritual core was, and his awe only increased as the 6 angel-like creatures in Tanjiro’s core (representing each member of his late family) led him to the object that he was instructed to destroy. Overcome by their kindness, the young boy falls to his knees and, soon after, falls into an abyss brought having completed the suicide. While falling, one of the 6 reaches into the pit to assist him, an action that would prove to be significant later on in the episode.

Now awakened, Tanjiro does everything in his power to wake up his fellow comrades, however, they are still too deep in their slumber to assist Tanjiro — but not deep enough to protect their lives.

Inosuke and Zenitsu manage to take care of business in their respective dream worlds and shortly after, in real life, Nezuko steps in, using her abilities to burn the ropes tying the demon slayers to these children; doing so for everyone but Rengoku Kyojuro. In regards to the Flame Hashira, Tanjiro follows his instinct to not sever the rope with his sword nor with Nezuko’s fire, letting us know that doing so may have only spelled more trouble for him, though, we are not entirely sure how so.

After the ropes have been severed, Tanjiro quickly defeats three of the four children under Enmu’s wing and is sent off with good luck by the fourth child who is too touched by Tanjiro’s pureness to continue to hurt others for a slim chance at reversing his tuberculous. However, perhaps the sickly boy should have wished Enmu good luck as Tanjiro already seemed to have mastered the ace up his sleeve.

During their epic fight, Enmu constantly attempts to put Tanjiro into a deep sleep, but the young demon slayer quickly awakens every single time after taking his life in his slumber. While it seems that everything is going smoothly for him, in the dream world, Tanjiro encounters his worst nightmare: his family’s resentment.

Every time he returns to the trance, his fallen family blames him for their deaths, believing that he should have died in their place. Fortunately, Tanjiro isn’t so easily tricked where he would believe those harsh words spat by his family members nor the nightmare sent to him by Enmu, which is why he angrily cut off Enmu’s head while boldly yelling, “There’s no way they’d ever say that! Not ever! Not my family!”.

Just when we thought the fight is over, Enmu reveals that his head is artificial as is his body; both having been merged with the Mugen Train that would soon serve as a giant feast for Enmu. But dinner was quickly interrupted by our boar head-wearing demon slayer who was able to awaken just in time to help Tanjiro defeat this lower-rank demon. Who will come out victorious and will anyone else wake up to help stop this madness?

The episode ends here and it was hard not to feel impatience about how long we would have to wait for episode 5 especially after episode 4 included some new elements including but not limited to Tanjiro’s suicides being gorier than the film and the sickly kid, this time, being saved by the angel-like creatures.

We can’t help but wonder what other aspects not seen in the movie will be added in the remaining episodes. Perhaps we’ll know more about Rengoku’s dream state, or maybe learn why the rope shouldn’t be cut by Tanjiro’s sword. Either way, episode 5 is going to be awesome!

Episode Grade: 10/10

Catch a brand new episode of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc streaming next Sunday, Nov. 14 on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.