Okay, PART 2! Where we actually see what happens in most of the volume 7 manga.

At the end of episode one, the Kasugai crow gives all the other Hashira’s reviews about Rengoku. They were all positive…which made me suspicious. Because, if you know anything about manga or anime, you know that as soon as they start going into someone’s backstory, or getting you to fall in love with them and their personality, THE CHARACTER DIES

So yes, I prepared my heart after hearing all that.

nephews 🤝 Rengoku.

WE GOT A NEW ANIME OPENING FOR THIS SEASON! I tried not to read too much into what I saw because I don’t want any spoilers for the end of the arc!

Things start to flow a little more now from the manga to the anime episodes. We see our nephews get introduced to Rengoku, who’s too busy saying “Tasty!” after every bite of his food to notice them initially (in the manga, he says “Delicious!”, and I wonder if they changed it in the anime for the voice actor’s sake. Tasty has less syllables, and is probably less likely to mess up saying so many times!) Inosuke stays being his usual silly self, thinking he’s inside a titan instead of a train 😭, and Zenitsu tries to calm him down.

Tanjiro takes the time to ask Rengoku about the kagura dance his own father knew, and how he was able to use it in battle, but Rengoku doesn’t know anything about it. His answers are odd, but he is willing to train Tanjiro, bring him under his wing.

There is an extra demon that shows up in the anime that isn’t in the manga. I think it’s there to show how the main demon uses other demons to distract the Demon Slayers so that it can cause more people to vanish. The lights flickering on and off are sort of reminiscent of the demon with the drums and the moving rooms in the mansion a few volumes back.

But, we see Rengoku use his Second Form of Flame Breathing, Rising Scorching Sun, to defeat this second demon. The whole “big bro” reactions that our nephews have for Rengoku are too funny 😂 you can tell they truly admire and respect him!

…i have to do WHAT?!

Side note: I think it’s sweet how Tanjiro is leaning on Rengoku while they’re both sleeping 🥹

We see Tanjiro’s dream first instead of seeing them in this order the manga has for them: Zenitsu’s, Inosuke’s, Renguko’s, then Tanjiro’s. Seeing him reunited with his two younger siblings in the dream though!

Then we get the Lower One Kizuki’s explanation of what his plan is with the Demon Slayers: killing their spiritual cores while they dream, so he can destroy their physical bodies.

While Zenitsu and Inosuke’s dreams serve as more of the comedic relief, Rengoku’s had me near tears too 🤧

The manga panel of Dream Tanjiro seeing his reflection in the water (real Tanjiro) who’s warning him to wake up is one of my favorites!

But man…I don’t know, the whole kicker of having to kill yourself in your own dream so you can wake up! What you mean I have to do that?! 😱 You’d have to have guts for real! I don’t blame Tanjiro for freaking out when he woke up! And the fact that Zenitsu an Inosuke have the least serious dreams, but the most serious reactions to people trying to destroy their spiritual cores is crazy 😭

only hope.

It really only takes one person, and the kindness and compassion they have. Tanjiro’s subconscious and the little light sprites that lived there who led the boy to his spiritual core, even though he was going to destroy it, impacted that boy so much he decided against it. Typically, the main character in a manga is always special, but Tanjiro’s uniqueness is less about strength and power, and more about his sensitive and pure heart, WHICH I LOVE!

And he’s grown so much since the first couple of fights with the first couple of demons. He’s learning more quickly, and adapting as he fights, which is cool to watch! Right now, he’s the only hope since the other Demon Slayers won’t wake up.

PSYCH! you thought!

UGH I thought for once Tanjiro killed a Kizuki by himself but it can never be that easy 😭😩

Lower One is hella angry now, and starts transforming and revealing exactly what he is: he’s fused himself to the dang train. So the mission now, is to find this demon’s actual head, and cut it off.

Also, I know demons are supposed to be vile, but oh my gosh, first spiders, and now a WORM LOOKING THING?!

Like intestine looking things just start showing up all over the train 🤢 barf city, for real!

HELP! FINALLY!

Inosuke finally wakes up though, thanks to Nezuko, and begins helping Tanjiro defend the 200 passengers on the train. He claims he was right all along since he initially thought the train was a giant beast 😂

Zenitsu wakes up when Nezuko is in trouble as she defends the passengers too. At first, his voice is all deep and manly, and I’m like, “Wait…when did Zenitsu get all heroic?!” But then we see he’s the same, he’s literally still sleeping. He’s still powerful though!!

And lastly, Rengoku awakens, and lays out the plan: he’ll protect the five rear train cars, Nezuko and Zenitsu will protect the last three, and it’s up to Tanjiro and Inosuke to find the demon’s head.

Watching Tanjiro and Inosuke fight together warmed my heart 🥹 THOSE ARE MY NEPHEWS!!!

Tanjiro gets to use the Himokami Kagura again, but this time, it’s a new move called “Clear Blue Sky”, which is fitting since Tanjiro’s subconscious looked just like that! This is where the episode ended, as well as volume 7, so onto the next!

Mishy 🦋☁️✨