The Rehabilitation Training arc is a culmination of nine chapters in the manga, and five episodes in the anime; as depicted in the table:

After a long, grueling, and life-threatening battle, Tanjiro and his friends are left broken and battered. They soon find themselves on the path to healing, both physically and emotionally. As they undergo training to regain their strength, they must also confront the trauma and grief that have taken hold of their lives. Can they emerge from this experience stronger than ever before? Or will the scars prove too deep to heal?

Rehabilitation Training Arc | Summary & Recap

Rude Awakening | Pending Trial

A Kakushi nudges Tanjiro awake, and as he opens his eyes, he realizes that his hands have been tied to his back. The Hashiras are standing around him. They debate on whether to put him on trial or just kill him for breaking the Demon Slayer Code. The crime? Going around with a demon. While Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui (Flame and Sound Hashiras) vehemently believe he should be beheaded immediately, Shinobu Kocho goes ahead to ask him about the charges. Giyu Tomioka stands apart from the others, aware that they intend to make him stand trial, too. Realizing that Tanjiro has broken his jaw, Shinobu gives him water to drink.

He explains how Nezuko became a demon, that she’s never eaten any human. From beside the house, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, steps forward with Nezuko’s box. In a bid to test Tanjiro’s claim that Nezuko could help in killing demons, he drove his sword through her in the box. This angers Tanjiro. He ran towards Sanemi, jumped up, and headbutted him. As Sanemi stood up and picked up his sword, the Leader of the Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki (fondly called Oyakata-sama) arrived.

Oyakata-sama’s Sentence | Wind’s Anger

Almost immediately, Sanemi shoves Tanjiro’s raised head to the floor, and all the Hashira fall to their knees and bow their heads to greet him. Sanemi questions Oyakata-sama about Tanjiro and Nezuko. He responds that he knows about it and requests that the Hashira all respect his decision, a fact which surprised them all. While some voiced their disagreements, others remained indifferent, and Oyakata-sama instructed his daughter to read Urokodaki’s (the man who trained Tanjiro for the Final Selection) letter to them, which she did.

Seeing the Hashira’s reluctance to accept Nezuko, Oyakata-sama asked if any of them could prove that Nezuko might devour a human. They had no answer. Sanemi vowed to prove him wrong, cut himself, and let his blood drip on Nezuko’s box, inviting her to come eat him. Seeing no response, he took her to a covered, dark place and stuck in his sword once again. Tanjiro cried out in protest. Obanai Iguro, the Snake Hashira, pinned him down. Sanemi then opens the box, and Nezuko stands up, drooling.

Tanjiro manages to break free from Iguro with Giyu’s assistance and calls out to Nezuko. Her recollection of her family and Urokodaki’s teachings make her turn away. Oyakata-sama challenges Tanjiro with killing a ranked demon, so he’d be respected and Nezuko would be accepted by all the Hashira. As Oyakata-sama was done with Tanjiro, Shinobu signaled the Kakushi to take Tanjiro and Nezuko to her house. Tanjiro, very angry, ran back, requesting permission to headbutt Sanemi. In response, Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira knocked him out, allowing the Kakushi to carry him away.

Reunited

Upon arrival at the Butterfly Mansion, they meet Kanao Tsuyuri. Tanjiro recalls seeing her at Final Selection. As Tanjiro gets to the ward he’s to be admitted into, he meets Zenitsu loudly complaining about the medications prescribed for him. When Tanjiro calls out to him, he warms up to him, telling him of his battle against the spider demon son. While this occurs, Inosuke just lay beside them, sober and quiet, thinking of how he almost died at the hands of the spider demon father. Suddenly, Inosuke speaks and apologizes for being weak.

At the Hashira’s meeting, they discuss the caliber of demon slayers in the Corps and how hard it is detecting demons, especially as Muzan always tends to outsmart them. Afterward, Kyojuro leaves on a mission and bids Shinobu goodbye.
Back at the Butterfly Mansion, Zenitsu makes a fuss about taking his medications again. Murata walks in and engages Tanjiro in a discussion. During their discussion, Shinobu walks into the ward, startling Murata, and he runs away in fear. Shinobu inquires about Tanjiro’s recovery and informs them that they will soon begin their rehabilitation training.

Training Begins

Two weeks later, Tanjiro and Inosuke start their training, while Zenitsu stayed back in the ward to fully grow his arms and recover. Zenitsu notices that every time they come back from training, they always look pale, worn out, and extremely tired, and all they do is just lay down and sleep. As they get to the training hall, Aoi Kanzaki, a demon slayer, walks them through the three phases of the training. Zenitsu dragged his friends out, lashing out at them for making him think the training was hellish when all they did was frolic with girls all day, and then demanded an apology.

They return and Zenitsu joyfully allows the girls to massage him thoroughly, grinning all the way through. During the full-body training, he jumped on Aoi and she ended up beating him to a pulp. This spurred Inosuke on and he aced the training. Even after five days, the trio still couldn’t beat Kanao and Aoi in training. Afterward, Zenitsu and Inosuke stopped training altogether, but Tanjiro persisted.

Constant Breathing | Breakthroughs

One day after training, Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo advise Tanjiro to use his breathing technique round the clock, as the Hashiras have mastered it. Seeing Tanjiro’s continued efforts, the little girls bring him gourds to blow into, to help him with his training. After about fifteen days of consistent training, Tanjiro has regained most of his strength and is well on his way to mastering total concentration breathing. One night, while meditating on the roof, Shinobu joins him. They talk, leading to her explaining why she’s always angry, yet smiling.

The next day, Tanjiro requests that Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho clobber him if he stops his breathing technique while asleep, which they gleefully do. After some time, Tanjiro noticed that he was close to beating Kanao at training and even succeeded in breaking the small gourd by blowing air into it.

One morning, Inosuke convinces Zenitsu to continue on with their training. When Tanjiro attempts to teach them, Shinobu joins them and stylishly motivates Zenitsu and Inosuke to take on the strenuous training, which they later do. After declining an invite to join them in training, Kanao Tsuyuri stands by a well and remembers her impoverished childhood and how the Kocho sisters bought her from a slaver and adopted her.

One day, Tanjiro sees Haganezuka and another swordsmith coming towards the Butterfly Mansion, with swords strapped to their backs. Almost immediately, Haganezuka hands his luggage to the other swordsmith, and runs towards Tanjiro, brandishing a knife and intending to injure him. As Inosuke gets his swords, he takes a stone and chips away parts of it, infuriating Hanamori, the swordsmith.

Infinity Castle | A New Journey

Somewhere in town, Enmu, a Demon Moon, is seen devouring a human on a train. Nakime, the Biwa demon, summons the remaining five lower-ranked demons to the Infinity Castle. Muzan appears and orders them to kneel before him. He voices his anger about Rui’s death and questions the strengths of the Demon Moons. As one of the demons makes a sarcastic thought about Muzan’s complaints, the Demon Lord hears and crushes him. A demon beside Enmu desperately begs Muzan for more blood but is also killed. After hearing Enmu speak his final words, Muzan is pleased, giving him more of his blood and tasking him with killing a Hashira and Tanjiro. Nakime then plucks at her Biwa, and Enmu is teleported to a desolate place.

At long last, Tanjiro was able to overcome Kanao in training, as he was finally able to tap her in the game of tag and beat her in the reflex game. Back at the Corp’s Headquarters, Shinobu and Oyakata-sama discuss sending Tanjiro to join Rengoku on a mission. This will also allow him to gain training and knowledge on the Sun Breathing he once used.

In the morning, Tanjiro and his friends received instruction to go join Rengoku on the Infinity Train (Mugen Train) to investigate the disappearances that had been occurring there. Tanjiro bids Aoi and Kanao goodbye, before he, Zenitsu, and Inosuke go to blow the biggest gourd in the house to complete their training. As they prepare to leave, the three little girls offer them rice cakes, and Giyu Tomioka comes to bid Tanjiro goodbye.

When they arrive at the train station, Inosuke sees the train as a monster and attacks it head-on. Zenitsu has to forcefully stop him. As the station guards approach them, they run away, and Zenitsu explains why they have to maintain a low profile while on their mission. Almost immediately, the train moves, and they jump onto the last coach. Unbeknownst to them, Enmu is also on the train, and stands atop the engine room of the train, as the smoke hits his face and the train gathers speed.

Rehabilitation Training Arc | Analysis & Review

Storyline | 8/10

The Rehabilitation Training Arc in Demon Slayer offers a much-needed break for our main characters amid their grueling missions. However, it doesn't start with leisure; instead, it plunges Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko into another perilous situation. After surviving a fierce battle on Mount Natagumo, they find themselves facing judgment from the Hashira, the elite and formidable members of the Demon Slayer Corps, alongside the mysterious leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

The introduction of the Hashira and Ubuyashiki is a significant milestone in the Demon Slayer storyline. Fans have limited knowledge about the overall structure of the Demon Slayer Corps, its hierarchy, and the individuals behind the group's activities, as they operate independently from the Japanese government. The diverse and intimidating Hashira members are eager to execute the Kamado siblings, heightening the arc's intensity, suspense, and anticipation. Thankfully, Nezuko's successful resistance to Sanemi's blood test spares them.

Following the trial with the Hashira and Ubuyashiki, the Rehabilitation Training Arc shifts focus to the recovery and training of the main trio. Training arcs in stories like Demon Slayer are vital as they delve into character development beyond the battlefield, allowing the audience to understand the characters' personalities, hopes, and dreams.

The training arc not only focuses on the main characters' development but also introduces intriguing supporting characters, like Aoi Kanzaki and Kanao Tsuyuri, Shinobu Kocho's adopted younger sister. Kanao's backstory is skillfully condensed, providing an emotional element. Tanjiro's influence on Kanao is transformative, guiding her to make choices independently, bypassing the need to flip a coin. Once again, Tanjiro's indomitable spirit shines, offering hope and optimism amidst Demon Slayer's unrelenting cruelty and tragedy.

There are some pretty good comedic moments in this arc. I’d say that this arc has the best comedic moments than any other arc in the entire series thus far (also known as the Unwavering Resolve arc). An example of such moments include when the three little girls clobber Tanjiro as he trains to use his constant breathing even while asleep, and Zenitsu flaring up when he thinks Tanjiro and Inosuke had been fondling the girls during training, among others.

On a final note, this arc prepares the backdrop for a more intriguing conflict and sets the stage for the second major arc of the Demon Slayer storyline, the Mugen Train Arc.

Character Development | 9/10

While Tanjiro and his friends didn’t have to battle any demons in this arc, the character growth in this arc is significant. They’re seen to have become stronger and faster than they ever were, and have even learned ways to be in a state of constant awareness. Outside of our main heroes, this arc is the introduction to the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps, known as the Hashira.

At this point, I know enough about the ranking, creation, history, and rules of the Demon Slayer Corps, and even how their leader is. Seeing as the leadership even involves an all-inclusive government, it’s no wonder why the members of the Kakushi and other Demon Slayers hold the Hashira in high esteem, to the point of even being scared of them.

All of the Hashira have an air of mystery about them. Giyu Tomioka, despite having known him from the first episode, very little is known about him, aside from that he does speak unless has to and he has little to no relationship with the other Hashiras. Even Tanjiro was stupefied when he negated Shinobu’s statement that no one likes him.

The other Hashira are all also pretty off in their way. Shinobu is always angry but smiling, Gyomei is always crying, Obanai is weird, Sanemi is stubborn and too irrational. The only thing Tengen has in his head is color, fashion, finesse, and extravagance. Muichiro is always lost, and doesn’t really care for anything going on around him, while Mitsuri comes off as a girl who just likes everything about everyone.

Once again, Nezuko gets no particular development to her character, aside from that we get to see a practical scenario of her ability to suppress her innate demon urge to feed on humans. While some might argue that even Lady Tamayo doesn’t feed on humans, I’ll remind you that Lady Tamayo and Yushiro still ingest blood donated to a blood bank, as she confessed after Tanjiro’s battle against Yahaba and Susamaru. This makes Nezuko the only demon in the entire Demon Slayer series that does not, and has never, tasted blood or killed a human.

One amusing fact in this arc is that Inosuke happened to be the quietest and most well-behaved character, aside from the Hashiras. Honestly, seeing him so calm amazed and amused me. I almost thought he’d become depressed. I’m glad to see him revert to his former self in the final parts of this arc.

Art and Animation | 9/10

Some time ago I was on Instagram, and I stumbled upon this anime reel, and the caption was “When it comes to unlimited budget and unmatched animation, Ufotable is Number 1!” Quite frankly, that is true. From Knight Hunters Eternity to Katsugeki Touken Ranbu, God Eater, and especially the Fate series, Ufotable has always surpassed expectations and delivered astounding and great animation.

While that may be so, regarding this arc, I will admit that while the animation generally appears polished and appealing, there are instances where it feels underproduced, as evidenced by protracted talkies, annoying flashbacks, or scene reuse. Furthermore, I noticed that the studio utilized these "funny faces" with the outlined eyes and ridiculous expressions far too frequently; an additional flimsy attempt to entice viewers.

Ufotable is renowned for its incredible animation and art, and Demon Slayer is no exception, even though the anime's actual content may not be so great. Fight scenes and visuals are of the highest caliber, with incredible CG, clear art, and backgrounds and settings that are exquisitely rendered. Notably, every positive aspect of this anime is brought directly from Ufotable, as the story itself doesn’t accomplish much.

Sounds And Music | 8/10

The character voice acting quality, on the whole, could be described as fairly average, except for Zenitsu, Inosuke, and approximately half of the characters, whose voice performances could be considered just about satisfactory. Nevertheless, the sound effects accompanying the swordplay and combat scenes were flawless and executed with great finesse.

The music featured in this production stands out for its remarkable quality, clearly reflecting a substantial amount of effort invested in its creation. Whoever is responsible for selecting the opening theme and composing the show's musical score displayed excellent taste. While it might not reach the level of a masterpiece, it undeniably leaves an impressive mark.

Overall Rating | 8/10