Following the incredibly successful theatrical release and re-release of Demon Slayer:Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle Part 1 in 2025, voice actors Natsuki Hanae (voice of Tanjiro Kamado) and Takahiro Sakurai (voice of Giyuu Tomioka) returned to Anime Expo 2026, alongside castmate Saori Hayami (voice of Shinobu Kochō), who made her AX debut. The trio portrayed some of the most integral characters who were part of the first few battles within the Infinity Castle movie, and as such, the trio sat down for a Q&A session, and even treated fans to a live voice acting session.
For the Q&A session, the trio discussed the recording process for the film. Each of them has portrayed their characters for close to a decade now, and although they’ve released films previously, Infinity Castle Part 1 was the first film they had created of this caliber for the franchise. “When I first read the Infinity Castle arc in the original manga, I knew it was one of the story’s biggest climaxes, and I couldn’t wait to perform it myself,” Hanae began. “Even while reading it, I felt incredibly excited. When it came time to record, I was definitely nervous, but I also had a lot of fun. For the Akaza battle, only three of us were recording together: myself, Akira Ishida (the voice of Akaza), and Takahiro Sakurai (Giyuu). I was completely taken aback by Ishida-san’s performance. His acting was so powerful, and his presence in the recording booth was incredible, and I found myself admiring him throughout the session,” he shared earnestly. For Hayami, she felt a lot of that same determination as Hanae did. “Since I had already read the original manga, I knew what was going to happen to Shinobu,” she began. “I understood how much determination and resolve she would need going into that battle. Although I was nervous, I tried to channel all of those emotions into my performance and give it everything I had.”
Thinking back on that fateful encounter between Shinobu and Douma, Hayami could still remember the emotions that were coursing through her when recording. “My first impression was simply how beautiful the visuals were. Because they were so stunning, I think Shinobu’s anger and passion came through even more strongly,” she shared. “As for Mamoru Miyano, who voices Douma, I already knew him, but hearing him perform as Douma really made me think I had to defeat him. His performance was incredibly impactful, and he made me genuinely dislike his character, so that anger naturally fueled my own performance during those battle scenes.” One of the key parts of the battle was bringing up Shinobu’s sister, and how Douma was the one who took her life. “That scene with Kanae is one of my favorites,” Hayami shared. “Whenever Shinobu speaks with her sister, it gives her renewed strength, and as an actor, I felt that same energy while recording. It gave me a second wind during the fight. Ai Kayano, who voices Kanae, delivers her lines with such strength and emotion that her performance also helped guide how I responded as Shinobu.”
For Natsuki Hanae and Takahiro Sakurai, their battle against Akaza evoked the most memories. “Tanjiro has carried the memory of what happened during the Mugen Train arc ever since his encounter with Akaza,” Hanae began. “Going into this battle, I wanted to bring back those feelings and channel them into his desire to face Akaza again. Once again, Akira Ishida’s performance was so incredible that it naturally drew those emotions out of me. Recording was nerve-wracking, but it was also deeply satisfying.”
Not only was the fight emotional, it was also incredibly important for his growth. In particular, this battle against Akaza was what revealed the “Transparent World” to Tanjiro. “That new world showed a side of Tanjiro we had never seen before, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how to portray it,” Hanae shared. “Whenever Tanjiro experiences significant growth, it’s usually because of the people most important to him. In this case, he remembers his father’s teachings on how to become calm while facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. Remembering those words is what allowed him to overcome this challenge.” While Tanjiro was focused solely on Akaza, Giyuu was splitting priorities between defeating Akaza and protecting Tanjiro. For Sakurai, this came naturally. “One of the most meaningful aspects of this battle was witnessing Tanjiro’s growth,” he revealed honestly. “Seeing how much stronger he had become since their first encounter and fighting alongside him was a very powerful experience.”
Aside from his observations of Tanjiro’s growth, Sakurai was also struck by his own character’s development. “Giyuu is a man of few words, so there usually isn’t much dialogue to help define his emotions,” he admitted. “He often keeps others at a distance and lives with the feeling that he’s different from everyone else. During this fight, however, there were many internal monologues that revealed his thoughts and emotional growth. Through those moments, I gained a much deeper understanding of Giyuu as a character. His internal reflections and emotional journey gave me valuable insight while recording.”
For the live voice acting session, each actor performed individual scenes for the audience. Hayami blew the crowd away with her performance of Shinobu’s first conversation with Douma, which was emotionally charged as she shared that he is the one who killed her sister. For Tanjiro, his first reunion with Akaza was filled with yearning for vengeance. Hanae’s piercing screaming echoed through the theater, sending chills through the audience. Finally, Sakurai stepped into the role of Giyuu, delivering his character’s annoyed responses to Akaza and developed his mark.
The panel wrapped up with a gift being distributed to the audience: a postcard featuring a special illustration of Tanjiro and Giyuu. However, the most memorable takeaway wasn’t a piece of memorabilia. It was the news revealed by the voice actors themselves—Infinity Castle Part 2 is in production.
