Warning: This article contains spoilers.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is reaching the end of its anime journey, wrapping the series with a film trilogy that covers the manga’s final Infinity Castle arc. The first of three films, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns, was released in Japan in July, and it will make its U.S. premiere on September 12. The tragic yet beautiful film sets the tone for the remainder of the series.
The overarching story follows Kamado Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae) and his sister Nezuko (Akari Kito) as they encounter demons. Through training and battle arcs that showcase their character growth, the siblings work together with the Demon Slayer Corp, a secret organization to fight demons. The pair join forces with a group of nine of the most elite demon slayers, known as the Hashira. Together with their peers, Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Kanao (Reina Ueda), and Genya (Nobuhiko Okamoto), they ultimately aim to take down Muzan Kibutsuji (Toshihiko Seki), the Demon King, and his top ranked demon generals, composed of the six Upper Moons and the six Lower Moons.
The first arc of the anime series features Tanjiro training, joining the Demon Slayer Corp, meeting and building a strong bond with Inosuke and Zenitsu. During their training, the trio defeated Lower Moon 5, Rui (Kōki Uchiyama). Season two took the trio along with Nezuko and the Flame Hashira Rengoku (Satoshi Hino) aboard the Mugen Train, where they fought and defeated Lower Moon 1, Enmu (Daisuke Hirakawa). Unfortunately, during this beloved arc, Rengoku was killed by Upper Moon 3, Akaza (Akira Ishida).
The second half of the season took Tanjiro, Inosuke, Nezuko, and Zenitsu into the Entertainment District with Sound Hashira Tengen (Katsuyuki Konishi), where they defeated Upper Moon Six, Gyutaro (Ryōta Ōsaka) and Daki (Miyuki Sawashiro), to save Tengen’s wives. This battle caused extensive physical damage to Tengen, leading to his retirement. Season three brought Tanjiro and Nezuko to the Swordsmith’s Village, where they, alongside Genya, Love Hashira Kanroji (Kana Hanazawa), and Mist Hashira Muichiro (Kengo Kawanishi) defeated Upper Moon 5, Gyokko (Kōsuke Toriumi), and Upper Moon 4, Hantengu (Toshio Furukawa). Season four then brought Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu back to the Demon Slayer Corp HQ, where all demon slayers underwent a rigorous training with each of the Hashiras, including Tengen.
Each of these seasons led to this moment, when the remaining active Hashiras—Stone Hashira Gyomei (Tomokazu Sugita), Love Hashira Kanroji, Snake Hashira Obanai (Kenichi Suzumura), Mist Hashira Muichiro, Wind Hashira Sanemi (Tomokazu Seki), Water Hashira Giyuu (Takahiro Sakurai), and Insect Hashira Shinobu (Saori Hayami)—the Demon Slayer Corps members, and Tanjiro and his friends meet the demons in their home to engage in an epic final battle reminiscent of Marvel’s Infinity War and Endgame.
Just like Marvel, the film is packed with Easter eggs, comedic relief, and endless action. Tense scenes were broken with silly dialogue and expressions, and flashbacks brought fans back to critical moments. In particular, during Giyuu and Tanjiro’s fight against Akaza, flashes of Rengoku’s fight with him would remind viewers exactly who ignited Tanjiro’s anger and passion, and who continues to motivate all of the Hashiras to keep doing their best.
The film also provides a lot of context and backstories for many of the characters in an engaging way. Referencing Akaza once more, the demon was shown interacting with those in his past, as if remembering his memories had transported him back in time. The way these memories and backstories are framed allows viewers to truly feel all of the raw emotion, heartbreak, and sadness from the characters as they relived their toughest moments.
Notably, the beautiful animation and deep details, from every popped vein to drop of blood, added to the series’ dramatic flair. The constant motion and perspective switches effectively portrayed the ever-shifting Infinite Castle, causing slight disorientation and dizziness that immerses viewers in the characters’ experiences. The music also played an important role in the film. Certain parts, such as Shinobu’s fight against Douma, were dead silent during dialogue, which emphasized the emotion and intensity of the moment. Others were paired with intense music with fast tempos, reflecting the viewers’ increasing heart rate.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns gave audiences the perfect introduction to the final, most integral arc of the Demon Slayer story. Despite the fairly quickly pace, the movie sits just under three hours in runtime. With how much happens and how smoothly the film transitions from battle to battle, in some ways it feels like it’s not nearly long enough. While the cliffhanger ending can be quite frustrating, it leaves plenty of ground for the remaining two films to cover.
