Four years after the release of the first Demon Slayer movie, Ufotable finally released the highly anticipated Demon Slayer: The Movie: Infinity Castle on Sept. 20. Many fans, including myself, are calling it a masterpiece. This worldwide phenomenon has fans on TikTok understandably going crazy and has already broken records since its release, surpassing $500 million at the box office despite a $20 million budget.
I’ve been keeping up with Demon Slayer since it premiered in 2019, and it has become one of my favorite shows. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a boy living in the mountains who becomes a demon slayer after his family is killed. His younger sister, Nezuko, is the only survivor, but she is transformed into a demon. Tanjiro seeks a cure for her by gathering the DNA of other demons. The main antagonist, Muzan, is the king of all demons. If he is defeated, all demons will perish.
Throughout the movie, the flashbacks were a major part, showing Tanjiro’s life before the tragedy. His father, Tanjuro Kamado, guides him toward unlocking his ability to conceal his fighting spirit, an important moment in his journey. Akaza’s backstory is also explored, showing what inspires his motivations and his relentless desire to get stronger. His hatred of Tanjiro is tied to painful memories of someone he once loved. The film’s transitions between these flashbacks and the present-day battles helped ground the story in emotion while also motivating the characters to keep fighting for peace.
The action scenes were visually stunning. For example, Tanjiro’s Sun Breathing technique turned into an epic, cinematic sequence. The visuals carried strong symbolism, such as in Akaza’s scene, where his wife tells him he no longer needs to keep fighting and embraces him. This moment shows Akaza’s growth and his decision to let go of the path he once believed in for the sake of love.
The animation tied everything together, adding expression and emotional depth that elevated every moment on screen. Demon Slayer has earned its reputation for some of the best animation in anime, and this movie proved it again. Cinematic camera angles made each fight feel exciting and larger than life. At one point, I had to hold off from going to the bathroom because I didn’t want to miss anything. I even took pictures to capture the incredible visuals.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle” lives up to the hype and surpasses any other expectations that were made. It was able to balance the action with many heartwarming scenes as well as the storytelling. The movie did well in deepening the characters’ pasts while also maintaining the action to keep me and the viewers entertained and invested, with many screaming in my theatre due to the cool scenes. Leaving the theater, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d just watched, and I already wanted to see it again.
