This week, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle will finally be hitting theaters in North America. This first feature film in the planned three-part cinematic trilogy kicks off the long-awaited anime adaption of the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji.
The last season, which covered the Hashira Training arc, saw Tanjiro and his fellow Demon Slayer Corps members engage in a group strength training program in order to prepare for the battle ahead. After a more lighthearted series of episodes, darkness rolled back in during the dramatic finale as Muzan arrived at the Ubuyashiki Mansion. In the final moments when Tanjiro and the Hashira rushed toward the headquarters, they suddenly were dropped down into a deep, deep descent into a mysterious space …
Cue Infinity Castle, which picks back up right in the moments were the last season left off, plunging audiences right into the demons’ stronghold — the Infinity Castle. Now, for fans who are deciding whether or not to make the trek to their local movie theatre or to wait until the film is streaming, take this piece of advice — you’ll regret it later if you don’t give yourself the full theatrical experience.
Because here’s the thing: it’s very difficult to argue against the fact that Demon Slayer has consistently boasted some of the most impressive animation in anime right now, courtesy of its production studio, ufotable. And as seen with the Mugen Train movie (which, let’s not forget, is the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time), this studio knows exactly what to do when given the opportunity to adapt and animate the series with the intentions of it being seen in a movie theater. Cue Infinity Castle, which — story-wise — is quite literally the perfect storm of elements that were made to thrive in a theatrical format.
An endless, eye-wateringly, mind-bogglingly vast backdrop? Check.
Epic, harrowing, long-awaited showdowns and team ups? Check.
Hard-hitting, tear-jerking emotional beats in between? Check and check.
Sure, I’ve read the manga; I know where this is going and where all of it ends. But for all that I mentally filled in the blanks and envisioned the bits and pieces of backdrop beyond each page, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer enormity of the Infinity Castle. The film conveys the terrifying reality of the Demon Slayer Corps’ situation with far more despair, urgency, and terror than what can simply be drawn on paper (and a big screen really feels necessary to experience the depth — no pun intended — of it all). Whatever you think you were imagining, I promise it’ll feel so much larger once the film starts rolling.
It’s also worth noting that ufotable does an excellent job at weaving 3D elements into 2D animation on such a large, theatrical scale for the film. 3D elements in anime can really be hit or miss — often times it can just be overtly jarring in some series. But here, it feels necessary, as it fits very well with the “infinite” backdrop.
As for the fights, the Infinity Castle arc isn’t just about leading into the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji. It also serves as the culmination point for several long-awaited, satisfying, heart-pounding showdowns on the way as our heroes fight their way through the remaining Kizuki that stand in the way of victory. So as to be expected with ufotable (flashback to Tengen vs Gyutaro, anyone?), every one of the fights in Infinity Castle feels larger than life. No frame is spared from the production studio’s penchant for painstakingly fluid, sharp detail in action scenes, and the cinematography is as impressive as ever (on top of an incredibly solid soundtrack and sound design).
And par for the course with Demon Slayer as a series, Infinity Castle serves to bring viewers’ emotions to the surface as plotlines that have been building up for years reach a boiling point, unapologetically delivering hit after hit of emotional gut punches (with bits and pieces of the series’ trademark comedy in between).
Looking back to the first announcement about this three-film trilogy, I felt apprehensive about how the ending of the series was ultimately going to be adapted. However, after seeing Infinity Castle, I’m beyond excited for what’s still to come.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is based on the original story by Koyoharu Gotoge (Jump Comics/Shueisha). The film is directed by Haruo Sotozaki, with its screenplay and production by ufotable.
Distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide (except in Japan and select Asian territories), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is coming to theaters in North America on September 12.
