Since its debut in 2019, the Demon Slayer franchise has been one of the most successful anime with a dedicated fanbase and has even been attracting non-anime fans. Adapted from the manga series that debuted in 2016, the anime went for 63 episodes over 4 seasons, with various highly successful feature films as well, all connected to the same story.

The anime series may have reached its end, but the story is far from over, as there are still more volumes of the manga waiting to be adapted. The epic story of Demon Slayer will continue and is set to conclude in a trilogy of films, and it begins with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, now slashing its way into cinemas worldwide.

The Demon Slayer Corps, led by Tanjiro Kamado, are drawn into the mysterious and shifting Infinity Castle, the pocket dimension of the demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji. Inside, the remaining Hashira and corps members engage in a brutal, desperate battle against powerful upper rank demons, facing individual struggles and uncovering Muzan’s true goal.

The premise centres on this climactic battle to save humanity, taking place within the disorienting, gravity-defying environment of Muzan’s stronghold.

The voice cast in both Japanese and English all reprise their roles from the anime series and previous films. Fans will hear the voices of Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Takahiro Sakurai in Japanese and Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook and Johnny Yong Bosch in English. Whether watching the subbed or dubbed version, diehard fans will feel right at home hearing their favourite characters being brought to life.

As stated in the title, the film focuses on the Infinity Castle arc adapted from the Demon Slayer manga. Infinity Castle isn’t just a fancy name, either; it’s a perfect description of where the film primarily takes place. It’s like a somewhat dark and mysterious world with a series of never-ending towers where characters are free-falling, various battles take place, and you can’t tell what is up or down. It’s difficult to put into words exactly what the Infinity Castle is; it has to be seen to be believed.

The first film of the trilogy is 2 hours and 35 minutes long, allowing plenty of time for stories to be expanded or wrapped up. Rather than being a standalone movie, it feels more like binge-watching the anime series. Those unfamiliar with the Demon Slayer franchise will, of course, be confused by what’s happening, but longtime fans are in for an absolute treat. Whether you’ve been following the series since the beginning or this movie is your first introduction to the franchise, the battles are something anyone can enjoy, and there is plenty of it in the latest film.

Just like the anime series, the battles are action-packed, brutal, violent and gory, certainly not for the faint of heart. Blood will be spilled, limbs will be severed, and organs will be shredded. The movie does not hold back on the violence, and there is also a horror aspect to the film, so some scenes can be uncomfortable to watch.

The Demon Slayer anime is well known not only for its intensity and violence but also for its emotional storytelling. There are action scenes galore, but also plenty of storytelling mixed in to explain the motives behind all the fights that unfold. Each fight has its own story, focusing on two or more characters, each with plenty of flashback scenes, much like the anime. Each battle is given its due, and they are shown one at a time without overlapping, and none of them ever feel rushed, so the film makes great use of its extended runtime.

The flashback scenes help explain characters’ backstories and occur during a battle, sometimes more than once and often during a big moment. When they happen right before what could be a big moment of the battle, it takes you out of that moment to focus on the flashback, which themselves are quite lengthy, so the momentum can feel very up and down. When it happens more frequently, it keeps taking you in and out of those moments, affecting the flow of the big epic fights.

This happens a lot in the anime, too, but it doesn’t go nearly as long, so they have more consistency than the movie. The flashback scenes are absolutely necessary, however and are beautifully told, full of emotion.

Even the villains’ backstories allow audiences to sympathise with them, with how tragic and traumatic they are and how they became what they are now. Every battle, flashback and plot points have its place to further tell the story of Demon Slayer, even if the consistency feels all over the place.

The ending may not feel like a proper ending, and the credits do come up abruptly, but as mentioned above, this is treated more like watching the anime series. The ending sets things up for the next film of the trilogy, for which the title hasn’t been announced yet, but Demon Slayer fans will be eagerly waiting for part 2.

The Demon Slayer series has some of the best animation of any anime, and seeing it on the big screen is a marvel to behold. It keeps its traditional 2D animation but also incorporates some 3D as well. Mixing 2D and 3D doesn’t work best together, but this film makes it a reason to see it in cinemas. 3D animation is primarily used to illustrate the Infinity Castle, and it shows how big, intimidating and endless it is.

As the action unfolds, the camera swings around the characters as they hack and slash at each other, showing the battles from multiple angles and the amount of space they take up. It truly defines what a large-scale battle is, and 2D and 3D animation have never looked so good together.

The character designs have always had so much detail to them, and seeing them on the big screen helps you admire those details even more. Character details are often simplified to make the animations easier and less expensive, but Demon Slayer doesn’t shy away from them and somehow is still able to produce high-quality animations without sacrificing details.

The film’s music was composed by Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina, both of whom had also worked on the anime series and the previous three films. The music heard throughout the movie has a mix of traditional Japanese folk music, epic battle music, orchestral music and even some rock and techno, which may seem out of place, but they somehow all fit in perfectly and add so much emotion and excitement to their respective scenes.

Concluding the Demon Slayer franchise with an epic trilogy of movies feels like the most appropriate way to go out, and it’s already off to a great start. The film was made for the fans, and it does not disappoint. Newcomers will be unfamiliar with everything, but the action-packed battles and beautiful animation will be enough to have them glued to their seats and possibly encourage them to watch the anime series.

It’s sad that the end of Demon Slayer is slowly approaching, but it plans to go out in a big way and leave a lasting impression. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is an absolute must-watch, and this is only the beginning.

Written by: Sammy Hanson