Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns picks up where we left off from Season 4 Hashira Training Arc where the Demon Slayer Corp embark on their final mission to kill the Demon King, Muzan and hopes to exterminate the existence of demons once and for all.
Demon Slayer has taken the world by storm for its amazing visuals, fantastic world building, and engaging characters. As a fan of the Demon Slayer franchise, it is bittersweet to see the first installment of the final arc of the story. Since this movie fell on my birthday, I had to rent out an entire theatre for a private screening for me and my friends because when you are slaying demons, you have to have your friends for support. Just like the series itself, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle did not disappoint. The movie was an exhilarating event that needs to be seen on the big screen and even in IMAX if you have the chance.
Personally, I believe that the Demon Slayer anime has revolutionized the standards of animation. The seamless fight scenes and outstanding visuals of the different breathing forms, enables the audience to immerse themselves into that world. In Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle it cranks this up by a 100x. There are ultimately three fights in this movie and all of them are phenomenally well done. One of my favorite moments was Zenitsu vs Kaigaku. Although it may have been the shorter fight out of the three, it was visually stunning. Along with Giyu and Tanjiro vs Akaza, it is remarkable and probably one of the best anime fights of this year.
Demon Slayer embeds the narrative with a deep emotional backstory for the characters during the battles to provide the audience with a sense of what is at stake. There are several moments in the film that will tug on your heart strings. I believe it is unanimous without saying but Akaza, who was the demon that killed Rengoku in the Mugen Train Arc, has one of the most heartbreaking backstories.
Now there are a lot of great things about the movie but I do have to point out the biggest problem is the pacing. The film is heavy with action but the pacing felt all over the place. Granted this storyline is supposed to happen all in one night but even though it was action-packed, it definitely could have benefited with more character moments, allowing it to marinate rather than consistently jumping from fight to fight. I believe this can be the con of transforming an entire manga arc to a film rather than spreading it across several episodes. Throughout the film, the losses and victories felt like there was no significance to the plot which made me feel less engaged as a result. I do know that this arc is broken up into three films so hopefully, the pacing changes in the 2nd and 3rd film.
Regardless, I had a great time watching Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part I. It was so fun and definitely benefits from being seen on the big screen and I recommend bringing as many friends as you can because movies like this really bring out the dork in all of us!
