English Dub Review: Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Movie – Infinity Castle: Part 1 – Akaza Returns

Featuring Channing Tatum

Since it first began in the pages of Shonen Jump, Demon Slayer has been an instant hit, even more so when it teamed with studio Ufotable for its visually stunning anime adaptation, and especially after its first movie, Mugen Train, became the highest grossing film of 2020 (mainly because the pandemic kneecapped most big releases, but hey, a win’s a win). And after several seasons, the anime has finally arrived at the final arcs of the manga that also ended back in 2020, so instead of doing another regular season, they’re going out with a bang and a trilogy of movies as the Demon Slayer Corps and series antagonist Muzan Kibutsuji go into all out war. Following up from the final moments of last season, a planned trap for Muzan leads Tanjiro Kamado, his friends, the remaining Hashira, and several corps members captured within the titular Infinity Castle, Muzan’s base of continuously growing corridors and pathways that are as mystifying as they are deadly. Within this realm, the Demon Slayers face not only an unending swarm of demons, but also the remaining Kizuki, Muzan’s strongest warriors, with whom several Slayers have scores to settle. It’s the fiercest, most desperate struggle the series has ever had, and many will not make it out alive.

So, right off the bat, it should go without saying that you NEED to be entirely caught up with the anime in order to understand even the base level of what is happening here. That means watching all 63 episodes of the anime (or 56 episodes and the Mugen Train movie set right after the first season) to be on the same page. As someone who has greatly enjoyed this series, I would recommend it, but this is also the beginning of a finale trilogy for a show that’s been going on for years, so it’s kind of on you if you jump in now. Luckily there will likely be plenty of time between this first movie and the other two to fit all of that in. For those who ARE caught up, this movie is pretty much bringing everything that sets your heart ablaze about the show and the first film, both in visuals and writing. Several subplots are followed up on and some are given closure, though some are merely started and left up in the air for later installments. That’s one of the downsides of this being the first third of a story. Luckily, some are addressed and resolved, like the proper introduction of a new Kizuki with a personal connection to one of the main protagonists, but while the fight itself is fantastic, it ends up feeling like a bit of a plot cul-de-sac put there to give this character something significant to do for the final battle. However, the movie establishes early on that the plot armor is off, with a shocking character death that will no doubt echo into the next part and up the stakes for its respective battle.

But as the subtitle suggests, the main event of this first part is the rematch between Tanjiro and Akaza, the third strongest Kizuki who made his mark in the closing minutes of Mugen Train when he narrowly defeated and killed one of the Hashira right in front of Tanjiro, who has trained tirelessly in hopes of avenging his ally. Like many other demon antagonists in this series before him, Akaza basically gets the spotlight for this section, with an extended tour through his backstory, his motivations, and why he felt the need to become a demon, in addition to watching him beat Tanjiro within an inch of his life and forcing Tanjiro to grow stronger as a swordsman than he ever has. Also worth noting is that a character from his backstory is played by famous live action actor Channing Tatum, who apparently grew to love the series watching it with his daughter and somehow got to have this minor role. This generated a bit of controversy when it was first announced, as live action actors encroaching on voice acting roles is a bit of a sore spot for some fans of voice acting, but personally, having a minor role like this is probably fine. And if I’m being honest, if Tatum had used a pseudonym for this, I may not have been able to tell it was his voice, so he may have a knack for this. But then again, the fact that I felt the need to address this at all instead of discussing the movie itself may be a sign that this just draws too much attention.

Again, this is only the first part of three, so while it does reach a perfectly fine stopping point, don’t be surprised if you don’t walk out of the theater feeling like you’ve gotten total closure on everything. There’s still one fight unfinished by the end, at least two big fights still yet to begin, and a ton of plot and character stuff left to wrap up. The manga itself apparently had to end early for unclear reasons, but the remaining two movies could be a chance to provide more expansion and resolution on threads left dangling or endings that felt a bit rushed. Still, this is an amazing beginning to the end of this beloved series, and if you have a chance to see this on the biggest screen you can, I would highly recommend that you do. Not many anime, even some of the most popular, are given a chance to finish their stories in a way that brings fans together to experience its climax. That said, some sources have said the second movie may come out as late as 2027, with the final part releasing in 2029, marking ten years since the anime premiered. Not gonna lie, I am not looking forward to that long a wait, but at the very least, this first one gives us a lot to savor for the time being. And now, to sit patiently rewatching the entire series all over again as we wait for Part 2.