KIMETSU NO YAIBA: MUGENJOU-HEN MOVIE 1 - AKAZA SAIRAI

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ActionKimetsu no Yaiba
ANIME ActionKimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Geiko-hen
MOVIE ActionKimetsu no Yaiba: Mugenjou-hen Movie 2

REVIEWS

• 

  juleseverworth

  88/100
  An astoundingly good adaptation that makes for an unparalleled cinematic experience

  I’ll be honest: I am not a big fan of Demon Slayer. Throughout the run of the TV adaptation, I’ve always thought that Demon Slayer’s overly simple plot, combined with weak character writing and an over-reliance on tragic backstories to compensate for that, weak world-building and generally flawed structure have really let down the show’s incredible visuals and overall production, from its star-studded voice cast to consistently stunning soundtracks. However, I am very excited to be able to say that this movie is ABSOLUTE PEAK. I love this movie. It’s not perfect, and many of the flaws I criticized in the show’s run don’t magically go away, but it’s overall a beautiful cinematic experience. If you can, go see it in theatres – the hype is unparalleled when seen on a big screen.

  __ Animation__

  I don’t think there’s anything I need to say other than it is absolutely stunning. From the very first seconds of the movie, the depth and amount of care put into the setting of the Infinity Castle is breathtaking, with multiple points in the movie making me genuinely feel as if I were inside the castle as well, and there were times I swore my seat was moving from how well animated the moving parts of the castle were. It wasn’t just animation for animation’s sake, either – the animation greatly enhanced the emotional impact of the story unfolding on screen. Zenitsu’s cold, yet brightly lit golden eyes with the rest of his face in deep shadows when he faces Upper Moon 6, juxtaposed with the whiny, immature personality he usually displays was chilling. The change in Tanjiro’s expression throughout his fight with Akaza was exceptionally well done. Every animation choice felt as if it were deeply thought out, from Obanai desperately reaching out to Mitsuri as they fell through the castle, to the sheer breadth of emotions displayed in Akaza’s backstory to Shinobu’s desperate last stand – all of it greatly enhanced the story in a way that a non-visual medium could not. And that’s not even getting started on the fights themselves: bright, flashy, with insanely fluid animation at rapid speeds throughout the film (with a few minor hiccups involving still shots). It was overwhelming and took my breath away every single time. Even if you dislike Demon Slayer, I highly recommend seeing this film, as it is absolutely the epitome of animation and a testament to just how far animation has come. Seriously, the cinematography and art in this movie are works of art, so many frames feel wallpaper worthy; it is more than words can describe. Just see the movie. You won’t regret it.

  __ Characters__

  SPOILER WARNING - from here onwards, there may be major spoilers for the events of the film.

  Demon Slayer’s character writing has always been a rather mixed bag for me, but Infinity Castle absolutely shows some of the best the series has yet to offer. It’s not perfect – Zenitsu’s complete 180 snap from scared-whiny-loser to what is essentially a gigachad is a bit too sudden for my taste (no fault to ufotable here, I’m aware this is an improvement from the source material). The outcome of what Zenitsu experienced makes complete sense, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely understand how that loss can change a person, but since most of the actual development happens off-screen, Zenitsu essentially feels like an entirely different character; gone is his need to sleep in order to fight, gone is his screaming, fear and whining, and in his place is a character so deeply broken from a betrayal of someone he held such respect for. Don’t get me wrong – I love the direction Zenitsu’s character has taken, even if fridging his grandfather may not be fantastic writing technique; I think this was what Zenitsu’s character always needed. I just wish we got to see him on his journey as he changed and grew and swore himself to vengeance. The scene with his grandfather is fantastic; I’m glad that Infinity Castle allowed its characters to breathe and live through what they’ve just experienced. My friend sitting next to me cried, so, you know. It was that touching.

  In terms of writing, the other standout in this movie is obviously Akaza. I have long been a critic of Demon Slayer’s over-reliance on cliche ‘humans are the true cruelty’ backstories that are clumsily used to evoke sympathy for villains, despite most of the backstories not truly having any effect on the story whatsoever. However, the same cannot be said for Akaza’s backstory, which has fundamental impacts on the events of the movie. Akaza’s story is tragic, as most backstories tend to be (except Mitsuri and Douma, I suppose), but the real tragedy is Akaza’s powerlessness in a story that is about constantly seeking strength. Akaza is a tragic character because he made the choice to change and to be better than the violent, hateful person he had become, only to have that all ripped away from him. Akaza is tragic, because he did not want to fall. He wanted to be better. He wanted a happy, peaceful future for himself, only to have it ripped away at the hands of a jealous coward. Akaza’s story is tragic, because even as you see him grow into a better person, shedding the violence and hate he had spiralled into, you know how the story ends. You see him love, and you know he will lose that love. In my opinion, this sets Akaza apart from all of the other demon backstories: Akaza was capable of being better, of acknowledging his failures and growing into someone he could be proud of, but the world took that away from him and he slipped back into the person he once was. Anyway, the point is that Akaza’s story, in my opinion, is how these kinds of backstories should be done: they change the fundamental way you perceive the character and their actions and they have a definitive impact on the story itself. Avoiding major spoilers, once Akaza’s memory returned to him, I knew what he would do. It was the only way his story could have ended, and therein lies the tragedy of it all. It’s good stuff. Really.

  I’ve always been a fan of Tomioka Giyuu, so…yeah, I really enjoyed that. Fantastic stuff all around. Giyuu is funny as always, and gives us the suppressed-introvert-rage representation that we’ve always needed. My only criticism of the way he was handled in this movie ties back to the Hashira Training arc – I wish we could have seen a deeper exploration of his survivor’s guilt and depression, his connection to Sabito or how the events of the previous arc impacted his relationship with Tanjiro, but there was a lot to get through in the movie as is, so I understand why that might not have been feasible. I’ll talk a bit about Tanjiro in the next section.

  On a more critical note, Kibutsuji Muzan still fails to be a compelling or interesting antagonist, and for some reason, whenever he tries to be intimidating, I just find him funny. Maybe it’s that I’ve seen one too many Michael Jackson memes, but, I don’t know. He thus far lacks the intimidation factor to make up for the minimal amount of time we’ve actually spent with him as a character. Still, I’m told that the third and final movie should rectify this concern, so I’ll hold off on diving into his character for now.

  __ Kamado Tanjiro__

  I don’t hate Tanjiro. I mean, he’s an empathetic, kind guy, who knows when it’s time to put away that kindness because showing kindness to everyone means inherently being cruel to others. He is 100% the sort of character I should really love. However, my issue with Tanjiro is that he is, essentially, a Mary Sue. The world revolves around him and the story bends itself to fit him in, he is perfect and has no genuine character flaws that have major consequences in the story (no, being weaker than a Hashira when you’ve been a Demon Slayer for a year is not a character flaw), which limits the development he can have. And while I’m not really expecting insane amounts of character development in a movie that contains so much, I do have to say that there’s one thing that really bothered me about this movie, and it really ties into everything I just spent the last paragraph yapping about.

  Seriously, spoiler warning. I’m actually getting into a specific spoiler this time.

  Midway through his fight with Akaza, Tanjiro notices Akaza’s use of the ‘fighting spirit’ to guide his combat, and then remembers a conversation he had with Inosuke about quelling killing intent to remain unseen, and then a conversation with his father that involved a decapitated bear that essentially amounted to, as one of my friends put it, “son, one day, you will have to Lock In. remember this.”, prompting him to seek out the ‘Transparent world’ that allows him to…actually, I’m not sure. Quell his fighting spirit, enhance his senses, and see Akaza’s heartbeat, lungs and his own muscles. I don’t know how this works, and that’s the problem – it’s not explained, because you’re supposed to accept it. Period. There is no lead-up, really, and it doesn’t build on anything Tanjiro learned during the Hashira Training arc. (Vastly different genre, I know, but think about how Hinata Shoyo’s biggest moments in the fourth season of Haikyuu build directly upon what he learned in the training arcs of that season. That’s why it feels earned.) Why hasn’t Tanjiro remembered this in any previous fights he’s been in? Why does nobody except Tanjiro have this special skill? It’s not explained at all, because it’s not supposed to be – and, in my opinion, that is a problem.

  That said, I don’t think this poses any larger issues than, say, Tanjiro being able to smell emotions or Akaza being able to ‘see’ fighting spirit or anything else – it just has a significantly larger cut of the screentime and as a result, feels more frustrating. Tanjiro simply feels like a main character without whom the story cannot progress in any situation he’s in, which in my opinion devalues some of Giyuu’s fight versus Akaza, because you know that Giyuu will not be the one to land the killing blow, and it will not be Giyuu who makes a lasting impact on Akaza.

  However, after saying all that…Tanjiro punching Akaza in the face after dropping his sword makes up for all of that. Genuinely peak cinema. We need more of that energy.

  __ Overall Structure__

  The movie was well-structured and paced overall. I liked the peaks and valleys approach the movie used – pairing high-energy action sequences with calmer, more emotional interactions and flashbacks. This allowed for the movie to have a genuine emotional core, with a central theme focusing on the severing of relationships and what you do in the face of loss, whether that be Shinobu swearing vengeance on Douma, Zenitsu on his brother, or Akaza on those who killed the ones he loved – this also juxtaposes with Tanjiro doing everything he can to protect Giyuu, and Ubuyashiki sacrificing himself to protect those he views as his children, thereby escaping the cycle of violence that seems to have created so many of the demons we encounter in the series, but I digress. The time spent on calmer, slower story beats makes the fights feel much more intense and exciting in comparison, and the almost overwhelming speed of the fights really brings out the slow, dawning horror of events like Shinobu’s past with Douma or Akaza’s backstory. It was well-balanced, with plenty of time for hype and tension, and plenty of time to emotionally process what we’ve just witnessed, without it sliding too far into boring territory. That said, I did find some of the subplots a bit less impactful, such as Ubuyashiki’s son Kiriya’s, and I felt that some of the humour was a bit too jarring following emotional scenes, such as Murata and Yushiro's banter following Zenitsu’s ‘conversation’ with his grandfather. That said, it’s still absolutely a net positive, and I would take this structure over that of the Hashira Training arc any day. No matter what criticisms I may have, everything in this movie felt like it had consequences, that everything in this movie mattered, and that is a definite improvement to the previous arc.

  This movie is not perfect, but its sheer entertainment value far outweighs its flaws – this is also one of the best theatrical adaptations of any source material I have ever seen. This movie elevates the source material of the manga on a level I can barely even comprehend. For those of you who may be on the fence about seeing this movie in theatres like I was, due to the flaws of previous seasons, I cannot recommend this film enough. Go see it. It is fun, flashy, intense, and surprisingly emotional when it needs to be. This is truly the best that Demon Slayer has to offer. Seriously, I can’t really think of the last time I walked out of the movie theatre thinking “wow, I really had fun. I loved watching that.” as much as I did after seeing Infinity Castle.

  Cheers, Demon Slayer, you win this time. The hype was real.

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• 

  Soulwarfare

  80/100
  Infinity Castle is both an emotional roller coaster and a visual spectacle

  

  Demon Slayer finally begins its climactic arc with this long-awaited film, and once again Ufotable proves why they are among the best animation studios in the industry. From the opening sequence, it is clear that the studio has spared no expense in crafting an experience that feels larger than life. The animation is not only fluid and breathtaking, but every frame seems to have been drawn with a painter’s precision. The Infinity Castle itself is a wonder to behold, its shifting architecture and impossible geometry create a setting that feels both mesmerizing and haunting. The sheer creativity of the visuals transforms the castle into more than just a backdrop; it becomes a character in its own right, constantly keeping the audience off balance and in awe.

  The action set pieces are another standout, combining exhilarating pacing with choreography that feels meticulously designed. Every clash of swords, every burst of demonic power, and every frantic movement across the castle walls is executed with such care that it’s impossible not to be gripped by the spectacle. What makes these battles even more impactful is how character-driven they are. Each fight reflects the personalities, struggles, and emotions of the characters involved, grounding the action in something more meaningful than just flashy spectacle.

  The emotional core of the film is just as strong as the visuals. The character moments hit hard, whether they’re moments of sacrifice, resilience, or grief. The soundtrack elevates these scenes beautifully, with swelling orchestral pieces that intensify the battles and softer, haunting melodies that lend weight to the quieter story beats. It’s a masterclass in how music can heighten storytelling, never overwhelming the scene but always enhancing its emotional resonance.

  However, the film is not without flaws. Its structure becomes noticeably repetitive, which can drag down the otherwise intense pacing. Too often the formula plays out the same way: a battle erupts, the story shifts into an extended flashback for an Upper Demon, then transitions into a flashback for a Demon Slayer, before returning to the fight. While these backstories add depth and help humanize both the heroes and villains, their length sometimes undercuts the momentum of the action. At times, it feels as though the flashbacks hijack the battles, testing the audience’s patience when the tension should be building instead.

  Additionally, being the first installment in a planned trilogy, the film doesn’t fully deliver a satisfying conclusion. While the stakes are high and the emotional investment pays off in many places, the story ultimately feels like it is pausing rather than pushing forward. The ending leaves viewers hanging in anticipation rather than offering a sense of resolution, which may frustrate some audiences who are hoping for a stronger narrative payoff.

  Despite these shortcomings, Infinity Castle is still a triumph of spectacle and emotion. It is a visual and auditory feast that showcases just how far anime filmmaking has come, blending cutting-edge animation with heartfelt storytelling. For longtime Demon Slayer fans, it is an experience that will no doubt be unforgettable—a film that delivers on its promise of high-stakes battles, emotional resonance, and jaw-dropping artistry.

  
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• 

  pakzevil

  79/100
  Fights Worth Watching, Story Worth Questioning

  Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 is a film that delivers exactly what fans of the show expect in terms of action and visual effects. However, it also highlights a common issue with even the best anime films: pacing and an overwhelming storyline. The film immediately plunges into the action of the Infinity Castle, where the Demon Slayer Corps battles the remaining Higher Moon demons. The suspense is palpable, the stakes are high, and the film doesn’t waste time on unnecessary adrenaline-pumping fights.

  The animation is spectacular. Ufotable, the renowned anime studio, continues to excel in action choreography. Each hit is felt, each gesture is fluid, and the charge assaults and sparks burst in a cinematic manner, even on a large screen. The action is not just flashy; it showcases the talents and personalities of each character. Tanjiro’s determination, Zenitsu’s reason-driven bravery, and Inosuke’s wild unpredictability are all brought to life through the fight choreography. The battles are personal and not just a series of hits and blows.

  The film also delves into the emotional aspects of the story. The struggles and sacrifices of the characters are evident, and it’s satisfying to see them pushed to their limits. The movie doesn’t forget why we care about these characters; they’re not invincible heroes. They’re human beings facing daunting odds and emotional stakes. Certain scenes can truly resonate with you, especially when you witness the weight of responsibility on each character’s shoulders and the compromises they make amidst the chaos of battle.

  Although these moments are incredibly high-octane, the film is not without its flaws. Pacing is a significant issue. With multiple battles happening simultaneously and so many characters to discuss, the film can feel overwhelming. Some minor details that could have enhanced the story are either handled or skipped. Moments meant to evoke emotion sometimes get lost amidst the confusion of cross-cutting action. The film’s structure seems to be attempting to do too much at once, resulting in scenes that don’t fully realize their potential.

  Another point of contention is the cliffhanger ending. While it effectively creates anticipation for Part 2, it also feels frustrating. Instead of a satisfying conclusion, the film feels like a long buildup leading to a resolution. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it detracts from the overall experience and gives the impression that the film isn’t as good as the best episodes of the series.

  Another minor issue is the sheer amount of visuals and action. If you’re watching it for the first time or not familiar with the manga, it can be tiring. Some viewers may struggle to keep up with the battlefield action, and certain character motives or plans aren’t clearly revealed in the scenes. These inconsistencies don’t ruin the movie, but they make it less cohesive than previous Demon Slayer storylines or films that strike a better balance between action and narrative.

  In summary, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 is a visually stunning action-packed film with emotional elements. However, it suffers from pacing problems, an overly complex storyline, and a frustrating cliffhanger. While it’s worth watching for fans of the characters and the stakes, it doesn’t reach the heights of the franchise’s past masterpieces. It’s a good, fun sequel that previews an even more climactic ending, but leaves you wishing for a more satisfying conclusion in Part 2.

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