Demon Slayer

A movie in an actual movie theater. Yes, I did it. 

I hope to see more.

The motivator is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, which is not only the highest grossing film of 2020, but the highest grossing Japanese film of all time. The film assumes its audience is familiar with the cast of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga and its anime adaptation, which will have its second season sometime this year. Let's assume you haven't and start with a recap:

In the early 20th century, Tanjiro Kamado finds his mom and siblings slaughtered by a demon. The exception is his sister, Nezuko, who is now a demon. Tanjiro joins the local Demon Slayer Corps to cure Nezuko and avenge himself on their attacker, supreme demon Muzan Kibutsuji. They join up with the cowardly Zenitsu Agatsuma and the literally boarish Inosuke Hashibira to form their own Slayer group.

The movie starts at the end of the first season. Our heroes board the Mugen Train looking for demons to slay. An elite Demon Slayer (a Hashira), Kyojuro Rengoku, is on the case too. One of Muzan's finest, Enmu, has commandeered the train in more ways than one. He takes the passengers on a one-way trip to Dreamland. Tanjiro and Kyojuro, for example, get some differing family time. Four humans working for Enmu enter their dreams to make sure they don't wake up. They'll have to get up to drive the Mugen Train back to reality.

The screenplay is credited to production company Ufotable. I must re-emphasize that familiarity is required here. It barely explains the lore of the franchise, if at all. A few character quirks and plot points are understandable with little familiarity; plenty more are not. The momentum is slightly slowed down during the dream sequences, but Inosuke and Zenitsu's dreams are delightful comic interludes, especially when their dream selves torment Enmu's human minions. It gets going great when it gets to the Demon Slaying.

A major factor is Kyojuro Rengoku. We first meet him enjoying a massive meal with a permanent smile. He unhesitatingly accepts Team Tanjiro as his apprentices. His dream shows us his determination in spite of his uncaring father. He's such a strong presence that it's almost insulting when a surprise villain shows up to snuff him out. Sorry for the spoilers.

A few character highlights. Enmu is a perfectly loathsome antagonist. His human minions are compelling characters even if their names are buried in the credits. The strongest of that bunch is the one who went after Tanjiro. Tanjiro is a good lead, while Inosuke and Zenitsu are riots. Nezuko's cute muteness is irresistible. 

The show's technical flair is present and accounted for. The mixture of 2D and 3D animation produces some stunning results. A few highlights include the center of Tanjiro's dream, Enmu's monstrous merger with the Mugen Train and very realistic water. The battles are exciting showcases of sight and sound. The vibrant colors stand out when the Slayers use their elemental breathing techniques. It also helps that they're accompanied by some strong sound mixing. Yuki Kaijura and Go Shiina's score is just as good as their work on the show. This movie surely was made for the big screen.

But see it on the biggest and safest screen you can. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train, is sure to thrill its fans and confound the unitiated. I watched a good chunk of the show myself and I still had questions. But its demon slaying makes the 117 minutes a good trip. It's available both in Japanese and English screenings; I saw the former. It's a good motivator to get people to try the cinema thing again.

As I said before, here's hoping I see more.