Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

 Who’s ready to slay the box-office? Again?

Tanjiro Kamado, that’s who!

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle is, by far, the most anticipated anime film of the year, and it has the box-office to prove it. It starts off a film trilogy which is set to conclude the story of Koyoharu Gotoge’s manga by 2029. That’s quite a ways away, so let’s sum up the film we have now. And this time, we're going by the English dub.

When we last left Tanjiro (Zach Aguiler) on TV, he and his fellow Demon Slayers were about to wage their final battle with supreme demon Muzan Kibutsuji (Greg Chun). But Muzan changed the locale to his stronghold, the Escher-esque Infinity Castle. Now, the elite Hashira and the rank-and-file Slayers have to fight their way through Muzan’s demonic legions to get to him. The film follows groups of Slayers around the castle, but it concerns most of its massive 155-minutes with three fights:

1. Shinobu Kocho (Erika Harlacher), the Insect Hashira, fights Doma (Stephen Fu), the demon who slew her sister and predecessor Kanae (Bridget Hoffman) in combat. It doesn’t end well for her.

2. Zenitsu (Aleks Le), hardly a wimp anymore, fights Kaigaku (Alejandro Saab), his treacherous training partner who is now one of Muzan’s Upper Ranks.

3.Tanjiro and his Hashira mentor, Giyu Tomioka (Johnny Yong Bosch), fight Akaza (Lucien Dodge), who slew fan-favorite Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku all the way back in Mugen Train. Akaza refuses to let decapitation get in his way, but a few flashbacks might help the Slayers.

And by few, I mean a lot. The film devotes a lot of time to the backstories of its main combatants. In particular, we're meant to sympathize, even if somewhat, with the villainous demons (which I've noted in the last few movies). Doma's backstory, as the figurehead of a scam cult, emphasizes the "somewhat" part, as he still comes across as a condescending creep. Kaigaku fairs a little better, as we understand his jealousy and resentment towards Zenitsu. It still doesn't absolve him, but it's progress. Akaza's fight and backstory is so long that it could be its own standalone feature; it's also, by far, the most compelling of the main bouts. It's surprising how much time zips by as you watch everything play out; still, some might think the flashbacks slow down the film too much.

Akaza's flashbacks introduce us to Keizo, his foster father and sensei. This easygoing man communicates tough love with his fists, while rarely breaking his smile. He and his daughter, Koyuki, give Akaza some much needed positivity up until their tragic ends. Nobody expected somebody like Channing Tatum would be cast in the role, up until his casting was announced last month. But his stoic voice gives Keizo a welcome cool dad vibe, fitting since he took the role for "cool dad points." Rebecca Wang, who dubs Koyuki, makes her a sympathetic and warm presence.

By now, you should probably know what to expect from the technical departments. The crisp animation, color palette and flashy sword effects, are still exquisitely done. A consequence of its extended length is that its flashy effects are somewhat overwhelming, which is partially why I didn't mind the flashback breaks. The production design fares a lot better on the eyes. Yes, I know the Infinity Castle has been around since the first season, but it's still an amazing locale, especially when we see it shift around to confound the Slayers. Series composers Yuki Kaijura and Go Shiina still churn out some impressive work. 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle is a pretty satisfying start to this unorthodox series finale; the Akaza portions alone make its extended runtime worth it. Those uninitiated with the franchise need to catch up; the Mugen Train has well and truly left the station. Thankfully, the flashbacks provide some context for those just now hopping in. I'll leave it to you to decide when and where to see it. Here's hoping the momentum is still strong when the sequels pull in.

A few more things. It's kind of weird hearing Kiriya Ubuyashiki, the new leader of the Slayers, refer to the titular locale as "Infinite Castle" before he calls it "Infinity Castle" in the finale. What little we see of the non-mains are a few good character moments; Tanjiro and Giyu even get a surprisingly funny one at the start. Yeah, that's pretty much it.