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The beloved anime series: Kimetsu no yaiba, which translates as close as possible to the English title, Demon Slayer, has finally made its way to U.S. theaters. Since the pandemic, movie theaters have been closed; however, when the movie premiered in Japan, it blew box office records and ended up being a film that saved Japan’s film industry. Now it has made its way overseas, playing in over a thousand theaters across the U.S. and Canada, drawing attention from avid anime fans and casual viewers. So, does this film live up to the hype?
Plot
After the first season of Demon Slayer ends, the film picks up where the show left off. The main characters, Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Nezuko, head off to their next adventure as they must board a train where passengers have been mysteriously disappearing. Once boarding the train, they meet up with one of the top pillars in the demon slayer corp, Rengoku Kyojuro, the flame hashira.
Rengoku is acting as a mentor for the younger demon slayers. Since his appearance is minimal in the anime, this film truly allows Rengoku to shine. Whether you watch the film in subtitles or English dub, his iconic “Umai!” or “Tasty!” sticks in your head. Besides Rengoku, the main focus stays on the usual main three characters Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu, since they are the show’s main trio. It’s up to this rag-tag team of demon slayers to bring down the demon of the Mugen train and save the 200 passengers on board.
Iconic Visuals
One of the many things Demon Slayer has been praised for is its stunning use of animation. Mugen Train is no exception. As soon as the movie started, it felt so life-like that everyone thought the wrong movie was playing for a moment. People who are fans of the anime will be thrilled to see such beautiful visuals on such a large movie screen, and even people who walked into the theater blind can appreciate the stunning use of animation.
Even if you are not a seasoned fan of anime but love art and animation, we highly recommend looking into seeing this movie. There are so many scenes that make you forget you’re watching an anime film, and being in a theater setting amplifies this feeling.
But What If You Haven’t Seen The Show?
The unique thing about this movie is that it is pivotal to the plot of the main show. Many anime films have nothing to do with the actual plot of the main series and usually can be skipped; however, for Demon Slayer, you will not be able to go into watching the next season without having seen this movie. So how does this movie hold up if you walk into it with no context? Talking to multiple people who went into the theater totally blind gave good insight into how outsiders view this film.
Many were blown away by the visuals but also the dark tone and nature of the storyline. This movie doesn’t offer exposition on characters who have already appeared in the show, but they give enough context clues so new viewers were not that lost. The main issue is that if you walk into this movie without watching the show, you’re going to miss a lot of the emotional scenes. Many of the more emotional scenes within the film really require you to be attached and know these characters ahead of time. But other than that, most viewers claimed they quickly became attached to the main cast despite not watching the series. What is so great about this movie gaining popularity and having people see it is that many people are now making their way into binging the whole first season of the show.
Is It Worth The Hype?
After being stuck in quarantine and movie theaters being closed for a year, many people were antsy to try and go back to the cinema. I would say Demon Slayer is an excellent welcome back for both moviegoers and anime fans alike. Mugen Train is packed full of action on top of beautifully done animation and a cast of characters you can’t help but want more of. Any fan of anime definitely should try to take the time to support this movie in theaters so more anime films can come across the seas into U.S. theaters. Whether you walk into this movie blind or a big fan, this movie entertains and grabs your attention. I think Demon Slayer is about to become even more popular as a series because of the success of this movie.
Hollywood and news reports are also stunned by its huge success in the box office. Maybe Mugen Train is the pioneer to more anime films getting recognized by the academy or Hollywood in general. If you haven’t seen the film in theaters yet, do not worry; they have currently added more theaters and dates to watch Demon Slayer: Mugen Train! If the theater is still something you wish to avoid, the film will be available for digital download in June. So set your heart ablaze and see what all the hype is about for yourself as Demon Slayer continues to make box office history!