The beginning of the end sets things up for what should be an incredible final arc of the popular anime.
It’s great to see Demon Slayer, arguably the most popular anime in the world, get a proper send-off for its TV show by releasing the final arc of its story into three separate movies beginning with Infinity Castle out in theaters this weekend. Demon Slayer is no stranger to seeing one of its story arcs get a theatrical release, however. The Mugen Train arc was released in 2020, and it was the highest-grossing film, worldwide, that year. The Mugen Train arc, which upped the ante thanks to the overall story and noticeable uptick in visuals, proved that, if necessary, this manga adapted into television could make for a theatrical release for any part of the story. Infinity Castle, the final story arc in the Demon Slayer saga, needs a proper sendoff for this series, and this first of three parts kicks things off with a bang.
Picking up moments after the very end of the last story arc, the Hashira Training Arc, we find Tanjiro, his friends, all the Hashira members, and numerous lower-rank demon slayers randomly dropped and split up in what is deemed the “Infinity Castle,” which spreads beyond what the eye can see. Muzan is nowhere to be found, and his remaining Upper Rank demons and lower-level demons have Tanjiro and his fellow demon slayers surrounded. So, it’s a sprint to find Muzan before he begins to regain his full form after nearly being slain at the end of the previous arc and end his nightmarish rule of the demons that scatter the world.
As one might expect with this first part, it’s a bit of a set-up. We get the layout of where every demon slayer is split up, though eventually we see some of them encounter the remaining Upper Rank demons. Without getting into spoilers, the focal point of this first part is Tanjiro and the Water Hasira encountering Akaza, the Upper Rank 3 demon. If you’ve made it this far in the review without leaving the page (and I assume it’s because you watch the anime or are still interested in this), Akaza last made a thump in the Mugen Train arc when he killed the Flame Hashira.
The battle that ensued between Akaza and the Flame Hashira in the Mugen Train arc gave viewers a taste of the anime series at its best, watching the demon slayers and demons fight it out on the big screen. An extension of that plays out in Infinity Castle (and makes for an even longer film–by almost 40 minutes). And despite having a few too many flashbacks, the first part of this three-part finale succeeds due to its stunning animation, as we watch these fights and the exciting action play out on the big screen. The animation quality for the anime has never been in question, but there’s no denying that you can tell a little more money is being pumped into the story arcs that are made into movies, and it pays off in the best way possible here.
My only gripe with Infinity Castle is that while I understand flashbacks are a common occurrence in anime, they sometimes do add to the runtime, which in this case clocks in at over two-and-a-half hours. Sure, the flashbacks give great context to its focal characters (and I do appreciate one concerning one of the Upper Rank demons here), but the lengthy runtime certainly can be felt here from time to time in this case. But then again, as gripes go, this isn’t much of one, and I’m certain fans of the anime will have no problem with it. Anime films of this caliber deserve to be seen in theaters, and let’s hope the wait for the second part of this three-part finale won’t be too long in coming behind the release of this one.