On Sept. 12, the newest film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba world came to US theaters. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns sequels the fourth season of the Demon Slayer show, which is the television adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge’s 2016–2020 manga series. The series revolves around Tanjiro, a teenager whose family was slaughtered by a demon, joining the Demon Slayer Corps and training to become a Hashira (the most powerful type of demon slayer.)
The movie takes place in the Infinity Castle, which is the lair of Muzan Kibutsuji, the original demon from whom all other demons in the anime originate. At the end of the fourth season of the Demon Slayer show, Muzan traps Tanjiro and several Hashira in the Infinity Castle. Here, they will spend the final three movies of the anime fighting off Upper Rank demons (Muzan’s most powerful demons) until they can finally escape.
Though I was unfamiliar with the context leading up to this movie, I was instantly transfixed and left the movie with a deep fondness for characters I’d only known for a couple of hours. Despite its quick, slightly repetitive pacing, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was beautifully animated, emotionally written and skillfully voiced, leading to an overall amazing viewing.
The first battle of the movie was between Hashira Shinobu and Upper Rank Two demon Douma. Shinobu’s story was tragic and immediately made me root for her, but this was short-lived, as her death came quickly. Her death felt too sudden, almost as if the writers of the movie were trying to shove as many battles as possible into the film without fully developing each storyline. Just as she had found the willpower to fight Douma, she was slain. I considered that this sentiment could come from a lack of having seen the show but ultimately decided that regardless of whether or not I had context for Shinobu’s character, I likely would have wanted her battle to last longer rather than being a subplot to abandon early in the film.
The only other qualm I had with the movie was the repetitive formula: in each battle with a demon, the film takes a dive into either the demon or the demon slayer’s backstory before returning to the fight to the death. (The show follows a similar pattern, and friends who watched Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle with me agreed it became redundant over the length of the show and films.)
That being said, the film goes significantly more in-depth with Akaza’s backstory, setting the emotional stakes high for the movie’s main battle. Akaza is one of the most powerful demons in Muzan’s group, making his battle with Tanjiro and one of the Hashira incredibly difficult. One of the most memorable scenes of the movie, Akaza’s backstory humanizes him and allows viewers to understand his motives behind becoming a demon. For weeks after watching the film, my Instagram feed was filled with edits of Akaza and Koyuki, his wife. Viewers who had previously hated Akaza because of his evils in the show instead sympathized with his tragic tale.
After Akaza begins to revive despite Tanjiro’s fatal blow, Akaza gives up his life in an attempt to remain true to what Koyuki would have wanted of him. He falls into her arms, crying, “ごめん！ごめん！” (Gomen! Gomen!) which translates to “Sorry! Sorry!” However, what made this scene especially emotional to me was that gomen is one of, if not the least formal version of “sorry” in Japanese. Akaza’s use of gomen felt deeply intimate and trusting of Koyuki, as if he knew she would accept him without any excess fanfare. Akira Ishida’s delivery of this line was what really completed the scene. The actor’s voice broke, making the scene heartbreaking and drawing out empathy from the audience, much of whom formerly hated Akaza.
Throughout the whole film, I was entranced by the animation. It blended 2D and 3D animation, adding humor in certain scenes with cute, less-polished drawings. The characters, both demons and demon slayers, were visually stunning. On Oct. 1, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle won the Critics’ Choice Awards International Animation Award 2025. Additionally, though it has only been in international theaters since August, and only in US theaters since mid-September, the film has already become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time.
Overall, the movie was beautiful and captivating and well worth the (long) watch. I likely would have appreciated the characters’ backstories more had I watched the show beforehand or read the manga, but even first-time viewers will have a fun, emotional time with this film. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is perfect for anyone looking for a beautifully crafted, action-packed anime.
Katherine Winton is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at kgw45@cornell.edu.
