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***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Demon Slayer Movie: Mugen Train. Reader discretion is advised.***
As a reminder: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. Films and other posts under the Out and About: Eigakan label are watched in Japanese with NO English subtitles. Therefore, misinterpretations and misunderstandings are possible. With that said:
I just got out of Demon Slayer Movie: Mugen Train…
And wow, this was a lot of fun.
Before I move on with my thoughts on Demon Slayer, I first want to say this particular cinema trip was a surreal experience. After all, this was the first time I stepped foot into a movie theater since the COVID-19 outbreak. Although I wore two layers’ worth of masks and had a bottle of sanitizer in my pocket, it felt nice to do something so normal once again.
Still, I think I will keep these Eigakan posts to a minimum. They are a lot of fun to do, but the virus, as of me writing, hasn’t gone away, and there were a lot of people at this screening. Luckily, I’m in Japan, which has a decades-old mask-wearing culture. Thus, there are virtually no whinny crybaby’s who prefer to risk getting or giving Corona instead of just dealing with the most minor of inconveniences.
My soapbox is over; back to Demon Slayer, which was, again, a blast. To give a brief summary:
Directly following the events of the anime’s first season, Tanjiro Kamado, his sister Nezuko, and his friends Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira, board a train that has been reporting a growing number of mysterious disappearances. Once on board, the team meets up with Kyoujurou Rengoku, the powerful Flame Hashira. All seems calm at first, but soon, Tanjiro and his party fall blissfully into a deep sleep. This setup is the work of one of the Twelve Kizuku, Enmu, who has set a trap for these meddlesome members of the Demon Slayer Corp. Tanjiro and his companions must awake from this spell and defeat this dangerous demon once and for all.
Synopsis over, point number one:
Demon Slayer Movie is a direct sequel to the anime; the two storylines are immediate. If you recall, the first series ended with Tanjiro and company getting on the train. Hell, that scene is in the movie. So, I highly suggest holding off with this film if you merely want a taste of what Demon Slayer is.
However, if you’ve seen the anime, then dive right in because this was a fantastic follow-up.
Like I said in my review of the series, Demon Slayer did a great job of fleshing out its main characters. Therefore, whenever a continuation did come, it could easily move on with the narrative. That is precisely what happened in this movie; this was chapter two.
I have yet to hear any news concerning a Demon Slayer second season. There is no doubt in my mind there is going to be one, and you better believe the events of both the first installment and the film (especially the film) will come up.
I don’t want to give away too many plot detail since a lot of important things happened. I also don’t want to spoil anything for you. All I will say is that this did not feel like a waste of time; significant progress was made. If anything, the film felt like a two-hour episode twenty-seven, which was not a problem in the slightest.
While this may have been a fitting next episode in the anime series, this was most definitely a movie through and through. At the very least, it had the budget of a full-length feature.
From 2019, I name Demon Slayer the third best animated show of the year (to see the full list, please click HERE); the visuals were truly spectacular. So, imagine that, but, like, much, much better. This film was gorgeous and exciting; holy hell was it ever so. This is why anime TV series are made into anime films; they are supposed to be bigger and grander.
I think it’s pretty clear that I had a good time with this movie. That said, there were moments where I thought the story slowed down a bit. These were the scenes that were the most detailed oriented, a.k.a., they used the most Japanese. Perhaps these instances would have been more interesting had I understood everything. I am happy to give this film the chance to prove if that is the case.
But while there might have been slower moments, there were never any dull moments, and I think that’s what’s most important.
Lastly, let’s talk about Kyoujurou Rengoku. He made an appearance in season one but played a central role here in the film. He was also my favorite character. For many reasons, I think people are going to remember the part he played.
I want to watch this movie again, and I may not wait for the subtitled version to do so. Demon Slayer Movie was an outstanding experience.
But you know what? I could have missed something. We will just have to wait and see.
Thank you all so much for reading. Please comment down below if you have anything to say —positively or negatively — about this post. Also, if you have seen the film, I would love to hear your thoughts.
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For Anime Hajime, I’m Odyssey, and I’ll see you next time.
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