Star Cast: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and Hiro Shimono
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
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What’s Bad: The film is just too long and repetitive; the anime’s narrative structure doesn’t work well when translated into a movie.
Loo Break: Yes, you will need to take one in between the numerous flashbacks and fight scenes.
Watch or Not?: This is made only for those who are caught up with the manga and anime series, as it is a direct sequel to the last season of the show.
Language: Japanese (with subtitles).
Available On: Theaters
Runtime: 155 Minutes.
User Rating:
Demon Slayer is a true phenomenon, breaking records not only in manga form, but also with its anime being a smashing success, and its film adaptation breaking records at the box-office. While that all is true, I have never been able to connect with the story or the characters, and so while watching Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (originally titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle), I knew I wasn’t the perfect audience member, even if I have pushed myself to catch up with the anime.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is a direct sequel to the episodes from the last season of the show, where we see Tanjiro and his companions finally launching an attack on the main villain of the story, Muzan. The film continues depicting the events of such an attack and does it in fabulous fashion, thanks to the animation created by Ufotable, the studio that has adapted the entire story to animation so far. However, while the presentation is fantastic, my problems with the characters and plot remain the same.
The problem worsens because the film is over two and a half hours long. So, the repetition of the story becomes more apparent as flashbacks are used massively to build character motivations and explain the past of every single possible character. It is just too much and makes the overall experience clunky from a storytelling point of view, as the story needs to stop to explain things without subtlety.
The characters are also a big problem for me because while some of them have cool designs, they are pretty shallow as characters. The Pillars are a good representation of this, and they play a major role in this arc, so we watch them a lot, but I don’t particularly care for any of them. Tanjiro is the best character, and thank God he is the protagonist, but there is definitely a level of annoyance regarding him, as he is just too good.
So, a film with a clunky story, rhythm, and bad character development was a struggle, but while I don’t share the same love for the series as many out there, I understand why it is so successful. I can see how the film can be fun for hardcore fans, especially those who have not fallen into the temptation of reading the manga and will watch all the events of the film as new material.
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Voice acting is definitely a plus here; the cast is filled with great performers who definitely deserve recognition, as they have been the characters’ voices for so long at this point, and will continue to do so in the end. As it stands, Natsuki Hanae, who voices Tanjiro, and Akira Ishida, who plays the voice of Akaza, one of the main villains, definitely are stand-outs for me, as their conflict is the climactic focus of the film. It delivers when it comes to the energy these actors are giving to these characters.
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Haruo Sotozaki returns to the director’s chair again, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. The director has dedicated the last decades to the Demon Slayer project. It is his attention to detail and his love for powerful, flashy, and concrete animation sequences that have transformed the story into a real global phenomenon. Even some of the most die-hard fans would admit that the animation carries the story really hard, and Sotozaki is the reason why.
The score by Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina does the job in getting you hyped up, especially when it comes to the fighting sequences, and the synergy the musical pieces have with the animation really makes the film worth watching, even if you don’t care very much for what is happening in terms of story.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is more of a short season of the show than a proper film, but for those enjoying the story at every step, this will be quite an experience. And it is just the beginning, as there will be at least two more parts to conclude the story and say goodbye to Tanjiro and company. Only watch if you are a real fan of the story or animation in general.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle released on 12th September, 2025.
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