Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns (2025)
[劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編 第一章 猗窩座再来]
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
Starring: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono
Synopsis:
The Demon Slayer Corps launches an all-out assault to put an end to their achnemesis Muzan Kibutsuji in his fortress, the Infinity Castle.
Impressions:
As you probably know, I rated the previous theatrical outing of this franchise quite highly and it was little surprise that they would decide to use the big screen to deliver the grand finale of the series. This is the first entry in a trilogy, and while this may seem like a lot, it's consistent with the source. I don't know if the next two films will be about the same length as this one or not, but this is two and a half hours of almost constant fight scenes. If you're here for action, there's more than enough to satisfy, gorgeously rendered to the high standard you've come to expect from Ufotable. Do note that I said "almost constant" as there is some downtime, occasional brief comedic interludes, cuts to the supporting cast in the background, and a few flashbacks, most significantly the extended sequence of Akaza's backstory. Speaking of this last point, while the story frequently contextualizes most of the antagonists' backstories, I always felt Akaza's was the best realized and that comes through quite well here. (Judging from the audience around me in the theater, there weren't a lot of dry eyes to be found.)
Turning back a bit, as a broad overview, this film covers Phase 1 of the Douma fight (Shinobu vs. Douma), Zenitsu vs. Kaigaku, and then the Akaza fight as the centerpiece (as indicated by the marketing). The two warmup fights are quite good and should please Shinobu and Zenitsu fans (for the chance to see them show off at least).
As the capstone to the series, the film obviously isn't particularly accessible to outsiders, but there's a lot for fans to enjoy and since I count myself in that number, I'm more than happy to recommend adding it to your collection.
Rating:Own It