Demon Slayeris one of the newest and most popular anime series out there right now. One has only to look at therecord-smashing box office performanceof the show’s first movie adaptationDemon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Trainto recognize that the fierce fandom overseas has already shown their support. But now that the English version of the movie is out in theaters as of today, will the Japanese sensation continue its impressive run worldwide? And a better question still, does the movie adaptation live up to the hype?
The answer to the first question will likely be proved out over the weekend as audiences brave pandemic restrictions to experienceMugen Trainon the big screen. The other question’s a bit easier to field, since Sony, FUNimation, and Aniplex were kind enough to send a screener our way. But before we dive into the movie itself, it’s worth covering a bit of background on the story so far.
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Demon Slayer, hailing from manga writer/illustratorKoyoharu Gotouge, gained popularity in part thanks to Ufotable’s impressive anime adaptation. Their animation style and the talented voice cast capture both the youthful energy and naivete of the story’s protagonists while not shying away from the darker, grislier parts of the tale. The anime is, after all, a story about Tanjiro Kamado, a boy striving to become an accomplished demon slayer after one such creature slaughters his family and turns his sister Nezuko into something rather unusual, a demon-girl with an iron will and a refusal to harm other humans. But whileDemon Slayerfeatures a lot of the good and bad tropes associated with shonen anime series, it’s the strength of the characters, the earnest range of emotions they experience, and the incredibly layered action-packed animation of Ufotable’s storytelling that are the main ingredients in the show’s recipe for success. And I’m happy to say thatDemon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Traintakes this formula and runs with it.
Mugen Trainsets itself apart from the usual feature adaptations of anime series in a few ways: Firstly, this isn’t a recap movie that retells the events of existing episode arcs in a condensed version; it’s a sequel story to the first season of the anime itself. Secondly, while the first act does its job in establishing the plot and its conflict, along with introducing some new characters, it doesn’t waste time rehashing everything that siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko have gone through; the same with supporting players like the cowardly but competent Zenitsu Agatsuma, the beastly and bold Inosuke Hashibira, and the high-ranking hashira member, Kyojuro Rengoku. (I strongly encourage you to watch the anime to best understand the nuances of all of these characters and their relationships among each other.) Those are two great improvements from your typical anime series-to-movie adaptations. Unfortunately, the third difference setsMugen Trainback from achieving its full storytelling potential.
As you know from watching Season 1 or may infer from the title itself, the majority of this movie’s events take place on the Mugen Train, a rather run-of-the-mill train that just so happens to be the site of increased demon activity as of late. That draws the Flame Hashira to it in order to protect his fellow humans, with Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke along for the ride. Seems like a pretty concise story, yes? And it is, to an extent, but the entirety of the two-hourMugen Trainmovie adapts the 15-chapter arc in the manga. This condensed adaptation leaves the characters a bit short-changed, especially since the story asks a lot from them, sometimes everything. So while fans of the anime series will likely have stronger emotional reactions to the events ofMugen Traincompared to those coming into this movie cold, there’s just enough heavy dramatic lifting done here to make you feel for the demon slayers and their struggles.
That all sounds pretty heavy. Make no mistake,Demon Slayerdeals with some deeply traumatic and unsettling events throughout its telling, but it also keeps the light-hearted frivolity of shonen stories front-and-center. This is both good and bad; the typical tropes of overly excited protagonists and their pals shrieking at the top of their lungs (be it in the original Japanese audio or the English dub) and largely being as dramatic as possible at every turn areveryprevalent in the movie. It can be a lot to take. But if you can look past the childish nature of our heroes and connect with them during their trials and tribulations, there’s a lot to recommend inMugen Train.
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Without getting too spoilery into how it all goes down,Mugen Trainfeatures a clever way to cram a lot of storytelling space into what’s essentially a “bottle episode” which has only one real set. Through this device, we learn the heart’s desires of our heroes (most of them, anyway; sorry, Nezuko, but you’re mainly sitting this one out): In dreamlike sequences, Zenitsu gets to run free in the sunlight with the object of his affection, Inosuke gets to go on a glorious hunt with his pals, and Tanjiro’s pure heart is both rewarded and put to the ultimate test. Most importantly, however, we get what amounts to an origin story for the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. So whileDemon Slayeris mainly about Tanjiro and his journey,Mugen Trainis very much Rengoku’s time to shine.
WhatMugen Traindoes best in its relatively short runtime is to further progress the character development of the demon slayers while contrasting them against their sworn enemies, the power-hungry demons, especially those of the Twelve Moons underMuzan Kibutsuji’s control. This progression plays out on both the emotional level of our young heroes, who go through quite the challenging struggle in this movie, and in the arena of all-out action as well. Ufotable has delivered some fantastic fight scenes throughoutDemon Slayer, with Episode 19 being a standout among the bunch; their work onMugen Traindoesn’t quite surpass this effort, but it’s a solid showing nonetheless. What the movie lacks in teamwork moments between Tanjiro and Nezuko (the latter of whom draws a very short straw for screentime in this movie, unfortunately) is more than made up for by dramatic flair from Rengoku. But those who burn brightest also burn fastest…
Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Traindoes live up to the hype when it comes to continuing the style and substance of storytelling the anime series has become known for. It takes some big swings, not all of which land as well as they could have since the story’s a bit rushed. The fights are fun and the friendships grow stronger, just as the sacrifices our heroes make are truly gut-wrenching along the way, leading to a well-balanced tale overall. But while the story ofMugen Trainends in a somewhat cathartic way, it also leaves us a bit uneasy as to what comes next. The good news is that Season 2 should address those anxieties when it arrives later this year. But for now, U.S. audiences can enjoy the next chapter in the hit anime thanks to the movie’s arrival on our shores. Do yourself a favor and book a ticket ASAP.
