Demon Slayer- Infinity Train Movie: A Cinematic Shounen Masterpiece

The movie; Demon Slayer- Infinity Train is the follow up release of the anime series that shook the entire anime community in the year 2019, Demon Slayer. It's basically an adaptation of one of the most important arcs of the series; the Infinity Train Arc in the form of a movie by Ufotable, which was announced immediately the first season ended.

The movie was released on the 16th of October, 2020 and the same way the mass success of the anime series' first season pushed the manga to record breaking feats, the movie also soared to unbelievable heights, crushing one record after another and after a long while of only being able to anticipate and view it's theatrical release feats, we are finally blessed with the digital version of the movie following the release in the U.S.

The events of this movie, being the immediate next arc, is a direct continuation of where the first season of the anime left off, facing the main team; Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke accompanied by Nezuko as they join the Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro on a mission set on a train boarded by 200 passengers which numerous missing people have been recorded previously. The mysterious disappearances on the train were revealed to be the actions of Enmu, the Lower Moon One of the Twelve Kizuki who bears the ability to send people to an endless slumber, enhanced by the blood of Muzan Kibutsuji in the first season due to his loyalty. The mission and goal of the main characters in this arc was to kill the demon responsible while ensuring the safety of every single passenger on the train. With this I've given a basic synopsis of the premise of the movie and now I'm going to give my review and thoughts on this movie after finally seeing it.

In terms of anticipation, this movie was right up there for me and pretty much the entire anime community because for one thing, the manga readers couldn't stop hyping it up as one of the best arcs of the manga as a whole and being portrayed as a movie by the same animation studio behind glorious hits such as the Fate Staynight Heaven's Feel Trilogy who's third part; Spring Song just blew everyone away a while ago, as well as the first season of Demon Slayer itself which went viral due to its excellent execution in 2019, the legendary Ufotable, it was bound to at least be a joy to watch. Another thing that made everyone really anxious to see this movie are the feats it accumulated after the theatrical release, grossing and box office records being broken here and there and right now it's even become not only the highest grossing Japanese movie ever but the biggest Foreign Feature Film  of all time after its release in the U.S.

After hearing and seeing all the hype being tossed around for this movie, it definitely begs the question, is it worth it?. 

Well, in my opinion, It completely is.

The anime medium has always found a way to elevate things to the next level and tell stories in a visually captivating way that live action movies just couldn't replicate if it tried.

After seeing the Hinokami Kagura scene in the 19th episode of the anime series, the entire franchise went viral and blew through the roof on all record standings. That's because it was truly a perfect scene. What we got there was a shounen powerup scene brought to life in the most captivating and spectacular way it could by a studio that could only be seen as one of the greatest. The overall production of that scene was stellar and seeing that, everyone could tell it could only get better from there, especially when the next project was a Movie covering the Infinity Train Arc.

In terms of production and scenery, this movie could be described as nothing less than a visual spectacle, Ufotable proving itself to be the most capable animation studio out there once again with its perfect execution of scenes. Everything from the character designs to the animation to the music, every aspect of the production was well crafted and every scene was just as impactful as aimed to be. The scores in this movie were reminiscent of an Oscar worthy film, emotional scenes were elevated by emotional soundtracks, uplifting scenes were elevated by uplifting soundtracks and the action sequences were given quality battle OSTs to draw them out to full potential.

The overall execution of this arc was splendid as it had all the makings of a truly memorable arc. For one we got to see the Flame Pillar Rengoku in action. His character was built properly in this arc as his capabilities as a Hashira were highlighted. Not just that though, his past, his resolve, his convictions, honestly speaking it was a spectacular thing to be able to look at an energetic and uplifting character like Kyojuro from an emotional standpoint. We not only got to see him as the tremendous and powerful Demon Slayer he is, but as an amazing mentor, brother, son and as an actually human character. We got to see him for who he is and understand why he's that way. This arc practically solidified Rengoku Kyojuro as an unforgettable character.

The arc wasn't only emotionally driven for Rengoku but for Tanjiro as well. After being sent to the dream world he once again experiences life with his family and for the first time since their death, truly grieve them and say goodbye. This not only strengthened his resolve but gave him a sense of closure and even though he was only being manipulated, I couldn't help but sympathize with him during his unexpected reunion with his lost family and this made for a really wholesome and emotionally resonant scene.

When it came down to fights we got nothing less than the expected perfect fight scenes Ufotable has delivered time and time again. Colourful and explosive fights backed up by excellent animation, stellar choreography, amazing background music and captivating voice acting. In the fights of this movie, the ideals of the characters were practically set ablaze and from the perfect execution it was clear that not only the animation studio but also the voice actors outdid themselves. Goosebump inducing moments were everywhere and once again we got over the top emotional powerup scenes that were similar in glory to the beloved scene that got the Demon Slayer franchise to the level of recognition and greatness it is right now.

The antagonists of this movie were incredibly well written as well; Enmu, the the one who got spared and promoted by Muzan desperate to prove himself worthy of the privilege and power granted to him and Akaza, the Upper Moon Three whom up till now viewed humans as weak species only standing at the cusp of real power possessed by demons which he saw as superior beings. Akaza being shocked for the first time by experiencing the power and resolve of Rengoku, a human made for a fantastic scene and gave their fight even more weight as a clash of ideals.

At the end of this movie, one can't help but feel fulfilled. Because the movie practically excelled in becoming everything it aimed to be. It was Inspiring, Hilarious, Wholesome, Action Packed, Beautiful and of course Tragic. The way it drifted from comedic and lighter scenes to more serious and darker themed scenes perfectly gave me the vibe of Gintama a bit and I really appreciate that. All in all, this was a movie that exceeded every expectation I had and one I would'nt hesitate to call a perfect shounen movie adaptation.

I'm really thankful for this movie living up to its expectations because after Demon Slayer first season ended, controversy arose as to whether the franchise was actually worth the hype it was getting from its record breaking feats, negativity started arising towards the series mostly because the ending of Season 1 didn't really leave a strong impression on the community. But all of that is about to change because this movie is bound to leave a solid impact on anyone who watches it, This is a powerful movie that not only appeals to the mind but to the heart and soul as well. It's been a while since I've actually sincerely cried for a movie , but I was completely moved by this movie to the point of tirelessly shedding tears at the ending while giving it an applause. This is a movie I can truly and proudly call...a Masterpiece.

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Until Next Time!