Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle: Immersive, emotional, and exhilarating

Amassing nearly USD 555 million worldwide, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has broken multiple box office records, becoming the highest grossing anime film of all time. The first in a series of trilogy, it kicks-off with the long-awaited climax of the final confrontation between the Demon Slayer Corps and Kibutsuji Muzan. It is arguably one of Ufotable's grandest productions, but does the success come from the craft itself or the two years of anticipation that fans have been led towards?

The Infinity Castle arc picks up right after the fourth season of the anime, thrusting both the audience and the demon slayers into Muzan's labyrinth fortress.  The movie itself has three main fights: Shinobu's showdown with Doma, Zenitsu's confrontation against a personal nemesis, and finally the face-off between Tanjiro, Giyu, and Akaza. In addition, noteworthy appearances by other characters and smaller clashes build up the movie's momentum; depicting an all-out war rather than a series of isolated battles.

The visuals of the movie are nothing short of stunning. The manga readers will notice how the graphics have created further depth and mood for the plot, something that is not as apparent in the manga itself. Intricate background details, fluid choreography, and smooth transitions enrich the dynamic fights without making any of it look janky. Similarly, the auditory aspect is not one to overlook. The stirring scores paired with intense sound effects transport the viewers into a world that almost feels tangible.

There are, nonetheless, aspects of the movie that just don't deliver. The pacing that the wonderful animation had built towards was at threat by the misuse of flashbacks, which is a shame because it truly is one of the strongest weapons that the franchise boasts.  Not only did it help viewers humanise demons, but it also deepened character arcs. While this strategy worked in the anime, it did not pan out in the movie itself.

Great emphasis was put on the fights yet they were crudely disrupted with the characters diving into the past, throwing the viewers around mental walls, just like Giyu. Though the flashbacks are required, they proved to be more disruptive in the narrative rhythm, producing clashes that felt unsettled. Despite this, the second half regains momentum, drawing the fans to the edge of their seats with tear stained faces. The movie does not shy away from depicting the brutality of war or how it affects every character, no matter how seemingly insignificant their role may be.

While the movie does suffer from uneven pacing, it delivers breathtaking visuals, immersive soundscapes, and an emotional narrative that makes the film feel more like an intimate experience. Ufotable successfully captured the essence of war, alongside how it treats our beloved demon slayers and even the demons themselves. The movie certainly deserves its success for it has set quite the stage and standards for the upcoming films in the series.

Tarannum Khondkar is a struggling student, fur mom, and a contributor at the Daily Star.