Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba): The Movie-Mugen Train

Tanjiro Kamado and his team of newly minted Demon Slayers are dispatched to aid one of the high ranking Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, in tracking down a demon using the train for its killing ground.  Once on board, everyone finds themselves under the dream like powers of the demon Enmu.  In order to save a train of helpless civilians, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke must fight their way through their own dreams and come to grips with the path that’s lead them to this point.  Aboard the Mugen Train, Demons and Demon Slayers will cross blades and only those with the bravest hearts and wills of iron will survive.

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) was the undisputed newcomer champion when it hit the Anime scene in 2019.  The story of a young boy seeking to avenge his family and cure his sister of her demon ailment seemed to resonate greatly with the Anime community and its popularity boomed both in Japan and in the United States.  It’s quickly become as big a heavy hitter as My Hero Academia in a short amount of time and Studio Ufotable wastes no time striking while the iron is hot.  Granted, they could’ve just given us Season Two.  Instead, they’ve opted to continue the saga of Tanjiro and Nezuko with a feature length adaptation of a relatively shorter arc in the overall narrative.  It takes a minute to get going but once this train really picks up steam, Demon Slayer’s big screen debut has you and will not let go right up to the films final moments.
 
Picking up exactly where Season One of the TV Series left off, Mugen Train runs with the assumption that you’ve watched everything before hand because there’s not much of a refresher course nor a beginners guide for newcomers.  This is a double edged sword to me since a complaint I had about My Hero Academia’s first movie, Two Heroes, was that it spent too much time on backstory from the TV Series rather than trying to stand on its own like its eventual sequel did.  You get a basic understanding of brave and kind Tanjiro, eternal chronic worrier Zenitsu and wild and rage filled Inosuke as well as hyper dramatic newcomer Rengoku, one of the elite Hashira warriors who’s on a whole other level of skill than Tanjiro’s crew.  Still, why theyre on this train, on this quest at all or even the story of Nezuko and her demon state isn’t explained properly for anyone new to the series.  So my advice: watch Season One first but trust me-Demon Slayer is a great show and you’ll blow through the first season pretty fast.  The film does have some pacing problems in the beginning and, personally, I didn’t think Mugen Train needed to be two hours long (an hour and a half maybe but not two).  Sometimes it feels padded but once the good stuff kicked in, I suddenly stopped thinking about the negative and just focused on the positive.
 
The Demon Slayer TV Series already had a plus in having Studio Ufotable handling its animation.  So it already had a movie level quality to its look and if their work on the Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel Trilogy has proven anything: if Ufotable can make TV shows look like feature films, then they can make feature films look like an evolution of the medium.  2D characters and 3D environments are blended together in a nearly flawless fashion, better than many attempts you see in Anime that either look half assed or uneven.  The titular Mugen Train reminded me of the legendary Galaxy Express 999 and getting to see Tanjiro and team hack their way through its demon infested material was fun (sword fights on trains in Anime hardly ever disappoint).  There are some extra surprises I wont talk about in regards to the Mugen Train but let’s just say the train gets a terrifying upgrade leading to the middle portion of the movie that really hammers in how well done the horror/monster element of Demon Slayer is handled.  As for the action, Ufotable’s done more than enough Fate/Stay Night adaptations to prove they’re the best when it comes to anything involving rapid movements, swords and Dragon Ball Z levels of explosions.  The fight scenes in Mugen Train left me in total awe, stars in my eyes and everything.  The final battle between Rengoku and a last minute arrival might be one of the greatest duels in Anime of all time and more than worth the price of admission.  I could nitpick the fact that one more villain is thrown in seemingly at the last minute but considering his fight with the fire wielding Rengoku pretty much trounces any action scene before it, I’m willing to overlook it.
 
Rengoku really does shine beyond the gorgeous fight scenes.  His moments with Tanjiro and the boys invoke feelings of a mentorship I kind of wish had gotten started much sooner in the TV Show.  For a movie though, he brings a lot of heart, levity and gravitas (dude cant speak on any level lower than dramatic, with a lot of pauses every five or so words).  He works well with Tanjiro, who continues to show why he’s one of the most loveable leads in recent Anime.  Even when faced with unwilling human henchman of lead villain, Enmu, Tanjiro can still find ways to not just flat out eliminate them.  The journey into Tanjiro’s dream and seeing him reunite with his long dead family is nothing short of heartbreaking and a reminder of how much sorrow set Tanjiro on the path to becoming a Demon Slayer in the first place.  Tanjiro continues to be the heart of the story with good reason and he’s got plenty to show in Mugen Train.  Fan favorite Nezuko doesn’t get as much screentime as I hoped she would but she steals the show a couple of times.  Zenitsu is still Zenitsu, you either love him or hate him at this point (I lean towards the latter with all of his screaming).  Surprisingly, it’s Inosuke who gets some of the better character moments of the movie, growing a bit beyond his bull headed nature due to the epic situation he and the others find themselves in.  Rest assured, everyone gets a moment to show off why they’ve become such a popular crew in Anime and no one disappoints.
 
Ignoring the fact that it might leave newcomers with a lot of catching up to do, Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba): The Movie-Mugen Train, is a truly epic tale worthy of seeing on the big screen.  The loveable leads continue to show theyre worthy of the communities love.  The new mentor figure shines and kicks the most ass of anyone in the Demon Slayer saga so far.  And Studio Ufotable once again proves it should just animate every single Anime project from here til the end of time…ok that’s too much but I love their work, they haven’t disappointed me yet.  While the story needs a minute to kick into gear, the sheer spectacle, action and character work pick up that slack and make you forget about it, especially when it comes time for the final battle.  Like I said, it’s been a while since a fight has left me speechless.  Demon Slayer has earned its rep for a reason and Mugen Train exemplifies why that is: it’s gorgeous, exciting, heavy on the familial feels and a jaw dropping spectacle when it really wants to be.  No wonder in spite of a few flaws this became the Highest Grossing Movie of 2020…if any Anime was gonna pull off that feat, I’m so happy it was Demon Slayer.
 
8/10