A masterpiece that makes you feel the power of life once again! A complete 155-minute review of 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Part 1' that made me cry three times and shook me to my core🔥

I couldn't stop the tears...
The day their screams taught me the meaning of life.

Good morning, this is Tenmame.

Right now, I am still in the afterglow of shock and emotion.

It is a kind of 'tremor' that has been shaking deep within my heart ever since I finished watching 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Part 1: Akaza's Return'.

The second key visual released before the premiere.
Tanjiro's reflection in Akaza's eyes and the tagline 'It's time for the banquet.'
My heart was already captured by the 'heat' contained in that single image.
From that moment on, my heart had already been thrown into the battle.

And the moment I faced the screen.
An overwhelming experience that far surpassed my imagination made my body tremble.

The animation was just insane.
I was completely blown away by the phenomenal expression that stunned anime fans around the world.

'This is not just a battle anime.'

Top-tier Japanese animators poured their souls into creating it,
the voice actors delivered breathtaking, god-tier performances that tore at the heart,
and the characters, imbued with life, moved dynamically in every direction.

'This is truly a clash of lives.'

Having finished watching, I am convinced of that from the bottom of my heart.

Today, I want to deliver my fastest impressions review of
'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Part 1: Akaza's Return', which I want adults—no, people of all ages—to see from the bottom of their hearts,
with all my heart.

Sold out from the first day—the heat filled the theater.

The first day of screening. The afternoon showing was sold out.

There was already a long line in the lobby.
'An incredible work is about to begin right now.'
Even before it started, my heart was restless.

How much this series has been loved by so many people.
That 'intensity' was palpable in the atmosphere of the entire theater.

The expectations of every single audience member enveloped the space like a flame.

The reason I felt like crying even before watching was surely because I touched this 'heat'.

Animation that exceeds expectations—ufotable's seriousness.

The level of perfection in the animation was already in the realm of 'art'.

The production is by ufotable, which needs no introduction.
With that name attached, the bar was high from the start.
And yet, they easily cleared even that.

The smoothness of the characters' movements.
The precision of the effects when techniques are unleashed.
The delicate gradation of light and shadow depicted in the background.

In the battle scenes, the clash of techniques
pierced sharply into both my vision and my emotions.

While watching, I kept thinking,
'Just how many tens of thousands of frames of animation is this made of...'

To that extent, every single frame was 'carefully loved'.
I had no choice but to be completely overwhelmed by its breathtaking beauty.

How much has this work, already praised for its 'divine animation' in the TV series, evolved on the stage of the theater?
The answer to that was packed into every one of those 155 minutes.
The answer was packed into every single one of those 155 minutes.

The visuals of the Infinity Castle are like an otherworldly attraction.

Perhaps this is what it meant to be 'swallowed by another dimension'.
That was the first sensation I felt when watching this movie.

The stage of the Infinity Castle is not just a background.
That space itself was a 'character'.

Floors and ceilings flipping around in every direction.
A feeling of weightlessness as if gravity had been lost.
My field of vision twisted in an instant, and even my senses were snatched away.

The precision of the background art, the depth of the 3DCG, and above all, the 'movement' are staggering.
It was as if the Infinity Castle itself was breathing, undulating, and constantly changing.

The battles of the characters flying through this space are also a masterpiece.
They aren't just 'fighting'.
They are 'surviving' within an otherworldly space.

The Infinity Castle is closing in on this side of the screen.
It was the first time in my life I had ever experienced such a sensation.

The 'immersive movie' I felt in IMAX—the sound shook my body.

The fact that I watched this movie in IMAX.
That in itself became my greatest 'treasure'.

The endless space of the Infinity Castle projected onto a giant screen.
From one end to the other, every single frame was precise, beautiful, and vivid.

Every single blow unleashed by the characters.
An overwhelming 'sense of presence' where you could even feel the wind pressure.

But what shook me even more was the 'sound'.

The roar of a demon.
The sharp metallic sound of blades clashing.
The thunderous roar of explosions.
The feeling of the air trembling.

All of that resonated not in my ears, but in my 'body'.

The sound system made the seats shake, my chest ring, and even the floor beneath my feet vibrate.
I didn't 'enter' the movie.
I was 'enveloped' by the movie itself.

This work is undoubtedly a 'movie that should be seen in a theater'.
If possible, in IMAX.
No, I don't think you can fully experience 'that battle' unless it's in IMAX.

※There are spoilers from this point on.

And, at the end of those three battles, I cried.

1. Shinobu Kocho vs. Doma
I wept at the 'resolve' that burned through life and the 'inheritance of love'

The first time tears overflowed was during the battle between Shinobu Kocho and Doma.

I believe that was less of a battle and more of a 'passing of the soul'.

Shinobu, who staked her life to challenge Doma, the enemy of her sister Kanae.
Her body was coursing with the 'poison' she had spent a long time preparing within herself.

What she chose was a way of fighting that assumed her own death.

Shinobu wasn't just fighting a demon.

She was fighting her own 'limits,' the 'feelings' that needed to be passed on,
and the very future of the comrades who would survive.

The wish left behind by her sister Kanae: 'I want you to become a kind person.'
Holding that in her heart, Shinobu moved beyond anger and quietly drove her blade into the core of Doma.

That sight was so precious.
Her back, as she fought while crying as if in prayer, looked like the pinnacle of 'humanity' more than anything else.

And that feeling certainly reached Kanao.

It didn't end in just death.
I witnessed the miracle of the 'inheritance of feelings' on the screen.

I was also overwhelmed by the soul put into the performances by the voice actors.

Mamoru Miyano, who played Doma.
That bright, manic tension.
The coldness and malice lurking in his lighthearted tone.
That gap highlighted the 'terror' of Doma's existence.

And Saori Hayami, who played Shinobu Kocho.
Deep within that soft voice, there resided quiet anger and profound sorrow.

Their final confrontation with Doma.
With every line of dialogue brimming with uncontrollable emotion,
I found myself wiping away tears streaming down my cheeks before I even realized it.

2. Zenitsu Agatsuma vs. Kaigaku
The reunion of student and master, and I wept at the 'Seventh Form of Thunder Breathing'

The second time I cried was during the moment of Zenitsu's awakening and his reunion with his master.

Kaigaku, his former senior disciple who had fallen into becoming a demon.
His words were cynical from start to finish,
saying 'power is justice' and 'I wanted to become strong even if it meant becoming a demon.'

But Zenitsu was different.
Because he knows fear, he can commit himself to the resolve of 'protecting people' more than anyone else.

And what shook my heart more than anything in this battle
was the scene where he conversed with the phantom of his master, Jigoro Kuwajima.

'Gramps, watch me.'

Holding back his tears, Zenitsu made a vow.
To the soul of his master, who felt responsible for his disciple becoming a demon and chose to commit seppuku alone,
he had now come to settle all the scores.

And then, he unleashed the secret technique that Zenitsu had 'created himself'.
Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami (Flaming Thunder God).

A flash of lightning.
The moment he, who had been more cowardly than anyone, created his own 'form'
and surpassed his limits, my tear ducts completely burst.

It was not just a 'technique,' but a 'way of life'.

And then, after the battle, Zenitsu loses consciousness,
and while standing on the brink of death, he reunites with 'that person' in his dreams.

Jigoro Kuwajima. He speaks quietly to Zenitsu.

'You are my pride.'

At those words, Zenitsu wept.
In this moment, having reached it by overcoming his own weakness, his past, and his fear, he was finally able to make amends.

I was crying along with Zenitsu, moved by the joy, the kindness, and the affirmation he had always wanted, which he was finally able to 'show' to Gramps.

I cannot help but think that those tears were,
for his life, the most precious 'reward' of all.

③ Tanjiro & Giyu vs. Akaza
A clash of souls where techniques, feelings, and the past collide

This battle, which could be called the core of this work, was truly a 'battle born to be seen in a theater'.

Buildings crumble,
rubble flies,
flames dance,
and water surges.

The flames of Tanjiro's Hinokami Kagura.
The surging of Giyu's Water Breathing.
And Akaza's Destructive Death.

Every time these three distinct techniques collided, the space trembled, my breath hitched, and it was a series of overwhelming moments as if the 'gods of war' had descended onto the screen.

This is not just an anime battle.
The pasts they have carried and the feelings entrusted to them collide fiercely.
A collision of soul against soul.

I held my breath at every single collision,
clinching my fists.

And one must not forget the direction of the 'Infinity Castle' as an otherworldly space.

As the floors flip, walls become ceilings, and common sense collapses,
Tanjiro and the others fight as if they are whittling away their lives.

The perspective rotates, the camera pierces through the space, techniques penetrate buildings, the field of vision twists, and it even raises the heart rate of the viewer.

'They actually drew this...'
That surprise and admiration pierced my heart again and again.

And then...

Here, the third wave of tears arrives.

It was Akaza's 'final moments'.

Even as he was cornered by Tanjiro and Giyu, Akaza still tried to stand up. The moment I saw that, I felt that something more than just strength was dwelling within him.

Why does he keep fighting this hard?

And then, his past is revealed.

Once, Akaza spent peaceful days with a woman named Koyuki. And the promise of marriage they shared. The night of the fireworks. He couldn't protect that happiness with his own hands. In addition to his father choosing to die by suicide in his sickbed, the regret and despair of losing her and his master in an instant drove him to become a demon.

'I never want to lose anyone again,' 'If I'm not strong, I can't protect anyone.'

That single-minded desire consumed Akaza's 'entire existence'.

However, that very strength deepened his loneliness and created destruction. Even after his head was severed, Akaza continued to question the meaning of his fight.

In his final vision, Koyuki comes to welcome him. In that scene, Akaza shed tears, roared, and then turned to dust.

I cried, stifling my voice.

Memories of his lover, Koyuki. The existence that accepted him. The past he wanted to protect. And the regret of not being able to protect it.

Everything was connected to his craving for 'strength'.

Akaza was not just an enemy. He was not just a villain.

In his final moments, I truly felt the 'pain of being human'.

'Even a demon was seeking love.'

I nodded quietly, realizing that this is the poignant truth that this work teaches us.

And then, Akira Ishida, the voice actor who played Akaza. That wailing, that scream, that sorrow.

To think that there is someone in this world who can portray the existence of Akaza—a demon who exuded more 'humanity' than anyone else—so three-dimensionally with just his voice... I was simply overwhelmed.

In the final scene, Akaza's soul quietly returns.
In that moment, along with the tremor in Ishida-san's voice,
my own heart was tightly constricted.

Can a 'voice' really move a person's heart this much?
Yes, it was a time that reminded me of that all over again.

Each and every life resided within those voices.
The voice actors' performances didn't just 'tell' the story,
they 'lived' within it.

This is a record of the souls of those who lived.

Feeling that way after watching it, I took a quiet deep breath,
and couldn't bring myself to leave my seat.

The 'heat' that dwells in every being supporting the story
The soul was in the details

Along with the three main battles in this first chapter, what warmed my heart more than anything was the strength of the feelings of all these 'beings'.

For example, the children of the Ubuyashiki family.

Especially the desperate command of Kiriya Ubuyashiki.
The weight of the 'future' he carried on his small back made me want to press my hands together in prayer from across the screen.

His voice, as someone who took on the position of leading the Hashira at such a young age, exuded the calmness and resolve of a successor, releasing a startling strength within the quiet scenes.

Also, the flight of the Kasugai Crows delivering emergency messages and the desperate actions of the Demon Slayer Corps members. The spark of life also resided in the 'nameless ones' who support the Hashira's battles.

For instance, Murata-san, the corps member who used Water Breathing just a little bit in the battle scene.

He is a humorous character who has appeared many times since the beginning, but he joined Tanjiro and the others in their fight in this Infinity Castle Arc, risking his life, and in that figure, I felt a sense of chivalry to 'protect someone'.

I also cannot forget the figure of Yushiro, who silently continues to provide support in a corner of the Infinity Castle, keeping Tamayo's dying wish in his heart. The gap between him trying to keep Zenitsu alive while calmly stating the severity of the situation is interesting.

Even so, while carrying a deep sense of loss, his back as he supports the battle by turning those feelings into technique and wisdom truly carried 'Tamayo's will'.

Also, Sakonji Urokodaki, who was looking after Nezuko Kamado, exuded a profound presence. Despite his very brief appearance, that gravelly, quiet voice.
The moment Hochu Otsuka's voice resonated, there was a feeling as if the center of gravity of the entire story had tightened downward.

Urokodaki-san is Tanjiro's master and the one who has continued to protect Nezuko's life.
How much depth his quiet demeanor and deep gaze have given to the work. Every time I watch it, my heart is shaken by that 'silent strength'.

And then, the strongest and worst enemy... Muzan.
His 'quiet eeriness' also stood out.
Through the direction and camera work unique to the theatrical version, the atmosphere of the scene changes with just a single glance.
An overwhelming 'dread' approaches before words can even be spoken.
That presence made my spine freeze.

And then, the Hashira.
The Hashira other than Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka were also fighting for their lives in their respective places.

Sanemi Shinazugawa's solitary fighting spirit.
Muichiro Tokito's sharpness and momentary silence.
Gyomei Himejima's prayer-like strength.

And Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro holding hands.
That moment of warmth where their feelings intersected was a single ray of light shining into the fierce battle.

It was in those 'moments when they weren't the protagonists' that
I felt the soul of the organization called the 'Demon Slayer Corps'.

I realized once again that there is no such thing as a 'mob' in this story.

Every character has a story that is theirs alone.
All of them are connected by a single thread of 'connecting lives'.

I wanted to give a round of applause from the bottom of my heart to the production team for breathing soul into not just the center of the story, but every single person surrounding it.

For these 155 minutes, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for even a second.

The density of the combat is incredibly high. It feels like the climax happens over and over again.

What comes after each battle ends is not relief, but a rising sense of tension and resolve, knowing that 'there is more to come' and 'there is a next time'.

I pumped my fist in the air in my heart many times.
Over and over, I watched them fight for their lives while quietly clenching my fists.

Toward the end, the entire theater held its breath as we watched the screen.
That sense of silence and exhilaration shared by the whole theater.
I will surely never forget it.

After three rounds of tears, I was asked a question.

What is life?
What does it mean to fight?
What does it mean to care for someone?

Every battle in this film was a matter of life and death.
Yet, they were not just 'fights'.

Everything was fueled by 'feelings for someone'.
Those feelings were the very reason for fighting.

That is precisely why the question is thrown at my own soul as I watch.

I cried three times in just one movie.
But it wasn't that I was 'just made to cry', but rather,
because 'the depths of my heart were shaken'.

After I finished watching, I thought quietly.

I am truly glad I encountered this work.

It leaves a lingering feeling that feels like a beginning, not an end.

Overall, 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Part 1' was,
truly a 'pinnacle of the soul' that exceeded all expectations.

Shinobu's final moments.
Zenitsu's tears.
Akaza's scream.
The intensity of the battle.
The passion in the voice acting.
The sound and light of IMAX.
That experience that pierced through all five senses.

During the 155 minutes of this film, I feel like I was constantly staring at the word 'life'.

The anxiety about the adaptation because I knew the original work, and the expectations too.
Everything turned into 'gratitude' after the screening.

Thank you for depicting it this far.
Thank you for showing me this brilliance of life.

I whispered that to myself in the depths of my heart many times.

Something that shakes the heart, stirs the spirit, and guides the way.

What this 'Infinity Castle Arc Part 1' taught me was the question of
'Why do people fight?'
and 'Why do people strive to live?'

Each person's 'feelings' transform from mere strength
into the act of dedicating one's life for the sake of another.

And through that display, it poses a question to us, the viewers.

How do you want to live?

The answer is different for everyone.

Yet, those 155 minutes certainly left 'something' within me.

It was not pain, nor was it sadness.
It was a fragment of light, like a prayer, saying, 'I want to believe in life.'

Onward to Part 2 and Part 3. This emotional journey is still continuing.

I can say this without a doubt.
This film is the greatest masterpiece of the series.

At the same time,
a certain premonition that 'this is still just the prologue' sent a shiver down my spine.

What comes next is the battle against Doma, the death struggle with Kokushibo, and the final showdown with Muzan.

Shinobu's feelings, Rengoku's soul—those who carry it all,
what future will they choose?

I have made the resolve to witness what lies ahead on the big screen.

And if I may wish for one thing,
I want to share 'that tremor' once more, somewhere,
with every audience member who was there.

Lastly, to you who read this review.

If there is anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I absolutely want you to watch this work 'in a theater'.

If possible, in IMAX. Please, receive that experience where sound and light shake your soul with your 'entire being'.

And to those who have already seen it,
please tell me the emotions that remained in your heart.
If someone's words can 'resonate' again through this review, there would be nothing that makes me happier.

On the day the new chapter begins,
let's shake our hearts together once more.

Tenmame