The global anime phenomenon,Demon Slayer, is nearing its endgame. Crunchyroll and Aniplex recently announced that the anime series will soon adapt the final arc ofKoyoharu Gotouge’s celebrated manga series. The “Infinity Castle Arc” concludes the epic saga,showcasing Tanjiro Kamado(Natsuki Hanae) and the Demon Slayer Corps' final battle with the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji (Toshihiko Seki).Demon Slayer’sSeason 4 finale, “Hashira Unite,” sets the stage for the grand ending of the anime series. However, Aniplex will be doing things a bit differently to conclude the anime series.The “Infinity Castle Arc” will be adapted as an epic three-part trilogy of filmsthat will be hitting theaters at a later date.
The upcoming trilogy representsthe final arc and culmination of the shōnen anime series. The news of bringing the conclusion of the series to the screen as a trilogy of films was shocking. It’s a bold move by Ufotable, Crunchyroll, and Aniplex. While it certainly guarantees the ending ofDemon Slayerwill be a huge theatrical event with no less than three films,the Infinity Castle movie trilogy does provoke ambivalent feelings. Presenting the finale of the storyline as a movie trilogy potentially risks disrupting the flow of the series and over-saturating the anime.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
‘Demon Slayer’ Has a Bit of Experience With Theatrical Properties
EndingDemon Slayerwith three theatrical films is an excessive strategy. Now, some credit is due for how Aniplex, Crunchyroll, and Ufotable have handled the franchise so far.Demon Slayerhas become nothing short of a global phenomenon, with a worldwide fanbase. Crunchyroll and Aniplex have seen great success with the previous theatrical releases of theDemon Slayersaga. The first theatricalDemon Slayermovie,Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train, was a global box office smash,grossing $453 million at the worldwide box office, with $49.5 million coming from domestic U.S. ticket sales. Not to mention, the film was released in theaters during a global pandemic with many parts of the world on lockdown or under various COVID-19 restrictions.
There have been other theatrical releases ofDemon SlayersinceMugen Train, includingTo the Swordsmith VillageandTo the Hashira Training. However, those were more or less glorified season premieres for their respective seasonal arcs compared toMugen Train, which adapted Chapters 54–66 of Gotouge’s manga series.Mugen Traintransformed that arc into a single, digestible, feature-length cinematic experience, and it did so exceptionally well, coming in at nearly two hours in length.Mugen Trainwas an actual movie adapting a complete arc from the manga series, while theother theatrical releases were episodic premiere events.
Mugen Trainbeautifully adapted Gotouge’s storyline into a theatrical event, and it was the perfect way to transitionthe anime seriesfrom its first season to the second. Since there was not quite enough material to turnMugen Traininto a full season of television, it was turned into a movie instead, acting as a bridge for fans between the first season, which introduced the main characters and conflict and set up the next major seasonal arc, the “Entertainment District Arc.” That is not usually the strategy that is taken when adapting popular works into anime form, but it paid off in dividends. The wait forMugen Trainwas the perfect way to satiate fans who had been dying for moreDemon Slayersince the first season ended as they were waiting for the next season. Opting to go a three-movie route for the finale is a different beast altogether.
The Seasonal TV Format for ‘Demon Slayer’ Is More Traditional
Mugen Trainwas a special circumstance and was a limited stretch of Gotouge’s manga storyline. With the trilogy plan, Ufotable and Aniplex are now locked into this strategy. One concern is thatit might cause too much of a good thing.Mugen Trainessentially caught lightning in a bottle, and it feels like the producers want to recreate that success. That perfect storm probably will not come again due to the circumstances aroundMugen Train’srelease, plus the break thattook place after the first season.
Deciding to place the entire Infinity Castle storyline into three theatrical filmsrather than building up to one theatrical movieevent is a huge gamble.Demon Slayerfans have largely been conditioned to watch most of the storyunfold in an episodic television format. Other thanMugen Train, the otherDemon Slayertheatrical releases were special episodic events rather than actual feature-length experiences. Turning the climactic storyline into three separate theatrical films could disrupt the flow of the storyline for longtimeDemon Slayerviewers.
Turning the “Infinity Castle” Storyline Into Three Films Could Cause Various Production Issues
Now, the trilogy movie gamble may pay off. However, adapting an epic saga such asDemon Slayerinto a three-part theatrical film trilogycould cause a number of production issuesand delays as a result of the expanded resources and canvas needed to create an animated theatrical experience.One recent anime industryexample of how this might play is whenHideaki Annorebooted the iconicNeon Genesis Evangelionfranchise with a series of four theatrical films titledRebuild of Evangelion. The first movie,Evangelion 1.0: You Are Not Alone, was released in 2007. The second installment, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, was released on a relatively timely basis in 2009.
The delays and creative issues started to show for the third movie, hitting theaters much later than intended in 2012 forEvangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo. As creatorHideaki Annodescribed ata press conferenceforShin Godzillain 2016, “Evangelioncan only be described as my soul. It’s a work that chips off parts of me.” Working on theRebuild of Evangelionfilms was such an emotionally draining experience for Anno, that he nearly abandoned the fourth film afterEvangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. The filmmaker continued, “Up until then, after doing the third entry,Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, I thought I wasn’t going to make anymore.”
WhileShin Godzillaoffered Anno an opportunity to creatively recharge his batteries forEvangelion, working on that film pushed back the production of the finalRebuild of EvangelionfeatureEvangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Timewas finally released in theaters nine years after the previous entry. Granted, theEvangelionexample isa very extreme one. The point is that theatrical animation production takes time. It’s more time-consuming, labor-intensive, costs more money, and it’s harder to pull off. The producers and animators at Ufotable are true artisans, andthe work they’ve achieved so far withDemon Slayeris visual poetry. They undoubtedly will want to surpass their already exceptional work for a theatrical trilogy. However, a theatrical trilogy risks a potential burnout of the animators or the sheer ambition of adapting the final arc as three movies could cause potential unforeseen delays. Hopefully, that will not be the case here, but it is still a cause for concern.
The Shinazugawa Brothers Reunite in New ‘Demon Slayer’ Season 4 Poster
Tanjiro Kamado is preparing for the final fights against Muzan Kibutsuji.
‘Demon Slayer’ Will Reach Its Epic Conclusion
Conversely, the brain trust behindDemon Slayerhas done a wonderful jobadapting the series so far. With that in mind, Ufotable, Aniplex, and Crunchyroll have earnedthe benefit of the doubt with the theatrical trilogy plan. Hopefully, everything will work out for the best, and fans will be dazzled by the final chapters of Tanjiro Kamado’s story.The good news is that Gotouge’s manga series is already complete, so the animators have an invaluable North Star to follow.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibais available to stream on Crunchyroll in the U.S., along with all the previous seasons and theMugen Trainmovie.
