‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle’ Review – Cutting Through Demons Never Looked So Good
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is the first of a trilogy of films leading up to the ending of the Demon Slayer anime. Picking up immediately following the conclusion of the Hashira training arc, the Demon Slayer Corps now finds itself trapped within Muzan Kibutsuji’s dimensional fortress known as the Infinity Castle.
The Demon Slayer Corps is separated and forced to try to survive an onslaught of demon forces, with five upper ranks lurking somewhere within the confines of an environment that has no sunlight, has walls and structures that are constantly changing, and distorts gravity.
Three major battles are showcased over the course of the film: Shinobu Kocho’s encounter with Upper Rank Two Doma, Zenitsu Agatsuma’s fight with Upper Rank Six Kaigaku, and Tanjiro Kamado and Giyu Tomioka’s war with the returning Upper Rank Three Akaza.
Like Mugen Train, Infinity Castle isn’t going to change your opinion of Demon Slayer. The anime is four seasons deep at this point and, while you probably don’t need to know everything before watching Infinity Castle, it’s best to have at least a familiarity with the world and the characters before jumping in blind.
Weirdly enough, Infinity Castle’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. One of the things that has been a big turn-off with modern anime is the inclusion of lengthy speeches that are meant to be heartfelt but often come across as corny, as well as major characters crying every time they appear on screen (a notable example is Deku in My Hero Academia). The narrative of the film explodes in depth while the action is slowed down rather than enhanced.
Tanjiro’s memory of his father’s interaction with the bear during one unforgettable, snowy night results in one of the film’s most extraordinary revelations, but Tanjiro is also just watching Giyu get pummeled by Akaza in the meantime. Similarly, Akaza’s past and respective memories are arguably one of Infinity Castle’s highlights, but he’s also just standing around and walking around slowly during his fight with Tanjiro and Giyu, who never take that opportunity to capitalize.
And honestly, there’s a little bit of that in Infinity Castle. Most of the heartfelt moments hit their mark, but some characters come off as a little too emotional or overdramatic. One of the things that makes Inosuke Hashibira such an entertaining character is that his personality seems to poke fun at that aspect, and it’s always hilarious.
The character development in the film is portrayed through several poignant sequences. Infinity Castle is two and a half hours long, and it’s a needed duration to make you feel and understand these characters. This is a mostly complimentary statement, as seeing the flashbacks and pasts of the demons and relationships behind the battles is what makes them emotionally satisfying rather than just an all-out bloodfest.
The frustrating element is that sometimes Infinity Castle gets carried away with inner monologues and characters being haunted by their past. The pace of the film is disrupted, but it also allows viewers a moment to absorb the emotional gravity of the story before returning to the action.
It’s all for the audience’s benefit but, if we’re looking at it in real time, some of these characters have to be standing around for ten minutes or more with nobody attacking them. Tension in the film constantly resets, but it also allows for the opportunity to visualize the narrative’s rhythm and, hopefully, enhances the overall experience.
There are also moments where a flashback ends and Infinity Castle transitions back to the action, only to dive into another flashback after two sword strikes or two punches. It’s become the Demon Slayer formula, but it’s as much of a payoff as it is a setback. Character motivation is fantastic, but waiting half an hour for a buffet of decapitations is the equivalent of action junkie blue balls.
What’s interesting is that even though the relationships in each of the battles of Infinity Castle are different, they’re all driven by revenge of some kind. Doma and Kaigaku are cool characters, but it’s easy to be invested in hoping Shinobu and Zenitsu win those encounters.
The Akaza fight is more complicated. He killed Rengoku in Mugen Train, and Tanjiro has been seeking vengeance ever since, but Infinity Train spends a lot of time on Akaza’s back story, and it’s so good. His drive to become stronger is unreal, and his past is incredibly tragic. This wave of ambivalence washes over you because you want Tanjiro and Giyu to succeed, but you also want to see more of Akaza.
And the action is as impressive, if not slightly more so, than it’s ever been for something Demon Slayer related. Infinity Castle features significantly more 3D animation due to the film’s environment and its consistently changing landscape.
The Infinity Castle itself has somewhat of an Inception feel to it, with its many rotating structures; what are walls and floors one minute become ceilings or cease to exist the next, and its never-ending nature. The Infinity Castle transforms into new shapes, much like a Rubik’s Cube, constantly rotating from all angles and expanding in size. The unpredictable structure is like dealing with an environment that is alive.
But the 3D environment allows breathing styles to stand out even more. The water-breathing technique already resembles Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa painting, but, complemented with the more realistic animation of the Infinity Castle, allows anything traditionally animated or with more prominent black outlines to stand out on the screen.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is easily one of the most action-packed and gorgeously animated films of the year. Demon Slayer, in general, has a unique style to its animation that allows every movement to be devastatingly memorable.
Infinity Castle has an absorbing story, vastly interesting characters, and a finale that closes one exciting chapter while teasing the next and possibly bloodier one.
NEXT: ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Review – A Thriller That Exceeds In Predictability
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle (2025), Crunchyroll
PROS
- Unbelievable animation.
- Enthralling story.
- Characters you're deeply invested in.
CONS
- Demon Slayer purposely stretches out getting to actual bloodshed and major battles.
- The character development is excellent but it’s also prioritized over delivering action in a timely fashion.
- Characters sometimes suffer from emotional exaggeration and elongated dialogue.
