Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
With: Natsuki Hanae, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
You’re either already on the “Demon Slayer” train or you’re not, and the hit Japanese feature — arriving stateside having surpassed “Spirited Away” as the highest-grossing anime movie of all time — is hardly the vehicle for the popular franchise to pick up new passengers. That doesn’t mean the action-packed toon won’t appeal to those curious to check out the sensation that has earned more than $ million internationally. But it will be hard for newbies to follow a fan-service sequel that relies heavily on the complex mythology established by the -episode show.
Produced by the same team at Ufotable, “Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train” looks even more rudimentary than its smallscreen counterpart, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” which has amassed a cult following among Funimation, Crunchyroll and Netflix subscribers in the U.S. The slight downgrade in quality may come as a surprise to those expecting slicker visuals from the theatrical blockbuster. At times, the imagery hardly qualifies as animation, coming across as a sequence of still drawings.
“Mugen Train” is more than just a bridge to the forthcoming second season, due out this year. The film depicts an important step in the development of its four young protagonists — orphan Tanjiro; his demon sister Nezuko, whom he carries in a wooden box on his back; girl-crazy Zenitsu; and absurd-looking Inosuke with his bare chest and boar’s head mask (all voiced by the original cast).
This overconfident quartet spent most of the show nearly getting themselves killed as they tried to fend off low-level foes. Now, they face not one but two of the world’s most powerful demons, known as Kizuki, though they’d be toast without the help of a skilled mentor, Kyojuro Rengoku, who takes the lead while the others are stuck in a dreamlike trance.
“Demon Slayer” devotees swear by its characters and oddball sense of humor, but are most appreciative of the show’s dynamic fight scenes, which are frequent and creatively choreographed. The battles come at a fairly constant clip, while leaving plenty of room for goofing off along the way.
The feature doesn’t reintroduce the demon slayers, but assumes a certain familiarity, getting right down to business once Tanjiro and friends board the titular Mugen Train: a cross-country transport whose passengers become easy targets for the Kizuki who has infiltrated the locomotive. Demons, who are described as former humans who’ve turned evil in exchange for immortality, gain power by eating people, whereas demon slayers are mere mortals sworn to protect the world from the bloodthirsty creatures.
Think of these four as amateur Ghostbusters, or a teenage team of vampire hunters, whose well-intentioned incompetence often proves endearing. Followers will find it essential viewing, while others may want to backtrack and watch the series first, lest this phenomenon pass them by.
CREDITS: (Animated — Japan) An Aniplex, Shueisha, Ufotable presentation of an Ufotable production. Producers: Masanori Miyake, Yuma Takahashi, Hikaru Kondo. Director: Haruo Sotozaki. Screenplay: Ufotable. Story: Koyoharu Gotoge. Editor: Manabu Kamino. Music: Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina. Reviewed online, Los Angeles, March 13, 2021. Running time: 117 MIN. Voices: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Satoshi Hino, Daisuke Hirakawa