Anime films have been instrumental in detailing key moments of the source manga that could otherwise interrupt the flow of the anime—a prominent example being Jujutsu Kaisen 0, but it’s hardly alone. In some cases, the film adds supplemental information to the series, while in others, it’s essential to the story moving forward—such was the case for Demon Slayer.
On October 16, 2020, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train was released and went on to become not only the highest grossing Japanese film of all time, but also the highest grossing film of 2020. It brought in a total of $504 million at the worldwide box office, despite being released in the dead heat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film picks up right where season one of the anime left off, as we see Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Nezuko board the train in order to assist Rengoku with his mission. They soon find out that the train has been taken over by the lower demon Emmu, who has fused himself with the train and cast a spell on those in it.
What’s interesting about this is that the movie also found its way into the highly anticipated second season of the show. The first part of season 2 deconstructed the movie into 7 twenty-minute episodes that expanded on the information we received from the movie. The Mugen Train arc featured scenes of Rengoku before he got on the train and gave us insight into his family and upbringing—chilling details that we didn’t see in the film. The arc also expanded upon the crucial fight scene between Akaza and Rengoku, which saw an entire episode dedicated to it.
There was some controversy about the inclusion of the arc into the season, some viewing it as filler and preferring to jump straight into the Entertainment District, but the choice inclusions did add more overall, even if you had already seen the movie. Either way, movie or series, is a fine medium to consume the story, and if you choose both, the downside would be having to watch Rengoku die twice … too soon?
(featured image: Ufotable)
