The first installment of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle‘s trilogy has just made its debut in the U.S. theaters, and it’s worth all the hype. The animation studio behind the series, Ufotable, is adapting the final arc in a trilogy film series, which caused a lot of controversy. However, with the series’ massive global fanbase, the film wasn’t just a worldwide blockbuster; it smashed several box office records both domestically and internationally. This is only just the beginning, and we still have two more upcoming films to look forward to. The story takes place inside the Infinity Castle, an endless labyrinth manifested into existence by the Biwa demon, Nakime’s Blood Demon Art.
The film’s opening scene was spectacular, as it sets the mood and hypes the audience for the long battle ahead. The first installment focuses on three major battles, and there’s more to come in the upcoming films. However, as incredible as the latest film was, there are just some things that are better adapted in a TV season. The first installment is only the beginning, and we will likely see the same issues in the other parts as well. Although Ufotable has done an incredible job on Infinity Castle, it would’ve been far better if it were a season.
Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga!
3) An Anime Season Would’ve Left Room for Original Scenes
We have learned from the Hashira Training Arc how well original scenes work for the series. Extended scenes always allow viewers to better understand the character, and also elevate the main story, which is the true purpose of an anime adaptation. However, the film’s fast pacing didn’t leave any room for original scenes, although it did extend the fights to make them seem more thrilling than the manga. Even so, it’s a lost opportunity when you realize the number of character depths that could’ve been explored through the backstories.
For example, the volume extra mentioned that the heir of the neighboring dojo in Hakuji’s (Akaza) backstory had feelings for Koyuki. When Hakuji was 16, the heir forcefully took Koyuki outside, and her health grew worse. Hakuji was furious after seeing that she would’ve died if he hadn’t found her. That wasn’t just the beginning of the rivalry between the Soryu and the neighboring dojos, but was also a crucial part in the budding romance between the series’ most tragic couple.
Had the anime been a TV season, the studio would’ve had more than enough space for adapting this part of the backstory, which would’ve allowed us to better understand the couple’s feelings for one another. Not to mention that the anime episodes usually have extra segments at the end that contain information about certain characters, most of which comes from volume extras. Since the anime film doesn’t include these moments, all this information will be unknown to anime-only fans.
2) The Infinity Castle Arc Has Too Many Battles to Adapt into a Film Trilogy
The several POV shifts happening in the anime just don’t work in a film format. The reason it played out well for Infinity Train is because of the fact that it was a simple mission to defeat the Lower Rank Six. After which, Akaza appeared to fight Rengoku, where the Flame Hashira lost his life. Not to mention that the entire arc is over in just 13 chapters. The film’s runtime is around 2 hours and 30 minutes, which is about the same time as the first installment of the Infinity Castle trilogy.
However, the first part adapts 17 chapters from the manga, which means adapting the four extra chapters in normal pacing would’ve resulted in a three-hour-long film, which just isn’t sustainable. The fast-paced nature of the Infinity Castle film does more harm than good, as evidenced by the removal of a crucial scene from Chapter 154, where Giyu strengthens his resolve to protect Tanjiro against all odds.
Giyu remembers his sister and Sabito, the two people who gave up their lives for him, which further fuels his desire not to let anyone else die in front of him. Removing this scene not only neglects his determination but also undermines his character development. Had it been a TV season, Ufotable would especially have no reason to completely exclude this scene.
1) Infinity Castle Arc Has Many Powerful Moments That Just Flew by in an Instant
The Infinity Castle is the battlefield where the final fight against the demons and the Corps members is taking place. All of them are engaging in the battle, which is thrilling and yet worrying at the same time. With so much happening around the entire castle, the audience doesn’t get enough time to comprehend the shocking moments before the POV changes completely. For example, Shinobu’s death should’ve been more heartbreaking considering she’s a fan-favorite character. The entire situation is even more emotional because of how Kanao Tsuyuri had to watch her die.
However, the scene is over in an instant, and the POV shifts to Zenitsu’s battle and then the fight against Akaza, where Giyu and Tanjiro have teamed up. Even Zenitsu’s fight and backstory would’ve worked so much better in the weekly episodes. It would’ve allowed stable pacing while keeping up the hype of the battle. Each fight could’ve been at least around 2-3 episodes, including the backstory, where we will forget about the overall chaos and just focus on that part of the story, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case at all.
With all this said, watching the Infinity Castle is an amazing experience on the big screen thanks to the stellar adaptation by Ufotable.
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