'Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village' movie review: Classic Japanese manga anime magnified on the big screen

Demon Slayer still

Film: Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village
Cast (English voice): Zach Aguilar, Laila Berzins, Kira Buckland
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 110 mins

Demon Slayer based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, has captured anime fans across the world. With two seasons and a feature film, the series now heads into its third arc. The manga, TV series, and film versions have been at the forefront of anime and Japanese pop culture and have received worldwide acclaim and a dogged fan following for their unique story and animation.

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This movie effort, though a cheat-sheet version, may be of import to fans outside Japan and the far east, who have not yet managed to catch the ‘Mugen Train' series. For those who have, this may be predictable and there are no fresh additions like deleted scenes, etc. The film's narrative is a connected version of the first half of the last season of the ‘Mugen Train' series with the first episode of the next season.

The Swordsmith Village story arc imagines a top-ranking Kizuki gathering in response to the deaths of Daki and Gyutaro. Tanjiro travels to the titular smith village to repair his sword, where he meets Mitsuri, Muichiro, and Genya, eventually teaming up with them when the village is attacked by Muzan's demons who have assembled at the Infinity Castle after Upper Six Demons' defeat.

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The stunning use of CGI and traditional animation style come to life when blown up for the big screen. It manages to capture nuances that one might miss while watching on a small screen. The final fight sequence is orchestrated at a very fast animated pace with flashy light flying across the screen and characters moving about in frenzied glory. This one is majorly for the fans.