Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

Updated: Dec 1, 2021

Bibliographic Information:

Title: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

Director: Haruo Sotozaki

Production Company: Aniplex, Shueisha, Ufotable

Release Date: October 2020 (Japan); April 2021 (US)

Genre / Format: Fantasy, Horror, Shounen/ Movie, Streaming

Running Time: 1 hr 57 min

Film Rating: R

Cast: Natsuki Hanae (voice), Akari Kitô (voice), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (voice)

Awards or Honors: 2021 TAAF (Tokyo Anime Award Festival) Awards: Best Director, Best Animator;

Logline: "After his family was brutally murdered and his sister turned into a demon, Tanjiro Kamado's journey as a demon slayer began. Tanjiro and his comrades embark on a new mission aboard the Mugen Train, on track to despair."

Plot Summary: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (aka Demon Slayer the Movie) follows Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as they board the Mugen train to help the Hashira Rengoku on his hunt for a powerful demon. The mysterious demon they are hunting has already killed multiple demon slayers, so our heroes are on high alert (well everyone except Inosuke who is fascinated by the lighting fast beast that's the train). Despite their best efforts, everyone aboard the train falls into a deep sleep as soon as the train conductor punches their boarding tickets -- a trap set by the demon they are hunting! Tanjiro is suddenly surrounded by his family: his brother and sisters are playing around him, his mother is making food in the kitchen and Nezuko, a human Nezuko, is out in broad daylight, without a bambook stick covering her mouth. Everything is perfect. Except a part of Tanjiro knows this to be a lie. Can Tanjiro wake himself up before the demon gets him and his friends? Will the Hashira Rengoku be enough to protect everyone?

Director Background: Haruo Sotozaki has extensive experience working as an animation director and key animator. He is known for working on popular projects such as Cowboy Bebop the Movie (Key Animator, 2001), Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Key Animator, 2009), Gintama: The Movie (Key Animator, 2010), and Demon Slayer (Animation Director, 3 episodes, 2019) (IMDB, n,d.).

Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: Wow. The animation here is so smooth! Everything on screen looks super detailed and you can tell that much time (and money) went into making this project. The fight sequences are incredibly engaging and the camera work is dynamic and fun. You can feel that the stakes are high in this movie and we immediately jump into action as soon as the movie starts. There is the added benefit of a whole season's worth of character development, so the movie can afford to skip introductions and get to the interesting parts! Now, you definitely need to be familiar with the show in order to fully appreciate this movie; this is not a stand alone movie and it is directly connected to the main plot of the show. Characters will act without explaining motivation because it's implied that viewers understand Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke since they've been following them for 26 episodes. The movie is actually best enjoyed after just having finished the last episode of season one.

I can't say this enough: the animation was beautiful. If you are a fan of Demon Slayer the anime, you've probably already seen this movie multiple times. Well, do yourself a favor and watch it again!

Creative Use for a Library Program: 3D Print Demon Slayer Cosplay Props Teens will be able to use the 3D printer to build props for Demon Slayer costumes (for cosplay events). Some examples of Demo Slayer props that can be printed are shown below. We will also be providing tools to paint the props; finished products can also be displayed in the branch art gallery.

These are some examples of potential 3D print jobs

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Tanjiro and Nezuko continue their journey with Inosuke and Zenitsu. A kasugai crow instructs Tanjiro to board the Mugen train and assist the Hashira Rengoku in his hunt for a demon that has been slaughtering demon slayers. Everyone manages to board the train, but thats's exactly where the demon wants them! Now Tanjiro and his friends, along with 200 innocent passengers, have unknowingly fallen victims to the demon's blood demon art: forced unconsciousness hypnosis. Will Tanjiro and his friends wake up before the demon consumes them all?

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: The film is rated R, so concerned parents may object to teens watching an R-rated film. To be completely honest, as someone who watches a lot of films and anime, this R rating was not warranted, it should honestly be rated PG13. While I could not find anything to confirm, I am convinced it got the R rating because of the blood and violence depicted on screen. I would advice parents to watch beforehand. I would also argue that the violence is stylized and entirely serves the story: each character has a unique style of combat and so the fights are another form of communication. They also help build tension and excitement so that the message at the end hits that much harder. The audience is going to remember this movie!

Reason for Inclusion: This film broke a ton of records, one of which was being the highest grossing film in Japan. Ever. (IMDB, n.d.). Before the film became the massive historical landmark it is today, the anime was dominating TV and the manga was redefining sales goals in the publishing industry. Demon Slayer is the Harry Potter, the Matrix of manga and anime; nothing will be the same after this movie. And as fans, this is the best news. Oh, and Demon Slayer season 2 comes out in December 2021, which takes place right after this film. It's a good time to be an anime fan.