Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return might as well be the most anticipated anime movie of all time. With its historic run at the Japanese box office, now standing as the third highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, it continues to dominate the scene, breaking records left and right. We at Anime Corner have been given a chance by Crunchyroll to watch the advanced screening of the movie in the Philippines and give our honest thoughts about it. In this review of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return, spoilers are included, so be sure to check out the movie before reading if you don’t want to get spoiled.
Before I even walked into the cinema, I already knew what to expect from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return. Stunning visuals. Flawless animation. A spectacle for the eyes. And, of course, that expectation was met.
The Demon Slayer anime has long been hailed as one of the pinnacles of animation, and ufotable once again delivered beyond belief. From the intricate fight choreography to the fluid movements, there wasn’t a single dull frame. You could take almost any still from this film, hang it on a wall, and it would look like art.
But what truly left me in awe wasn’t just the fights, but it was the Infinity Castle itself. The way ufotable brought that setting to life is nothing is just too absurd. Every corner, every shifting door, every impossible angle of that castle felt alive. Each time the perspective shifted from one hero to another through the doors, I found myself fully immersed, almost disoriented in the best way possible. The fights may be the highlight, but the background art deserves just as much praise.
Then there’s the music. If the visuals are the spectacle, the music is the soul. Every track elevated the moment, whether it was heart-racing intensity or quiet and tearful ones. LiSA and Aimer’s songs were the icing on the cake. They’re no strangers to Demon Slayer, but hearing them again felt like a homecoming, like they were honoring a series that has defined this era of anime.
If the anime community were to point to one film as the peak of animation and music, this would be it, and for once, I wouldn’t even argue against the hype.
And then, of course, the cast. Demon Slayer has always had one of the strongest lineups in the industry. From the Hashira alone, you can tell ufotable and Aniplex wanted the absolute best of the best, and they showed it here. Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro) and Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu) were as strong as ever, but the rest of the Hashira cast matched them stride for stride. Their performances gave the film an undeniable weight, making even the briefest scenes feel significant.
If I had to pick one Hashira voice cast member who really stood out to me, it has to be Saori Hayami as Shinobu. She was incredible here. What amazed me was how she managed to keep Shinobu’s usual charm while still pouring in so much raw emotion. It honestly felt like she took the character to another level. In her Animate Times interview, Hayami mentioned that Shinobu usually hides her true feelings behind the words and mannerisms of her late sister, Kanae. But this arc finally lets those emotions spill out, and you can feel that weight in her voice. Watching that come through so naturally in her performance hit me hard. It was powerful, heartbreaking, and easily one of my favorite parts of the whole film.
Another performance that deserves a standing ovation is Akira Ishida as Akaza. Ishida has always been known for his villain roles, and Akaza is definitely one of his most iconic, but in Infinity Castle, with him being the central focus, he went all out. What impressed me most was how he even voiced Akaza in his backstory. Normally, the younger versions of male characters are voiced by female seiyuu, but Ishida handled it himself, shifting his tone just enough to make it feel like a different stage of Akaza’s life. That subtle change gave his younger self a fragile, almost innocent vibe, which stood in stark contrast to the menacing aura he carries in the present. Watching that transformation unfold through his voice made me appreciate the character in a whole new light.
Lynn’s performance as Koyuki, Akaza’s fiancée, also really struck me. I usually pride myself on recognizing the voices of most female seiyuu, but this time I was completely thrown off. When Koyuki first appeared, I honestly thought she was voiced by Hina Youmiya because of the softness and warmth of her voice. But the more I listened, the more I realized I couldn’t quite place it, and when I found out it was actually Lynn, I was blown away. That surprise made me even more locked into the film, because it showed just how versatile Lynn truly is. The way she carried Koyuki’s gentleness and tragic story felt so natural, so real, that I couldn’t help but admire her even more by the end.
Once again, the Demon Slayer cast proves why they’re among the best in the industry. You can feel how much passion went into this movie with each performance having that extra weight, like they all knew how big this arc was going to be. But even with such a stacked cast, there was one performance that might as well be the movie’s crème de la crème: Mamoru Miyano as Doma.
Honestly, Doma just is Miyano at this point. The way he plays him feels so natural, so effortless, that it almost doesn’t feel like acting. It feels like Miyano himself stepped right into the character’s skin. He balances Doma’s goofy, unsettling charm with this chilling undercurrent that makes you both laugh and squirm at the same time. It was also very clear that Miyano was having fun playing the role. You can hear the joy in his voice, even in the creepiest moments, and that’s what makes it so captivating.
Miyano wasn’t just performing Doma—he was Doma, and he killed it.
As much as I loved the movie’s animation, music, and voice acting, I can’t really say the same about its plot and pacing. Honestly, I went in expecting the visuals and performances to be top-tier, and they absolutely were. But when it came to the story itself, my expectations weren’t high, and in that sense, the movie delivered exactly what I thought it would.
For me, the narrative just felt okay. I know a lot of people online were moved to tears by Akaza’s tragic backstory, or by Zenitsu’s redemption, or even Shinobu’s final dance. But surprisingly, none of those really hit me as deeply as I expected. And that stings a little, because Shinobu has always been one of my favorite characters in the series. I definitely felt sad about her fate, but I didn’t connect with her the way I thought I would.
It’s a strange mix of emotions: on one hand, admiring the technical brilliance of everything on screen, and on the other, realizing the story itself left me a bit detached.
Looking back, I think there are two main reasons why the story didn’t click with me: the pacing and the movie format itself. The pacing, in particular, felt rough. There were moments where the film would build this heavy, serious atmosphere, only for it to suddenly cut to a lighthearted gag or a silly expression. I get that Demon Slayer has a wide audience, and those scenes are probably meant to appeal to younger viewers too. But for me, it just broke the immersion. It’s like you’re on the edge of your seat, the tension is high, and you’re bracing for what’s next, and then suddenly, the mood gets deflated with a joke.
The other thing that bugged me was how often the movie would interrupt its most intense moments. Just when the action was at its peak, with the music swelling and the animation going full throttle, it would suddenly slam on the brakes to throw in a tragic backstory. And while I understand why those backstories matter, the way they were placed made the fights feel stop-and-go, dragging the momentum down instead of building it up.
For me, that structure just didn’t work. All the amazing visuals and music were there, but the constant shifts in tone and pacing kept pulling me out of the experience.
The movie format really doesn’t do the story any favors either. With three major battles crammed into one film, there’s barely any time to breathe, let alone process the emotions when a favorite character meets their end. In a weekly TV format, you’d get that pause. You’d sit with the fallout for a week, reflect on what just happened, and really let the emotions sink in. But here, it’s just one fight after another, and the impact gets diluted.
If I had to sum up the Demon Slayer Movie Infinity Castle Part 1 movie in two words, it would be “eye candy.” The animation is jaw-dropping, the score is powerful, and the voice acting is stellar. But the plot and pacing? They stay firmly grounded, and not in a good way.
At the end of the day, Demon Slayer still feels stuck in its formula. It worked before, but now it’s very predictable. I even heard someone in the theater say, “Here we go again.” And if I’m being real, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next two films follow the same playbook.
Special thanks to Crunchyroll for the opportunity on letting us attend the advanced screening of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return movie and Columbia Pictures Philippines for organizing and distributing the movie to local cinemas.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return movie premiered in Japanese theaters on July 18 and has been releasing internationally since August 14. Crunchyroll Mega and Ultimate Fan subscribers in North America will have a chance to watch it early on September 9 while the regular screenings are set to begin on September 12. The movie was confirmed for a 155-minute runtime (2h35m).
©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA / Aniplex / ufotable
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