Anime Reviews
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train
Gekijō-ban "Kimetsu no Yaiba" Mugen Ressha-hen
Kaori's Rating: 9 / 10

Hits: 402

This page shows only Kaori's
rating for this title.

 Content Overview
Violence: 7 / 10
Nudity: 1 / 10
Theo Theme: 2 / 10
Neg Them: 1 / 10

Kaori's Review
Simply put, a masterpiece.

Ufotable was absolutely right that this plot arc is better as a movie than as a TV series; this action-oriented and compact storyline needs to be seen all in one sitting, without interruption. From the foreshadowing scene Ufotable added to the beginning of the movie (that wasn't in the manga) to the characterization of Rengoku--in a brief time, letting viewers see various sides of his personality--everything was executed flawlessly. There are no major flaws I can think of; the closest thing is that this movie is divided into two main fights, so it doesn't quite follow the traditional rising action-climax-falling action plot shape one would expect, as just when the first fight has wound down, we find that things aren't over yet.

This movie is an absolute expression of Japanese cultural values such as doing whatever it takes to fulfill one's duty. It is also very spiritual with the emphasis on awakening and Tanjiro's need to be awake to reality and accept reality for what it is instead of being beguiled by a pleasant illusion. The ending is absolutely cathartic, with Tanjiro and his friends expressing all the rage and grief that viewers feel. I would go so far to say that if don't agree with what Tanjiro says at the end, you haven't understood the movie.

Here are the reasons why:

spoiler
1. Rengoku and his mother are correct: he fulfilled his duty, which was to protect the passengers on the train and protect his junior colleagues.
2. Akaza lost because Rengoku fulfilled his objective (above), and Akaza was also unable to achieve his goal of convincing Rengoku to become a demon.
3. Tanjiro is correct, it is cowardly for Akaza to fight only at night and run away in the sunlight. Tanjiro isn't calling Akaza a coward because he thinks Akaza is running from him, Tanjiro. As Tanjiro himself says, it's the humans, who are already at a disadvantage because of their inability to regenerate like demons, who always take the battle to the time that is an advantage for demons, night. You might be saying to yourself, but it's common sense that the demons would fight then because sunlight would kill them. That's true, but it's "cowardly" in the sense that it is base to fight only in conditions that are advantageous to onself. We rarely see demons fighting in conditions like a cloudy day (which we know they can survive because Nezuko did at the beginning) or inside a building during the daytime. If Akaza isn't being a coward, why doesn't he turn around and fight Tanjiro once he reaches the forest? He is under the cover of the trees, so he should be safe from the sunlight there, but instead of turning around and facing Tanjiro, he keeps running. The point isn't that Akaza should come out into the full sunlight (where he'll instantly be burned to death); the point is that by continually taking the battle into conditions that are advantageous to their opponent (nighttime), while additionally having the handicap of being unable to regenerate, the demon slayers are the ones who are showing their nobility and courage.



I will also say that it could not possibly have ended in any other way and had the impact that it did.

spoilerRengoku is the ultimate noble character. You never know if someone will truly make the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their life for a cause--given a choice not to--unless they actually do it. If Rengoku had survived the battle, we would not have felt his nobility so deeply and viscerally. The fact that Akaza survived the fight makes us feel the untranslatable (but very relatable) くやしい、an "if only" feeling that rends the soul with its anguish and sorrow. This is, actually, the point of the movie, to make viewers feel that feeling. This feeling will fuel the charaters to become stronger in order to avenge Rengoku's death and ensure that it was not in vain. Moreover, in terms of plot, Akaza's survival drives home the enormous difference in power between an upper-six and lower-six demon. Tanjiro and the others may have just defeated one of the Twelve Moon Demons, but Akaza is on a level surpassing that of Rengoku, whose level is so much higher above Tanjiro's that he can't even join in his fight without getting in the way. This establishes a continually increasing sense of danger and difficulty and creates the sense of continual progress as with every major fight the characters face stronger and stronger enemies, which is one of the key things that sets this series head and shoulders above other popular shonen titles. If Rengoku had lived, we would simply have felt vindicated. If they had both died, the movie would have ended with a full stop. The plot of the series as a whole would have reached a temporary stasis. But with Rengoku killed and Akaza surviving, we're overwhelmed with the sense of how much more powerful are the enemies out there that still remain to be faced and defeated. We know how much the characters have to grow to meet these challenges, and we have a powerful driving force to make us want to see them do it.



Violence: 7

Demon Slayer TV series and movie alike are rated either TV-14 or R, depending on the platform. I didn't feel the movie's violence level was worse than the first season of the anime, but watching it again, I could understand the R rating, as the entire movie is very combat-oriented and has a lot of violence and blood.

Special note: the fact that Spoiler: Tanjiro has to commit suicide inside his dream to wake up from the blood-demon-magic induced sleep may be disturbing to some.

Nudity: 1

None.

Theological themes: 2

Rate lower than the TV series 1. It does involve blood-demon-magic, but I found the theological themes overall overwhelmingly positive. The value of mental/spiritual awakeness (willingness to accept reality instead of retreating into fantasy), Rengoku's absolute commitment to protecing others and refusal to bow his head to evil for the sake of personal gain, the value of the strong existing to help those who are weaker, etc.

Negative themes: 1

Nothing in particular I can recall.
Added: February, 2022