Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Review
What’s up BAYOG Fam?! I’m back again to talk to you guys about one of the most anticipated movies, when it comes to a series. As you can guess from the title, I took got the chance to watch Demon Slayer: Mugen Train in theaters when it opened up to North America everywhere. I think if you’re comfortable with going out to public places and taking all the necessary precautions, then it’s totally worth to watch in the theaters. I personally forgot what it was like to watch a movie in theaters and the sound really caught me by surprise at first. I’m not sure if all theaters have you choose your seats but they do block out the next seats on either side of you and your party so that no one can sit next to you. Honestly, I’d prefer if they kept this feature forever.
This is the obligatory SPOILER WARNING!!!
I will not be responsible for any remorse or anger you feel after reading this article. Please proceed with caution!
I want to start by saying I have read the manga to completion, as I have stated in my recent binge reading post, so I had full knowledge about the events in the movie. Even with that knowledge, I knew how much this movie would hit me where it hurts. The events in this movie really set the pace for the rest of the series so I understand why they choose to make it a movie inserting it into the beginning of the next season or having it premiere as an OVA. It’s too important for the latter and if I’m reading into the storyline correctly, the new season would be a bit off in terms of pace and storyline.
So a quick synopsis of how we got here and why, is actually recapped in the movie with a short dialogue between Tanjiro and Rengoku. At the end of season 1, Tanjiro and friends receive a crow for their next mission and are tasked to accompany Rengoku on the train for assistance on his mission. They quickly find out that the mission isn’t at the destination where the train is headed but upon the train itself. I cannot stress how much I love Rengoku enough, I didn’t think I would latch onto any of the Hashira in this series but his story and background, I’m just a sucker for it. They really hammer home his demeanor as the elder son of a former Hashira, his duty to be an example for his younger brother, and his deep understanding of the purpose in life, realized by his mother’s words before she passed. It really added onto it when I realized that his VA, Satoshi Hino, also voiced one of my favorite characters from Haikyuu, Daichi Sawamura. The eccentrics that he shows when he first meets Tanjiro makes him all the more likeable but they really showcase his dependability and prowess throughout the movie.
Next I want fawn over the oh-so-beautiful animations that we know and love from the first season of the anime. The very first stance animation we see is from Rengoku. Tanjiro’s Hinokami Kagura stance was the only fire aspect we’ve seen up until this point but the artist/animators made sure Rengoku’s flames were distinct in comparison. I don’t know how many of you are hotheads, love of fire aspect in anime, games, etc., but for me it’s just one of those elements you gravitate towards when you get influenced by it early on. ANYWAYS BACK TO RENGOKU, the flames were no doubt the highlight of the animation but they also put an emphasis on how incredibly fast he his when executing his movements. At this point, the only other Hashira we’ve seen in battle are Tomioka and Kochou, who, in my eyes, have more graceful techniques but should be perceived as equals in terms of combat. I mean they wouldn’t let anyone become Hashira right?
Since I’ve come this far, I must speak about the final fight sequence. Here’s another SPOILER TAG if you somehow missed my giant banner earlier. The demon on the train wasn’t the biggest threat, even though I think they gave him a really interesting style to hunt and eat humans. And if you haven’t connected the dots, to put it in layman’s terms, he puts everyone on the train to sleep using his demon art and eats them all before the train arrives at the destination. Hence the mission being that people go missing on the train. The mugen train demon is actually the Lower One of the Twelve Kizuki. If you don’t recall the Lower ranks of the 12, Lower 1-6, got called in by Muzan and were culled because he deemed them unworthy to receive his blood anymore since they have yet to achieve feats such as killing a Hashira, Lower One was the only one that lived.
On to the true boss fight and honestly one of the most grueling, gut wrenching, and soul crushing things I’ve seen in a while. After the Lower One demon is defeated by Tanjiro and Inosuke, the train crashes, Tanjiro is dangerously injured, and all the passengers are being helped safely out. Rengoku comes to advise Tanjiro to control his breathing in order to stop the bleeding and as long as kept his focus he would be fine. No one would expect an additional boss fight, another demon to show up but not just any demon, the Upper Three of Kizuki arrives.
He introduces himself as Akaza to Rengoku and offers him a chance to join the demons. Which of course, Rengoku politely declines and continues to throughout the fight. As the battle proceeds, both land significant blows but unlike a demon that has strong regeneration powers, Rengoku has sustained massive injuries but more than his strength and ability, his willpower shines in this scene. I knew this final act of the movie would fuck me up inside, my emotions were running wild while reading the manga as well. Rengoku knew that defeating the Upper Three would be a difficult task but his main task was to keep everyone else safe, that was his duty as a Hashira, to keep his fledglings safe. I think most people could see it playing out the way it did but that doesn’t diminish the impact it had on us.
If any of you are familiar with episode #133 of Naruto: Shippuden, yes the one about Jiraiya. I can sense the similarities between the two. Although Tanjiro had to hopelessly watch it happen, I do appreciate the points that really send it tears rolling out would be after the fact, with the dialogue between the two. Tanjiro, who we know as someone that has a massive heart, let his emotions be known with 100% ferocity when Akaza fled due to the sun rising. I know it always SUCKS to see a character of high caliber and great personality to be killed. But I have to say it, if you’re not the main character, you’re always in danger of dying. We’ve experienced this A LOT in Naruto but there are many series that kill people off like it’s no one’s business.
I think I’ve been rambling a lot this post, it’s partly due to the fact that not all of friends got a chance to see it and/or have read the manga. So where else can I go to talk about this stuff y’know? Some final thoughts about the movie, it’s absolutely terrific and you need to see/support it if you can. The buildup is really intense, you don’t feel too much of a lull in between sequences. I didn’t really touch on the OTHER part of the animation which they made CG because I didn’t think it was as significant. At first I thought it was a little out of place but I slowly thought nothing of it, if anything it made everyone else’s the rest of the animation shine brighter. Once again, I think the decision to make this “arc” into a movie was the best choice and it leaves the fans hungering for the next season.
Thanks everyone who took the time to read my incredibly long ramble post about an incredibly hype movie! We appreciate all the support! Likes and subs help our site/community grow and not to mention push us to keep making content. Feel free to leave a comment about what you thought about the movie 🙂
What’s up, fam? I’m Loha aka Loheezy here at the BAYOG blog, resident sports anime enthusiast, Shonen Jump reader, food lover and fact checker. I tend to write very opinionated posts, I believe it’s easier to connect with others when I can put my true feelings down. You can expect my posts to cover these types of [Anime] and maybe some uncategorized.
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