This is my first anime review, so bear with me here. There are some slight spoilers, so please be warned. Before I even begin to get into the meat and potatoes of this review, I just want to give my opinion on what should have been done. Simply put, this should not have been a stand alone movie. This should have been part of a second season. It did not have the strength in any category besides art and sound to thrive around other amazing movies that have come out in recent years. Excitement does not even begin to describe the anticipation I felt going into thismovie. After watching the original series and being very satisfied, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, the highest selling Japanese movie in the box office ever, should have been a mind-blowing experience, filled with great story, breathtaking animation, and amazing characters. Sadly, only one of those statements turned out to be true.
I wish I could at least say that the movie was somewhat enjoyable, but I literally found myself falling asleep multiple times through the movie. So lets begin this reivew.
Art: 10
It comes as no surprise that Ufotable have delivered yet another artistic masterpiece. Keep in mind that I saw this movie in theaters when I say what I am about to say. The movie starts, and the opening scene with the trees starts to roll. I turned to my friend and asked, "What trailer is this?" He replied, without sarcasm, "I think this is the Rurouni Kenshin live action trailer." It was only until Kagaya showed up on the screen when I realized that I was watching the Demon Slayer. That's how realistic the backgrounds were. Moreover, the Rengoku and Akaza fight was one of the craziest fights I have ever seen, not to mention this movie boasting impressive 3D animation. It would feel wrong giving this movie's art anything less that a 10.
Sound: 9
Seeing this movie in theaters, I was a little disappointed in the sound quality, although the cinema it was playing in is to blame. Simply put, the OST for this movie was breathtaking, bringing back one of my favorite tracks from the first season, Rui's theme. As always, Ufotable brought their very best when it came to effects too. All in all, the quality was very solid, and lived up to the reputation that Ufotable has gained for it's sound design.
Characters: 4
Unfortunately, the pros for Demon Slayer: Mugen Train end at the sound design, because everything else about this movie was at the very most, average. The characters introduced this movie were bland, uninteresting, and boring. The only newly introduced character in this movie that I thought was somewhat acceptable was Rengoku, but even he wasn't anything special. Honestly, the 'darker' parts of this movie were a complete and utter joke. You could tell that the writers were trying so hard to emotionally captivate you, but between the terribly written jokes and the appalling story, there was nothing to get attached to. Tanjiro was as average as he was in the first season. Zenitsu literally gets 10 minute of on screen time, if that. Inosuke, while enjoyable to watch, has no depth to him that makes you want to know more. (Nezuko however, is amazing as always). All in all, the characters in this movie were subpar, to say the least.
Story: 2
In terms of story alone, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The first 20 minutes of the movie are boring setup, followed by another 30 minutes of 'rising action', which felt like millennia. On top of that, there was little to no climax. It almost felt like the writers didn't know where to highest point of the movie, so they just made the entire second half a steady descending peak. You thought Enmu was the big boss? Nope. Instead, another demon that we have never met before comes out of literal nowhere, and starts fighting Rengoku. It made so little sense, that I could not concentrate on the thing that makes Demon Slayer so great; the art.
Enjoyment: 4
This movie was a disappointment in terms of enjoyment. Sure, the first season of Demon Slayer may not have been critically amazing, but at least it was super fucking enjoyable. This on the other hand literally had me falling asleep at times. I didn't give a single shit about any of the characters, as they were made to be shallow and uninteresting, and I didn't think any of the writing was enjoyable. What I did enjoy, however, were the fights. Holy shit, Ufotable went so hard, especially with the Rengoku fight.
Overall: 6
This movie was disappointing. I went into it hoping for an action packed, emotional, and fun movie, but left with a mediocre OVA. If you love Demon Slayer and it's characters, I would 100% recommend this movie. If you were iffy about the show, maybe this isn't for you. I am giving this a 6 for the time being strictly based on how stellar the production was. Nothing else. If this movie had the same story and characters, but had mediocre art and sound, this would be the worst movie I have ever seen.
JaJacrispy36
October 16, 2020
Recommended
I was super lucky to be able to see this in theaters the day this came out! Story: 6/10 The story is a continuation of the Demon Slayer Anime that ended last year in 2019, being an adaptation of the Mugen Train Arc. You may recognize the main villain or demon of this arc from the first season, well you did see him. He was the the demon who Muzan had given his blood to, the one who wanted to be tortured. It closely follows the Manga's events, showing off Rengoku using his Sun Breathing Techniques, and all the fights. It feels bloated with fightsand not much else, but that's mostly the manga's fault. The movie does play out the emotional scenes quite well. Kimetsu no Yaiba was never big on the story aspect so it will be expected for the movie and any adaptations if they want to stick to the source material.
Art: 10/10: Once again, Studio Ufotable has knocked it out of the park with the breathtaking animation they have. But this time around it's even better with a movie budget. Its so smooth and satisfying that it just draws you in like that. The breathing techniques were the highlight of the First Season, and its the same for here. I have no idea how Studio Ufotable does it. With Tanjirou's breathing, the almost 3d looking camera angles, the fast paced movements, Nezuko's Exploding blood, Zenitsu's lighting, Inouske in all of his glory, its absolutely fantastic.
Sound 7/10: Another amazingly great aspect. At times like that, I love being in a Japanese theater, because everybody is very silent, doesn't laugh at jokes or gasps, its a great expierence. The sound effects are pretty good, with the Voice acting being taken to the next level. But the real highlight in terms of the sound, is the amazing Musical Score. I said it once and I will say it again, Demon Slayer has one of the best orchestrated soundtracks in an Anime that I have ever seen. The low and melancholy piano keys, the tense and sharp violin, the soft and relaxing flute, the haunting chorus, it all comes together to make a amazing score.
Characters: 6/10: Nothing really changed from the first season, with most characters sticking with their personalities. But at times it just feels like the second season of the anime and not a feature length film. I mean, its an exact adaptation so you expect it to be similar to the manga but its very similar to the source material and the previous Season. The constant yelling between the trio is very annoying, like the first season. Even when writing this review, I feel like I'm just reviewing the anime. The only thing that changed was the art but everything stays the same in terms of my thoughts on the anime.
Enjoyment: 8/10: I enjoyed the Demon Slayer Anime, but this, raised the bar even higher, I highly highly highly suggest watching this when it comes out on streaming services. Demon Slayer is shaping up to be another gigantic manga and anime series even if it might not deserve it fully. But if your a big fan of Shonen Jump or the second season, OR even the manga I would suggest watching it. But its not perfect, I think too many people have hyped up Demon Slayer, which can be bad when the ending eventually gets animated, because it will all come crashing down. But still good for the time being.
Overall: 8/10
LaLacrimaMosa666
October 16, 2020
Recommended
I am extremely lucky to have crazy ass friends that were able to get me ticket for this movie on the opening day. It was sold out in advance with huge waiting list and it was clearly visible by the TOHO Cinemas Roppogi Hills where I was pleased to see this movie. Every available seat was taken and queue was HUGE. Now, let's have a deeper look at the movie itself, there'll be some minor spoilers but if u haven't read the manga I strongly suggest to avoid them, they'll be marked. STORY: 7 I was never a big fan of KnY, it's pretty generic andpredictable shounen, but it was fun and enjoyable, up to some point, overall manga was really disappointed at the end and final arcs were to say least, weak. But it does't change anything, we're talking about the movie which adapted Mugen Train Arc and did it really, really good, giving justice to the manga and leaving audiences with an quality product.
Tanjirou and his friends accompany Rengoku, the Flame Hashira on the mission to investigate unexplainable disappearances onboard the train. They don't yet know, that Enmu, one of the elite Twelve Kizuki demons is awaiting them with a trap. It's fast paced, darker and suprisingly close to the manga events, would say that the sligh changes made it even better.
[SPOILER] The sad and bitter ending was really powerful, leaving us speechless and very emotional. Done right, without forced sadness and fake emotions. And for that it ufotable has my thanks. [END SPOILER]
ART: 10
It's ufotable after all. And with huge movie pudget it's basically one big show off of magical skills of animators. We got to see Rengoku in action, with such a detail and precision, beautifully animated and blood pumping. Tanjirou showed even more of his techiques and is was pleasable, what's most important, the framerate and overall animation quality is superb, flawless. And yeah, we got to see more of Nezuko in action. The fights choreography is another ufo usual, amazing and smooth, with beautiful colors and movements. Designs were even sharper and planning and backgrounds were bloody well done. Mixture of ultramodern animation with static drawings and CGI is top notch. Orgy for the eyes.
SOUND: 10
And the sound is an orgy for the ears. Voicing is powerful and reliable, full of emotions and feels. Music on the other hand is once again an beautifully written mixture of classic japanese sounds and modern orchestration and arangations. Plus of course beautiful ending by LiSA hits straight into the heart.
CHARACTER: 6
Well, character development in KnY is just fine, nothing unexpected, pretty straightforward and predictable. But it is done right and without cringe, just your regular shounen show off. From the checkpoint to another checkpoint on the road to achieve goals and plans. But what stands out is a nice Rengoku introduction, his backstory and good explanation of his motives. Job well done.
ENJOYMENT: 9
Ufotable never disappoints when it comes to enjoyment, it's epic, fast and looks godly. And it looks godly af. Great combination of action, music and simple, but fair story makes very good impression and leaves with heart pumping faster. Like proper action flick, enjoy the show and leave no place for deeper thinking. Pure fun and action, strongly recommend to watch it at the biggest possible screen when it'll be released for streaming and bluray next year.
OVERALL: 8
An very good movie, better than expected, satysfying and an visual diamond. Ain't the best action movie, but it's very much what action movie is supposed to be. Yeah, it has it's critics, I'm one of em, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying an great entertainment. Especially when it's done with highest possible quality. Great as an cure for the current situation, makes u forget for nearly 2 hours about reality. I recommend it of course for every fan of KnY as well as fans of good action flicks. It stands on entertaining the audiences and with bit darker notes it delivers as well bit deeper view and can make u emotional. An satysfying and ectremely well done movie. Even with it's typical shounen flaws and shorts. An job well done ufotable, thanx again.
