Jaehwa Bernardo

Tanjiro Kamado locked in battle in 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle'

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REVIEW: ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ delivers thrilling, emotional spectacle

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756959332976970e8d19-8196-47a8-adbd-a5fa5e5b804b.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Tanjiro Kamado locked in battle in &#x27;Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.&#x27; Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable</div>A masterful blend of heart-wrenching drama and gripping action, the latest installment of the popular anime series &quot;Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba&quot; sustains the excitement for its climactic final battle that the showmakers have built up since its first season aired in 2019.The floor opens beneath the protagonist, Kamado Tanjiro, and the viewer is thrown into the action as he free-falls into the demons’ stronghold — a dimension of floating and towering temples that defies all rules of gravity, physics and logic.Picking up where the latest season’s cliffhanger left off, the stone hashira or pillar, which refers to the top-ranking swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, is ordered by the organization’s dying leader to gather the other pillars and finally kill the series’ main antagonist, Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, who has been terrorizing humans for over a millennium. He pleads for them to stop Muzan from taking any more of the Corps’ members, calling them his children. The pillar obliges as he stands amid a serene cemetery saturated with tombstones.Marking the start of the end, the film &quot;Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle&quot; is the first of the &quot;Infinity Castle&quot; trilogy, which will cap off the &quot;Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba&quot; series adapted from the manga of the same name. The setting is arguably the movie’s highlight, with the expanse of upside-down, sideways, and upright Japanese castles stretching infinitely, hence its name. It is a visually stunning and effective use of architecture in animation, as it represents the overwhelming strength of the series’ villain.&quot;Demon Slayer&quot; follows the story of Tanjiro, whose entire family was devoured by Muzan, apart from his sister, Nezuko, who was instead turned into a demon. He spends most of the series carrying her in a crate strapped to his back, protecting his only family from the sun and the Corps as well.In this world, most demons can only be killed through beheading or sunlight, with certain exceptions, including Muzan who can only die by the latter. Meanwhile, the pillars are skilled but completely mortal humans with different “breathing styles” or swordfighting techniques.During the past season, Nezuko achieved the miraculous feat of walking in the sun, despite being a demon, due to a certain drug. With the sun as his only weakness, Muzan has become resolute in finding her to attain immortality and finally have total power over humanity.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756959391994127656fa-ac47-4563-8729-63e9814100ea.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Gyomei in intense focus as the final battle begins. Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable</div>The central characters are split up upon their descent into the castle, so they are left to fight the most powerful demons called “upper moons” alone or in small teams. This effectively divides the movie into three separate plots.Quickly raising the tension, the film reminds the audience of the stakes at hand now that the characters will face the demons who have lived for centuries and beaten past generations of pillars.Across all three parts, a theme emerges of past trauma coming to haunt the protagonists.The butterfly pillar, a beloved character since season 1, was led to the lair of Upper Moon Two, who is revealed to be the murderer of her sister, the predecessor of her post.Zenitsu, a member of the series’ leading trio alongside Tanjiro, is stunned to find that his former senior at the Demon Slayer Corps, Kaigaku, is now the Upper Moon Six. They both trained under the tutelage of the retired thunder pillar. He later committed suicide after learning that Kaigaku had chosen to become a demon.Lastly, Tanjiro, paired with the water pillar, faces Upper Moon Three Akaza, the antagonist in the first Demon Slayer movie “Mugen Train,” where Tanjiro witnessed the fire pillar’s death after a bout until sunrise with the demon.Besides the film’s leads, even the villains cannot escape the ghosts of their past.Moviegoers have poked fun at the fact that Akaza was only defeated because he relinquished his demon form after he reminisced about his human life and then-fiancée, who was the daughter of his martial arts teacher. In typical anime fashion, the battle sequences are filled with riveting action, a swelling score and on-the-nose dialogue. This, however, does not detract focus from the characters’ rich backstories, which are delivered through the raw performance of its star-studded ensemble of voice actors.&quot;Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle&quot; made its mark as the highest-grossing anime film in the Philippines after garnering US $4.2 million during its opening, according to Crunchyroll, citing Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A masterful blend of heart-wrenching drama and gripping action, the latest installment of the popular anime series 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' sustains the excitement for its climactic final battle that the showmakers have built up since its first season aired in 2019.

A masterful blend of heart-wrenching drama and gripping action, the latest installment of the popular anime series 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' sustains the excitement for its climactic final battle that the showmakers have built up since its first season aired in 2019.

Movie review: ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ delivers thrilling, emotional spectacle

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Movie review: ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ delivers thrilling, emotional spectacle

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern,

Mei Lin Weng

Published Sep 04, 2025 12:42 PM PHT

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Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle

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