Demon Slayer, or Kimetsu no Yaiba in Japanese, is a supernatural historical action series that has been one of the most popular Japanese franchises in recent years. The manga had its debut on Shounen Jump in 2016, written and drawn by Koyoharu Gotouge, which got its first anime adaptation three years later.

Although the mangaka is not known for anything bigger than Demon Slayer, it’s clear he poured his heart and soul into the emotional journey of Tanjiro Kamado, a young man who finds ways to live on after his family is brutally murdered by demons, and his surviving sister, Nezuko, transforming into a demon in the process.

The anime franchise has had six film releases as of 2025, with “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle I” being the first part of a movie trilogy covering the finale of the manga. It became available on Crunchyroll on July 28 2026, and having it on my To Watch-list, this was an experience beyond belief that absolutely needs a review.

Half an hour into the movie and the two major things Demon Slayer is known for were already too beautiful for their own good: I am talking about the visuals and the music. Knowing Ufotable’s style, they certainly did not disappoint and the movie continued to have these aspects as great strengths for the whole watch.

The visuals were striking and in the exact Demon Slayer style we have come to adore. The animation was smooth as butter, leaving you hungry for more, especially during the fight scenes. Luckily enough, since this movie covers the manga’s Infinity Castle arc, it did have enough action to give the viewers a huge impact on animations and edits alone.

The color themes used for the movie were also in the usual style for the anime franchise, but amplified, with every hue and shadow counting. All the details that went into these visual effects and colors left an impact. It was a piece of art on a piece of screen.

The music deserves high praise as well. Every single soundtrack and sound effect felt like it actually mattered, doubling the emotional impact. A heart of stone would be able to soften and relate to the characters or situations from the stunning sounds. I have personally never felt much sympathy for Akaza, but both his renewed theme and sound effects following him made me feel significantly more than I did when reading his moments in the manga.

Speaking of characters, their developments were clear as day. Not only did they become more likable, but intriguing to watch as well, impatient to see how their individual perspectives and pasts unfolded. All characters were relevant to this final arc’s entry, and yet the Ufotable team found a way to include minor character’s roles into the movie without their lines and appearances feeling like unnecessary filler.

This also brings up another aspect that has been a consistently weak point for the Demon Slayer franchise, which is pacing. Anime, manga, and movies alike, they have all had trouble with pacing, sometimes going so far as to ruining the overall immersion. The story’s pacing and occasionally awkward humor has gotten critique from both fans and skeptics, so I was relieved to see that the team working on this particular film kept heavy dialogues and weirdly timed jokes to a bare minimum.

Something else I have always struggled with in the anime, movies and manga has been the demons’ pasts. They have always struck me as individual, with each demon having their own reasonings for choosing the path they have chosen to walk on. If the writing for their motivations were stronger, it would be easier to feel somewhat of a justification for their horrific actions. Instead of watching merciless demons come and go, I personally believe that the demons could turn more relatable to the audience if they had more detail put into their stories.

Overall, this movie was an absolute joy to watch. It was also a breath of fresh air after the previous movie from 2024, Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training, that turned out to be a flop due to its vast screentime being anime recaps. A filler movie might not be worth it, but I assure you that every Demon Slayer fan needs to watch Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle I. With striking visuals, smooth animation, beautiful colors, stunning soundtrack, and much more… how could you deny yourself 2 hours and 43 minutes of absolute cinema?

Have you seen the movie? If yes, what did you think of it? If no, are you planning on watching it?