Choo Choo and All Aboard: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train

Summary:

Picking up right after the end of the first season, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train starts with our three protagonists boarding the train said to have disappearing passengers. After boarding, the team meet Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira and spend a bit of time bonding. After the train conductor clips their tickets, the four are placed under a spell from Emmu, a demon of the Lower Moons. Lost in a deep slumber, the group must find a way out and save the passengers.

Characters:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train features our main three from the first season, Kamado Tanjiro, the protagonist and caring older brother, Agatsuma Zenitsu, the scaredy pants that shows unusual strength when asleep, and Hashibira Inosuke, a wild boy raised by wild animals. Alongside our main three is Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, who is caring and has natural leadership. Fighting against our heroes is Emmu, Lower Moon One, who has the power to manipulate sleep and dreams.

Austin’s Review 9.0/10

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train is the follow-up movie to the end of Season 1 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. If you have read my review of season 1, you are aware I didn’t love the way it ended. This movie makes up for it. It’s so entertaining and the animation was incredible. With movie money to spend, I thought they did a great job on the animation. It’s so crisp and pretty throughout the movie, and the battles are even more awesome.

I love the way this movie focuses down on the plot. There isn’t a ton going on, just the mission in the movie, and I appreciate that. It leaves a lot on the plate for season 2 and leaves us with plenty to speculate about. The pacing needs work thought. With a refined plot, this feels slow. At two hours, it either needed a bit more to happen or a shorter movie. I loved the way the plot flowed, and it was super interesting in the grand scheme of the universe. The battles are so much fun, and on a higher budget, they are even more epic. The animation is remarkable, and the battles are so intense. I don’t want to spoil too much, but there’s a scene where we learn so much about our characters. We get a window into the previous lives of our characters, and a lot more information about their backgrounds. There isn’t a ton of development elsewhere, but I thought that set of scenes more than covered the movie as a whole. I can’t wait to see where we go in season 2.Coming off a really good season 1, Demon Slayer: The Movie sets the table for season 2. It’s a really fun movie packed with action and adventure. The idea of confining a movie to one location worked out really well, but I wished more happened. The pacing just feels a tad slow. Other than that, this is a great stepping stone movie and I enjoyed it.

Nathanyal’s Review 10/10:

I know I don’t usually drop these 10 scores, as that’s usually Seb’s job, but here I am dropping my first 10. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie I was hyped about and for something that not only met but exceeded my expectations. Before I get into the details, I would greatly advise watching the first season of the show before tackling the movie. The only downside of this movie is that it doesn’t explain anything for people who haven’t seen the first season, but in all reality, who would watch this movie before watching the anime?

Anyways, let’s get into this review, because boy do we have a lot to unpack.

First things first, plot and setting. For this, I feel like the two blended together very nicely. For the most part the plot is centered around a train ride, and the majority of the movie stays on the train. I really liked this aspect for many reasons. For one, concentrating the setting on a train both is constantly moving, and it’s not. You can feel the progression and the pace of the movie without really getting lost. The plot also makes sense for a movie. Being a bridge between two seasons, this arc in the Demon Slayer series is the perfect length for a movie. There just isn’t enough content to warrant a whole season on this arc, which is why it’s perfect in movie form.

Now, onto the characters. If you’ve seen the anime, then the core trio is the same and is as enjoyable as usual. The trio have their moments and arguments, but they are a true team together. They come together when needed. Rengoku is the perfect Hashira to join the fray. When you first meet him, sure he might be a bit weird, but he has a heart of fire and uses his talents to protect those weaker. I find that an admirable trait and it makes him a loveable character. Even the villains are interesting. Emmu’s power to control sleep and dreams is such an interesting demon art. It was super fun watching everyone deal with this power. Emmu also employed the help of regular humans, which added depth to the conflict.

Finally, I need to talk about the animation and the music, because it is an anime movie after all. If you’ve watched the show, then you know the animation is top notch. The breathing techniques and swordplay were all drawn beautifully and uniquely to represent each user. The different colours and lines really made the movie pop and was a pleasing sight to the eyes. The music accompanying each scene was also chosen perfectly to represent the emotions. The animation and the music are a perfect combination.

Overall, this was the greatest movie I have seen in a long time. From loveable characters, to great animation, to great music, and a solid plot, this movie does well on its own and is the perfect bridge between the two seasons. If you’ve seen the show, then this is a must watch.

Favourite Moment (Spoilers):

My favourite moment in this movie was the fight between Upper Moon Three Akaza and Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira. The choreography, the animation, the music selection, everything made this scene a very epic battle between two beings on a whole other level. The conclusion of the fight also led to some emotional moments as well.

Sebastian’s Review 8.8/10:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train is the follow-up up film to the tv series and let me say the film surpassed my expectations. With the tv show being a surprise hit for me I was looking forward to seeing what the sequel film could do. Let me just say first off, that the movie-sized budget can definitely be seen in the animation which has a really great quality to it and you can see an improvement to the series. I like the way the film picks up right where the show ended and made it feel like a direct continuation. All the characters you loved from the show are back and we get to see deeper into their minds and who they are in the film which I appreciated. The action in the movie is amazing and paired with the beautiful animation makes it even more spectacular. The story of the film is quite focused and I liked how it wasn’t trying to be too grand or anything and it just told an interesting story. The score is great and I don’t think I mentioned in the series review just how much the score adds to scenes and it was cool to see the character’s theme music carry to the movie. The comedy was still on point for the movie though there was less of it compared to the show and I did miss it. My only critique of the film is that it isn’t really paced like a film and even the structure feels more like it’s just trying to be a longer version of the tv show and I wish that hadn’t been the case.

All in all, this is a great continuation of the Demon Slayer story and it sets things up for the future. So if you want to see the next chapter in Tanjiro’s I would definitely recommend this.

Favourite Moment (Spoilers): 

When Tanjiro was fighting Lower One (Emmu) and he would keep waking up to keep fighting. This shows Tanjiro’s willpower and his strength as he had to decapitate himself to wake up from the sleep Emmu was causing him.