Demon Slayer is one of the most popular anime series in recent times. It is an adaptation of the manga version. The incredible positive response that the original manga received is the major reason why it has excited so many in the world of anime. To put it into perspective, it has more than 80 million copies in circulation. Now that’s a number not many novels can boast of! With such immense commercial appeal, it was only inevitable for a production house to buy the rights and make a movie based on it. And, it is happening!
Anime studio, Ufotable, who bought the rights for creating an anime series of the manga are the ones behind the creation of the movie as well. Soon after the final episode of the series was released on September 19, 2019, Ufotable announced Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train. They revealed how the movie has already been under progress and that they expect to release it by April 2020. However, with the coronavirus disrupting most proceedings this year, the release had to be pushed.
But we finally have a release date, and it is sooner than one expected!
What are the Demon Slayer series and the movie based on?
Demon Slayer and Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train are based on the manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which has over 21 tankōbon collected volumes. Koyoharu Gotōge is the creator and illustrator of the novel who got this incredible piece of work published in the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from 2016 to 2020.
The story revolves around the last two surviving members of a family, Tenjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado. Tenjiro’s family is killed by demons and his sister, Nezuko is slowly becoming a demon, which he desperately wants to avoid. Tenjiro sets out on the path of becoming a demon slayer and to subsequently cure his sister as well. Still very young, he is forced to learn things quickly in order to avenge his family. He gets involved with a secret society, Demon Slayers Corps. They have been waging wars against the Demons for centuries now.
With such an interesting plotline, the novel series received rave reviews and soon got popular outside Japan as well, even across the other side of the Pacific. Viz bought the English publication rights and soon the translated versions of the novel series were circulating around the world. Soon, Ufotable bought the TV-adaptation rights and the first episode of the 26-episode TV series was aired on April 6, 2019 in Japan. And now the world is eagerly waiting for the movie, as it a sequel to the season 1 and a prequel to season 2 of the series.
What is the release date of Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train?
Coronavirus might have pushed the release date quite a bit but the fans in Japan do not have to wait for long, as the movie is slated for a release on October 16, 2020. Since the movie has a solid backing by the Japanese distributors, Aniplex and Toho, it is sure to enjoy a solid release in the country. However, the English-speaking fans of the show and manga were not too happy up until recently, citing fears of how it will fair in the US as no American distributors had come up in support of the movie.
Then came the saviours in the shape of the Funimation Films, as the studio decided to partner with Aniplex’s American branch to distribute the film on US soil. They have promised of a theatrical release some time in 2021, without any confirmed date as such, because of the coronavirus situation.
Let us pray to all the Anime Gods that 2021 will be better for movie-goers!
What is the plot of the movie?
The plot of the movie will start right from where the TV series ended. Thanks to the abundance of source material available to us, we can connect the dots and get an idea of what the movie has in store for us. The ‘Mugen Train’ story in the manga series starts from chapter 53 and uncovers a compelling plotline that involves multiple demons in a moving train. The story goes on till chapter 69, and as a result, has enough content to be made into a feature-length movie.
The plotline in the Mugen Train part of the novel revolves around the primary antagonist and protagonist, Enmu and Tenjiro, respectively. Enmu, who is coming out of Muzan’s cells, attacks a mysterious train. Enmu consumes multiple passengers before Tenjiro comes to their rescue. But to Tenjiro’s surprise, there are many more demons in the train apart from Enmu himself. One good thing to look forward for all the fans of the source material is that all the information we have till now shows that the movie is sticking to the plotline in the novels.
Who will be doing the voiceovers for the characters in the movie?
We all remember the excellent work done by the voiceover artists (both Japanese and English) of the TV series. Naturally, all the fans wanted at least some of them to be part of the movie as well. And guess what, the studio has confirmed that all the voiceover artists who were part of the show will continue to lend voices for their respective characters in the movie as well. Happy? Well, I certainly am.
As a result, Natsuki Hanae and Zach Aguilar will be lending their voices for Tenjiro, in Japanese and English, respectively. Similarly, Akari Kitō and Abby Trott, and Daisuke Hirakawa and Landon McDonald for Enmu will be continuing with their stint as Nezuko and Enmu, respectively. Apart from them, the voiceovers for side characters of Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira and Kyōjurō Rengoku will also be reprised by the same artists that were part of the series.
I believe that retaining all the artists for the movie is a great move by the studio as it will ensure a sense of continuity for the fans of the show.
What does the latest trailer tell us?
Aniplex has given us a fair idea of the plot and what to expect in the movie, through the trailers, teasers and posters the studio has released over the last few months. The latest trailer reveals quite a bit about the plot. It shows the train on which most of the scenes might take place. You can see scenes of Enmu wreaking havoc and showing his power. But, the most interesting scene of them all has to be the one where Denjiro apparently meets his dead siblings. This might very well be a case of him having a dream or an illusion but this scene will surely bring a tear or two in every fan’s eyes out there.
With so much in store, all the Japanese fans of Demon Slayer can expect to see a marvel on screen when the Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train hits the theatres on October 16, 2020. Stay in touch with us to get a detailed review of the same when the time comes.
