The crimson-haired, dangly-earringed hero of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” is Tanjiro (voiced by Natsuki Hanae), an elite warrior on a mission to defeat the army of demons laying waste to his native Japan. Tanjiro’s back story, which originates in a manga series that became several seasons of television, involves a demon sister, a murdered family and a lifelong dedication to the war effort. In “Infinity Castle,” Tanjiro and his slaying squad — called the Hashira — draw closer to the Demon King after they are plunged into his labyrinthine underground fortress.
“Infinity Castle,” which was directed by Haruo Sotozaki and set a box office record for anime movies last weekend, is set on a familiar battleground of good versus evil. Demons are sneering brutes; the Hashira, samurai-like superstars saving the world from destruction. “Infinity Castle” tracks three duels between the factions in which adversaries cry out with specific combat moves: “Drop ripple thrust!” “Blue-silver chaotic afterglow!” They sound silly, but flashbacks show the clashes to be personal. In one, a weakling slayer tries to avenge her sister. Later, a demon’s tragic adolescence suggests that his barbarity is a symptom of grief.
It could take a lifetime, or at least the sustained attention of an aficionado, to untangle all the lore. But the themes — solidarity and self-interest, allegiance and betrayal, love and loathing — are easy to follow. For the casual fan, the chief reason to seek out “Infinity Castle” is for its visuals, which position passionately emotive characters over impressionistic backdrops. Those, like a wildflower field and a misty graveyard, prove more memorable than any creatively-named attack technique.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Rated R for very long, very bloody battles. In Japanese, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes. In theaters.
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