"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns" Interview with Natsuki Hanae

The new theatrical version of the anime " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Yaiba" based on the popular manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc", "Chapter 1: Akaza Returns", will be released on July 18th. The "Infinity Castle Arc" depicts the final battle between Tanjiro Kamado and the Demon Slaying Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji and other demons. We spoke to voice actor Natsuki Hanae , who has been playing the main character Tanjiro Kamado since " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc ", which began airing in April 2019, about the moment he got the role of Tanjiro and his thoughts on the " Infinity Castle Arc".

◇Looking back on the beginning of "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc"

The story of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is that Tanjiro Kamado, whose family was killed by demons, joins the Demon Slaying Corps to turn his sister Nezuko, who has turned into a demon, back into a human. The original work was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 2016 to 2020. The total number of comics published is over 150 million. The TV anime "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc" was broadcast from April to September 2019, and the movie version "Mugen Train" released in October 2020 exceeded 28.97 million domestic visitors and recorded approximately 40.4 billion yen, the highest box office revenue in Japan's history. The "Entertainment District Arc" was broadcast from December 2021 to February 2022, the "Swordsmith Village Arc" from April to June 2023, and the "Hashira Training Arc" from May to June 2024. The "Infinity Castle Arc " is a trilogy.

Hanae-san has been playing the role of Tanjiro Kamado for about six years since " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc ." Tanjiro has grown through many fierce battles, but when was the moment Hanae-san himself grasped the role of Tanjiro?

"I felt like I had pretty much got it in the second episode of ' Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc'. I was still feeling my way around in the first episode, and Tanjiro was still young, so I was thinking about what the right tone was and how I should go about developing him. I was exploring whether a more exaggerated performance would be good or if a more natural one would be better."

The first episode had many harsh scenes, and he said he was "hesitant." In the second episode, there is a humorous scene in which Tanjiro asks villagers to sell him baskets, straw, and bamboo to make a basket for Nezuko.

"There was a scene where Tanjiro hands over some money, and I was told to 'go all out' for those kinds of comedy scenes, and the direction of my acting gradually solidified from the second episode onwards. It was in the second episode that I felt, 'I see, maybe I should do it this way.' The scene where Tanjiro fights the hand demon in episode four is the first time he fights a demon, showing his growth, and it's the first time he uses the Water Breathing technique. Looking back at it now, I think the tension and the way he speaks are completely different, but there's a freshness to it, and I think that's good in itself."

Hanae recalls scenes such as the one in "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc: Mugen Train," saying, "In the scenes where Tanjiro remembers things that are important to him or loses something, I've been acting them out for a long time, so I don't feel like it's 'here' emotionally, but it's a time when Tanjiro changes. There are many such memorable scenes."

◇Tanjiro’s Resolve

Tanjiro, who first faced his nemesis Muzan in the seventh episode of "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc," meets Muzan again at the climax of the "Hashira Training Arc" some time later, and bravely declares, "I will definitely defeat you! Muzan Kibutsuji!" as he heads towards the Infinity Castle. Hanae says, "Tanjiro was probably prepared to fight at any time."

"I think it was a situation where the final battle could have started at any time, and Tanjiro had been training all this time to defeat Muzan, and had been fighting as a member of the Demon Slaying Corps. He had encountered him once before in Asakusa, so I think that the moment he saw him he knew it was Muzan and his blood pressure must have risen dramatically. I'm sure he was prepared to fight at any time, and Tanjiro has the desire to defeat him himself, and even if he can't defeat him, he keeps fighting with the belief that the others will definitely be able to defeat him. I think that's why he was so determined."

As the recording of "Infinity Castle Arc" approached, he said he felt both excited and happy, saying, "The Infinity Castle Arc" is a really exciting part in the original work, and it's full of things to see, so I've been thinking for a long time that I can't wait to see it in the anime."

As the first chapter of "Akaza Returns" approaches its release, Hanae-san says, "It's really moving to have come this far. I've been able to get to this point by completing the tasks in front of me one by one, and as the series has continued, I've been able to get to this point." I can't wait to enjoy the opening of the final battle on the big screen.

※The correct spelling of Nezuko's "Ne" is "Ne + 爾". ※The correct spelling of Muzan Kibutsuji's "Tsuji" is a single dot.