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 the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns," was released on July 18th. Voice actress Akari Kito has been playing protagonist Tanjiro Kamado 's younger sister, Nezuko, since " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, " which began airing in April 2019. Kito said it was "very moving" to reach the " Infinity Castle Arc ," which depicts the final battle between the Demon Slaying Corps and demons, roughly six years after " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc : Resolve Arc." We asked her about her thoughts on the series and the role of Nezuko.
◇ Natsuki Hanae, Hiro Shimono, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka are "reliable older brothers"
Kito says he has strong feelings about the "Infinity Castle Arc" which is part of the trilogy.
"When the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime began, the Infinity Castle Arc hadn't yet been depicted in the original manga series, and I myself was reading the manga thinking, 'So this is how it's going to turn out.' I felt like I was reading the Infinity Castle Arc as both Nezuko and myself, so I have a strong attachment to it. I read the manga wondering what would happen, and now it's finally being made into a movie, so I'm deeply moved."
At a "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" event, Kito said that having reached the "Infinity Castle Arc," "When I remember the story of Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, I start to cry."
"We started with a scene at Kamado's house deep in the mountains, and the number of cast members gathered at the recording studio was much smaller than it is now. For me, it was one of my dreams to appear in a Jump work, and this was a work that made that dream come true, so I was nervous, and Hanae (Natsuki), who plays Tanjiro, was also nervous. I feel like the set was tense for a while, different from the lively atmosphere and passion we see today. Nezuko is a very difficult character, but Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba no Yaiba is a really interesting work, and I could tell from the first episode that the staff were very enthusiastic, so I felt a lot of pressure."
After that, when Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira appeared, "I got the impression that the tempo became a little more comical. If I think back to back then, the situation has changed a lot, and we now have more allies."
Even though he has gained many new friends, Hanae, who plays Tanjiro, Hiro Shimono, who plays Zenitsu, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka , who plays Inosuke, have become like older brothers to him, as they attend various events and programs together outside of recording.
"Everyone was really reliable from the very beginning, and they all made me feel like 'I'll be fine if I just follow these people,' so I think they're really reliable older brothers when it comes to acting, events, variety shows, and talks."
◇Nezuko continues to change
Nezuko, played by Kito, is a character who undergoes many changes. From her pre-demon state, to becoming a demon, overcoming Taiyo, and finally being able to speak, albeit haltingly. Kito says, "She's constantly changing, so I never feel like I've grasped the role. Every time I play her, I think, 'Another new Nezuko has appeared,' and each time I feel like I'm taking on another challenge."
Kito says he feels there is "no correct answer" when it comes to playing Nezuko.
"I don't have the right answer either, and I feel like we're all exploring and creating it, asking ourselves, 'Is this right? Is this right?'"
Kito says that she feels that she has grown as a person by playing the difficult role of Nezuko.
"Nezuko is a main character, but she has very few lines. However, I felt that each and every one of her lines must have a meaning, even though they are few, so I began to think very carefully about the meaning behind her growls as I performed her. I feel like I've become able to dig deeper into characters, so that I can put meaning into even her smallest breaths, including in other works."
Nezuko is with Sakonji Urokodaki from " Hashira Training Arc ." I want to experience in the theater the feelings that Kito and the other voice actors put into every word and breath.
" Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kimetsu no Yaiba" tells the story of Tanjiro Kamado, whose family was killed by demons, who joins the Demon Slaying Corps to turn his sister, Nezuko, back into a human. The original manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) from 2016 to 2020. The manga has sold over 220 million copies worldwide. The TV anime "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc" aired from April to September 2019, and the movie version, "Demon Mugen Train," released in October 2020, attracted over 28.97 million domestic viewers and grossed approximately 40.4 billion yen, the highest grossing movie in Japan's history. The "Entertainment District Arc" aired 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 correct spelling of the "Ne" in Nezuko's name is "Ne + 爾".
