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," was released on July 18th. "Infinity Castle Arc" depicts the final battle between the Demon Slaying Corps and demons led by Muzan Kibutsuji. In Chapter 1, Tanjiro Kamado and Giyu Tomioka , the Water Pillar and one of the Demon Slaying Corps' strongest swordsmen, engage in a fierce battle with Akaza, the Upper Rank Three. Voice actor Takahiro Sakurai has been playing Giyu Tomioka since " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, " which began airing in April 2019. We spoke to him about the appeal of Tomioka and his particular attention to detail in his acting.
◇The back view of the Kamado siblings that is burned into my memory The two sides of Giyu Tomioka
Tomioka appears in the first episode of "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc," titled "Cruel," where he is the Hashira who first confronts Tanjiro and Nezuko. In the first chapter of the "Infinity Castle Arc," Tomioka sees Tanjiro fighting Akaza and recalls their encounter in "Cruel," depicting a scene in which he senses Tanjiro's growth. Sakurai himself said that the recording of the first episode "will remain burned into my memory forever."
"It was a tense and careful recording with a limited cast. It was clear that a lot of effort was put into the animation. During the scene in the beginning where the tragedy occurs, I was watching Hanae (Natsuki) who plays Tanjiro and Kito (Akari) who plays Nezuko in front of the microphone the whole time, and the sight of them there made a big impression on me. The image of their serious backs has been burned into my memory ever since."
In the first episode, "Cruel," Tomioka appears as a character who speaks harsh words to Tanjiro. How did Sakurai-san approach Tomioka initially?
"I thought of the lines as information. The original manga was still being serialized at the time, so I decided to go with only the lines. Personally, I felt that knowing too much about the future would be unnecessary information. Also, in the first episode, Tomioka explains the workings of the world of this work all at once so that viewers and readers can understand. He scolds Tanjiro harshly and severely, but in reality, his words are filled with compassion for him. To me, these two sides give me a hint as to who he is; he is a cold-hearted yet passionate person, with that kind of balance."
◇The memorable line, "No one hates me"
In a scene where Tomioka appears later, Sakurai says, "I was really impressed" by his line, "No one hates me." This was in response to Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar, telling him, "That's why everyone hates you," at Mount Natagumo.
"If he was someone who distanced or rejected people, you'd probably respond with, 'Well, that's fine,' but he said, 'They don't hate me.' That really made an impression on me. And as the story progressed, I think this statement probably represents his true character. He was deeply hurt by his breakup with Sabito, and in the end he rose to the rank of a Hashira, but even so, he couldn't escape the loop of cursing himself and pushing himself too hard."
It is analyzed that this may have led to the statement, "I'm not the Water Pillar."
"But I think that his true nature is like Tanjiro, who says, 'Let's give some rice balls to Shinazugawa' after he's freed in the ' Hashira Training Arc.' I think that's his true personality. He has a childlike way of expressing himself, with a sense of innocence. There's a gap between his skills and those of the Hashira, but perhaps it's not a gap, even though it seems like one."
Sakurai said that in the first chapter of "Infinity Castle Arc," "we tried to show a new side of Tomioka." I hope that in the theater, I can feel the subtle emotions that Sakurai and the other voice actors tried to express amidst the dizzying battles.
"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, who has turned into a demon, 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 Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train" was released in October 2020, drawing a total of approximately 28.97 million domestic viewers and grossing approximately 40.4 billion yen, the highest box office revenue 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 "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc" is a trilogy.
*The correct spelling of the "Ne" in Nezuko's name is "Ne + 爾." *The correct spelling of the "Tsuji" in Muzan Kibutsuji is a single dot.
