"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 the Movie: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc ," based on the popular manga by Koyoharu Gotouge , 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 protagonist Tanjiro Kamado since the " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc " that began airing in April 2019, about the moment he grasped the role of Tanjiro and his thoughts on the " Infinity Castle Arc."

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

"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 150 million copies. 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. It attracted over 28.97 million domestic viewers and grossed 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.

Hanae 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 himself grasped the role of Tanjiro?

"I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of it by the second episode of ' Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc'. In the first episode, I was still feeling my way around, and Tanjiro was still young, so I was thinking about what the right tone would be 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 Tanjiro was "hesitant" to decide which one to include. In the second episode, there is a comical scene in which Tanjiro asks villagers to sell him baskets, straw, and bamboo in order to make a basket for Nezuko.

"There was a scene where Tanjiro hands over some money with a bang, and for those kinds of comedy scenes I was told to 'go all out,' 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 in episode four where Tanjiro fights the Hand Demon is the first time he fights a demon, showing his growth, and it's also the first time he demonstrates 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 that I think is good in itself."

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

◇Tanjiro's resolve

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

"I think it was a situation where the decisive 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 tremendously. I'm sure he was prepared to fight at any time, and Tanjiro has the desire to defeat him himself, and he keeps fighting with the belief that even if he can't defeat him, the others will surely be able to do so. I think that's why he was so determined."

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

As the release of "Chapter 1: Akaza Returns" approaches, Hanae says, "It's truly 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 continues, those tasks have piled up." I can't wait to enjoy the opening of the final battle on the big screen.

*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.