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. The "Infinity Castle Arc" depicts the final battle between the Demon Slaying Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji and other demons. In the first chapter, while many Demon Slaying Corps members and pillars fall into the Infinity Castle in a tense atmosphere, Inosuke Hashibira shows his usual recklessness. We spoke to voice actor Yoshitsugu Matsuoka , who has played Inosuke since " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, " which began airing in April 2019, about his thoughts on the " Infinity Castle Arc" and the "changes" he has noticed in Inosuke.
◇ Inosuke realizes the value of his teammates and changes into "Charge recklessly!"
When Matsuoka saw the footage from the first chapter, he was amazed by the beauty of the images.
"Even if you're not familiar with ' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,' I felt that the visual beauty of the film would definitely hook you from the start. The acting is great, but the story is truly breathtaking from start to finish. There are scenes where the characters appear calm, but inside they are bubbling like magma, and I really want everyone to see it."
Inosuke falls into the Mugen Castle and defeats demons one after another. It looks like he is having fun doing so. I wonder how Matsuoka perceived Inosuke in the first chapter.
"Inosuke was truly defeated in the ' Mugen Train'. He was unable to fight even if he wanted to, and he instinctively learned that even if he charged in desperately, he would never win. From there, he gained some comrades in the corps, but for Inosuke himself, he had to become stronger. And even if he did become stronger, his desire to take on the next strong enemy hasn't changed, so even in the ' Infinity Castle Arc', I think Inosuke is basically moving forward in a straight line, taking steps forward. However, unlike before, he is also aware of the importance of his comrades. If I told Inosuke this, he would probably say, 'That's not true!'"
While his desire to "fight strong opponents" has not changed, Matsuoka himself says that his approach to playing Inosuke is "completely different from when I first started."
"I think that viewers and listeners will feel that not much has changed, but I personally feel that there has been a clear change, and that the way he communicates has become a little softer. After going through the experience of training with his comrades... although to Inosuke they are not comrades but underlings... but because he had been alone for so long, eating from the same pot, he has instinctively come to value them like family. He hasn't lost his rough side, but that roughness, which was once filled with hostility, has now softened in some ways. In fight scenes, for example, his acting has gradually improved, but his fundamental qualities have softened."
He also feels that the meaning of Inosuke's catchphrase, "Chitotsu Moushin" ("Charge-charge-moushin"), is changing.
"In the past, I just wanted to say 'charge headlong,' and it seemed like I was just saying it impulsively, but now, while I'm charging headlong, I'm also thinking about people other than myself."
Despite these changes, he says that "the one thing that must never be lost" when playing Inosuke is momentum.
"I try to stay on that line so that people can feel good watching that momentum. If I let down the momentum even a little, it would no longer be Inosuke. No matter how difficult the situation, no matter how incomprehensible the situation, Inosuke is the kind of person who just keeps pushing forward."
◇ Natsuki Hanae's acting in the recording of "Breaking the Limits" gave me goosebumps
Matsuoka said, "Tanjiro and Zenitsu were the two people that Inosuke experienced human warmth from," and added that he was also greatly influenced by the characters played by Natsuki Hanae and Hiro Shimono.
"I think this started around the time of the Drum Mansion (Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc). Listening to Natsuki's acting as Tanjiro on set, he does things that give you goosebumps. It makes you feel like you don't want to lose, and that the show won't work unless you're on the same level as him. Natsuki takes the lead, steadily raising the morale on set and inspiring everyone around him, so there's no way we can be left behind. I think Shimono feels the same way. Shimono, on the other hand, was pushing his limits from the very beginning."
Matsuoka said that the recording of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" "has become more and more intense with each series," describing the intensity of the process, saying, "Everyone is pushing their limits."
Finally, we asked him about his thoughts on the "Infinity Castle Arc" trilogy.
"As for Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, they are getting increasingly switched on. Tanjiro's switch has been on from the beginning, and he hasn't wavered since the first episode of ' Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc'. Zenitsu also looked determined in the first chapter as he fell into the Infinity Castle. Inosuke is currently in a state where he wants to fight strong opponents. I would like to continue to give it my all in the future, so I hope you will follow me until the end."
"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 Slayer: Kimetsu Mugen Train" was released in October 2020. It attracted a total of approximately 28.97 million viewers in Japan and grossed approximately 40.4 billion yen, the highest 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." *The correct spelling of the "Tsuji" in Muzan Kibutsuji is a single dot.
