Akira Ishida, Yuichi Nakamura , and Lynn appear at the stage greeting for " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns"

A stage greeting to thank fans for the release of the new film 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 held at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) on August 31st, with appearances by Akira Ishida, who plays Akaza/Komaji, Yuichi Nakamura, who plays Keizo, who is deeply involved in Akaza's past, and Lynn, who plays Koyuki. The film depicts Akaza's past, and Ishida, Nakamura, and Lynn spoke for the first time at the event about the thoughts they put into their roles.

"Chapter 1: Akaza Returns," part of the "Infinity Castle Arc, was released on July 18th and has been a huge hit, grossing 29,983,480,000 yen and attracting over 21.1 million viewers in 45 days. Ishida shared his thoughts, saying, "Even a month and a half after the screening, people's enthusiasm hasn't cooled down. Given the popularity of the original manga, I think this is proof that this animated film has been well received by everyone. I'm truly grateful that so many people have welcomed it with such enthusiasm."

When asked about his impressions of the film, Nakamura said, "The visuals are packed with information, and I honestly felt that it was a film best suited to being viewed in a theater. In particular, I wasn't involved in the Mugen Castle scenes, so I didn't understand the scale of the scenes when I was recording them, but seeing the finished film, I felt that way." Lynn also spoke emotionally, saying, "I was so overwhelmed after watching it that I was speechless. The power that came through the screen was incredible, and each of the three main battles depicted in this film has its own weighty story. Each battle could easily be made into a movie, and the fact that it's all condensed into this film makes it so energetic."

"Chapter 1: Akaza Returns" depicts Akaza's past, and Ishida plays Komaji before Akaza became a demon. Regarding what he kept in mind, he said, "My first involvement with ' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' was in the previous film, ' The Mugen Train,' where I appeared as a villain, but this time Akaza's past as Komaji was depicted. I believe it's because of this part that the character of Akaza is accepted, so if I can't play Komaji properly, Akaza will remain evil. I didn't think that was Akaza's true character trait, so I was conscious of not missing that point. The tension and sense of responsibility I felt last time when I first worked on a project was of a different quality; this time I felt a sense of crisis, and I approached this film with that feeling in mind."

Regarding Keizo, Komaji's mentor, who appears before him and stops him from going out of control, and who leaves an impression of being a warm and always smiling person, Nakamura said, "If I were to portray his actions and events only in text, he might come across as a dangerous person, or rather, I think he's not normal. So, to avoid being perceived as a dangerous person, I wanted to portray him as a cheerful person, and to portray him as someone who is aware that Komaji is not a bad person, but is simply the result of his environment, and I wanted to portray him as a person who is honest and has a hidden side." Regarding Nakamura's portrayal of Keizo, Ishida said, "He is a precious presence. I think it was because he was able to meet such a rare person like Keizo that Komaji's life was what it was after that."

Lynn, who played Keizo's daughter, Koiyuki, a gentle girl who is bedridden, said, "I felt that everyone had high expectations, so I just wanted to deliver a cute Koiyuki. Also, the character is notable for being physically weak and for having a tendency to blame herself in the past, but after meeting Komaji, she found the courage and resolve to express her feelings directly, and was able to move forward towards the future. I wanted to portray Koiyuki, so I played the role with that in mind." She spoke as if savoring every word.

Finally, Ishida expressed his gratitude to the fans, saying, "Thank you very much to everyone who has come to this venue today, as well as to everyone watching via live viewing. And thank you very much to everyone who has been coming to the theaters up until today and helping to make ' Infinity Castle Arc' a success.' I hope you will come to the theater again and leave the memory of ' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 - Akaza Returns' in your hearts. Thank you very much."

To commemorate the stage greeting, a "Compass Floor Advertisement" measuring approximately 10 meters in diameter, modeled after the floor of Akaza's Kekkijutsu"Destruction Killing - Compass," is on display at Shinjuku Wald 9 (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) until Getsuku.