The new theatrical version of the anime " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba " based on the popular manga by Koyoharu Gotouge is "Demon Slayer : Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc 1: Akaza Returns." The "Infinity Castle Arc" depicts the final battle between the Demon Slaying Corps and the demons led by Muzan Kibutsuji. In the first chapter, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Kaigaku, Upper Rank Six, will face off. Hiro Shimono , who plays Zenitsu Agatsuma , said that he "really wanted to act" out the scene with Kaigaku. We asked him about what went on behind the scenes of the recording.
◇Tense recording session: Zenitsu's growth
Among the various battles depicted in the first chapter is the fight between Zenitsu and Kaigaku. Kaigaku is a character who first appeared without a name being revealed in " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc," and is played by voice actor Yoshimasa Hosoya.
Shimono said that he felt that the fight with Kaigaku was "one of Zenitsu's greatest highlights" and "a special scene for me", and that he approached the recording with extraordinary enthusiasm, saying, "I really wanted to act this scene, so I put in a lot of effort," and "I was more fully concentrated than ever before". Zenitsu has had many comedy scenes in the series up until now, but in the first chapter he shows a determined expression.
At the recording site, he revealed that he had made up his mind to avoid talking to Hosoya, who plays Kaigaku, "and I tried to avoid talking to him at all costs."
"During the battle, I felt that I wouldn't be able to talk to him casually, so I tried not to say anything. However, I was thinking that it would be a bad idea to not talk at all, but towards the end, Hosoya said to me, 'Shimono-san, you seem really tense,' and I think I said something along the lines of, 'It is this battle after all. I am really fired up.' I myself am not very good with extremely quiet spaces, so up until now I have often found myself talking to people, but this scene was an exception. It was a very emotional scene, after all."
Shimono plays Zenitsu in the first chapter and says he feels that "Zenitsu has become stronger in many ways."
"I think he had feelings for his grandfather, but I think it was precisely because he had gained the strength to be prepared to face Kaigaku head-on that he was able to confront him head-on and focus straight on what he had to do."
"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 in order 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 total number of copies of the manga sold worldwide is over 220 million. The TV anime "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc" aired from April to September 2019, and the movie version "Mugen Train" released in October 2020 recorded the highest box office revenue in Japan's history, grossing approximately 40.4 billion yen. 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 "Infinity Castle Arc" is a trilogy.
