Based on the popular manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, the new Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns," is based on the popular Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime. Released in 452 theaters on July 18, 2025, it surpassed the all-time box office record of "Mugen Train ," which grossed approximately ¥40.4 billion. It has been a huge hit, grossing over ¥38.7 billion in just five months (according to Kogyo Tanjiro Kamado ). During the battle with Akaza, Upper Rank Three, " Giyu Tomioka Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1" features scenes that connect with the first TV anime series, " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc Arc." What was it like filming " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, " the "beginning story" of the now globally popular Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba ? The explanation is based on interviews with the voice actors.
◇The enthusiasm and tension 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 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 TV anime began airing in April 2019. Prior to the broadcast, a special screening version consisting of episodes 1 to 5, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Bonds of Siblings," was screened for two weeks only at 11 theaters nationwide.
Akari Kito , the voice actress who plays Tanjiro Kamado 's younger sister, Nezuko, said at an event prior to the release of "The End of the Infinity Castle Arc: Chapter 1" that she felt "deeply moved" to have reached the "Infinity Castle Arc of the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, I start to cry." The first recording of "The Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc" began with a scene at Kamado's house deep in the mountains.
"The cast itself gathered at the recording studio was much smaller than it is now. For me, it was one of my dreams to appear in a Jump work, and this was a work that made that dream come true, so I was nervous, and Hanae (Natsuki), who plays Tanjiro, was also nervous. I feel like the set was tense for a while, different from the lively atmosphere and passion we have now. Nezuko is a very difficult character, but Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a really interesting work, and I could tell from the first episode that the staff were very enthusiastic, so I felt a lot of pressure."
Hanae, who plays Tanjiro, said that the first episode of "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc " had many tough scenes and that he was "hesitant." In the second episode, there is a comical scene in which Tanjiro asks villagers to sell him baskets, straw, and bamboo 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."
◇ Takahiro Sakurai , who plays Giyu Giyu Tomioka , saw the "serious back view of the two"
Takahiro Sakurai , who plays Giyu Tomioka , the pillar whom Tanjiro and Nezuko first meet, 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-kun, who plays Tanjiro, and Kito-san, who plays Nezuko, in front of the microphone, 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 " Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1," Tomioka fights alongside Tanjiro, depicting scenes that show Tanjiro's remarkable growth. In "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc," Tomioka helps Tanjiro and Nezuko, and in "Hashira Training Arc ," he is helped by Tanjiro as they take on the demons. Looking back on the bond that began in the first episode, it is deeply moving for fans.
◇ Pushing past limits from the start: "I don't want to lose"
Hiro Shimono , the voice actor who continues to play Zenitsu Agatsuma, Tanjiro's fellow member of the Demon Slaying Corps , said that when he first took part in full-scale recording, he felt he had to "put his all into it."
"The first time I played Zenitsu was during the recording of the teaser PV, before the Demon Slaying Corps' final selection, which is when he first appears in the TV anime. I acted thinking, 'This is how I did it at the audition,' and the staff told me to 'make it more rowdy,' so I acted thinking, 'Huh, more than this?' and vaguely thought, 'I guess this will be the base.' A while later, Zenitsu finally appeared, and it was in episode 11 that he made his full appearance. Although he did appear during that time, when I got to know the atmosphere of the dubbing for ' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba : Kimetsu no Yaiba' again, I thought, 'I have to put my all into this.'"
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka , who plays Inosuke Hashibira , another of Tanjiro's classmates, was also inspired by the recording of " Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc."
"Listening to Natsuki's acting as Tanjiro on set gives you goosebumps. It makes you feel like you don't want to lose, and that if you're not on the same level as him, this production won't work. Natsuki takes the lead, steadily raising the morale on set and inspiring everyone around him, so you can't be left behind. I think Shimono feels the same way. Shimono, too, was pushing his limits from the start."
The filming of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is heated, and it is said to be getting more intense with each new series. The performances of the voice actors in "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc: The Infinity Castle Arc," it might be a good idea to revisit the origins once again. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
