After making $474m worldwide, Mugen Train is the highest-grossing film of 2020, the first anime film to cross the $400m mark at the Box Office, and Japan’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Following the success of Demon Slayer season One, the decision to turn the next arc into an animated movie made little sense. But Yuma Takahashi, the producer, justified the decision by arguing that, when Season One first aired, the manga did not have enough content to fill a second season.
You rarely see such artistic discipline in the industry. And Takahashi’s gamble paid off. Though, for the most part, this feels less like a movie and more like four to five episodes strung together.
That doesn’t take anything away from the accomplishment of Mugen Train. The 117-Minute film picks up where season one left off. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko were tasked with assisting Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku on a mission.
We actually saw them board the train months ago in the final seconds of Season One. This movie reveals the events that followed. The squad has to identify and eliminate a demon that has killed both passengers and the demon slayers sent to destroy it. But before they can get their bearings, Tanjiro’s squad falls prey to an insidious spell.
If you have spent the last few months listening to the excited ramblings coming out of Japan (Japanese cinemas started showing Mugen Train last October), and you want to know whether the film deserves all the hype, I am glad to report that it definitely meets expectations.
As always, this is Tanjiro’s story. The public tends to rebel against pure-hearted heroes. Apparently, they are so predictable
that it makes them boring. Tanjiro is the exception. Everyone loves him. His exploits dominate Mugen Train, but he is, by no means, the star. Sure, Nezuko gets her moment to shine, and Inosuke did far more than I expected.
But Rengoku was the clear standout. On the whole, the plot is intriguing, and the movie goes to great lengths to develop the supporting cast. The art and animation are gorgeous. Fights in anime are rarely this eye- popping.
If you loved the first season, then Mugen Train is as engaging a sequel as you could possibly want. However, for the majority of its run, the movie does not match the heights of the first season.
It all comes down to Rengoku. During its final hour, Mugen Train reaches what looks like a natural and satisfying end. But just as our protagonists prepare to sign off, a thing happens, and then the film goes on to deliver the greatest 15 minutes of the entire franchise.
Take those final 15 minutes out and Mugen Train is just okay. Add those 15 minutes and it becomes a masterpiece. I was ready to write Mugen Train off as decent, but not particularly extraordinary. But that ending (and Rengoku) changed everything. Now, I cannot wait to see more.
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