Demon Slayer: The Final Episode Explodes Counters and Announces a Trilogy of Epic Films
Antoine Brault
164.8k likes, Demon Slayer dethrones One Piece
To close season 4 of Demon Slayer , Ufotable pulled out all the stops! Just like episode 1071 of One Piece which revealed Luffy's Gear 5, Crunchyroll's servers struggled to cope with the number of people connected this Sunday, June 30. Released a little late, episode 8 of the fourth season of Demon Slayer nevertheless has incredible figures, a little less than a week after its launch.
A phenomenal reception
It's been incredibly fast for Demon Slayer ! True to their quality since the work's launch, Ufotable has once again honored Koyoharu Gotōge's manga. Having become a benchmark in Japanese animation, the story of Kamado Tanjiro goes beyond the legendary appearance of Luffy's Gear 5.
Released in the summer of 2023, the 1071st episode of One Piece has accumulated more than 154.3k likes on the streaming platform. Bringing the Pillar Training Arc to a close, the eighth episode of season 4 blew fans away. On Crunchyroll, more than 164.8k likes decided to give it a thumbs up to reward the immense work done by the animation studio. An extraordinary feat, the episode "Gathering of the Pillars" becomes the most liked episode on Crunchyroll!
A film trilogy to conclude Demon Slayer
Alongside the release of this already legendary episode, Ufotable has announced that Demon Slayer Season 5 will be different from the others... The format as we know it will not be renewed for the continuation of the fierce fight between the slayers and the demons, but this is not a new thing for the anime.
A transition to the big screen
As with Mugen Train, which wrapped up seasons 1 and 2, the animation studio decided to finish Demon Slayer with a trilogy of films. So, it won't be a season 5 as it is, but fans needn't worry, as Ufotable has always lived up to the manga's standards. The quality of the animation and the depth of the story have been praised by critics and viewers alike, leading to exceptional ratings on platforms like IMDb, where the episode reached near perfection with a 9.9 rating.
The Final Battle Arc
The Pillar Training arc is over, the Final Battle arc is just beginning: after the end of Demon Slayer season 4, it's not another season that has been announced, but a trilogy of films, and fans are divided. That's it, Kibutsuji Muzan has launched hostilities! While Nezuko, Tanjiro's little sister, has developed a resistance to the sun, the original demon has decided to advance his pawns to also evolve in broad daylight by assimilating the young girl. But aware of the situation, the slayers have not remained idle: the Pillar Training arc of season 4 served above all to prepare the fighters for a final confrontation.
Yet, the end of the season was particularly trying. Important characters were swept away in the flames, while the Pillars and most of the Slayers were trapped in the worst possible place: the Infinite Dimensional Fortress, lair of Muzan and his henchmen. Except that the eighth and final episode ended there, without revealing the rest of the battles... which will take place not in a season 5, but in a series of three films, under the name The Infinite Fortress! Rumors about feature films to adapt the finale of Koyoharu Gotoge's manga were already known, and although never confirmed, they had been revived before episode 8 of season 4. Crunchyroll has now validated the theories, there will indeed be three films for the Final Battle arc and its first part: the Infinite Dimensional Fortress.
Fans' reactions are divided
The mixed reactions aren't due to concerns about the quality of the upcoming films. Anime has already proven it knows how to handle the theatrical format with the release of Mugen Train , which starred the flame-bearer Kyōjurō Rengoku. The problem is quite different: while Demon Slayer season 4 ended on a cliffhanger, viewers are worried about having to wait too long for the sequel.
A theatrical release for a Japanese animated film can indeed be more complex than for other productions. Many movie theaters are often more cautious with these productions, and fans who do not live in major French cities are already worried about missing the release... and therefore having to wait for Blu-ray or streaming, both of which are generally subject to the media chronology, thus imposing new additional delays.
Previous theatrical anime hits, such as Demon Slayer: The Pillar Training and Haikyu!! The Garbage War (not to mention the upcoming Blue Lock: Episode Nagi ) could still have a positive impact on upcoming Japanese anime franchise screenings. But we'll have to wait for the trilogy's release to see what fans will be treated to: at this point, no release dates have been announced by Crunchyroll or Sony for the three Demon Slayer: Infinite Fortress films.
Links to our products
- Find the Tanjiro Kamado Green and Black Plaid Cosplay Kimono - Demon Slayer
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- Also find Tanjiro's wig and its decorative LED
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