Demon Slayer: The Final Episode Explodes Counters and Announces a Trilogy of Epic Films

164.8k likes, Demon Slayer dethrones One Piece

To close out 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 handle the number of viewers on Sunday, June 30th. Released a little late, episode 8 of the fourth season of Demon Slayer nevertheless boasts staggering numbers, less than a week after its launch.

A phenomenal reception

Things moved incredibly fast for Demon Slayer ! True to their high standards since the series' launch, Ufotable has once again done justice to Koyoharu Gotōge's manga. Having become a benchmark in Japanese animation, Kamado Tanjiro's story transcends the mythical appearance of Luffy's Gear 5.

Released in the summer of 2023, the 1071st episode of One Piece has garnered over 154,300 likes on the streaming platform. Bringing the Pillars Training Arc to a close, the eighth episode of season 4 blew fans away. On Crunchyroll, over 164,800 viewers gave it a thumbs up to acknowledge the immense work done by the animation studio. A truly remarkable achievement, the episode "Assembly of the Pillars" has become the most liked on Crunchyroll!

A trilogy of films to conclude Demon Slayer

Alongside the release of this already legendary episode, Ufotable announced that season 5 of Demon Slayer will differ from the others... The format as we know it will not be renewed for the continuation of the fierce struggle 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 to bridge seasons 1 and 2, the animation studio has decided to conclude Demon Slayer with a film trilogy. Therefore, it won't be a season 5 in the traditional sense, but fans shouldn't worry, as Ufotable has consistently delivered on the manga's promise. The animation quality and the depth of the story have been praised by critics and viewers alike, resulting in outstanding ratings on platforms like IMDb, where the episode nearly achieved perfection with a score of 9.9.

The Final Battle arc

The Pillar Training arc is over, but the Final Battle arc is just beginning: after the end of Demon Slayer season 4, it wasn't another season that was announced, but a film trilogy, and fans are divided. Kibutsuji Muzan has launched his attack! While Nezuko, Tanjiro's younger sister, has developed a resistance to sunlight, the Founding Demon has decided to make his move to evolve in daylight by assimilating the young girl. But aware of the situation, the demon slayers haven't been idle: the Pillar Training arc of season 4 served primarily to prepare the fighters for a final confrontation.

However, the end of the season was particularly harrowing. Important characters perished in the flames, while the Pillars and most of the Demon Slayers were trapped in the worst possible place: the Infinite Dimensional Fortress, the lair of Muzan and his minions. But the eighth and final episode ended there, without revealing what would happen next… not in a fifth season, but in a series of three films, titled The Infinite Fortress! Rumors about feature films adapting the ending of Koyoharu Gotoge's manga were already circulating, and although never confirmed, they resurfaced before episode 8 of season 4. Crunchyroll has now confirmed the theories: there will indeed be three films for the Final Battle arc and its first part: The Infinite Dimensional Fortress.

Mixed reactions from fans

The mixed reactions are in no way due to concerns about the quality of the upcoming films. The anime has already proven its ability to handle the cinematic format, having released the film Mugen Train , which starred the Flame Pillar Kyōjurō Rengoku. No, the problem lies elsewhere: with Demon Slayer season 4 ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger, viewers are worried about having to wait too long for the next season.

A theatrical release for a Japanese animated film can indeed be more complex than for other productions. Many cinemas are often more hesitant with these films, and fans who don't live in major French cities are already worried about missing the release… and therefore having to wait for the Blu-ray or streaming version, both of which are generally subject to media chronology laws, thus imposing further delays.

Previous successes of anime releases in theaters, such as Demon Slayer: Road to Pillar Training and Haikyuu!!: Trash War (not to mention the upcoming Blue Lock: Episode Nagi ), could nevertheless have a beneficial impact on future screenings of Japanese animation franchises. However, we'll have to wait for the trilogy's release to know what to expect: at this stage, no release date has been announced by Crunchyroll or Sony for the three Demon Slayer: The Infinite Fortress films.