164.8k likes, Demon Slayer dethrones One Piece
To close season 4 of Demon Slayer, Ufotable pulled out all the stops! Like episode 1071 of One Piece which revealed Luffy's Gear 5, Crunchyroll's servers had difficulty coping with the number of people connected this Sunday, June 30. Released a little late, episode 8 of the fourth season of Demon Slayer yet has incredible figures, a little less than a week after its launch.
A phenomenal reception
It went extremely quickly for Demon Slayer! Faithful to their quality since the launch of the work, Ufotable has once again honored Koyoharu Gotōge's manga. Having become a reference in Japanese animation, the story of Kamado Tanjiro goes beyond the legendary appearance of Luffy's Gear 5.
Released during the summer of 2023, the 1071st episode of One Piece has more than 154.3k likes on the streaming platform. Bringing an end to the Pillar Training Arc, the eighth episode of season 4 blew fans away. On Crunchyroll, more than 164.8k likes decided to give a thumbs up to recognize the immense work done by the animation studio. An extraordinary feat, the episode “Gathering of the Pillars” becomes the most liked on Crunchyroll!
A trilogy of films to conclude Demon Slayer
In parallel with 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 fight between the slayers and the demons, but this is nothing new for the anime.
A transition to the big screen
As with The Infinity Train to join season 1 and 2, the animation studio decided to finish Demon Slayer with a trilogy of films. It will therefore not be a season 5 as is, but there is no need to worry on the part of the fans, because Ufotable has always lived up to the manga. The quality of the animation and the depth of the storyline were praised by critics and viewers, 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 season 4 of Demon Slayer, 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, developed resistance to the sun, the original demon decided to advance his pawns to also evolve in broad daylight by assimilating the young girl. But aware of the situation, the slayers did not sit idly by: the pillar training arc of season 4 served above all to prepare the fighters for a final confrontation.
However, the end of the season was particularly trying. Important people were swept up 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 minions. Except that the eighth and final episode ended there, without revealing the rest of the fights... which will take place not in a season 5, but in a series of three films, under the name of 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 be three films for the Final Battle arc and its first part: the Infinite Dimensional Fortress.
Divided reactions from fans
The divided reactions are in no way due to concern about the quality of the upcoming films. Because the anime has already proven that it knows how to deal with the cinema format, by releasing the film The Infinity Train, which featured the Flame Pillar Kyōjurō Rengoku. No, the problem is entirely different: while season 4 of Demon Slayer ended in a grueling suspense, spectators are afraid of having to wait too long for the sequel.
A cinema release for a Japanese animated film can in fact be more complex than for other productions. Many cinemas are often more cautious with these productions, and fans who do not live in major cities in France are already worried about missing the release... and therefore having to wait for Blu-ray or streaming, both generally subject to media chronology, thus imposing new additional delays.
Previous successes of anime releases in theaters, such as Demon Slayer: On the Road to Pillar TrainingOr Haikyu!! The trash war(not counting the next Blue Lock: Episode Nagi) could nevertheless have a beneficial impact on future screenings of Japanese animation franchises. But we will have to wait for the release of the trilogy to know what sauce fans will be eating: at this stage, no date has been announced by Crunchyroll or Sony for the three films Demon Slayer: The Infinite Fortress.
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To get to know the Serpent Hashira better, we wrote a full profile: who is Obanai Iguro, his past, Kaburamaru and his final duel against Muzan.
