After what feels like an eternity, Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village has finally been released in Japanese theaters. The hunger for more Demon Slayer content is still very much prevalent, and the herds of people flocking to see the theatrical release prove that. With two trailers already released in the past year, the build-up to this new season has been slow but exciting. We have been teased with the two new Hashira that will take center stage, namely Muichiro Tokito (the Mist Hashira) and Mitsuri Kanroji (the Love Hashira), as well as the setting for the new events to take place.
Demon Slayer follows siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado. One tragic day, their family (save for the two of them) were killed by a demon who attacked their home. While Tanjiro was absent from the attack, he came home from his errand to find his family slaughtered, except Nezuko who has been turned into a demon, herself. Eventually, Nezuko manages to keep her demon desires under control and Tanjiro becomes a certified member of the Demon Slayer Corps. The siblings set out on a journey to turn Nezuko back to her normal self, and they make many friends and allies along the way, killing demons as they go and slowly bringing down the Twelve Kizuki, headed by Muzan Kibutsuji.
Season 1 kicked off with the Kamado's tragedy and showed their friendships with supporting characters Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. We were introduced to the Hashira, the most elite fighters in the Demon Slayer Corps, and we learned about Muzan and his Twelve Kizuki. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train showcased Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke on their first mission with Kyōjurō Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, where he sadly died in a fight against Akaza of the Twelve Kizuki.
Season 2 continued from this horrible event to the gang infiltrating the "flashy" Entertainment District with Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, while they search for his wives and the Upper Rank 6 demon-duo Daki and Gyutaro. Now, season 3 is teased to take place in the extremely secretive Swordsmith Village.
On 3 February, Japan began to premiere the third installment in theatres. The hype for Demon Slayer has not died down, for evidently ticket sales amounted to 1,158,765,410 yen, which is the equivalent to $8.72 million. For context as to the anime's popularity and hunger for more content, the premiere of Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village's February record of sales is just behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King back in 2004. It is also the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2023, and is the second-largest premiere this year closely behind THE FIRST SLAM DUNK.
Fans can expect a continuation from season 2, for the movie begins with a redone version of the last two episodes from season 2 in 4K. The episode is longer than normal, so it plays out like an incomplete movie. Typical intros and outros can also be expected. Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village will also have a theatrical release on February 18 in Los Angeles.
Sources: Crunchyroll, Anime News Network