“Demon Slayer is so bittersweet… Shinobu Kocho & Giyu Tomioka’s two-shot from ufotable’s official art draws reactions: ‘That smile…’ ‘Such a good expression.’”

The film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc – Part 1: Akaza’s Return has been showing since July 18. To commemorate the release, ufotable posted an illustration of Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka standing side by side on their official X account.

There was a time when Shinobu told Giyu, “That’s why everyone hates you,” to which he retorted, “I’m not hated.” In the illustration, Shinobu is shown with a gentle smile, her face prominently featured, while Giyu is depicted gazing at her from behind.

Fans reacted with comments like, “Shinobu-chan… that smile is so bittersweet…,” “They both have such good expressions. I love these two,” “The art style feels like early anime days, I love it,” and “I wish the movie had included more scenes like this.”

Demon Slayer is based on the hugely popular manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020. Set in the Taisho era, in a world inhabited by man-eating demons, it tells the story of a young boy, Tanjiro Kamado, who joins the Demon Slayer Corps to avenge his family—killed by demons—and to find a way to turn his demonized sister, Nezuko, back into a human. The total worldwide circulation of the manga recently surpassed 220 million copies.

The TV anime Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc aired from April to September 2019 and generated massive buzz. This was followed by the release of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train in October 2020, which became a social phenomenon, with its worldwide box office revenue surpassing approximately ¥51.7 billion.

Since then, Demon Slayer has been adapted into games and stage plays. The anime continued with the Entertainment District Arc in December 2021, the Swordsmith Village Arc in April 2023, and the Hashira Training Arc aired from May to June 2024. Now, the story is moving into a three-part film adaptation of the Infinity Castle Arc. The first installment, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc – Part 1: Akaza’s Return, features Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps entering the demons’ stronghold—the Infinity Castle—for a final showdown against Muzan Kibutsuji and the Upper Rank demons. The film is currently screening in 452 theaters (393 standard + 59 IMAX).

Source : ORICON NEWS