Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- (2024)
Movie · 2024 · Action, Animation, Fantasy, Adventure · 1h 43m · R · Japanese
Curator score: 4.8/10 (44.6K ratings)
The roar of victory.
Overview
Tanjiro undergoes rigorous training with the Stone Hashira, Himejima, in his quest to become a Hashira. Meanwhile, Muzan continues to search for Nezuko and Ubuyashiki. A recap of Kimetsu no Yaiba episodes 55–56, with new footage and special end credits.
A visually spectacular but structurally awkward theatrical recap-plus-premiere package. If you already love Demon Slayer and want the big-screen presentation, the animation, sound, and final stretch deliver; if you want a self-contained movie, this is mostly a stopgap release.
Best for
existing Demon Slayer fans
viewers who want premium big-screen anime spectacle
audiences following the series week to week
fans of emotional shonen climaxes
Skip if
you want a complete standalone film
you dislike recap-heavy releases
you are waiting for streaming anyway
you are tired of the series' heightened melodrama
Overview
This is less a movie than a polished bridge between seasons, built from recap material and a preview of what comes next. That format will test patience, but it also means the film is doing exactly what it intends: reminding viewers where the story stands before the next escalation. For fans already invested in Tanjiro and the Hashira, the theatrical presentation gives the familiar material a real sense of scale.
Worth noting
The appeal is mostly craft. The animation remains lavish, the action staging is crisp, and the sound design and score are engineered for maximum impact. Even when the structure feels repetitive, the series' trademark emotional intensity and visual flourish keep it watchable, especially on a large screen.
Bottom line
Still, the complaints are easy to understand. The recap-heavy pacing makes it feel like an expensive intermission, and the film format can exaggerate the show's already heightened tone. As a cinematic experience, it is compromised; as a fan-service event and a teaser for the next arc, it largely succeeds.
Top Letterboxd reviews
limjasonzxs (0.5★) · 299 likes
1 hour Swordsmith Village
44 mins Hashira Training arc
adambolt (3★) · 252 likes
Crunchyroll is rinsing me for all I am worth
James DeLisio (2★) · 157 likes
the movie is finally over!!! yokatane !!!
real talk tho this has to be one of the all time worst ways to structure media. kill this recap “movie” format. also i forgot how wayyyyy over the top demon slayer is. they whack you with a sledgehammer to make sure you know exactly what emotion they want you to feel. yes it looks great but it is so exhausting to deal with characters that scream everything and the score is screaming and everything is so much all of the time. deMID slayer.
Kat (5★) · 152 likes
Ladies and gentlemen I just paid a crap ton of money to watch a training arc and I loved every second
JoshuaCaine (3.5★) · 127 likes
Peak show — here’s an in-depth review and my overall thoughts:
Storytelling: 8.9/10Animation: 10/10Pacing: 7.0/10Complexity: 9.2/10Side Characters: 8.5/10Ideologies: 9.1/10Depth: 8.8/10Dialogue: 8.7/10Cinematography: 9.0/10Tone: 8.4/10Emotional Impact: 9.3/10Consistency: 8.6/10World-Building: 9.0/10Soundtrack: 10/10Character Development: 9.2/10Theme Execution: 8.9/10Symbolism: 8.3/10Twists: 8.1/10Rewatch Value: 7.5/10Ending Satisfaction: 8.0/10Moral Ambiguity: 9.1/10Foreshadowing: 8.6/10Subplots: 8.3/10Opening Episodes: 7.9/10Final Episodes: 8.4/10Cohesion: 8.8/10Balance Between Action & Dialogue: 8.2/10Villains: 8.7/10Main… more