Demon Slayer: The Final Episode Explodes Counters and Announces a Trilogy of Epic Films
Antoine Brault
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 struggled to handle the number of people connected this Sunday, June 30. Released a little late, episode 8 of the fourth season of Demon Slayer nevertheless has mind-blowing numbers, a little less than a week after its launch.
A phenomenal reception
It went extremely fast for Demon Slayer ! True 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 mythical appearance of Luffy's Gear 5.
Released in the summer of 2023, the 1071st episode of One Piece has accumulated more than 154.3k likes on the streaming platform. Putting 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 it a thumbs up to reward the immense work done by the animation studio. An extraordinary feat, the episode "Gathering of the Pillars" becomes the most liked on Crunchyroll!
A film trilogy to conclude Demon Slayer
Alongside the release of this already legendary episode, Ufotable has announced that Demon Slayer Season 5 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 not a new thing for the anime.
A transition to the big screen
As with Mugen Train to join seasons 1 and 2, the anime studio decided to end Demon Slayer with a trilogy of films. So it won't be a season 5 as is, but no worries on the fans' side, because Ufotable has always lived up to the manga. The quality of the animation and the depth of the storyline have been praised by critics and viewers alike, leading to exceptional ratings on platforms like IMDb, where the episode almost reached perfection with a score of 9.9.
The Final Battle Arc
The Pillar Training arc is over, the Final Battle arc is just beginning: after the end of Demon Slayer season 4, 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, has developed a resistance to the sun, the original demon has decided to advance his pawns to also evolve in broad daylight by assimilating the young girl. But aware of the situation, the slayers have not remained idle: the Pillar Training arc of season 4 was primarily used to prepare the fighters for a final confrontation.
However, the end of the season was particularly trying. Important characters 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 henchmen. 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 of feature films to adapt the finale of Koyoharu Gotoge's manga were already known, and although never confirmed, they had been relaunched before episode 8 of season 4. Crunchyroll has now validated the theories, there will indeed be three films for the Final Battle arc and its first part: the Infinite Dimensional Fortress.
Fans' reactions are mixed
The mixed reactions are in no way due to concerns about the quality of the upcoming films. Because the anime has already proven that it knows how to handle the theatrical format, by releasing the film Mugen Train , which featured the flame pillar Kyōjurō Rengoku. No, the problem is quite different: while Demon Slayer season 4 ended in a suspenseful ending, viewers are afraid of having to wait too long for the sequel.
A cinema release for a Japanese animated film can indeed be more complex than for other productions. Many movie theaters 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 the Blu-ray or streaming, both generally subject to the media chronology, thus imposing new additional delays.
Previous successful theatrical releases of anime, such as Demon Slayer: The Road to Pillar Training or Haikyu!! The Trash War (not to mention the upcoming Blue Lock: Episode Nagi ) could nevertheless have a beneficial impact on the upcoming screenings of Japanese anime franchises. But we will have to wait for the release of the trilogy to know what sauce fans will be treated to: at this point, no dates have been announced by Crunchyroll or Sony for the three Demon Slayer: Infinite Fortress films.
Links to our products
- Find Tanjiro's cosplay coat in our shop.
- Also check out Tanjiro's earrings to complete your demon slayer look.
- Also find Tanjiro's wig as well as its decorative LED
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