On the 16th of October 2020, a Japanese animated film titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba , The Movie: Mugen Train shattered every expectation for the global box office. It became the highest-grossing film of that year, surpassing all Hollywood blockbusters and marking the first time in cinema history that a non-American production topped the annual worldwide box office. This achievement was not merely a statistical anomaly but a cultural phenomenon that occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when theaters were struggling to stay open and audiences were desperate for escape. The film grossed over 512.7 million dollars worldwide, selling more than 41 million tickets, and it set a new record as the highest-grossing R-rated animated film of all time, surpassing Sausage Party. It was the first Japanese film to ever cross the half-billion dollar mark, a feat that had previously been the exclusive domain of giants like Spirited Away and Your Name, until it was eventually surpassed in 2025 by the later installment, Infinity Castle , Part 1: Akaza Returns.
A Dream Within A Dream
The narrative of the film centers on Tanjiro Kamado, a young demon slayer, and his demon sister Nezuko, who board the Mugen Train to assist Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku in hunting a demon. The story takes a surreal turn when the passengers fall into a deep sleep orchestrated by Enmu, the Lower Rank One of Muzan Kibutsuji's Twelve Kizuki. Enmu instructs four insomniac passengers to enter their dreams and destroy their spiritual cores, promising them peaceful sleep in exchange. The intruders fail to destroy the cores, but the dream sequences reveal the deepest desires of the characters: Tanjiro reunites with his deceased family, Kyojuro reminisces on his past with his brother and father, Zenitsu envisions a life with Nezuko, and Inosuke imagines himself as a leader. Tanjiro, aided by the unaffected Nezuko, realizes he is dreaming and abandons his family to wake up when a vision of his father instructs him to commit suicide. Nezuko uses her pyrokinetic Blood Demon Art to sever the intruders' connection to the others, allowing Tanjiro to confront and behead Enmu, who has fused with the train and prepares to devour the passengers.The Flame That Refused To Die
Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, stands as the emotional core of the film, a man whose unwavering dedication to his duty defines the story. When confronted by Upper Rank Three Akaza, a powerful demon who tries to persuade Kyojuro into becoming a demon, Kyojuro refuses and fights with a ferocity that leaves the audience in awe. He cannot overcome Akaza's regeneration and is severely wounded, with Akaza fatally injuring him by impaling his solar plexus. In his last moments, Kyojuro attempts to restrain Akaza until sunrise and sever his neck, but Akaza breaks free and flees into a nearby forest. Tanjiro throws his sword at Akaza and impales his chest, though the demon escapes. Kyojuro's final words to Tanjiro are a testament to his character: he tells Tanjiro to visit his family's estate to ascertain writings from the past Flame Hashiras, which may help him learn about his Hinokami Kagura. He encourages Tanjiro and his friends to continue on their paths to greater strength, telling them to never give up in protecting others, before succumbing to his injuries and reuniting with his mother in the afterlife.