*Content warning: article includes spoilers about “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.”

The movie “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” broke records, beating “Mortal Kombat” in box office records since its release date of April 23, 2021. 

According to box office ratings, the movie has become one of the most famous anime films in the U.S. this year. It was released in 1,598 theaters, and as of May 10, has garnered a domestic gross profit of $37,172,276 and an international gross profit of $432,918,496. 

“Demon Slayer” is an anime series about a boy whose family was brutally murdered by a mysterious demon. Though his sister survived the attack, she gets turned into a demon. The main character, Tanjiro Kamado, begins his journey as a demon slayer to find a cure for his sister. 

MaKenna Brooks, a second-year graphic design student at Oregon State University said the movie was really well done. 

“I love Demon Slayer’s art style and animation, and the soundtrack was amazing,” Brooks said. “It had a good combination of humor, action and bittersweet moments.”

Another student, Grace Strid, a third-year mathematics student at OSU, also said she really liked the animation throughout the movie when the Kisatsu-tai used their swords, especially when it was Rengoku who was fighting. 

Some students appreciated the movie’s global impact.

Erika Iizuka, a third-year graphic design and international student from Japan said she is very happy to hear that an anime which features traditional Japanese culture is becoming more popular and visible in the U.S. as well as in Japan.

“My favorite moment has to be the last battle scene,” Lizuka said via email. “The music, sound effects, voice acting – [which] I watched in Japanese – and that animation were insanely good!”

Lizuka noted Rengoku and Akaza had very different definitions of being strong and scenes in the movie really captured and showed that to the audience.

“Until this battle, Rengoku seemed to be just a typical funny boy in anime, but this scene and the following scenes made me think that he was maybe acting to be funny so that he never shows his fear or worries in front of others,” Lizuka said.

Hannah Ely, a third-year design and innovation management student, said in an email she had so much fun watching “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train,” the movie, she would definitely watch it again.

Parris Tatsuya Buffalochief, a senior music production student said after being a big fan of the first season of Demon Slayer, he can comfortably say the movie was a success in connecting the next arc for the main character.

“Although it might not have been the super action packed movie that some anime watchers expected, the importance of longer dialogue and growth of the characters cannot be overlooked,” Buffalochief said via email. “This movie hit me with a fiery emotional wave as well as fulfilling the interest in lore for the overall show.”

Buffalochief’s favorite scene was when Rengoku passed on his emotional torch and responsibility as demon slayer to the main character before dying. Buffalochief said it was amazing how in such little time, the movie was able to hook him onto the dying character’s past and emotional struggles.