Demon Slayer: Mugen Train has arrived in theaters in North America, hitting new levels of success by recently dethroning Mortal Kombat and becoming the number one movie in North America, and there are definitely some things movie-goers need to know if they want to dive into this new tale of the Demon Slayer Corps. Following immediately after the end of the first season of the Shonen anime, the feature-length film has no recap for the events that came before it, so new viewers might definitely need a primer if they are diving into this world for the first time.
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The first season of Demon Slayer’s anime introduced us to Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who find themselves on the receiving end of a demon attack that kills the other members of their family. Though Tanjiro is unharmed during the attack, as he was not around when it took place, Nezuko found herself becoming a demon thanks to surviving and taking on some of the blood of Muzan, the top demon in the world of supernatural threats. Tanjiro begins training to become a demon slayer, spending years perfecting his mastery of the sword, traveling alongside Nezuko who spends most of her time in a box to contain her blood lust for human flesh.
The initial outing of Demon Slayer saw Tanjiro and Nezuko battling to not only eliminate the demon scourge but also find a cure for Nezuko in her current demonic state, who is managing to control her evil nature and use her abilities to help her brother during his bloody adventures. During their journey, the pair run into two other demon slayers in the “scaredy-cat” swordsman Zenitsu, who employs lightning to strike down demons, and the boar-headed Inosuke, who is a wild card that can barely be contained throughout the franchise.
The trio of demon slayers and Nezuko found themselves battling the Spider Clan, a family of arachnid-style demons, that took a heavy toll on the young heroes. Saved by the Corps, the young swordsmen came face to face with the Hashira, the strongest swordsmen within the Demon Slayer Corps, and began training once again for future adventures.
The first season came to a close with Tanjiro and his friends being tasked with finding Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, aboard a train that might be plagued with demons, with the protagonist hoping to learn more about fire abilities that his own father harbored. With the demon leader Muzam changing one of his “Lower Tier Demons” into a much more powerful form, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train takes place immediately following the season one finale and sees Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Nezuko attempting to board the locomotive.
Season Two of the anime will take into account the events that took place during the Mugen Train, which will be debuting later this year, so if you’re looking to dive into the series proper, it is definitely important to see this first film of the Shonen series.
Have you already jumped aboard the Mugen Train? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Demon Slayer Corps.
