Demon Slayer: Infinity Castleis finally out in Japan, and it’s already living up to the hype. Fan reactions from social media indicate that the writing and visuals are just as good asMugen Train, if not better, and with it making over $40 million in its opening weekend, the film is on track to become one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castleis a certified hit, but unfortunately, American fans will have to wait until September to see it. That’s certainly a long wait for what’s bound to be one of the best movies of the year, but fortunately,there are plenty of great anime movies that provide the same sort of visual and narrative appeal asInfinity Castlethat people can watch while they wait. A few of those movies especially stand out, as while they might not beInfinity Castle, they still easily make for a great time for any anime fan.
Production I.G’sGhost in the Shelltakes place in the cyberpunk future of 2029 and stars Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg working for public security. One day, Motoko and her team are tasked with hunting down a mysterious and dangerous hacker known as the Puppet Master, and in doing so, Motoko goes on a quest to discover what it means to be human and if she can still call herself as such.
WhileGhost in the Shell’s story is far removed fromInfinity Castle’s, it’s still a great film for its gorgeous visuals, incredible action, and mature narrative surrounding humanity, soGhost in the Shellis an anime film that has all the same aesthetic appeal as a film likeDemon Slayer: Infinity Castle. It’s a legendary anime film for a reason, and witha newGhost in the Shellanimein development, now’s the perfect time to watch it.
Cast
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.
TMS Entertainment’sAkiratakes place in the dystopian Neo-Tokyo and revolves around two bikers named Kaneda and Tetsuo. An encounter with the JSDF leads to Tetsuo’s awakening of psychic powers that he quickly loses control of, and it soon falls to Kaneda to stop his friend’s rampage, all while unraveling the mystery of the legendary esper Akira.
Much likeGhost in the Shell,Akirais a film that doesn’t have anything in common withInfinity Castle’s story, but that’s perfectly fine, asAkira, much likeDemon Slayer: Infinity Castle, excels through a combination of strong writing and gorgeous animation and direction. It’s another film cited as one of the best anime movies of all time, and it can easily matchInfinity Castle’s quality.
Animate Film’sNinja Scrolltakes place in feudal Japan and is centered around an ongoing rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate by the Eight Devils of Kimon, a group of ninja with deadly supernatural abilities. TheroninJubei Kibagami ends up forced to fight against them, but after learning that their leader is a man from his past he thought was dead, Jubei is plenty willing to fight if it means putting him down for good.
In addition to being a fellow period piece,Ninja Scrollhas plenty of overlap withDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibafor being a bloody and violent action story with plenty of heart underneath it all, all while looking amazing from start to finish.Ninja Scrolloften prioritizes action over story, but it’s still a great film to watch thatDemon Slayerfans are bound to get a lot out of.
Ashi Productions’Vampire Hunter Dtakes place thousands of years after a nuclear holocaust, where the remnants of humanity now live in fear of vampires. When rookie hunter Doris Lang is bitten by the vampire lord Count Magnus, she only has so much time before becoming a vampire herself, and to save her life, she hires the mysterious D to kill Magnus before it’s too late.
Vampire Hunter Dis another anime film that succeeds by combining melancholic storytelling with dark action and gorgeous visuals, and even after 40 years, it still holds up as an incredible piece of dark fantasy. All of those elements have clear overlap withDemon Slayer’s aesthetic, so it’s a perfect film to watch for fans waiting forInfinity Castleto come out.
6Fate/Grand Order — Final Singularity Grand Temple Of Time: Solomon
Anime Film By CloverWorks; Based On The Video Game By Type-Moon
CloverWorks’Fate/Grand Order — Final Singularity Grand Temple of Time: Solomonadapts the final arc of the first half ofFate/Grand Order. With all seven Singularities cleared, Ritsuka Fujimaru and his friends in Chaldea have now arrived at the Grand Temple of Time to confront Solomon, the mastermind behind the Singularities, thus beginning the final battle against evil to save the future.
The few adaptations ofFate/Grand Orderstories all do great jobs of translating the game into animation, and sure enough,Fate/Grand Order — Final Singularity Grand Temple of Time: Solomondoes a perfect job of adapting the game’s themes of heroism and humanity in the face of evilwith some of the most stunning animation for anyFateanime. All of those factors combine for a truly stunning film, and anyone waiting forInfinity Castlewould be remiss to pass it up.
5One Piece: Baron Omatsuri And The Secret Island
Anime Film By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Eiichiro Oda
Toei Animation’sOne Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Islandis the sixth film in theOne Piececatalog. The Straw Hats take a trip to Omatsuri Island for a much-needed vacation, but what should have been a relaxing adventure quickly takes a dark turn as the Straw Hats fall victim to infighting and the horrifying machinations being hidden from them.
Baron Omatsuriis easily the franchise’s darkest outing for its horrific imagery and for how thoroughly it deconstructs the usual formula of aOne Pieceadventure to ask if the Straw Hats are even really friends. Naturally, those darker elements work to build up a well-deserved ending that reaffirms the positive elements ofOne Piece, and overall,One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island’s use of deconstructive and reconstructive elements gives it the sort of storytelling that perfectly complements a franchise likeDemon Slayer.
Studio Ghibli’sPrincess Mononokestars Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince who, after being cursed by a demon, sets off on a pilgrimage to find a cure. Ashitaka eventually comes across the industrial community of Iron Town and ends up involved in the conflict between them, the forest spirits they’ve encroached upon, and San, a girl raised by wolves and the eponymous Princess Mononoke, and his involvement ends up being the key to ending the conflict between the two sides.
Studio Ghibli is one of the most beloved names in anime and animation as a whole, and as most people would know,Princess Mononokeis one ofStudio Ghibli’s most iconic filmsfor its gorgeous visuals and how they lend themselves to a dark and provocative action-fantasy story. The action aesthetic givesPrincess Mononokeplenty of overlap withInfinity Castle, but even without that, it remains a film everyone should watch.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
Haunted by the vengeful spirit of his childhood friend Rika, Yuta Okkotsu enrolls at Jujutsu High to learn control over her immense power. Under Satoru Gojo’s mentorship, Yuta trains alongside Maki Zen’in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. When rogue sorcerer Suguru Geto threatens to unleash a catastrophic curse attack, Yuta must confront his past and embrace his abilities to protect his newfound family.
MAPPA’sJujutsu Kaisen 0is, as the title would imply, a prequel story toJujutsu Kaisen. Starting about a year before the original story,Jujutsu Kaisen 0stars Yuta Okkotsu, a new student at Jujutsu High trying to find a way to tame his deceased friend Rika after she transformed into a curse, and his quest inevitably leads to him getting involved in a major conflict with one of the biggest criminals in the world of sorcery.
Jujutsu Kaisenbecame an instant hit with its first season, and the movie perfectly carried that hype, asJujutsu Kaisen 0does an amazing job of expanding onJujutsu Kaisen’s world and themes through Yuta’s story, all while having some of the most gorgeous visuals in modern anime. Add in how it’s canon to the original anime, and it’s a film that matchesInfinity Castle’s appeal in nearly every regard.
Ufotable’sFate/stay night: Heaven’s Feelis a film trilogy adapting the final route of theFate/stay nightvisual novel. In this take on the story, Shirou grows closer to Sakura than he has in any other route, but doing so inadvertently brings out horrors unlike any other and challenges Shirou’s ideals in a way the previous anime never did.
Ufotable’s work on theFatefranchise has always been legendary, and that reached its peak withHeaven’s Feel, astheFate/stay night: Heaven’s Feeltrilogy does an amazing job of adapting the visual novel’s unflinchingly dark story with utterly gorgeous artwork and animation.FateandDemon Slayerare easily Ufotable’s most iconic projects, and sure enough, the bestFatemovies make for a perfect way to pass the time before the bestDemon Slayermovie.
Ufotable’sThe Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiralis the fifth installment intheGarden of Sinnersfilm series. Shiki Ryougi meets Tomoe Enjo, a troubled youth who claims to have killed his parents, and as Shiki and her friends investigate the truth behind it, they find themselves wrapped up in the final plot of the true villains behind the various events of the films up to that point.
The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiraleasily has the best animation and direction in the franchise and a perfectly thrilling story to match, and it all came together for a film thatserved as the ultimate climax to the overarching narrative. Its combination of action and dark storytelling has made it one of thebest action anime movies around, and there’s no better anime movie to watch beforeDemon Slayer: Infinity Castlecomes out.
