Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Behind the Scenes of 2025’s Anime Sensation

A New Era for Anime in North America

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has not only become a box office sensation but also serves as proof that Ufotable’s 2020 success with Demon Slayer: Mugen Train was not just a coincidence. The film’s achievements were not solely due to being one of the few releases during lockdown. Instead, Infinity Castle has stood out among a year filled with remarkable animated films such as KPop Demon Hunter, Ne Zha 2, and Zootopia 2. It is now being acknowledged alongside these titles during awards season in North America.

While anime occasionally receives award recognition, such as 2023’s The Boy and the Heron, these honors are typically awarded to prestigious studios like Ghibli, known for their highbrow approach to universal themes. However, Infinity Castle breaks this pattern as the latest canonical installment in the densely layered Demon Slayer anime series.

Ufotable is renowned as one of the best contemporary anime studios in the world, producing works like Fate/Zero and the Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel film trilogy. The Tokyo-based studio is also recognized for its seamless integration of hand-drawn 2D and 3D animation, elevating CG in a medium that traditionally looked down on its use. During their visit to the United States for the Golden Globes (where they were nominated for Best Animated Feature but lost to Kpop Demon Hunters), Ufotable co-founder and Infinity Castle writer/chief director Hikaru Kondo, along with producer Yuma Takahashi, spoke with via translator about the film’s box office success and their approach to adapting the manga arc into a trilogy of films.

Anime’s Growing Presence in North America

When asked if they felt like anime had shed its underdog skin at the North American box office, Yuma Takahashi responded thoughtfully. He mentioned that they are not super informed about the situation in America and instead flipped the question back to the interviewer. He believed that 2025 would be remembered as the year anime beat Superman and marked the starting point for where anime is going in terms of popularity over the next decade.

Takahashi added that they have had a huge fan base since the Unwavering Resolve arc, leading up to the Mugen Train arc. As a studio, regardless of whether they are working on a TV series or a movie, they do not adjust the quality. They always strive to provide the best possible visual expression to match the story they are telling through animation.

The world tour played a significant role in the success of Infinity Castle. In 2023 and 2024, Ufotable went on the road twice, an idea proposed by Kondo-san. This allowed them to directly experience the fandom in the United States and the energy it generated.

Visual Goals and Creative Process

As chief director, Hikaru Kondo shared his thoughts on the visual goals he set for the film. He emphasized that the screenplay and planning stage of the story were crucial. For him, this was a major bottleneck and one of the hardest parts of the film because translating the underlying works into the screenplay was not straightforward.

In terms of visual expression, Kondo personally worked on part of the storyboards. He considered how individual animators and artists would translate these storyboards into the action seen on screen. For example, Giyu’s sequence: If he gave that to animator Kunihiro, what kind of action sequences could he come up with? Or if they gave the scene to Go Kimura or Nozomu Abe, what would they produce? There are different key animators in the studio who excite the entire team. Each brings their unique creativity and translation to the scenes.

Kondo explained that defining the workflow or pipeline is very challenging. He oversees the entire storyboarding process, but assigning shots to specific animators requires constant communication and collaboration within the studio. Decisions on whether to start with 3D or 2D first, or if another round of pre-vis is needed, are made on a shot-by-shot basis.

The Future of Anime Films and Canon Work

When asked about anime films covering canon work and whether it will become a new trend, Takahashi noted that it is a great question but one that cannot be deeply explored until all the movies are completed. He mentioned that there are still two movies left.

Reflecting on his career, Kondo acknowledged that there are projects that went well and others that did not quite go as planned. He emphasized that these experiences contribute to future projects. The final result of his past efforts is the success seen with Demon Slayer. Everything that happened in his past has led him to where he is now.

Working with the same team over the years has been a significant asset for Ufotable. Kondo highlighted the long history of collaboration with individuals like Haruo Sotozaki, Akira Matsushima, Go Kimura, Yûichi Terao, and others. This enduring partnership is a core part of the studio’s identity.

Future Plans and Uncertainties

There won’t be a TV anime rendition of Infinity Castle like there was with Mugen Train, will there? Kondo responded that he cannot answer.