Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 was undoubtedly one of the biggest and most successful anime films of 2025. Released in theaters in July, the film received universal acclaim while earning nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office.
Viewed by many as Ufotable's best work to date, the studio has now shared a captivating behind-the-scenes video. The nearly 10-minute making-of video highlights the intricate animation process required to bring Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle to life on the big screen.
As the video explains, much of the global animation industry is now shifting towards 3DCG; however, Ufotable is one of the few remaining studios that still relies on hand-drawn animation. It's admittedly an "overwhelmingly inefficient approach," but one that studio head and chief director Hikaru Kondo insists is what helps make their films like Infinity Castle so captivating.
"There are things that only a certain artist can draw, and only draw in that moment," he explained. "Drawing is inherently unstable in that way, and that's exactly what makes it so captivating."
Ufotable has seemingly managed to master the art of blending 3DCG with hand-drawn 2D animation, and in the special behind-the-scenes video below you can get an in-depth look at the work it took to produce Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1. The timing of its release is also of particular relevancy as it comes just a few days after Ufotable and Aniplex weighed in on the use of AI in the anime industry.
When watching a movie like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc in theaters, it's easy to take for granted how incredible the animation quality is. But this making-of video helps shed light on the painstakingly detailed process that goes into the production. From the massive scale of producion to the artistic "pixel-level" precision, it truly is incredible to witness how such a large staff of individual artists can work in near-perfect unison to create something so magnificent.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 is the first film in a trilogy of movies that adapt the final arc of Koyoharu Gotouge's popular manga series, depicting the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons.
We, unfortunately, still do not have release dates for the remaining two films in the trilogy, and after watching the behind-the-scenes video, it's a bit easier to understand why. Creating a film as intricate Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle takes an incredible amount of work. It's a labor of passion and love, and one that can not be rushed, nor should fans want it to be.
Last we heard, Chapter 2 will be released in 2027, followed by Chapter 3 in 2029. However, these reports have been denied by Crunchyroll.
For now, the biggest thing we're waiting for is for Sony and Crunchyroll to announce when we can expect Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 to release on streaming. Following the film's incredible box office run, many fans are ready for it to be made widely available on Crunchyroll, though it still may be a few months away.