At The Astra Awards, which took place on January 9, 2026, at the Sofitel Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, studio Ufotable, the creators of Demon Slayer, were asked about how AI will eventually impact the anime. In response, the creators of Demon Slayer stated that they will continue to work on their talent, including their hand-drawn artists, writers, and voice actors.
Interviewer: How WIll You Think AI Will Eventually Impact Anime? Do you think it’s for the better or the worst? Because its such a craft for the artist.
Ufotable: I will be very careful on how i approach and talk about AI, But i will tell that Our studio, Anipliex and Ufotable, will continue to work with our HAND-DRAWN artists, our writers, our voice actors, and the talent that help bring this emotion to the big screen.
Following that day, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns has officially won the Animation is Cinema Award at the Astra Awards.
This movie is currently the second-highest-grossing film in Japan as of January 11, 2026, having earned over ¥38.9 billion. The only film ahead of it is from the same franchise, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which remains Japan’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Produced by ufotable, the film continues the studio’s legacy of breathtaking animation quality. It marks the first part of the trilogy that adapts the Infinity Castle Arc, the final and most intense storyline from Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga.
The theme songs featured in this movie— LiSA performs “Zankoku na Yoru ni Kagayake” (Shine in the Cruel Night), while Aimer delivers “Taiyou ga Noboranai Sekai” (A World Where the Sun Never Rises).
About Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer (Japanese Name: Kimetsu no Yaiba) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. It was serialized in February 2016 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. There is a total of 23 Volumes in this manga. This manga had over 150 million copies in circulation by February 2021, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. Also, it was the best-selling manga in 2019 and 2020.
This manga received an anime adaptation by ufotable, which was released in April 2019. There are a total of 4 Seasons, 1 Sequel Movie, and 2 compilation movies of this anime series. After the completion of 4th season of this anime series, it was revealed that the final arc of its manga, “Infinity Castle Arc” will be adapted as a trilogy movie. Part 1 of this trilogy, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, will be released in Japanese Cinemas on July 18, 2025.
Crunchyroll describes the plot of this movie as:
“Tanjiro Kamado – a boy who joined an organization dedicated to hunting down demons called the Demon Slayer Corps after his younger sister Nezuko was turned into a demon.
While growing stronger and deepening his friendships and bonds with fellow corps members, Tanjiro has battled many demons with his comrades – Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. Along the way, his journey has led him to fight alongside the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira, including Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku aboard the Mugen Train, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui within the Entertainment District, as well as Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji at the Swordsmith Village.
As the Demon Slayer Corps members and Hashira engaged in a group strength training program, the Hashira Training, in preparation for the forthcoming battle against the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji appears at the Ubuyashiki Mansion. With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.
The destination of where Tanjiro and Demon Slayer Corps have fallen is the demons’ stronghold – the Infinity Castle. And so, the battleground is set as the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons ignites.“
Source: X
