MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Story (9): Besides a couple of plot holes, the story was captivating. And I don't mean the graphics, but the actual story. A few plot holes I discovered were why Rengoku could unconsciously choke his way out of a dream that purposely mind numbs someone. It was kinda stupid his "sense of justice" can overpower his shut down central nervous system. Other than that, the story flowed very nicely. Yes the setting was unbearably boring; on a train. However it was flushed out to show the power of the characters. Rengoku could save 200 people between 5 different train cars in an enclosed space with precision. The story elaborated further into the back story of Rengoku and Tanjirou. Tanjirou's ability to adapt by snapping out of the dream, forcefully using the fire dance, and learning to heal his body are all major progress points. The villain was flushed out with amazing abilities. One plot hole was the villain's inability to continuously shut down Tanjirou since I never saw Tanjirou close his eyes to avoid dreaming.
I found Inosuke's and Zenitsu's dream sequences hilarious and the anime is somewhat comedy. I enjoyed Inosuke's mannerless aloofness and Zenitsu's freaky obsession with love intertwined with anxiety and depression. They're silly characters in a serious anime however they're also vital plot points. Even the demon acknowledges they're skills by ranting for like 4 minutes on their prowess.
Art and Sound (10): I compare the sound of this anime to Nier Automata; it's breath taking. The action sequences are synced gloriously with the intense musical score. The sad sequences are heart wrenching yet inspiring while compounded with Violet Evergarden-like tracks. Ufotable doesn't disappoint!
Characters (8): I won't describe Tanjirou, inosuke, or Zenitsu because that's moreso a S1 review, but Rengoku was fascinating. He's quirky, weird, but wholesome. He's awkward yet confident. I never really watched an anime with a personality like his before. He is leagues different from the major characters like Tanjirou who are described as "warm and gentle". Rengoku had a pleasant atmosphere with a flushed out background. It was simplistic, but why would Rengoku need a complicated background story? As it's said, he was born strong to protect the weak. I'm a medical student going to medical school because I enjoy caring for people. You don't always need a powerful, life changing background to commit your life to becoming the best in an area of interest. Rengoku's abilities were amazing though and that's how this movie cradled this character to be important.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I hope some people can embrace this movie without mixing it in with other movies in the genre. This genre is saturated with shounen movies that are distasteful, bland, and generic. This movie is refreshing: Tanjirou is still weak, yet progressively understands his weak areas. Unlike several shounen anime, Tanjirou knows his limits. Naruto and Fairy Tail could have the MC literally puking out their internal organs and suddenly recall their family and friendship to overcome a galaxy destroying god. This anime is much more realistic and refreshing.
