It would be an understatement to say that Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is a phenomenon, as it broke Japan’s all-time box office record, surpassing long-time record holder Spirited Away. The film also did exceptionally well in North America, having the best opening weekend ever for a foreign-language film in the U.S. And it achieved all these incredible feats during a once-in-a-century global pandemic.
Objective analyses show that the pandemic may have helped the film’s box office since it was almost the only movie playing theatrically in Japan when released in October 2020. But this is not the case for many other film markets, such as other Asian countries and North America, and it nonetheless did very well almost everywhere. So there must be some other reasons that drew global audiences to the film. In addition to the film’s stunning animation and entertaining story, the film’s message may also have been especially resonant for the pandemic audience.
The Mugen Train Arc Is an Allegory for the Pandemic
Mugen Train continues the story of Demon Slayer right after the anime’s first season. The entire story takes place on the titular Mugen Train, where Lower Moon One Enmu has infiltrated the train and plans to kill everyone on board to grow his power. Enmu’s power is particularly sneaky because he puts innocent passengers into a deep sleep and kills them while they are dreaming. It is revealed later on in the film that Enmu had merged with the train itself, spreading his influence everywhere.
Although Koyoharu Gotouge wrote this manga arc a few years before COVID-19, the story has many similarities to how the pandemic develops. Enmu coaxes unsuspecting people into a dangerous sense of security with beautiful dreams and destroys them when they are the most vulnerable. Similarly, the pandemic quietly hit during the beginning of a new decade, when everyone was traveling and celebrating the New Year. Enmu’s later form as a bloody blob that consumes the entire train is even more reminiscent of how the virus ravages the whole world seemingly in an instant.
However, what especially resonates with the audience is Tanjiro’s journey in the film. Like everyone else, he was also initially enticed into the dream of having his entire family back and alive. But he quickly realizes the hidden dangers of this false fantasy and heartbreakingly forces himself to leave his family once again. While ending the dream involved Tanjiro ending his dream life, he persevered to confront the cruel reality outside of his dream to save lives.
Tanjiro’s sacrifice, though much darker, is what many people had to endure during the pandemic. Many people were not allowed to see their families and friends for months, and some even weren’t able to say their final goodbyes. Still, they know this is what they have to do for the good of society, and in Tanjiro’s case, to save everyone on the train. So, Tanjiro's ordeal is felt personally for people who have lived through the painful isolation caused by the pandemic.
Tanjiro’s Self-Restraint Reassures the Audience
Additionally, Tanjiro as a character is the perfect embodiment of self-restraint, the idea of controlling one’s behaviors and not act on impulses. Ever since the beginning of the series, one of his most admirable traits is how much he can remain composed even during unthinkable hardships -- from losing his whole family to becoming a Demon Slayer and surviving multiple life-threatening injuries. All these experiences cumulate in Mugen Train, where he displays a superhuman level of self-restraint so that he can continually pull himself out of Enmu’s spell.
Self-restraint or “jishuku” is a quality that’s very much admired in Japanese culture. Self-restraint became one of the key aspects of Japan’s early pandemic policy. And even in the absence of a mandatory lockdown, Japan still had one of the lowest confirmed COVID rates in the developed world, proving that self-restraint does work to contain the spread. Since Tanjiro’s self-restraint is his ultimate winning strategy in the Mugen Train arc, it’s no wonder that his story is relatable to many Japanese audiences who had also been practicing self-restraint for over six months when the film was released.
Rengoku Is the Biggest Inspiration
It would be remiss to speak about Mugen Train’s inspirational message without discussing the arc’s biggest hero: Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira. Not only is he extremely powerful, but his optimism, morality and earnest personality can inspire everyone on and off the screen.
Rengoku’s final fight with the Upper Moon Three Akaza solidifies his position as one of the most inspirational figures in all of Demon Slayer. Rengoku stands for the perseverance of the human spirit, he is willing to give up his life to save everyone else on the train, and he completes his mission with pride. His bravery and determination scare away Akaza right before sunrise, making him the symbolic sunshine of the Mugen Train arc, and his presence was able to bring hope when everything was at its darkest.
Rengoku’s arc is also about passing on the heroic legacy. His hopefulness and heroism motivate Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu to move forward and puts them on their path of heroism, and it is a very uplifting conclusion to the arc. He also does not hold any prejudice against Nezuko because he judges a person by their actions and not what they look like; it’s an incredibly poignant message, especially during the pandemic.
