Fans often expect a sequel to a successful anime season, and when it’s announced after a few years, the production staff faces the challenge of helping viewers remember the events of the previous season. Typically, the studio releases a recap series or compilation movie to refresh the audience’s memory. Examples of this include Attack on Titan: Chronicle, which compiles the first three seasons before the final season, and Re:Zero: Director’s Cut, which recaps season 1 before season 2. While these “compilation” movies may not be shown in theatres, they serve as an enjoyable way for fans to catch up on the anime.
The recent US premiere of the Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village Movie has left fans feeling disappointed. Many consider the movie to be a scam because it mainly consists of a recap of the previous season with minimal new content.
What’s the Story?
The Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc Movie has a runtime of 110 minutes and consists of a recap of episodes 11 and 12 from the Entertainment District Arc and a single new episode from the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc. It’s worth noting that during the promotional period, it was explicitly stated that the movie would include two previously released episodes and one new episode. This information is provided in the movie trailer within the first 30 seconds.
Following its US release, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with the movie, stating that they felt scammed.
The new demon slayer movie is an actual scam. I can't believe what I just paid to watch. Do not do it. I'm mind blown right now
— Andy Day (@Vedius) March 4, 2023
They tricked me with that demon slayer movie had me watching two recap episodes and one new episode bruh pic.twitter.com/wX22bsGioI
— Johnny (@JohnnySpittin) March 4, 2023
Bruh it's sad when mfs just do shit as a cash grab. That's exactly what this new Demon Slayer Movie is. Basically "the movie" is a reshowing of episode 10 and 11 of Season 2. Then u get a peek of the first episode of the new season ????. Don't waste ya time with this save ya money pic.twitter.com/viuENbYtI2
— D I G G Z ????️ (@DiggzDaProphecy) March 1, 2023
Why the Issue with Recap Movie?
Demon Slayer has gained worldwide popularity, attracting many viewers who don’t typically watch anime films. Some fans who had watched the first Demon Slayer film and anime seasons were likely expecting a new standalone movie, but instead were disappointed to find that Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village mostly consisted of a recap of the previous season.
We got less than a hour of new content in that damn Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village movie ???? It’s literally just the first episode of the upcoming season. ???? Beautiful and visually stunning as usual but I literally could’ve waited next month for that. pic.twitter.com/wCETdE2eAH
— Grimmjows Babymuva ✨???? ???? DreamCon (@LoneArtistW) March 4, 2023
While regular anime watchers may have been aware that these films often include recaps, not everyone falls into that category. Many of the complaints stem from cinema-goers who were caught off-guard by the situation. After all, no one wants to pay $20 only to realize they’re watching a recap.
Was the movie a scam?
The answer to that question is clear – no, the Demon Slayer movie was not a scam. The promotion for the movie made it abundantly clear that it would primarily be a recap of the previous season, with only one new episode from the upcoming season. The production staff of Demon Slayer was transparent from the beginning and didn’t resort to any trickery in promoting the movie.
Unfortunately, some anime fans are labeling the movie a scam, even though the information was readily available to them. It’s possible that some fans may not have had time to read up on the movie before watching it. However, regardless of these criticisms, the movie is thriving globally and will likely continue to do so in the future.
Season 3 of Demon Slayer (The Swordsmith Village Arc) is set to start airing on 9 April 2023, and you can watch it on the same day on Crunchyroll.
This movie was part of the world tour Demon Slayer decided to start at the end of last year. The movie is being aired in different parts of the world and thrives. It cannot be released in some parts of the world for some reasons.
In the first 72 hours, the movie made 8.8 million dollars in Japan and internationally; only in the parts where it was released it made almost 20 million dollars, which is high considering it was mostly a recap movie.
Source: Sportskeeda
