Crunchyroll releases live-action Demon Slayer for international streaming

Demon Hunter‘s live-action stage adaptation entitled Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Stageis now finally available to international streamers after its release on Crunchyroll. The musical originally ran in Japan from January to February 2020.

According to a press release, the live-action stage performance will be available to stream with English subtitles in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand starting June 21, 2024. The stage adaptation runs just under 2 hours and 40 minutes and stars Ryota Kobayashi as Tanjiro Kamado, Akari Takaishi as Nezuko Kamado, Keisuke Ueda as Zenitsu Agatsuma and Yugo Sato as Inosuke Hashibira.

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Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Stage covers the first half of the first season of the anime

The stage adaptation includes the first half Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 1, including the “Final Selection Arc,” “Kidnapper’s Bog Arc,” and “Asakusa Arc” (chapters 1–19 of the manga and episodes 1–10 of the anime). A second part of the stage adaptation was released in Japan in August 2021, and includes the “Mount Natagumo Arc” and the “Rehabilitation Training Arc.” An adaptation of the “Mugen Train Arc” then premiered in September 2022, followed by an adaptation of the “Entertainment District Arc” in November 2023. A stage adaptation of the “Swordsmith Village Arc” has not yet been announced, but will likely receive official news in the coming months. Currently, only the first part of the Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Stage The adaptation is streaming on Crunchyroll. None of the stage performances are currently touring.

The Demon Hunter Stage adaptations have received mostly positive reviews, despite the often negative association with live-action anime adaptations. This is likely due in part to the series being adapted as a musical, rather than an exact recreation of the anime for the stage. The performances have been praised for the stunning visual effects, aided by elaborate projection work, as well as for their musical numbers.

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Demon Slayer’s live-action show received mixed reviews from international viewers

Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Stage currently has a rating of 2.8/5 stars on Crunchyroll. Some of the written reviews have claimed that non-viewers give low ratings due to their bias against live action, while others state that the Demon Hunter The anime series garnered such critical acclaim due to its stunning animation that it has prevented a live-action adaptation from doing the franchise justice. Further reviews will shed more light on this as the stage adaptation is now available to a much wider audience.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 releases new episodes every Sunday on Crunchyroll. Seasons 1 through 3 of the anime can be streamed in their entirety on Crunchyroll. The anime is also available on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Release date

22 January 2021

Pour

Natsuki Hanae, Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Akari Kitō, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Seasons

4

Source: Press release