WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train has been breaking box office records in Japan and North America. It has also been well-received by critics for its animated action sequences, character development, and emotional depth. A Demon Slayer movie was a strategic move for the franchise to gain even more revenue due to the series' ever-growing popularity.
Yet aside from the income, a movie was the logical and appropriate route for the Mugen Train arc -- largely due to the pacing, content, and emotional depth from Tanjiro Kamado’s and Kyōjurō Rengoku’s backstories.
Demon Slayer's Mugen Train arc is told in just two manga volumes, making it feasible to be shown in a few episodes of Season 2. However, if we analyze the content and pacing of this particular story, an episode sequence would be too abrupt and redundant. The movie perfectly divides the arc into two major events: Tanjiro and his friends fighting against Enmu, the demon responsible for the missing train passengers, and the battle between Kyōjurō Rengoku and one of the Upper Moon demons, Akaza. The train incident is such a self-contained arc on its own that dividing it into a few episodes would possibly lead to redundant content and unnecessary fillers.
Usually in shonen anime, the heroes would be split into smaller groups and battle several different enemies simultaneously, resulting in a very exciting storyline. Yet in this case, the arc takes place in one set location -- the train -- as Tanjiro and his friends must fight against a common enemy, Enmu. Elongating one battle sequence in the span of several episodes would be dull and likely lack any new material that adds to the plot or character development.
Furthermore, if the Mugen Train arc was told in episodes, there would probably be fillers -- such as Inosuke’s adventure as a mole man and Zenitsu’s date with Nezuko -- just to give content variation aside from the train battle. There would also possibly be standalone episodes about Tanjiro and Rengoku, providing more detail to their dream sequences. Rengoku would be further crafted into a likable character after being pretty static in Season 1.
Though it would be fun to explore the dream sequences, it doesn’t serve any significant purpose aside from character development. And although there isn’t a lot of screen time for fan favorites such as Zenitsu and Nezuko in the film, Mugen Train does an excellent job pacing and storyboarding this arc, only paying close attention to significant details that contribute to the main storyline's overall progression.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train's main star isn’t Tanjiro, but Kyōjurō Rengoku. Viewers first see Rengoku on the train, humorously saying “delicious” as he eats. Then his sad backstory and desire for recognition from his family is revealed, followed by his overwhelming power as the Flame Hashira when he battles Akaza. Rengoku’s character development takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster.
Similarly, Tanjiro’s backstory further shows how much he desires to be reunited with his family. It was constantly mentioned in Season 1, but in Mugen Train the depth of those desires is laid bare. The audience can process these dramatic moments smoothly, as opposed to an episodic format, which can disrupt the emotional experience.
It would have been nice to see more character development for Rengoku. However, his death should be seen as a season-ending cliffhanger rather than a midseason turning point because of how significant it is to Tanjiro's character growth -- not to mention the emotional impact on viewers. Thus to get the dramatic effect within a season, his death would have to be positioned at the end of a 12-episode run, prolonging the Mugen Train storyline -- which wouldn’t be logical due to the nature of its content.
Although it is possible to incorporate Demon Slayer's Mugen Train arc in Season 2, it wouldn’t have the same emotional impact as the movie does when it comes to Rengoku’s character development. Thus, it was definitely best to feature this arc as a movie since it’s short and can stand on its own as a special feature.
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