Demon Slayer teams up with one of Japan’s most famous summer dance festivals
The hit anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, is set to participate in one of Japan’s most famous dance festivals.
A special “Demon Slayer Ren”, or dance troupe, will take part in the Awa Odori festival held in Tokushima City.
This collaboration celebrates the theatrical premiere of the new film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Part 1, which took place on Friday the 18th of July.
The Awa Odori is one of Japan’s most well-known and largest traditional summer dance festivals, with a history spanning over 400 years and a massive number of participants.
A “Ren” is the term used for an individual troupe or group of choreographed dancers and musicians who parade through the streets during the festival.
These groups, each with their own unique costumes and style, are the fundamental unit of the Awa Odori.
This new collaboration will see the world of the globally popular anime franchise form its own official Ren, merging with this historic cultural event.
A new illustration, drawn by the animation studio ufotable, has been released to commemorate the partnership.
The “Demon Slayer Ren” will march in the festival on two separate days, Tuesday, the 12th of August, and Thursday, the 14th of August.
The group will feature “Mini Corps Members,” which are chibi-style mascots of the series’ characters.
The full lineup of participating mascots includes Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Giyu Tomioka, Shinobu Kocho, Kyojuro Rengoku, Tengen Uzui, and Mitsuri Kanroji.
The participation on the 14th of August will be a particularly special event.
On this day, two of the main voice actors from the anime series, Hiro Shimono, who voices Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, the voice of Inosuke Hashibira, will be in attendance and will participate in the dance.
An announcement has also been made that applications are now open for members of the general public to join and dance as part of the “Demon Slayer Ren” on that day.
This offers a unique opportunity for fans to participate in the traditional festival directly alongside the voice actors and character mascots.
Further details regarding the application process can be found on the official Awa Odori website.
Source: Official Website
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