For those who don’t know, an “Easter Egg” in entertainment media is a hidden message, or a hidden reference to another work of art, an inside joke, etc. The possible Tokyo Ghoul Easter Egg found in the Mugen Train Arc isn’t even subtle, but it needs one to have a thorough knowledge of some behind-the-scenes stuff regarding Demon Slayer, and at least seen the first season of Tokyo Ghoul all the way through. So let’s move on to the part of the film/series that presents us with this supposedly blatant yet somehow subtle reference to Tokyo Ghoul!

The Black Goat’s (Easter) Egg

Now, onto why we’re here. The scene or element of Mugen Train that appears to lend itself to this likely Easter Egg is Tanjiro’s subconscious, where his spiritual core can be located. We assume all people have one, and we even get to see those of Rengoku, Inosuke and Zenitsu, courtesy of the spell cast by the demon Enmu, who has powers granting him dominion over sleep and dreams. He manipulates four youngsters who look like they’ve all gone through their own version of Hell and seek refuge in Enmu’s ability to grant good dreams and unending sleep. Using these youngsters to access the dreams of the Demon Slayers he had put to sleep, he seeks to destroy them from the inside by getting the kids to locate and destroy their respective target’s spiritual core.

Back to Tanjiro’s consciousness: it’s a calm and serene setting with blue skies and white clouds and clear water that stretches endlessly in every direction. There is nothing in it but an overwhelming sense of calm. The scene is reminiscent of the final frames of the immensely first opening of Tokyo Ghoul; “unravel”, by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, where the protagonist Kaneki Ken is seated on a chair in his barista uniform, with Kamishiro Rize and Kirishima Touka on either side staring off into the distance in opposite directions.

The scene is composed of the same blue skies with white clouds and water stretching out endlessly in every direction. Now, just because they’re similar in composition doesn’t mean much especially since this concept has been done so many times in other media. The Tekken fighting game franchise has two separate stages with similar motifs, consider the Tekken 7 Infinite Azure Stage, or Tekken Tag Tournament 2’s Heavenly Garden Stage. However, the basis of our Easter Egg theory lies in the fact that Kamado Tanjiro and Kaneki Ken are both voiced by Natsuki Hanae.

It’s perfectly hidden in plain sight and it’s only really something you pick up on if you’re someone who had the information to make that connection in the first place. There is also the fact that Tanjiro unleashes a new Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky, which is a nod towards the serene setting reflective of his inner world. Most of us were probably reminded of that scene in Tokyo Ghoul’s opening, but what drives it home is that both protagonists are voiced by the same guy.