Blue Exorcist: The Movie 2012

Centuries ago, a demon dwelled in a small village and won the villagers’ sympathy. As they wandered away from their land to spend time with the demon, the village’s goods vanished and the people grew poorer. To protect them, an exorcist arrived and sealed the demon away for good, restoring safety to the community.

In the present, preparations for a festival held every 11 years swirl around True Cross Campus Town. Rin Okumura and his brother Yukio Okumura, along with Shiemi Moriyama, are sent on a mission to exorcise the “Phantom Train” that spirals out of control after Rin and Shiemi attempt to rescue the ghosts trapped inside. After a fierce confrontation, one demon within the Phantom Train escapes.

Rin later encounters a little demon with a childlike appearance and names it Usamaro. Usamaro is taken by the exorcists, but Rin objects to their plan to exorcise him and volunteers to look after the demon instead. Usamaro is revealed to be a benevolent kami who became a demon after suffering betrayal and abandonment by the villagers he cared for, and he had used his power to erase painful memories from their minds to let everyone live through happiness.

While living with Rin, Usamaro uses his power to gradually make Rin and the other exorcists his friends and to blur the lines between duty and companionship, nudging them toward a life beyond the town’s immediate dangers. As a consequence, the town becomes infested with demons. During this turmoil, Rin discovers Usamaro’s true power and learns that he is the same demon from the tale his father, Shiro Fujimoto, shared with him and Yukio when they were children. Thanks to their friendship, Rin helps Usamaro understand the value of memories, even the painful ones, and makes him promise never to use his power again.

Although Usamaro is accepted as part of Rin’s makeshift family, he ultimately sacrifices himself as the demon invasion takes hold of the city. In the aftermath, most people seem to forget Usamaro’s existence and the chaos of the festival, yet Rin remembers him and resolves to visit his temple, promising that he will never forget Usamaro.