Demon Slayer’s Latest Film Makes Cinema History in Japan

The power of a good animated film should never be doubted, and in Demon Slayer’s case, it’s proven to be capable of breaking multiple cinematic records. In Japan, anime films are events that can obliterate the live-action market. Take the most recent Demon Slayer movie, for example.

The latest release in the popular anime series raked in 5.52 BILLION yen in its opening weekend, setting a new record. Tanjiro’s got game, ya’ll.

What is Demon Slayer?

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a manga series that tells how a powerful group of demon hunters keeps their world safe from – you guessed it – demons. In particular, it follows the story of a young boy named Tanjiro Kamado.

When his entire family is killed by demons, with only his younger sister barely surviving the attack, Tanjiro sets out on a quest of vengeance. To complicate matters, though, is that his sister has become a half-demon and cannot always be controlled. With the fate of his sister’s life in his hands, Tanjiro must battle to not only defeat the demons that killed his family, but also to restore his sister’s humanity.

Demon Slayer has become one of the biggest and most popular anime in recent years, standing alongside My Hero Academia as one of the definitive shonen series of its generation. This has resulted in massive international popularity, with an anime adaptation, video games, and movies to its name. This doesn’t even consider the number of toys, shirts, and other merchandise fans have bought.

Let’s take a closer look at their movie trilogy!

The first movie released for the series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, was an unprecedented success. Released during the pandemic, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train broke multiple records upon its release, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2020. The film would receive two sequels to round out its adaptation of the Mugen Train arc from the manga.

It’s very common for manga and anime series to have theatrical releases, mainly when producing trilogies. Mobile Suit Gundam, Dragon Ball Z, and Persona 3 are all prime examples. Demon Slayer is another anime that has released a theatrical trilogy of films that have consistently blown fans and critics away.

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The latest installment has broken multiple Japanese cinematic records!

The latest film to be released for the series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, premiered July 17^th in Japan. Based on the Infinity Castle arc from the manga, the film is also a multi-film adaptation of the source material, like Mugen Train before it. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle broke several records when it premiered, including: 

• the highest opening day gross in Japanese box office history (1.64 billion yen);
• the highest single-day box office revenue in Japan (2.03 billion yen on its third day); 
• the biggest opening weekend of all time in Japanese cinema (5.52 billion yen); 
• the fastest Japanese film to reach 10 billion yen, a record previously held by Mugen Train. 

Suffice it to say, the series has become an institution in Japan and has completely dominated its cinema. To know that the series has carved out such a dominant space in the anime market, fighting for the number one spot against titans such as Detective Conan, and Dragon Ball, is a testament to its overall quality. Not even the theatrical Persona films were able to set records like this.

It’s always exciting to see an anime perform exceedingly well in theaters. In the age of instant streaming, it’s a big deal that physical movie theaters can still draw large crowds. Beating out major cinematic events such as the Avengers films is a feat any movie should feel proud of.

Why is the new Demon Slayer movie such a big deal?

Anime films enjoying astronomical successes in Japanese theatres is nothing new. The first Mobile Suit Gundam film, which was released on February 22, 1981, is often regarded as “the day anime changed.” Anime is a cultural touchstone in Japan, rivaling the greatest live-action films in Japanese history. For Demon Slayer to single-handedly set new records and shatter them is unprecedented. 

Considering how quickly anime series cycle in and out of popularity with fans, it is astounding how successful Demon Slayer has become. More anime series are released every year than fans can count. For those who thought Demon Slayer would just be another flash in the pan, boy, were they wrong. Have you watched any of the Demon Slayer movies? Which ones are your favorites? Please let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear why you love them so much!