The new Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns, based on the popular manga by Koyoharu Gotouge Gotouge, has been generating buzz for its box office revenue exceeding ¥33,056,060,000 in the 60 days since its release on July 18th. It's a huge hit, attracting over 23,040,000 viewers. In the all-time box office rankings, it surpasses the record of Spirited Away, which was released in 2001 and grossed approximately ¥31,680,000,000. The top spot on the same ranking was taken by the 2020 release of Spirited Away Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, giving the two Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba films a monopoly on the top two spots in Japan. Attention is focused on whether it will surpass the Mugen Train, which grossed approximately ¥40,400,000, the highest grossing film of all time in Japan. Let's look back at the success so far in "Infinity Castle Arc Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns."
◇Will it exceed 40 billion yen?
"Chapter 1: Akaza Returns," part of the "Infinity Castle Arc, was released on July 18th in 452 theaters, surpassing "Mugen Train." In the three days since its release, it grossed approximately 5.52 billion yen and attracted approximately 3.84 million viewers, marking the start of a huge hit that surpassed "Mugen Train." Box office revenues exceeded 10 billion yen in the eight days since its release, 20 billion yen in the 23 days since its release, and 30 billion yen in the 46 days since its release.
Before the release of "Chapter 1: Akaza Returns," some people in the anime industry said that it might be difficult to surpass "Mugen Train," but the film has been growing in box office revenue at a pace that exceeds "Mugen Train." Although the hurdle of surpassing 40 billion yen is high, there is a good chance that the record will be broken.
"Mugen Train" set a new record amid the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, when major foreign films were not screened and there were few rival films. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 1: Akaza Returns" has topped the movie attendance rankings (according to the Box Office Information Company) for nine consecutive weeks, despite the large number of blockbusters, and the momentum of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is accelerating even further.
◇Why is it a hit overseas?
The film has been released overseas since August, and has grossed 68,015,240,000 yen worldwide, including Japan, with a cumulative audience of over 55 million. It has already surpassed the 51,700,000,000 yen grossed by "Mugen Train."
The film was released in the United States on September 12th, attracting an audience of approximately 6 million and grossing approximately $70.6 million (approximately 10.237 billion yen at an exchange rate of 145 yen to the dollar), breaking the record for the highest opening weekend for a Japanese animated film in approximately 26 years.
Some in the anime industry say that the popularity of video streaming services is a major factor in the series' success overseas. Streaming has significantly lowered the barrier to viewing, allowing Japanese anime to have a stronger presence across borders. It's been about five years since "The Mugen Train" was released in 2020, and the popularity of Japanese anime is said to be accelerating even further.
The "Infinity Castle Arc" is a trilogy. The release dates for the second and third chapters have not been announced, but the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" craze is likely to continue.
