‘Demon Slayer' tops 10 billion yen at box office in record time
The latest animated film adaption in the 'Demon Slayer' series took in more than 10 billion yen ($66.89 million) in the first eight days after its release, setting a box office record in Japan.
The earnings eclipsed the record set by the previous 'Demon Slayer' movie in 2020.
'Part 1: Akaza Returns' in the 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba--The Movie: Infinity Castle' trilogy, was released on July 18. Box office sales topped 10 billion yen on July 25, according to the distributor, Aniplex Inc.
It marks the fastest time for a film screened in Japan to hit the threshold after its release. The previous record was held by 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba--The Movie: Mugen Train,' which was released in 2020 and made the same amount in 10 days.
Movie market research company Kogyo Tsushinsha said the latest offering in the 'Demon Slayer' franchise is the 49th film to surpass 10 billion yen in box office revenue in Japan.
Twenty-eight of them were foreign releases.
But Japanese animated films based on popular manga have been gaining momentum since 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba--The Movie: Mugen Train' set the all-time record of 40.43 billion yen in total sales in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' films are based on Koyoharu Gotoge's manga series of the same title, which have sold more than 220 million copies, including digital editions: 164 million in Japan and 56 million overseas.
Notable examples that surpassed the 10-billion-yen mark include 'Jujutsu Kaisen 0,' which was released in 2021 and earned 13.8 billion yen; 'One Piece Film Red' (2022, 20.34 billion yen); 'The First Slam Dunk' (2022, 16.48 billion yen); 'Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine' (2023, 13.88 billion yen); and 'Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle' (2024, 11.64 billion yen).
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Interview by: Risk Son Photo by: MoA About "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" Synopsis Tanjiro Kamado – a boy who joined an organization dedicated to hunting down demons called the Demon Slayer Corps after his younger sister Nezuko was turned into a demon. While growing stronger and deepening his friendships and bonds with fellow corps members, Tanjiro has battled many demons with his comrades, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. Along the way, his journey has led him to fight alongside the Demon Slayer Corps' highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira, including Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku aboard the Mugen Train, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui within the Entertainment District, as well as Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji at the Swordsmith Village. As the Demon Slayer Corps members and Hashira engaged in a group strength training program, the Hashira Training, in preparation for the forthcoming battle against the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji appears at the Ubuyashiki Mansion. With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji. The destination of where Tanjiro and Demon Slayer Corps have fallen is the demons' stronghold – the Infinity Castle. And so, the battleground is set as the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the Demons ignites. Cast Tanjiro Kamado: Natsuki Hanae Nezuko Kamado: Akari Kito Zenitsu Agatsuma: Hiro Shimono Inosuke Hashibira: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Kanao Tsuyuri: Reina Ueda Genya Shinazugawa: Nobuhiko Okamoto Giyu Tomioka: Takahiro Sakurai Tengen Uzui: Katsuyuki Konishi Muichiro Tokito: Kengo Kawanishi Shinobu Kocho: Saori Hayami Mitsuri Kanroji: Kana Hanazawa Obanai Iguro: Kenichi Suzumura Sanemi Shinazugawa: Tomokazu Seki Gyomei Himejima: Tomokazu Sugita Akaza (Upper Rank Three): Akira Ishida Dōma (Upper Rank Two): Mamoru Miyano Kaigaku: Yoshimasa Hosoya Keizō: Yuichi Nakamura Koyuki: Lynn ©Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable *Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
