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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Slay all day: Demon Slayer carves out a place in anime history
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – Japanese anime movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba has surpassed its predecessor's record. The sequel Infinity Castle – the first of three movies that wrap up the story begun in the anime series – is showing in Singapore cinemas. In Japan, it has already toppled previous Demon Slayer movie Mugen Train's opening-weekend box-office grosses . The Straits Times' artists Cheong Huan Ting and Soh Hwee Yi recount the franchise's killer achievements through the years. The story ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI Tanjiro Kamado, the teenage protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, returns home to discover his sister, Nezuko Kamado, has been turned into a demon and the rest of his family are dead. He joins the Demon Slayer Corps to find a cure to turn her back into a human while also exacting revenge on the demons. His goal is to kill Muzan Kibutsuji, the King of Demons, to end their existence once and for all. In the latest movie, the Pillars – the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps – confront Muzan together, but are separated before they can land a single blow and find themselves transported to a realm known as the Infinity Castle. Critical consensus Infinity Castle was released in Japan on July 18. The action sequences and quality of the animation, as well as the movie's emotional depth, have been highly praised, while some critics say the pacing and story structure could have been improved. Box-office records ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI It was the fastest anime film in Japan to earn 10 billion yen (S$86.67 million), achieving that number in just eight days. It earned 5.5 billion yen on its opening weekend in Japan theatres, breaking the record set by its predecessor, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Mugen Train (2020). Timeline ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI 2016: The manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, by Japanese artist Koyoharu Gotouge, debuts in manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Bukit Merah fire: Residents relocated as town council carries out restoration works Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What are the fire safety rules for PMDs? Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at wrong airport in South Korea Opinion Could telco consolidation spell the end of attractive mobile plans? Singapore Change in law proposed to pave the way for public-private sector data sharing Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength 2019: The anime adaptation begins airing in April, with the series spawning four seasons to date. The manga sells 12.1 million copies in Japan in 2019, overtaking One Piece – the reigning champion since 2008 – as the year's top-selling manga series. 2020: The first big-screen adaptation, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Mugen Train, opens in Japanese cinemas in October and records 7.9 million admissions in two weeks. With a total gross of 36.55 billion yen, it is Japan's highest-grossing animated film, beating Spirited Away's (2001) long-held record of 31.68 billion yen. The final volume of the manga is released in December, selling about 2.86 million copies in the first week, with a total of 120 million copies in circulation across the entire series. ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI 2023: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba To The Swordsmith Village is released in Japan theatres on Feb 3. It is a full-length compilation film consisting of the last two episodes of Season 2 (February 2022) of the anime series and the first episode of Season 3 (April 2023), which had yet to be aired at the time. 2024: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba To The Hashira Training is released in Japan on Feb 2. It is a full-length compilation film consisting of the previously released Season 3 finale (June 2023) and the then unaired first episode of Season 4 (May 2024). 2025: The manga records more than 220 million copies in circulation by July, with 164 million in Japan alone. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle is released in Japan on July 18 and is showing in Singapore cinemas. Past and present collaborations ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI Aniplus Cafe SG A pop-up cafe at Esplanade Mall featuring Demon Slayer-themed decor and selling food and beverages, as well as merchandise based on the main characters, from Feb 21 to May 1, 2025. Universal Studios Japan The theme park in Osaka, Japan, has hosted multiple Demon Slayer-themed attractions over the years, with the most recent being Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba XR Ride – Race To Swordsmith Village and Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc X Hollywood Dream – The Ride from July 2024 to January 2025. Fashion partnerships These included coming up with versions of the Rivalry Low footwear with Adidas (November 2024 to present); UT shirts with Uniqlo (July 2025 to present); and the Echo Clog with Crocs (August 2025). Upcoming themed events Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba In Concert (Oct 17 and 18) ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CHEONG HUAN TING AND SOH HWEE YI To be held at the Esplanade Theatre, the live concerts will feature Season 1's soundtrack performed by an 18-piece orchestra, while scenes from the anime are projected onto a full-sized cinema screen. Los Angeles Dodgers (Aug 15) The seasonal match at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles between Major League Baseball teams Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will include a giveaway of the Dodgers X Demon Slayer collaboration hats and a themed drone show to celebrate the release of Infinity Castle, which opens in North American theatres on Sept 12.
Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Mala to global mojo: Regional cuisines are China's tastiest forms of soft power
Chinese regional cuisine is having a moment, and it is arguably boosting China's soft power in ways that the Chinese propaganda machinery can only dream of. ST ILLUSTRATION: SOH HWEE YI, ADOBE STOCK In 1972, the world watched as then US President Richard Nixon deftly wielded a pair of ivory chopsticks while sitting next to his smiling host, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, working his way through an extravagant eight-course banquet with exotic dishes that included shark's fin soup, spongy bamboo shoots in egg-white consomme and fish fillets in pickle wine sauce. The televised dinner for 600 guests at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and Mr Nixon's historic eight-day visit, marked the end of decades of the disconnect between the two countries and a momentous beginning of engagement in what has been described as 'the week that changed the world'. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Community care: How one man managed his agoraphobia without hospital treatment
Agoraphobia is a disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe, with no easy way to escape. ILLUSTRATION: SOH HWEE YI, ADOBE STOCK No health without mental health Community care: How one man managed his agoraphobia without hospital treatment SINGAPORE - After working from home as a call centre operator for four months during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, Mr Mohamed Rashath Mohamed Riyad stepped out of his family's Housing Board flat to go to his workplace, and found himself breaking out in a cold sweat. The sweating continued as he took the lift to the void deck and walked to the nearby MRT station. It left the young man, who is now 24, slightly confused as it was not a warm day. While waiting for the train, he felt a little woozy. And the train, when it came, was packed. 'I was near the door and then, everything became blurry. I couldn't quite breathe,' he said. He scrambled to get off at the next stop. His heart was racing, and he felt like he would pass out. Mr Rashath, an only child, called his mother. They went to the polyclinic near their home in Kallang, thinking it might be long Covid, as he had had a recent bout of Covid-19. The doctor there gave him flu medication and told him to monitor his symptoms. The next day, he took a cab to work, only to find the symptoms returning once he stepped out of the vehicle. His company consented to him working from home, but it did not solve his problem. The rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and cold sweat would return each time he tried to leave his home. It left him more and more unsettled and in low spirits. 'I love to drive, but I couldn't drive. I couldn't exercise, go out, bowl, cycle.' After two months, he sought help again and was referred for a heart scan. When that came back clear, the polyclinic referred him to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). In April 2022, about five months after his symptoms first surfaced, an IMH psychiatrist diagnosed him with agoraphobia, a disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe, with no easy way to escape. 'When I was first diagnosed with it, I was super depressed, I had no mood to do anything, no appetite. I didn't eat anything for two days,' he said. 'I was thinking: Why is life so difficult? What's going to happen to me? It took me a while to accept it as agoraphobia,' he said, adding that his mother, 59, an operations assistant, was 'shell-shocked'. His father, 55, a supervisor, could not understand how his son was so affected. But Mr Rashath was determined to do something about his condition. He stopped working to focus on his recovery. IMH referred him to Viriya Community Services, a social service agency with a centre located in Potong Pasir, where he met Dr Timothy Singham, a clinical psychologist, in June 2022. Over the next eight months or so, Dr Singham treated him using cognitive behavioural therapy – a proven type of psychotherapy that helps individuals manage their mental health difficulties through changing their thoughts and behaviour. Their sessions took place mostly outdoors – in the HDB neighbourhood near Viriya's centre in Potong Pasir, at Potong Pasir MRT station, and at the bowling alley that Mr Rashath used to frequent. At these outdoor therapy sessions, Dr Singham helped Mr Rashath understand why he experienced certain symptoms, and how exposing himself to situations that trigger fear would help him overcome them. He found the therapy so helpful that he was able to stop taking the antidepressant medication he had been prescribed by IMH. Mr Mohamed Rashath Mohamed Riyad (left) with Dr Timothy Singham. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO Dr Singham said agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that is often best treated in the spaces where the individual experiences feelings of being trapped, helpless or embarrassed. But there is a shortage of trained clinical psychologists who can work with patients in the community using such evidence-based treatment methods, said Dr Singham, who had prior experience treating individuals with agoraphobia in Britain, where he was clinically trained. That could change, as Singapore focuses efforts on improving community support for people with mental health issues. The pandemic shone a spotlight on mental health as an area that needed more attention. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is expanding the community-based mental health support teams – Community Intervention Teams, and Community Resource, Engagement and Support Teams. Social service agencies are also looking at new ways to help. One of them, Touch, has launched a suicide intervention app through which it engages clients to keep them safe. It also now offers marriage intervention for couples in marital difficulties or post-divorce. And, in an unusual move for a social service agency, Touch is looking to hire a psychiatrist to help its clients, given the several months' wait at public institutions, as well as the high cost of private-sector services. It is also looking to hire two more clinical psychologists to add to its current team of three, said Ms Andrea Chan, group head of Touch Counselling and Psychological Services and deputy director of Touch Mental Wellness. Ms Chan said community agencies have been getting funding to build up mental health services, and a national mental health strategy has established a structure that helps alleviate the hospital load. However, she said, a central system needs to be created to link hospitals, primary care and social service agencies to make sure that patients get the care they need in a timely fashion. A spokesperson for MOH told The Straits Times on May 13 that the ministry will continue to work with the Agency for Integrated Care, polyclinics, general practitioners and community mental health partners to expand and enhance mental health services in the community. It wants people to be able to seek help early and receive it close to home. In Mr Rashath's case, receiving treatment close to home was a godsend, as he would have found it unnerving to travel to IMH. It was night and day, he said. 'Going into IMH, I knew I was walking into a hospital that can treat severely ill mental health patients.' In contrast, Viriya's Potong Pasir centre, located at an HDB void deck, offered a calming, normal and familiar environment, he added. As Mr Rashath learnt more about his phobia, he became more adept at confronting his fears. After about six months, he decided to return to driving, which he had always enjoyed before. He said his condition arose because he had developed an irregular heart rhythm during a Covid-19 episode. 'The heart healed, but the mind still thinks the heart can't handle it,' he said. 'When you go out, and you walk or climb stairs, your heartbeat goes up, and the mind kept trying to prevent the heart issue from worsening, lest a heart attack happened.' Agoraphobia can develop as a complication of panic attacks. Most people who have agoraphobia develop it after having one or more panic attacks, leading them to worry about having another attack. 'He (Dr Singham) taught me about this hill of anxiety... Every time you conquer something, you can go down the hill and your anxiety will go down. This anxiety won't last forever.' Mr Rashath rejoined the workforce in March 2023, after his treatment ended, and is now working as an operations manager for a medical equipment company. If he had left his agoraphobia untreated, it could have badly affected his quality of life. Dr Singham said that some individuals with untreated agoraphobia remain unemployed and unable to leave the house for decades. 'Often, such conditions are strongly associated with shame, perhaps particularly so in our Asian culture, and therefore, greater efforts are needed to reduce the stigma, and increase the awareness and the accessibility to psychological interventions for such conditions,' he said. For Mr Rashath, it has been a journey of recovery and understanding himself better. Should some form of anxiety return one day, he will be aware of the symptoms and know how to manage them. He tells himself a phrase that he often repeated during his recovery. 'Failure isn't fatal, and it isn't final,' he said. Success in life can be achieved, and if you never try, you will never know, he added. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
