An animated tale starring legions of flesh-eating monsters might not sound like classic box office material, but that’s exactly what the latest Demon Slayer film demonstrated to be.
This cinematic entry set new records for anime, racking up over $70 million on its opening weekend in the United States and surpassing £535 million globally. To put that in context, the anime classic Ghost in the Shell, which debuted in 1995, made approximately £2 million worldwide.
From Underground Phenomenon to Global Saviour
In the intervening three decades, anime has transformed from an underground phenomena to a veritable lifeline during one of the most severe fall cinematic slumps in modern history.
“We have spent the last eight years building this fandom,” explains an senior from a leading anime streaming service. “Coming out of the pandemic, that fandom has just continued to grow.”
A key factors to its success has been the gradual building of a global audience for series like Demon Slayer, which boasts a successful TV series and a previous theatrical success with 2020’s Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train.
The Globalised Appeal of Japanese Animation
Anime originated in Japan during the 1950s, but its definitive world breakthrough moment in 1988 with Akira. This futuristic story ushered in a more grown-up, adult-oriented brand of animation whose impact can be seen throughout modern culture.
Today, Demon Slayer symbolizes anime breaking into mainstream cinema and establishing Japanese animation as a valuable source of intellectual property in an era where IP is king. Most anime start life as manga, providing years of backstory for studios eager to develop them into Marvel-sized franchises.
Its expanded globalised reach means anime can materialise in surprising places. Professional fighters, top-tier footballers, and other sports stars have referenced anime in their triumphs. Some observers have described the art form as “a lingua franca for young people all over the planet.”
“It forms young people’s identity,” says an anime expert based in Tokyo. “I think that really is fuelling this rise of anime, not just in the US, but globally.”
Financial Upsides and National Initiatives
The surge in interest is also attributed to “Oshikatsu,” a phenomena of intense support amplified by phenomena like K-pop. Fans don't only watching; they are purchasing merchandise and posting their fandom online.
The government of Japan is betting big on anime as a key part of its “Cool Japan” plan. This soft-power effort aims to stimulate the economy by harnessing hardcore fandom to drive cultural tourism. Leaders hope the strategy can bring in trillions of yen annually by 2033.
This marks a significant shift for a country historically protective of its culture. “The domestic market was large enough for a long time,” notes the Tokyo-based expert. “It was an secondary consideration to spread this culture globally.”
Digital Competition and Upcoming Projects
In the world of anime streaming, giants like Netflix are significant players. The streamer states that the number of subscribers watching anime on its platform has increased threefold in the last five years, with voice-overs produced in numerous of languages to meet global demand.
The roadmap is filled with epic stories. Second and third instalments in the Demon Slayer saga are planned, but fans will have to wait until 2027 and 2029. Before then, a real-world adaptation of One Piece and new seasons of other hit series are set for release.
The stories are epic, but so are the financial rewards of anime’s seemingly unstoppable ascent on the world stage.
