Slay all day: Demon Slayer carves out a place in anime history

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

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

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

2016: The manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, by Japanese artist Koyoharu Gotouge, debuts in manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump.

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.

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

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)

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.