A cartoon tale populated by hordes of carnivorous fiends might not sound like traditional box office fodder, but that’s precisely what the latest Demon Slayer film proved to be.
The film set new benchmarks for anime, earning over $70 million on its opening weekend in the United States and surpassing £535 million globally. To provide perspective, the anime classic Ghost in the Shell, released in 1995, made approximately £2 million worldwide.
Evolving From Niche Phenomena to Global Saviour
In the spanning three decades, anime has evolved from an niche cultural curiosity to a true saviour during one of the worst fall box office slumps in modern history.
“We have spent the last eight years cultivating this fandom,” says an executive from a major anime platform. “Coming out of the pandemic, that fandom has just persisted to grow.”
A key factors to its triumph has been the slow building of a global audience for franchises like Demon Slayer, which boasts a popular TV series and a prior theatrical hit with 2020’s Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train.
A Worldwide Reach of Japanese Animation
Anime originated in Japan during the 1950s, but its major world breakthrough moment in 1988 with Akira. This dystopian story ushered in a darker, sophisticated brand of animation whose influence can be seen across contemporary media.
Today, Demon Slayer represents anime breaking into mainstream cinema and cementing Japanese animation as a potential source of intellectual property in an era where IP is king. Most anime begin life as Japanese comics, providing years of source material for studios looking to spin them into major franchises.
Its new international influence means anime can materialise in unlikely places. Olympic athletes, top-tier footballers, and other sports stars have cited anime in their celebrations. Some observers have described the art form as “a common language for young people all over the planet.”
“It’s part of young people’s self-expression,” says an anime expert based in Tokyo. “I think that really is fuelling this rise of anime, not just in the US, but worldwide.”
Financial Upsides and Government Strategy
The spike in interest is also attributed to “Oshikatsu,” a phenomena of devout fanaticism supercharged by phenomena like South Korean pop music. Enthusiasts don't only watching; they are buying merchandise and sharing their fandom on social media.
The Japanese government is betting big on anime as a central part of its “Cool Japan” strategy. This cultural diplomacy initiative aims to stimulate the economy by leveraging dedicated fandom to drive tourism. Leaders hope the strategy can bring in significant revenue annually by 2033.
This marks a step change 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 internationally.”
Streaming Competition and Future Projects
In the world of anime distribution, major platforms like Netflix are significant players. The streamer reports that the number of subscribers watching anime on its platform has tripled in the last five years, with voice-overs produced in dozens of languages to meet global demand.
The future is filled with major stories. Second and third instalments in the Demon Slayer saga are in the works, but audiences will have to wait until 2027 and 2029. Before then, a real-world adaptation of One Piece and new seasons of other popular series are set for release.
The stories are grand, but so are the financial rewards of anime’s seemingly relentless ascent on the global stage.
