As “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie – Infinity Castle” spends another week at the top of the box office charts in the U.S., let’s take a look at the growing cultural and economic phenomenon of anime.
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While anime is nothing new – the animation style’s roots go back to Japan in the 1950s and anime shows such as Pokémon have long been a staple of Saturday morning cartoons in the U.S.– this new “Demon Slayer” film’s success at the box office was a surprise, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box office tracking company Comscore. He joined the “Noon Business Hour” this week to talk anime with WBBM Newsradio’s Rob Hart.
“I think studios, creatives, movie theaters, everyone’s taking notice of this,” Dergarabedian said. “This adds another category of film that can… not become like a cult or a niche part of the box office, but could become mainstream. With over half a billion worldwide, you have to say this is a global phenomenon.”
When “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie – Infinity Castle” opened on Sept. 12, it brought in more than $70 million. So far, it’s made nearly $110 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo. For some perspective, the film’s opening weekend was just a bit under the $74.3 million Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts” brought in on its opening weekend and considerably more than the $35.4 million Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” brought in on its first weekend this year.
“Demon Slayer” has a history going back almost a decade. Artist Gotouge Koyoharu began publishing the manga series in a serialized format in 2016. It is focused on Kamado Tanjiro, a boy whose sister Nezuko was transformed into a demon. He joins a secret group of warriors to avenge his family and cure her. An anime TV adaptation followed in 2019. In “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie – Infinity Castle” the Demon Slayer corps train and battle demons at the Infinity Castle stronghold.
“It’s so cool because to see an anime film on a big screen in a movie theater is just spectacular,” said Dergarabedian. “I mean, it’s really artwork on screen.”
Anime films have hit big screens in the U.S. before, including “Princess Mononoke” by Miyazaki Hayao in 1997. However, Hart noted that they have often been shown at smaller theaters rather than getting a large-scale release.
Dergarabedian said that Comscore data is showing lots of success for international content this year. “KPop Demon Hunters”, a film based on the popular Korean music genre, was a hit on Netflix this summer, and you can still see people all over TikTok trying to hit the high notes of its song “Golden” by Hunter/x.
For years, anime fans have also been flocking to the Chicago area for two anime conventions – Anime Central and Anime Midwest. Hart asked Dergarabedian when the turning point for anime becoming mainstream in the U.S. happened.
“When you look at the box office of ‘Demon Slayer – Infinity Castle’ this may be the moment. We may be living in that right now.” He added: “And when you go and you look at the numbers, that’s what often sells the idea that, yes, there should be more of these films released in the U.S. and Canada and the domestic market and around the world.”
According to a report released this year by Grand View Research, the global anime market was estimated at around $34 million in 2024 and was expected to reach more than $60 million over the next five years. North America is the fastest growing market for anime content.
“The market is primarily driven by the rise of social media platforms, which has fostered community building among fans, allowing for greater interaction and engagement,” the research firm said. Additionally, there is a strong connection between the entertainment content and merchandise sales, including clothing and toys.
In 2022, Morning Consult polling revealed that millennials were fueling a growth in anime and passing down the interest to younger generations. Last year, Polygon and Vox Media released a survey on the rise of anime culture in the U.S. and its popularity with young consumers. It found that Gen Z was consuming more anime on a weekly basis than the NFL and that likened the impact of anime shows to “Friends” or “Seinfeld” for older audiences.
There might be more big-screen wins for anime in the U.S. in the future, but it already has a stronghold in streaming.
“To be able to go mainstream by virtue of streaming, bringing all this great content, international content to people, you know, when they’re sitting on their couch… that can inspire people to go out to the movie theater,” said Dergarabedian. “I think young people really – by young, younger than me – young people, really love anime. It’s just… it’s artwork come to life. Great stories, great heroes within these films and the mythology surrounding it. This is just maybe we’re just scratching the surface now.”