An animated tale starring legions of carnivorous monsters might not sound like classic box office material, but that’s exactly what the latest Demon Slayer film demonstrated to be.
The film set new records for Japanese animation, generating more than $70 million on its opening weekend in the United States and surpassing £535 million globally. To provide perspective, the animation landmark Ghost in the Shell, released in 1995, made around £2 million worldwide.
From Underground Phenomena to Global Saviour
In the intervening three decades, anime has evolved from an underground cultural curiosity to a veritable lifeline during one of the most severe fall box office slumps in recent memory.
“We have spent the last eight years cultivating this fanbase,” notes an senior from a major anime streaming service. “Coming out of the pandemic, that community has just continued to expand.”
A key keys to its success has been the gradual building of a global audience for franchises like Demon Slayer, which boasts a successful TV series and a previous box office hit with 2020’s Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train.
The Worldwide Reach of Anime Animation
Anime originated in Japan during the 1950s, but its definitive global breakout came in 1988 with Akira. This dystopian story ushered in a more grown-up, sophisticated brand of animation whose impact can be seen throughout modern culture.
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 start life as manga, providing years of backstory for studios looking to develop them into major franchises.
Its new globalised reach means anime appears in unlikely 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 self-expression,” states an anime writer based in Tokyo. “I think that really is driving this rise of anime, not just in the US, but worldwide.”
Economic Benefits and Government Strategy
The surge in interest is also attributed to “Oshikatsu,” a phenomena of intense support supercharged by phenomena like South Korean pop music. Fans don't only watching; they are buying merchandise and sharing their passion online.
The government of Japan is betting big on anime as a central part of its “Cool Japan” strategy. This cultural diplomacy effort aims to boost the economy by leveraging hardcore fandom to drive cultural tourism. Leaders hope the strategy can bring in significant revenue annually by 2033.
This represents a step change for a country traditionally guarded of its culture. “Japan's home market was large enough for a long time,” notes the Tokyo-based expert. “It was an afterthought to spread this culture globally.”
Digital Wars and Upcoming Projects
In the world of anime distribution, giants like Netflix are significant players. The streamer states 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 epic stories. Second and third instalments in the Demon Slayer saga are in the works, although 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 narratives are grand, but so are the economic rewards of anime’s apparently relentless rise on the world stage.
