Aniplex confirmed that the film Demon
Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the first
installment of the trilogy, has sold more than 18.2 million tickets and
grossed 25.782 billion yen (about $174.9 million) in just 31
days since its release in Japan. With these figures, the film has surpassed
Makoto Shinkai's Your Name and Disney's Frozen,
becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in the country.
Beats its own records
The
phenomenon of Demon Slayer is not new. In 2020, Mugen
Train marked a before and after in the industry by becoming the
highest-grossing film in Japan. Now, Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai has
achieved impressive milestones: it became the fastest film to surpass 10,000
million yen (it did so in just eight days) and recorded the best
opening in history in the country, with more than 3.8 million tickets sold
in its first weekend.
Comparison
with Mugen Train
In its
first 31 days, Mugen Train had sold 17.5 million tickets and
grossed 23.349 billion yen, falling short of Infinity Castle's current
performance. In addition, the new installment set box office records in a
single day, reaching more than $13.8 million on July 20, just two days after
its premiere.
The
international impact
The film is
being shown on 443 screens in Japan, including IMAX theaters, a
record for the franchise. Aniplex has already confirmed that the feature film
will reach more than 150 countries, surpassing the international reach of Mugen
Train. In Spain, it is expected to be released in theaters soon after its
confirmed passage through the United States and Canada on September 12,
2025, with subtitled and dubbed versions in English.
The
Demon Slayer Legacy
Koyoharu
Gotouge's work
debuted as a manga in 2016 in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and
concluded in 2020 with a total of 23 volumes. Its anime adaptation, produced
by ufotable, has become a global phenomenon with arcs that have
marked the industry: from Mugen Train to the recent Hashira
Training Arc broadcast in 2024. In total, the manga has already
surpassed 200 million copies in circulation worldwide.
The film is
directed by Haruo Sotozaki and features musical themes by
renowned artists: Aimer performs "Taiyō ga
Noboranai Sekai" and LiSA returns with "Zankoku
no Yoru ni Kagayake". Everything points to the fact that this
trilogy will further consolidate Demon Slayer as one of the
great pillars of contemporary Japanese animation.
