Demon Slayer Anime Is Crushing Japanese Box Office Records Despite COVID Pandemic

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train shattered a Japanese box office record during its first day of release.

Mugen Train was released on Oct. 16 and grossed over 1.2 billion yen, setting the record for first-day admissions in Japan. It gathered $44 million (4.623 billion yen) over its opening weekend, beating the previous record-holder, Frozen II.

Mugen Train also broke a record for IMAX theaters, opening with $2.27 million (238 million yen). This is an 18% increase over Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was the previous record holder. Japanese theaters reopened in mid-September with limited seating and other restrictions to halt the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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Based on the manga of the same name by Koyoharu Gotōge, Demon Slayer focuses on a boy named Tanjiro who joins the Demon Slayer Corps after his village is destroyed by demons. The anime has become an international hit, with Mugen Train set during Season 1. Mugen Train follows Tanjiro and his fellow demon slayers as they investigate the possibility of a demon passenger on a train. Though the manga has ended, Gotōge created a special one-shot chapter focusing on Kyojuro Rengoku which ties into Mugen Train.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train will premiere in U.S. and Canadian theaters in early 2021.

Source: Deadline

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