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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent

Demon Slayer economics: how the anime juggernaut became a saviour

Mitchel Berger Netflix Crunchyroll United States
A character holding a sword in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle made more than $70m on its opening weekend in the US and Canada. Illustration: ©Koyoharu Gotoge / Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable

An animated drama featuring hordes of carnivorous fiends might not sound like classic box office fodder, but that’s exactly what Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle proved to be in September.

The film set new records for anime – Japanese animated films and series – making more than $70m (£52m) on its opening weekend in the US and £535m so far globally. To put that in context, Ghost in the Shell – an anime classic released in 1995 – made about £2m worldwide.

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