“No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living. No matter how devastating the blows may be.” – Tanjiro Kamado
‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train’ was released in theatres nationwide on October 16, 2020, and has surpassed the box office record held by Ghibli’s ‘Spirited Away.’ The movie is now the highest-grossing Japanese movie in film history, and its revenue is on the rise as the film continues to show in movie theatres.
The movie is based on the manga ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ written by Koyoharu Gotoge and is the sequel to the anime series. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who loses his family slaughtered by demons and his younger sister, who is turned into a demon. The story depicts Tanjiro’s journey as a demon slayer as he hopes for his younger sister, Nezuko, to turn back into a human.
In a country that is renowned for its anime and manga, what made ‘Demon Slayer’ so special? What are the reasons behind its success?
Amongst the many reasons, here are the main few on why I think ‘Demon Slayer’ became such a hit.
COVID-19!
One commonality of past successful anime movies is that there are no prequels. Both ‘Your Name’ and ‘Spirited Away’ are movies that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the plot. However, it is key for the audience to have already watched the anime to enjoy the movie to the fullest for ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train.’
So, how did ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train’ secure the bag?
Although ‘Demon Slayer’ was all the hype for many anime and manga enthusiasts since 2019, the Japanese Stay-At-Home order allowed others to delve into the anime series. Besides baking banana bread and tie-dying sweatshirts, many spent their time at home binge-watching films and TV series. The anime series’ Demon Slayer’, which is aired on television and available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other streaming services, was able to reach a wide and large audience. Not only were people able to purely enjoy the anime, but they also were able to “prepare” themselves for the upcoming movie, which can be considered a sequel of the anime. With the movie’s release, a large portion of the Japanese population was already aware of the storyline. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that the coronavirus played a part in securing the movie’s success.
Campaigns with various businesses
The movie’s foreseeable and evident success has drawn various businesses to release themed ‘Demon Slayer’ goods. In collaboration with this mega-hit anime, the faces of the various characters can be seen in convenience stores, post offices, and fast-food stores. This appeases the fans and can also draw in a new audience that has never seen the anime series. Thus, the high visibility contributed to drawing in more people to watch the movie.
Japanese ‘niwaka fan’ culture
‘Niwaka fan’ is a Japanese term that describes a fair-weather or bandwagon fan. In Japan, where conformity is revered, many Japanese naturally view being part of a group or a team as important. The unity and sense of belonging are brought by ‘niwaka fan’ culture and can be witnessed in sports tournaments or trends. Media coverage plays a significant part in contributing to this culture. It highlights the popularity of a particular event and encourages more people to become a fan or simply jump on the bandwagon. ‘Niwaka fan’ culture stems from the passion of genuine fans but feeds into a domino effect of potentially temporary fans. In my opinion, a large part of the movie’s popularity is a result of niwaka fans. Even though there are genuine fans, some are indeed both self-proclaimed or not openly acknowledged ‘niwaka fans.’
The overarching message of the film
This may be the most important aspect of the film. A considerable part of the film that captured the hearts of many is the overarching message of the film. The film’s plot and theme are very appropriate to what the world is currently facing and hence, transcends age groups. Although there are no spoilers here, the timing of the film’s release truly fitted current events, and this is possibly a major reason why the movie is gaining such immense popularity.
The movie ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train’ is still showing in theatres in Japan and abroad, so if this has sparked your interest, now is your time to grab a ticket. However, please stay safe and keep in mind to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.