'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' Overtakes 'Spirited Away' As Japan's No.1 Film
The beloved Studio Ghibli anime’s nearly two-decade streak has come to an end.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has officially become Japan‘s biggest box office hit since the release of Hayao Miyazaki‘s 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. Having only premiered back in October, the movie was able to sell 24 million tickets, with total domestic earnings of ¥32 billion JPY (approximately $314 million USD).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Demon Slayer has become the “fastest movie in the history of Japan’s box office to cross ¥10 billion JPY (approximately $96 million USD).” Miyazaki’s Spirited Away reigned supreme for almost two decades, earning ¥31.68 billion JPY (approximately $305 million USD) thanks to recent re-releases in Japan this past year.
For those who aren’t familiar, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is based on Japanese artist Koyoharu Gotōge’s popular 2016 manga. It follows the story of a young boy named Tanjiro Kamado on a quest to rescue his younger sister, Nezuko, who gets turned into a demon.
In other news, Netflix has announced five new anime originals set to arrive on the platform next year.
