Demon Slayer Film Hits ¥7.31B ($49.7M) in 4 Days

The film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc: Part 1 Akaza Returns, released on July 18, earned ¥7.31 billion ($49.7M) over four days with 5.16 million viewers. The film’s strong performance surpasses the opening records of the 2020 hit Mugen Train, setting new Japanese records for opening, first-day, and single-day box office revenue.

Box Office Records Surpassing Mugen Train

Toho reported that the film achieved ¥5.52 billion ($37.6M) within its first three days. On July 20 alone, it grossed ¥2.03 billion ($13.8M), the highest single-day performance in Japanese cinema history. Over four days, its total reached ¥7.31 billion ($49.7M) with 5.16 million admissions, surpassing the pace of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Train, which had earned ¥4.62 billion ($31.4M) in its first three days in October 2020.

The opening-day figures for Akaza Returns include ¥1.64 billion ($11.2M) in revenue with 1.15 million attendees. These results place it at the top for both first-day and opening weekend performance, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha data.

Comparison with Other 2025 Hits

Earlier in 2025, Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback opened on April 18 with ¥1.05 billion ($7.1M) on its first day and earned ¥3.44 billion ($23.4M) over its first three days. It has since surpassed ¥14.4 billion ($98.0M) in total box office. The performance of Akaza Returns indicates that it will exceed this total and likely become the highest-grossing domestic film of 2025.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Train, which remains the all-time Japanese box office leader with ¥40.43 billion ($275M), had 910,507 attendees and ¥1.27 billion ($8.7M) on its first day. The new film’s launch figures clearly outpace these records, continuing the franchise’s success.

Based on the hit manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020, Demon Slayer is set in the Taisho era, in a world plagued by man-eating demons. It follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who joins the Demon Slayer Corps to avenge his family and restore his demon-transformed sister Nezuko back into a human. The manga has sold over 220 million copies worldwide.

The anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc aired in 2019, quickly becoming a sensation. The 2020 release of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc went on to gross over 51.7 billion yen globally, solidifying its status as a cultural phenomenon.

Following its success, the franchise expanded into video games and stage plays, with new anime arcs airing in December 2021 (Entertainment District Arc), April 2023 (Swordsmith Village Arc), and from May to June 2024 (Hashira Training Arc).

The new film trilogy, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc, depicts the Demon Slayer Corps’ climactic battle against their arch-nemesis Muzan Kibutsuji and the Upper Rank demons. Part 1, Akaza Reappears, centers on the corps’ incursion into the demons’ stronghold—the Infinity Castle.

Teaser Trailer

Source : ORICON NEWS