‘Demon Slayer’ Popularity Proven by the Numbers — Industry Insiders Astonished 5 Years After Manga’s End

The movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Castle Arc: Part 1 – The Return of Akaza, released on July 18, has earned a staggering ¥7.31 billion ($49.7 million) in just four days. This surpasses the first-week record of the 2020 film Mugen Train, which earned ¥4.04 billion ($27.5 million) and holds the record for the highest-grossing film in Japan’s history. Shueisha also recently announced that the manga has exceeded 220 million copies in circulation, demonstrating the franchise’s undiminished popularity five years after the manga's conclusion.

The Mugen Castle Arc earned ¥5.52 billion ($37.6 million) in its first three days, and on July 20 alone, it brought in ¥2.03 billion ($13.8 million), marking the highest single-day box office in Japanese film history. According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, the film broke three domestic records: highest opening, highest first-day, and highest single-day earnings.

In comparison, Mugen Train drew 910,507 viewers and made ¥1.27 billion ($8.6 million) on its opening day, and achieved ¥4.62 billion ($31.4 million) and 3.42 million admissions in three days. At the time, it held the weekday box office and attendance record for a Japanese film. However, Mugen Castle Arc has now surpassed those milestones and is on track to possibly exceed Mugen Train’s historical ¥40.4 billion ($274.9 million) box office total.

Many believed that Mugen Train’s record would remain untouched, making the rapid success of the new film a surprise. Reactions online include “Unbelievable… but well-deserved,” “Heading out for my fifth viewing—congrats on the ¥7.3 billion,” “Could this really surpass Mugen Train?” and “Absolutely wild, as expected.” Distributor Toho also posted on X, stating, “Three new box office records in Japanese film history!” while expressing gratitude to fans: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s watched it!”

In addition to the movie’s box office feat, Shueisha announced that all 23 volumes of the Demon Slayer manga have now surpassed 220 million copies worldwide (164 million in Japan and 56 million overseas, including digital editions). The last update came in February 2021 when the series had hit 150 million copies. This means the franchise has added 70 million copies over the last four and a half years—even after the manga ended—prompting Shueisha to describe the series as “maintaining overwhelming popularity.”

Back in April 2019, just before the anime premiered, the manga had sold 3.5 million copies. The anime’s impact led to explosive growth, reaching 12 million by September 2019 and 25 million by December. By February 2020, the number reached 40 million, followed by 60 million in May, the month the manga concluded. By October, the figure was 100 million, and the final volume release in December pushed it to 120 million. In February 2021, the total reached 150 million copies. Now, with the July 2025 update, the total stands at an astonishing 220 million.

In the years since the manga’s conclusion in May 2020, the franchise has continued to thrive with the release of Mugen Train, new TV anime series, stage plays, and video games. The latest update reflects an unprecedented +70 million copy increase—an extremely rare phenomenon for a concluded series—and box office records for the new film, demonstrating the enduring strength of the Demon Slayer brand.

A publishing insider commented, “What surprised me the most is the 70 million-copy increase over four and a half years. The final volume was released in December 2020, and by February 2021 we had already hit 150 million copies. That should have been the peak. But even considering the impact of new anime series, an additional 70 million copies is astonishing.”

They added, “With so many records being broken, we might be numb to the numbers now—but surpassing 70 million copies is an achievement reserved for a select few works. You don’t hit these numbers on quality alone. Even anime, live-action, or game adaptations don’t guarantee this scale. While broader exposure boosts sales, there has to be something more, something unique to the work. Demon Slayer managed to generate these numbers after its final volume—and surpassing 200 million total copies is simply extraordinary.”

Recent circulation figures for other top manga titles further underscore the rarity of Demon Slayer’s success:

Jujutsu Kaisen: 100 million copies
My Hero Academia: 100 million copies
Tokyo Revengers: 80 million copies
Haikyuu!!: 70 million copies
Blue Lock: 45 million copies
SPY×FAMILY: 38 million copies
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: 30 million copies
Oshi no Ko: 23 million copies

That Demon Slayer added 70 million copies after its conclusion highlights just how exceptional its continued popularity truly is.

Box Office Performance of Demon Slayer: Mugen Castle Arc Part 1 (Released July 18, 2025)

Day 1: ¥1.64 billion ($11.2 million) / 1.16 million admissions※Highest first-day earnings in Japanese film history (Kogyo Tsushinsha)
3 Days: ¥5.52 billion ($37.6 million) / 3.84 million admissions※Highest opening weekend in Japanese film history
4 Days: ¥7.31 billion ($49.7 million) / 5.16 million admissions

Box Office Performance of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (Released October 16, 2020)

Day 1: ¥1.27 billion ($8.6 million) / 910,507 admissions
3 Days: ¥4.62 billion ($31.4 million) / 3.42 million admissions
10 Days: ¥10.75 billion ($73.1 million) / 7.98 million admissions
24 Days: ¥20.48 billion ($139.3 million) / 15.37 million admissions
31 Days: ¥23.35 billion ($158.8 million) / 17.5 million admissions
59 Days: ¥30.28 billion ($205.9 million) / 22.53 million admissions
101 Days: ¥36.5 billion ($248.3 million) / 26.67 million admissions
220 Days: ¥40.01 billion ($272.1 million) / 28.96 million admissions

Growth of Demon Slayer Manga Circulation (Shueisha Data)

Apr 6, 2019: 3.5 million copies (Anime broadcast began)※5 million by April 9
Sep 2019: 12 million copies (Post anime broadcast)
Dec 4, 2019: 25 million copies
Feb 4, 2020: 40 million copies
May 13, 2020: 60 million copies※Manga serialization ended May 18
Jul 3, 2020: 80 million copies
Oct 2, 2020: 100 million copies※Movie release Oct 16
Dec 4, 2020: 120 million copies※Final volume released
Feb 15, 2021: 150 million copies
Jul 17, 2025: 220 million copies

Note: All dollar conversions are based on an exchange rate of ¥147 to $1.

Source : ORICON NEWS