Kimetsu no Yaiba anime sets Japanese box office record despite pandemic
November 2, 2020 5:08 AM Subscribe
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) went from manga to anime to feature film in just a few short years as it quickly gained a large following in Japan. Since the second feature film, 鬼滅の刃 無限列車編 (Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Train) was released domestically on October 16, despite the ongoing COVID threat, it already set a box office record by reaching the ¥10 billion mark twice as fast as any other movie.
While the box office record may be partially attributed to the lack of competition during the pandemic (some theaters are using multiple screens for showings every 30 minutes), it is still a massively popular phenomenon right now. It will be interesting to see how it fares internationally as it is darker and bloodier than your typical Ghibli favorites.
While the box office record may be partially attributed to the lack of competition during the pandemic (some theaters are using multiple screens for showings every 30 minutes), it is still a massively popular phenomenon right now. It will be interesting to see how it fares internationally as it is darker and bloodier than your typical Ghibli favorites.
Hi p3t3, another expat in Japan here! And yes, it's pretty crazy how HUGE Kimetsu no Yaiba is right now. The series was popular back in spring, and the movie is set to be the #1 Japanese movie of all time, if it hasn't done that already.
I've watch the entire series with my (Japanese) wife and our 11-year-old. It's a really well-made animation, although the story is rather unoriginal and it suffers from some of the trappings of Japanese anime that make it less than great (overly dramatic and overlong monologues; abrupt and jarring comic relief; characters who literally only scream their dialogue).
But it has its moments of innovative animation and overall it's worth a watch. My wife isn't into anime or manga much at all, but she loves this show. And yes, it is quite violent, quite a step up for my son who was begging to watch Winnie the Pooh not that long ago...
posted by zardoz at 5:33 AM on November 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
I've watch the entire series with my (Japanese) wife and our 11-year-old. It's a really well-made animation, although the story is rather unoriginal and it suffers from some of the trappings of Japanese anime that make it less than great (overly dramatic and overlong monologues; abrupt and jarring comic relief; characters who literally only scream their dialogue).
But it has its moments of innovative animation and overall it's worth a watch. My wife isn't into anime or manga much at all, but she loves this show. And yes, it is quite violent, quite a step up for my son who was begging to watch Winnie the Pooh not that long ago...
posted by zardoz at 5:33 AM on November 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
Thanks zardoz, I'll have to give it all a proper watch. Having seen only bits and pieces, I wasn't particularly moved, but am getting curious now with the movie blowing up so big.
posted by p3t3 at 5:53 AM on November 2, 2020
posted by p3t3 at 5:53 AM on November 2, 2020
The single best thing about Kimetsu no Yaiba? It's a battle shounen that's actually done and won't be in a permanent cycle of training arcs.
posted by Room 101 at 6:03 AM on November 2, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by Room 101 at 6:03 AM on November 2, 2020 [8 favorites]
Yeah, I watched the first few episodes of the anime and didn't find the writing interesting enough to stick with it, but I was really tempted to keep going just for the excellent animation and visual composition.
My personal theory is that the protagonist's checkerboard-patterned jacket was a deliberate choice by the manga artist, to make sure that the series wouldn't be animated except by a team that wasn't willing to cut any corners. The only way to show that outfit in motion and not have it look like crap is to draw it carefully in every single frame.
posted by teraflop at 6:27 AM on November 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
My personal theory is that the protagonist's checkerboard-patterned jacket was a deliberate choice by the manga artist, to make sure that the series wouldn't be animated except by a team that wasn't willing to cut any corners. The only way to show that outfit in motion and not have it look like crap is to draw it carefully in every single frame.
posted by teraflop at 6:27 AM on November 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
Guess I have to check out this series sometime, though I bounce off of most Shounen Jump battle manga, even the very popular ones, rather quickly. My favorite Jump series tend to be comedies.
posted by May Kasahara at 7:50 AM on November 2, 2020
posted by May Kasahara at 7:50 AM on November 2, 2020
It's OK but every time I see posts about KnY I'm reminded of the awkward ending. I still hope there will be S2 and maybe I'll get over it once it's out.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 8:09 AM on November 2, 2020
posted by chrono_rabbit at 8:09 AM on November 2, 2020
(characters who literally only scream their dialogue).
Oh Zenitsu...I so love that Haori pattern, but I cringe every time he's on screen, screaming and crying and running to and fro.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:08 AM on November 2, 2020
Oh Zenitsu...I so love that Haori pattern, but I cringe every time he's on screen, screaming and crying and running to and fro.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:08 AM on November 2, 2020
Awkward ending
We recently went through Evangelion. Now that's an awkward ending! (Indeed, a whole saga of awkward, spanning decades...)
posted by kaibutsu at 9:16 AM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
We recently went through Evangelion. Now that's an awkward ending! (Indeed, a whole saga of awkward, spanning decades...)
posted by kaibutsu at 9:16 AM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm not going to link it, because frat boy humour, but Team Four Star did one of their trademark abridged parodies of KnY called "Demon Slayer in 6 Minutes!". Turn the subtitles on and prepare for maximum shonen.
posted by Eleven at 9:26 AM on November 2, 2020
posted by Eleven at 9:26 AM on November 2, 2020
Also amazing is that the movie would be utterly baffling if you hadn’t already seen the entire series (or read the manga) leading up to it. There’s not even the slightest hint of “As you know, Bob” exposition.
I think one of the reasons it’s so popular is the character of Nezuko (the main protagonist’s little sister, who is a demon but keeps it under control). Little girls seem to really love seeing a girl on-screen who occasionally gets really angry and fights demons to protect her brother and others. Who could possibly have foreseen etc.
posted by No-sword at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2020 [6 favorites]
I think one of the reasons it’s so popular is the character of Nezuko (the main protagonist’s little sister, who is a demon but keeps it under control). Little girls seem to really love seeing a girl on-screen who occasionally gets really angry and fights demons to protect her brother and others. Who could possibly have foreseen etc.
posted by No-sword at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2020 [6 favorites]
I keep bracing for a spike in coronavirus cases by having a record-setting movie debut in the midst of a a pandemic spread through asymptomatic carriers, is the main thing I think about when I think of this franchise !
The tie-ins for the movie are absolutely ubiquitous, yeah. I learned of the existence of the franchise through Lawson having big posters everywhere for months. Checked out a couple episodes on Netflix, and it seems competent enough, at least.
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:27 PM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
The tie-ins for the movie are absolutely ubiquitous, yeah. I learned of the existence of the franchise through Lawson having big posters everywhere for months. Checked out a couple episodes on Netflix, and it seems competent enough, at least.
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:27 PM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
Little girls seem to really love seeing a girl on-screen who occasionally gets really angry and fights demons to protect her brother and others.
And bondage gear for the older ones!
posted by pwnguin at 4:34 PM on November 2, 2020
And bondage gear for the older ones!
posted by pwnguin at 4:34 PM on November 2, 2020
DoctorFedora, you mentioned Netflix, but it's not available in my region. Anyone know the best place to see this in the US?
posted by ®@ at 5:14 AM on November 3, 2020
posted by ®@ at 5:14 AM on November 3, 2020
Although Nezuko is cute she is a supporting character to the main trio so later on readers will be disappointed by the lack of well anything that motivates herself beyond her brother. The series does have a few high points like the butterfly mansion and the sisters but yeah.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 3:22 PM on November 3, 2020
posted by chrono_rabbit at 3:22 PM on November 3, 2020
Yeah, kyo-ani-me and pandemic have de-brained my anime watching but I remember this show and it wasn't bad.... It's not Cowboy Bebop OMG quality and it's also not like Pokemon or something drivel. Little sister is a muzzled bad-ass and strong enough to keep fighting to not go full demon. It's rather well done and enjoyable to watch for what is is. It might as well be The Walking Dead or Game Of Thrones on the spectrum of yep you get what you expected but it's not just actual crap. It does what it says on the tin.
posted by zengargoyle at 5:36 PM on November 3, 2020
posted by zengargoyle at 5:36 PM on November 3, 2020
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posted by p3t3 at 5:11 AM on November 2, 2020