Makoto Shinkai Congratulates Demon Slayer on Its Historic Box Office Run

If you have been paying attention to the anime industry in 2020, you will have heard of Demon Slayer. The popular series shot to fame last year after its anime went live, but things reached an all-new high with its movie in 2020. In fact, the anime’s first film is now the highest-grossing movie in Japan to date, and the director of Your Name has something to say about the big milestone.

Recently, Makoto Shinkai did an interview with TV Asahi where he spoke about his films and next project. It was there the director made note of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Train and said it was wild seeing its box office success amidst the pandemic.

“Nobody could have anticipated that in the year of 2020, where people were made to avoid gathering in one place, that Japan’s box office records would get overwritten,” Shinkai noted.

The director went on to say that Demon Slayer‘s success was a win for every anime and manga creator. It is hugely encouraging to see the public embrace the medium the way it did with Tanjiro, but Shinkai admits he is a bit mixed about the movie. After all, Your Name was bumped down the box office to make way for Demon Slayer.

“It is a bit frustrating that we weren’t able to achieve such a thing,” he said.

This is not the first time Shinkai has said the huge success of Demon Slayer frustrated him as much as it excited him. Back in November, the director commented on the film after it beat out the lifetime gross of Your Name in Japan. “Whoa, already?! As frustrating as that may be for me, the fact that records are constantly getting beaten is a sign of a healthy entertainment industry. The least I can do is work hard to create good films.”

Now, all eyes are on Demon Slayer and its global box office haul. The film has yet to debut in many major markets given the pandemic. Currently, Your Name stands as the highest-grossing anime film globally to date after it took down Spirited Away. So by the end of 2021, this list could have a new reigning champion…!

Can you believe the success of Demon Slayer‘s first film? Have you gotten to see it yet…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

HT – ANN