Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Reaches Incredible New Sales Milestone

It's no secret that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is now one of the most popular manga series ever thanks to the success of the anime's first outing, but it's admittedly still astonishing to see just how popular the series continues to be. As Koyoharu Gotoge's manga prepares to end with the next chapter of the series, the next volume of that series is preparing to hit shelves in Japan in just a matter of days. But with the release of Volume 20's massive 2.8 million copies ordered, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has hit a massive new sales milestone.

According to a report from Comic Natalie, when Volume 20 of the series hits shelves in Japan (following a delay due to the effects of the novel coronavirus) on May 13th the series will then have more than 60 million copies in circulation. This number accounts for digital releases as well, and doesn't equate to volumes sold, but it's an incredibly impressive number.

The series had only about three million copies before the anime made its debut last year, and has since multiplied by an extraordinary amount. Shueisha even noted how Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was the second highest selling series of 2019, and was just shy of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece top spot (and even nabbed the top spot according to some reports).

The manga indeed had a fanbase going into the premiere of the anime last year, but it's hard to deny just how much it exploded over the course of the anime's first season. It wasn't an immediate hit either, and was a slow burn that capped off with Episode 19. This episode got the anime trending around the world for its incredible animation, and thus brought much more interest to the manga.

Sales came from those who wanted to read ahead and see what came next, and also buying older volumes covering a different take on the events in the anime. It's clear that the series drove a large number of new fans to enjoy manga, and the impact of this series will continue to be felt as the years roll on. It may be ending, but the series will be going out on top...maybe.

How do you feel about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's massive success? Is it somehow too popular? Did you start reading the manga because of the anime, or were you there from the beginning? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

via Comic Natalie