Government Official Praises Demon Slayer for Lifting Movie Industry Amidst Pandemic

The ongoing pandemic has done a number to the film industry, and the global box office has suffered greatly in the last several months. A number of high-profile movies have pushed their dates into 2021 because of COVID-19, but that is not the case for every film. Over in Japan, the first Demon Slayer film has gone live, and a government official is praising the feature for lifting the Japanese box office.

Recently, Japanese outlet LiveDoor (via Reddit) published a report documenting one official's reaction to Demon Slayer. Katsunobu Katou, the country's new Chief Cabinet Secretary, shared his praise for the anime after it topped the global box office during its opening weekend.

"The domestic box office's earnings this May was just one perfect of that found in last year's earnings. Even under such difficult circumstances, Demon Slayer managed to draw in a record-breaking number of fans. It gives a huge boost to the local movie industry," Katou shared.

During the secretary's recent talk, he discussed his love of series such as Attack on Titan. Katou said he is caught up with the manga, and he finished watching the Demon Slayer TV show ahead of its film debut.

If you have been paying attention to Demon Slayer, you will know why Katou is so complimentary of its film. The franchise broke all sorts of records thanks to the movie's opening weekend. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train has grossed more than $43 million USD since it opened last Friday, and it earned more than $12 million USD in its first day. Theaters were prompted to lift COVID restrictions to pack screenings as much as possible. Now, the question is whether the temporary reprieve was worth it as millions gathered to see Tanjiro in action this past weekend.

Do you think it was wise to lift theater restrictions for Demon Slayer? Was the premiere handled well? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.