Shonen Jump Editor-in-Chief Explains Demon Slayer’s Massive Popularity

When Demon Slayer was first announced to be receiving its own anime adaptation, we doubt anyone realized just how popular the franchise was going to become. Sure, there was certainly a sense that it would be one of the biggest anime releases of 2019, but we doubt that many believed that the story of Tanjiro, Nezuko, and their demon fighting friends would go so far as to surpass the manga sales of One Piece! Now, with an interview taking the opportunity to sit down with Editor In Chief of Shonen Jump, the magazine that publishes each chapter of Demon Slayer on the regular, Hiroyuki Nakano has given his thoughts on why the franchise became such a powerhouse!

Hiroyuki had this to say about the rise of Demon Slayer as a franchise:

“Normally, a manga gradually sells more copies throughout the anime’s run, but Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s sales shot up straight after the anime ended. The way people interact with anime has changed, and I feel like we’ve entered a new phase.”

Nakano also notes in the interview from that manga is being discovered not only through their publication, but also through other outlets. We live in an age where manga can be read via a number of different ways, either in print or, more likely, online. With the series having sold 40 million copies to date, it’s clear that the demon slaying franchise has a bright future ahead of it.

The second season of the anime has yet to be confirmed, though an upcoming movie in the form of Demon Slayer: Infinity Train, is looking to continue the story by following one of the biggest arcs from the manga. Based on the popularity of the franchise, we would imagine that it’s only a matter of time before the second season is confirmed.

What do you think of Demon Slayer’s rocketing popularity? What is your favorite part of the series so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and demon slaying!

If you wanted to check out the original Japanese run of the anime for yourself, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba‘s first season is now complete and streaming on Crunchyroll, FunimationNOW, and Hulu. The series is also currently airing new episodes of the English dub on Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block.

Via ANN