Jujutsu Kaisen Team Explains How Demon Slayer Guided the Anime

Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer are two of the biggest Shonen franchises in the world today, despite the fact that they both only debuted in the last few years. With the series from Gege Akutami and Koyoharu Gotouge respectively each releasing two movies that have become the biggest examples of anime films in the world, it would seem that the animated story of Yuji Itadori has a lot to thank Tanjiro and company for. At this year’s Anime Expo, the creators at MAPPA revealed some big revelations when it came to how they approached the first season which followed Jujutsu Tech. 

At the Jujutsu Kaisen panel at Anime Expo, MAPPA CEO Manabu Otsuka and scriptwriter Hiroshi Seko dove into the approach that was taken for the initial episodes and how Kimetsu no Yaiba’s success helped in pushing the television series forward: 

“When asked if they saw JJK and its popularity coming, Manabu says they had an expectation because we knew Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was huge. He felt there were similarities, but Manabu was very thankful because of the hit’s potential. They were not aiming to make it a hit, but it just became one organically. Seko agrees, saying the success of KNY was wild, and they thought they could do something similar given the market for anime domestically and abroad. The writer also notes JJK was going to be loved abroad but not how much. It made everyone very surprised and very happy. And of course, Hiroaki felt the same as well. They were aiming for a hit because JJK was a hit abroad but even this level surprised them all.”  

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train became the most profitable anime film of all time when it was released in theaters around the world, though Jujutsu Kaisen 0 certainly tried its best in playing catch up by also being included in the top ten for anime movies. For fans who might be starving for new anime from both, the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen and the third season of Demon Slayer are set to arrive next year.

What do you think of Demon Slayer’s influence on Jujutsu Kaisen? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Demon Slayer Corps and the students of Jujutsu Tech.