One Piece's New Movie Narrowly Misses Demon Slayer Opening Record

By Evan Valentine

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train was a bonafide phenomenon. The first feature-length film of the shonen story pulled in hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office around the globe, but it seems that the story of Tanjiro and his friends might see some competition. One Piece: Red recently hit theaters in Japan and while the fifteenth film of the franchise didn't overtake Mugen Train, it definitely came closer than any other anime movie released in the past few years.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train more than earned its place as the number one anime movie of all time, pulling in over five hundred million dollars at the box office following its global theatrical run. While Demon Slayer released its first chapter many years following the arrival of the Straw Hat Pirates in Weekly Shonen Jump, the two Shonen franchises have had some serious back and forth when it came to their overall manga sales. There have been a few times in the past where the story of Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps was astonishingly able to surpass the overall sales of the Straw Hat Pirates, showing just how popular Demon Slayer had become over a relatively short amount of time.

In its opening weekend in Japan, One Piece: Red became the second biggest box office opening weekend in the country, pulling in an estimated $19.8 million US dollars. While this made it the number two biggest release in the East, it still trailed behind Demon Slayer: Mugen Train's release, which was a staggering $23.6 million US dollars.

One Piece: Red is set to release this fall in theaters around the world, giving North American fans the opportunity to witness the return of Red-Haired Shanks, along with the introduction of his daughter Uta, on the big screen. An official description of the film reads as such from Crunchyroll:

"Uta — the most beloved singer in the world. Her voice, which she sings with while concealing her true identity, has been described as "otherworldly. She will appear in public for the first time at a live concert. As the venue fills with all kinds of Uta fans — excited pirates, the Navy watching closely, and the Straw Hats led by Luffy who simply came to enjoy her sonorous performance — the voice that the whole world has been waiting for is about to resound. The story begins with the shocking fact that she is "Shanks' daughter." Uta stands on the stage, with the ordinary wish of "Making the world happy with my music." There's Gordon, a mysterious character who knows Uta's past, and glimpses of Shanks' shadow. On Elegia, the island of music, Luffy and Uta reunite for the first time since they last met 12 years ago in Foosha Village."

Via New World Artur

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